The Red Cloud chief., 1889-04-05

tho profession, e va loo&od upo0 q - -
messe piece Of good fortune. Heweves
that may Be. up . town Icama md MOI
being quite . fool, turned BY chances "a
such good account that ! Wa spoken OF on
al sides - . promising y0ung man.
might have gone on this way. q ultimately
attained TO Q bald head and ubeditorship
1t ffty or %, but for doing two exceedingly
foolish things. Imade the acquaintance Of
Charlie Eastwood. and I fell desperately IN
love with Q pretty sctress. and . who wa
quite - clever and good - che was pretty
Lizzie Rayburn-you remember herl Thia
Charlie Dashwood va . journalist like my.
self" wild, ~harum-scarum fellow OF the
speculative sort-y0u've met this prototype,
I dare aay; always going Oh 1t . tangent,
or breaking out In . fresh place when least
expected: full Of e~xtravsgent ideas about
tho undiscovered possibilities Of tho press;
always vapOr;ng about the reforms he in
tended to originate. il ever he should edit Q
paper Of his own. ], At that time, sdmiring
and looking up ~ Charlie, not only - the
best Of good fellows, which he really was,
but as the very prince Of journalists and an
original genius, which only too late. l have
discovered he was not firmly believed in
and held to him In spite Of the ridicule and
chaf OF older and wiser heads.
'.At last, one day Charlie came : me at
the office in q perfect frenzy OF excitement
with the news that he had just taken the
management Of q new weekly paper called
The Bullseye, which would make its appear
ance the following week. and which had, as
usual. been started to Hi the not particularly
noticed void. We're all full up with the
exception Of the dramatics. and, Teddy. my
boy, you're the very man! / know you have
ideas Of your own about. the way that sort
Of thing should b done, and here's the op-
~portunity. Between US, we will make the
paper the biggest 20 in London
'.Whst Eastwood said was true. ] had
long possessed secret ~yearnings that way.
which I had at times confided to Charlie.
For q moment considerations Of prudence
came to my aid. and l ventured h mild
suggestion OF q doubt a. 70 whether WAS
quite fitted for that line Of work.
Nonsense, my boy" said Charlie; I
know your proper capacity. You're sur
to make . hit It vas . curious fact that
Charlie possessed the most remarkable in
tuitiye faculty for discovering evcrybody's
proper capabilities except his own.
..Besides.' he added. think Of Lizzie
U8J SCttICu u. 1SbO0 y osAc .
closed with the offer. and . fortnight later
saw me installed - dramatic critic OF The
Bullseye, with the title Of hat publication
inscribed on my cards underneath that OF
The Blunderer. The plan Of operation ]
proceeded to act upon was this: ] had long
had q wholesome contempt for hat class Of
dramatic critics forever hanging round
stage doors and hotel bars. and drinking
a "a --ANa. "a so~nlrnA 20
set an example in the opposite direction by
keeping religiously alOof from all associa-
ton with the professionalism one excep-
ton. This vas Lizzie. who insisted on re-
her little paragraph OF two or three
lines regularly every week. and with whom
l spent each Sunday afternoon and evening
at her fathers place in Twickenham. whittier
he had retired TO spend the rest OF MS days.
free from the smoke OF Aldgate and the
cares OF the grocery business. There had
once been some tall Of . Mr.. Loydall. a
huge. bec:le-5rowed, hOarse-vOiced ira
gedian. who played heavy lead to Lizzie's
juveniles at the Olympian, but he soon found
that he had no chance with me. and
after one or two tussels retired from the
battle, leaving me 70 walk over the course
At my leisure.
"As you will guess, matters were pretty
well settled between Lizzie and me, n we
obtained old Rayburn's consent to our mar
whenever the Blunderer's manage
ment should recognize my merits sufficiently
to advance my salary, and to enable me to
take Lizzie away from the stage. The BuIls-
contrary to everybody's expectations
that is. outside the Office
signs Of becoming q pronounced
success. Nv dramatic criticisms were soon
one Of the leading features Of the journal.
/ had always had q notion that the withcr-
ing, sarcastic style of writing was beat
suited to me. and this was the line took. with
such effect that at times il became difficult
to find out whether I had been praising or
stating piece or an actor. Some people
were unkind enough to say that they would
prefer the latter process to the former.
Needless to say that, rs The power aud in
fiuence Of the paper increased. ! soon be-
came an object of hatred and dread TO the
whole profession. This only tickled my
vanity the more, and / would strut along
Fleet street and the Strand Of = morning
meeting the scowl of passing pros with q
stare of superciiOus Indifference.
''One night. entering nv club at the usual
hour. Just before starting for the Lorne
Theatcr. where a new piece. entitled For
| ife or Death was 10 be produced that
evening. l found q telegram lying for me
in the rack. IL was from Lizzie's mother.
telling me that Lizzie had been seized with
a dangerous illness that very morning, and
begging tina I would proceed to the house
NJ once. For moment I was in "a serious
dilemma. A. all hazards l must see Lizzie
that night, yet it was imperative that !
should attend the first nights show ut the
Lornc, having for that special occasion I'M
dertaken The B~lunderer's special notice in
place of the regular man, who was absent
through indispOsition.
.'Thea an idea struck me a. l caught sight
of ScrubUy, the dramatic critic OF the
Scorcher, at the other n of the room.
already preparing to leave. Scrubby was a
reliable man, | knew. n the best available
for the purpose I had in my. mind. Crossing
over to where he a ! showed him the
telegram. and explained my difficulty.
Nothing easier, my boy he exclaimed.
clapping me on the back. Trust Ia me.
I'm going down TO the show. and will leave
YOU q programme here. marked with my
notes, on nv way 10 the Office. II you're
back here by half past ten. you'll find il
waiting. Then you can scribbie your
notices for the two papers frcm my notes
and send them in the usual way
Warmly shaking him by the hand. ! &C
copied his offer. and FASTENED away e
Twicsenham. When I reached the house
found my darling already deiiricus in tn
first stages of . high fever. and calling foI
me. Iremained by her side, holding her
hand in mine and soothing her ss best ]
could until she had fallen on into a fitfu
doze. Then l stole quietly away. whisper
ing to Mrs. Rayburu that would return a
soon as my business in town was concluded
.sWhen ! got hack 70 the club I found =