Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-03-28


ooh, come, old fellow, don't let us
quarrel about i'll Does your uncle know
what's in the windF
IL have not yet spoken to Miss Mont
gomery; but, if she is content to take me,
shall lose no time in apprising my uncle
Of my matrimonial intentions"
"You haven't spoken to Lizzie get?
Then, for Heavens sake, don'tl Remem-
Der it Is a case Of tying a knot with your
tongue which you can't loosen with your
teeth"
"Why should / not?'
Why should he not indeed? Simply
because / could not think Of single ar
gument in favor Of his doing so. Pretty
Lizzie unquestionably was-she was
clever, too, in a superficial way; but /
knew her TO be shallow, vain, ana selnsh,
and, like all vain women, a heartless
hirt. In short, of all the women in the
world she was the one who was least
likely TO make Arthur Emerson happy.
even doubted if she was free TO accept
his love, for there had been a Richard
Thornton in our company the previous
spring who had paid her marked atten-
ton, and whose amOrous glances she had
received with evident favor.
OF course l tried my hardest to make
Emerson see his folly, and equally, Of
course, he refused to listen to reason. He
became engaged to Lizzie, and there was
in consequence a fearful Glare up" at
Dempster Hall. which ended in Mr.. Bar
rington-Browne turning bis nephew out
Of house and home.
Poor Emerson was in a regular fix. He
had little money by him which his un-
cle's generosity had enabled him to save,
but he shrank from spending this, and
so leaving himself peuniless; while the
alternative Of marrying Lizzie and living
on her earnings vas not TO be entertained
for a moment Then he thought of turn
ing his own talent for acting 10 account.
As good luck would have it, Mr. Moss
CHANGED to be a band short, and so, to
oblige Lizzie, he ENGAGED her lover.
Emerson had to begin at the begin
ning and il was some months before he
was allowed to take any part which re-
quired him to speak more than half a
dozen sentences. He soon, however, be-
came thoroughly devoted to his art. Not
content with merely learning his own
parts, he would in his leisure hours study
the leading characters, hoping that he
might some day be in a position to play
them.
He and / remained close friends: aud,
deeply as ! regretted the circumstance
that had thrown us together. could not
help rejoicing, lnasmuch as it had given
me so many opportunities Of enjoying his
society.
Of Lizzie he did not often speak; but
his silence was not noticeable, because,
when we were together, we invariably
talked shop to the exclusion of all
other topics.
! was, however, forced to observe that
his deep love for his profession prevented
his paying Lizzie the many little atten-
tons which girls prize SO highly; yet few
men love their future wives as deeply as
Emerson loved his fdHcee His voice
would soften as he addressed her, even if
he were making the most casual remark;
while his ewes would grow tender when
ever they rested on her.
As for Lizzie, she had already learned
to look upon her engagement as mis-
take Having no true love for art her
self, she could not understand her lovers
devotion TO it., and was not unnaturally
disposed to resent what she considered
his neglect of herself. | cannot help
thinking that, when she first met Arthur
Emerson, she was more dazzled by the
prospect of marrying n rich man than
inspired with love for her future hus-
band and that she was both surprised
and bitterly disappointed when Mr.. Bar
rington Browne carried out his threat of
disowuing his nephew.
They had beer engaged about two
years, when Richard Thornton again
joined our company. Ihailed his advent
with grave misgivings, for | still had
vivid recollections Of the deep interest in
each other which he and Lizzie had pre-
yiously eviuCed.
Lizzie did not hesitate to tell her lover
that she and Thornton were old acquaint-
auCes. FmcrsOn was certainly not taken
OIL his guard by Thoruton's being thus
introduced, because he trusted his fdHcee
too implicitly to be troubled with any
doubts concerning her; but | believe it
did induce him to throw thom more to-
gcther than he would otherwise have
done Lizzie's spirits had tagged of late,
and Emerson was evidently pleased to
SEQ them revive under the influence of
merry, good-looking Richard Thornton's
bOsterous fun.
Emerson had made rapid strides in his
profession, but he was not vet in the re-
ccipt of a sufficiently good salary to Just
ify him I'M thinking of marrying. There
was, felt convinced brilliant future
m store for him, All that he now want
ed was plenty of practice in principal
parts; and it was therefore arranged that
he should heuceforth take the lead as
long as we both remained with Mr.. Moss.
This change was not 10 affect our re-
spective salaries, it having been brought
about entirely with view to giving En-
crson an opportunity of increasing his
experience Meanwhile. had offered to
keep my eyes open for an engagement
as leading man in another company, SO
as to leave Emerson free to take my place
and salary, and marry Lizzie rs soon US
he liked
We had played for the last time in the
little theatre of Barminster, and were to
proceed the next day TO Bridgenorth,
where Emerson was to make his first APP
pcaruce in the character of Hamlet
Naturally enough he was very excited
about IL. Possibly had it not been for
this fact he would have observed that
which / was panied to discover Others
were talking of all too freely.
"Gtuuomeu, the shakespeare punctual-
ly at twelve o'clock shouted eur worthy
manager, as a gentle reminder that we
,,.srs an f,l..l.-,l "a, faika "A spgill meal to-