Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-30
HOW A WIFE WAS WON
A Fathers Decree That His Son Should
Wed Lady He Never Saw.
A CHANCE MEETING FOLLOWS,
Then Comes Love at First Sight, Quarrel
and Happy Sequel.
"REMINISCENCES OF NOTED ACTORS
WRITTEN FOR THE DrsrArcH.1

famous Loris, with Fanny Davenport, and
his charming young wife, but everybody
does not know the condition under which
they first met, decidedly romantic one by
the way. It appears that when young
Robert was winning his theatrical honors in
England, he was not the moral young man
he now is-a condition of things which
caused considerable uneasiness to his pater-
nal relative, sturdy old descendant of
Cromwellian stock and theories, who, after
various attempts to reform him, decided
that the boys only salvation was in mar
riage.
This decision he confided to Bob and
mentioned as his choice of wife the daugh-
ter of an old friend, retired sea captain.
Bob had never seen the lady, and this off
hand disposal of his heart by no means de-
lighted the handsome youth. Still he had
no preference himself, and did not want to
cause the old gentleman any more grief
than necessary. So, after vain argument
| TO PERSUADE HIS PARENT
To leave him to his bachelor pleasures q
few years longer, has finally stipulated that
he should have the coming summer to him
self, and then if he did not find woman
! whom he could make his wife, he would re-
turn in the fall and wed the daughter of his
! friend-providing, such was his modest con-
clusion, "she will have me-"
To this the old gentleman agreed-he
could do nothing else; and in few days
young Bob found himself away in the
country, at the home of an old schoolmate
of his mother, and who had been his
own foster parent. Now it ap-
pears that the daughter of the
sea captain aforesaid, on being informed by
| har Of 10; into dod al Of hor nd
entered a most decided negative, and pack
ing her trunks in company with her maid,
| departed for the home of an old country
friend, who, by one of those strange dispen-
| sations which fate sometimes reserves for
her favorites, proved to be the same to
whom young Bob had already hied him
self.
While seated near an open window on the
| day of her arrival, he overheard her relate
| her sorrows and reasons for leaving home
discovered that she was the young lady, so
kindly selected by his father, and that she
had apparently as great an antipathy to the
something new. 1t was all very well to run
away from a young lady, but to have
young lady run away from him was diff
ferent thing.
A BIT OF STRATEGY.
Bob could not tell why. but he felt strangely
hurt. He. however, determined to see it
through, SO at the frstopportunity ne sought
his hostess and by threats of an immediate
departure, persuaded her to present him by
his two first names only.
They met first at the tea table and it was
a case of love at first sight. Bob mentally
decided that he could oblige the old gentle
man without any serious difficulty. Deli
cious days followed; they became insepara-
BILE companions, and so the time wore on un-
til summer was about gone, when one day
the old lady inadvertently betrayed Bob's
own name. What a tempest there was.
The lady sought him instantly, tainted him
with his deception, and altogether exhibited
"more temper than even before or since,
thank heaven" always adds happy Bob.
Then she LETT him, obsrinately refusing his
profered explanation. A few. moments
afterward he heard the hostess tell her not
to go too far into the woods, as Gipsy
tramps had been seen hanging around.
$780," he unused, "going to the woods.
Wonder when she'll come back?" The
morning slowly dragged away and no sign
of her return. The hostess called Bob to
dinner, but he declines; he could not eat
When the afternoon was half spent he could
stand it no longer; he must 60 in search of
his love. A horrible yet unde6nable feeling
almost overwhelms him. Securing his gun
he starts out.
THE LOST ONE FOUND.
Hour after hour passes and he finds no
trace of her. Again and again he called,
and only an echo mockingly answered.
Darker and darker it grew, and still no
trace. He was well nigh desperation when |
he was startled by smothered shriek-
"Help, Bob, help!"
With gasp of horror, strongly mingled |
with a tinge of Joy, that in her peril she |
should call on him, he dashed madly toward |
espot whence the sound proceeded. Again |
and again came the piteous cry, "Help, |
Bob, help"
The now thoroughly frightened lover tried
to answer as he rushed on, but his voice |
would not obey him. Nearer and nearer he |
came, and now the sounds of a struggle |
broke upon his ears. Suddenly he came |
upon scene that for an instant actually
made his heart stand still. In the center of
leafy inclosure he saw his sweetheart, |
struggling with two swarthy rufians, one of /
whom seemed trying to tear the earrings
hesitate; he raised his gun and
fired at the larger of the two. The scoun-
drel's arm dropped to his side, and with
horrible oath he sprang into the forest and
disappeared, followed by his companion.
The young girl gave one glance at her
rescuer and then. woman-like, tainted. An
instant later Robert was beside her. When
she opened her eyes her first words were:
'Oh, Bob! I am SO glad it was you," and
he knew he was forgiven
What more is there to tell? The whole
world knows what model couple they are
Many years have passed since then, and
neither regrets the summer when to oppose
parental authority they took their destfnies
into their own hands.
GREAT ACTOR DEAD.
What statecraft has lost in Cameron, the
histrionic art has lost with the demise of
that sterling actor, John Gilbert, for so
manv years connected with Wailack's
Theater, New York. Although Mr.. Gilbert
was never attacked by the fever of "star-
ring" which his great love of home life
and passed the greater part of
his professional career in the East, he was
exceedingly well known throughout the
Born in Boston in 1910, he devoted the
best so years of his life to his chosen pro-
fession. There was not an actor or actress
of American fame with whom he had not.l
been artisticaily associated; not an old
comedy or tragedy in which he had not
essayed role Two generations of play
goers have been charmed by the beauty and
humor of his impersonations, and from him
we may form our opinions of the best tradi-
tions of the older stage. He was a great
stickler for the old form of stage etiquette,
upon which he always insisted, and he
never lost an opportunity of chiding de.
linquency. The light musical and farcical