Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-03-28
subject as Llzna.s ra1tnIessness.

B
! passed Lizzie's lodgings.
4 81 think I'll just run in and see how
I Lily is" said Emerson to me.
"All right, old fellow! Ishall wait tea
| for you. mind--so don't be long" l re-
/ piled, for Emerson had promised to go
/ home with me.
/ "Oh, / sha'n't stay more than a few
! minutes"-and with that we parted.
/ Emerson's few minutes heightened in
/ to an hour, and l was just going to begin
| my tea without him, fearing to be late
/ at the theatre, when he staggered into
my room.
GOOD heavensl what is the matter?" I
gasped.
"Oh, a mere nothing! 1t is only that
/ the woman for whom | sacrificed every
/ thing that men hold dear, for whom
would willingly have given my life
! blood, has made off with another man
| one who, she coolly informs me, has ever
/ been the chosen of her heart! Clifford,
! you are right-they are false, every one
! of them! A truthful womanis as strange
a phenomenon as an honest mcney-lend-
err"
l was too distressed on EmeIson's be-
half to deny that / had ever advanced an
! opinion so preiudicial to women. Words
of comfort | could not utter. Helplessly
l watched my poor friend. He was pallid
to the very lips, but in his eyes there was
a fierce unnatural CLEAN.
"What do you think l did when / first
| heard the news? Why, tainted dead off,
! like any stupid schoolgirl When | came
! TO, old mother Robertson was tanning
me, and bathing my temples with eau
! de-Cologne, as if | were something very
] 1cr |, L.,
a creature that a woman found it impos-
sible to love mel"
As he finished speaking, he burst into
a hoarse unnatural laugh, which seemed
to freeze the blood in my veins.
II suppose Thornton was at the bottom
of it?' l asked, sadly.
"He was. But how did you guess?"
! l told Emerson all knew as gently as
I could. l had not proceeded far with
my narrative before | discovered that my
! old schoolfellow gathered some comfort
/ from hearing that Lizzie had been sorely
/ tempted, and that she would never have
been false to her lover had not Thornton
used all his arts TO induce her to be so.
| In my anxiety to administer what COM
| fort / could to poor Emerson | dwelt
with perhaps little unnecessary severity
upon Thornton's baseness. Heaven for
give mel l little thought what bitter
| cause ! should have to repent of my want
of charity"
Poor little Lily! After ALL she was
more sinned against that shining said
/ Emerson, almost tenderly. But it will
be a sorry day for Richard Thornton
should he chance to cross my path again"
As arranged, l joined another COM
| panv, leaving Emerson to take my old
place as Mr.. Moss leading man. lie
looked very detected as we babe each
other farewell.
u hope you will be able to make some-
thing of it, old fellow" said, in as cheer.
full tone as | could assume.
ut doesn't matter much now whether
| | succeed or fail he answered gloomily.
ooh, that's all nonsensep | replied,
! trying to make the best of bad matter.
Il shall expect to hear you are doing
! splendid business"
Week after week | scanned the Era to
discover the whereabouts Of Thornton
and Lizzie, but in vain. They had no
doubt changed their names on accepting
fresh engagements. From Emerson
did hear occasionally; but his letters con.
tanned no cheering news. LiZzie's faith
| lessness seemed to have changed his very
nature; he even lost all love and enthusi-
asm for his profession.
= never go upon the boards but what
/ fancy | can see her. he wrote. "No
matter what character | am playing, my
thoughts are for ever reverting to the
past. Mr.. Moss puts up with me as well
as he can; but I'm much mistaken if
am not a sore trial to the poor old fellow.
Should you hear of any engagements as
'heavies' and seconds you might let me
know. Perhaps if | made a change the
past would not always be so wildly be.
fore me. Anyhow, l would rather be
where | need not take the lead, for real.
ly am no longer equal to it."
A month or two after | received this
| letter our own heavy man" was leaving.
half hesitated about letting Emerson
/ know OF the gap in our numbers, think
ing it would, perhaps, be a greater change
for him to enter a fresh company alto.
gether than act again with me. Event
| uallv, however, | decided to write to him;
and | was afterwards very pleased ! had
done e.. for he was quite ready to take
advantage of my suggestion. Matters
were soon satisfactorily arranged with
/ Mr.. Watson, our manager, and the date
fixed on which Emerson was to Join us.
1t was now nearly a wear since we had
met; and as l hurried down to the rail.
way station to welcome my old friend, |
wondered if | should find him much
changed. Although 1 had tried to pre-
pare myself for the worst / could hardly
repress an exclamation of establishment
as Emerson alighted on theplatform lie
was thin, wan, haggard-the very shadow
Of his former self, l thought, as we shook
hands warmly.
You had better have your luggage
sent up. We rehearse in half an hour,
SO there is no time to lose" | said.
I'm to play Richmond am | not? OF
course YOU take the lead? Halo. man,
what have you done to your arm:'
You may well ask! | was clever
enough to snapthe bone in two last night.
Ny foot slipped as l was going home; and
the mischief was done before | could say
Jack Robinson"
Just then | was almost grateful for my
unfortunate accident, as it gave us some
thing to talk about at a moment when
we might otherwise have both felt a lit
tie awkward.
"How the deuce are you to play with
your arms in spliuts:" asked Emerson.
That's lust the bother of it, Mr..