Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-11-12
LIMA FENTON'S LOVER.

creature comforts We gave them n sort
~ entertainment aftcrward-songs. reel.
taiions. sonis amateur conjuring and In.
strumental music After the dinner
came the entertainment. and jus, befor.
the entertainment an ounce of tobacco
or snun. whichever they pleased. was
presented a. each inmate. A. handed
the tray containing the little packet he
stretched out n shaking hand aud thank
81 me In a vOice which SEEMED familiar
Il think wo must have met before. my
friend. said
"l.or' bless YOU. Mr Nibbsi- said he.
4 used to sce you most every night H.
fore nay misfortune. my misfortune has
brought me here. he added searily.
Il don't remember your face" ! an.
.wcrcd. and yet seemed TO have seen II
bcforc
My face Ia about all that IL left Of
me. be replied. and then he did a very
extraordinary thing blew cut his
checks. be- screwed up his mouth. his
eye. SEEMED nearly to start from his
head. AMI his scalp which was covered
with scaniy locks of gray hair. began 10
work up and down with sort % the.
chanical movement, and then he uttered
the extraordinary words. "IIere we are
again.
"Gooi gracious'- said /. why. IL
Molino"
That. inc. air" he said "or what.
left - me
lgot rd 81 my tray 81 tobacco and
snun aud then came back 10 tile old
man. H. wasn't an old man In years,
bat be- looked 20 at the least We had
been rivals once. Molino and |. When
| tirst bcgan writing for the stage, aud ]
bsgan at ~. I did a good many things
for the Bird Of Prey. was glad 10
write comic song for guinea.
kncw what poverty was. hut was pr
fcctly happy, for was In love with an
angel And ~ vas Molino. was ano
t-ody. AN outsider. "a mug" lie vas
somslspiy. Tor be was "thc gr,at little
MolinO. the celebrated clown. and of Va
two she certainly preferred Molina There
wa no doubt about her preference. for
she was engaged to 10 married to him:
AMI then. knowing how the case stool.
I. a. an honest man. gave up my suit
And then lot sight ~ her for some
years. and Molino dropps-l out of my
memory altogether She was certainly
the most graceful dancer ! have ever
sccn. The school ~ dancing at the
Bird % Prey used 10 H. quite an insti.
tuition. AMI it was q tradition there that
the bs-st dancer always played Columbus
at Christmas Talk about the poetry of
mo,ion-talk about aerial grace and
rhythmic movement Never before nor
since have seen such dancing as Lna's,
and don't believe ever shall N live to
b. hundred. Other pcoplc thought ~.
too. and they didn't keep Lima fenton
long at the bird u Prey" She came
"a the West End. She played at the
lerisiylc. she got a speaking part, she
rue to H. the stock chambcrmaid % the
establishment. then sho made hit In
melclrama: then she married million.
aire. then her millionaire smashed up.
and Lima fcnton now plays aristocratic
old woman and honestly earns her fj0o
year
But at the time am speaking Of
Lima fenion was not an old woman; she
Wa. rcpeat. an angel thought -,
Molino thought -, and - did the British
public.
"YOu heard how came to grief, cir.
SUPPOSE he said. 1t was along Of
beer.
"why. you vas a most sober man" !
remarked.
Ave" he replied. Barley water
was my drink In those days. cir. A
clown don't do much good unless he Is
a sotsr man: but It wasn't the beer ]
drank. air. that settled me; IL was the
bccr | had to give to other pcople.
Clowning was very different thing In
those DAYS. sir. wasn't ~ Why. there
wasn't a house Ia London as didn't run
IT. pantomime. and IL was the comic
business they went to sec, sir. then. and
not the ballets aud the prccessions and
the gentlemen and ladies from the music
halls They used 10 10 10 hear me sing
Hot COLLINS and 'Tippety Wischet:
aye. and | got u treble encore for 'em
every night. too, a. you know, sir
Where are the clowns gone 90 nowadays,
arr | can tell you" he said. in solemn
whispers "to the worsus. air. that's
where they're gone. Why. there's three
on us here Its the music halls that did
II II the public sees Glowing all the
year round there. aud uncommonly bad
clowning. too. they don't want TO sce Il
at Christmas. and that's the secret. !
don't suppose there was happier man
In the whole profession" he continued
Sadly. 'ihan was when ! was playing
in Harlequin fe-fo-fum ! had saved
money. had furnished little house
In Iloxton. and We were TO he married
in a week. Lima and / The pantomims
had only three more nights to run. and
Luke. the I.aborer. and The Murder
AT the Rcd IIarn' were billed Tor the fol
lowing Monday. ! had a big jump
through a clock face In the second scene
OF the harlequinade. wrs yer, proud
OF my jumps; they were longer and
higher than those Of any other man In
the profession. There was no fakement,
no hid len spring board or dodgery about
Il. took an honest run from the foot
lights. and used 10 40 clean through
that clock face. though II was seven
feet from the ground. head hrst every
night; and four supers used TO catch ms
In blanket the other side. Shs was on
at the time; for when I had taken my
jump. which always brought down the
house. she used 10 dance the 'versovi-
ana which was new thing then, with
old Brown. the harlequin. The beer for
the supers used TO, be a pretty heavy tan.
and II one didn't pay for IL II meant get
ting knocked about OF breaking ones
neck. Ny four chaps were always pretty
particular. for they got their beer money
regularly. II ] hadn't been quite %
liberal IL would have been better for
me. That night, air. those four supers
were stupidity drunk. took my Jump.
and A. flew through the clock face !
heard the beginning OF the tremendous
shout which came from the front Of the