Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-04-11


heard Lizzie whisper words of encourage
ment to her lover.
"Don't fear, Arthur, dear!" she said.
81 know you will play splendidly; and
you look the character to perfection.
"Fl do my best, darling" he replied;
''but am nervous, and talking distracts
me. I should like to keep my mind fixed
on my lines until the curtain rises You
understand, dear?'-and, STOPPING, he
kissed her tenderly.
She took the hint and left him; but I
fancied she looked little distressed at
being sent away. felt at the time that
I would rather he had broken down in
his part than that he should at SO critical
a moment have repulsed the woman he
hoped to make his wife.
The time for ringing up" was fast
approaching. The theatre was crammed
so Barton declared-the people being
packed like sardines in tin, to use his
own somewhat hackneyed smile.
"Well, hope the audience haven't all
lost their heads, like the fish to which
you have compared them" said Kitchum,
| laughing.
The gallery was getting noisy; such
cries as up with the ragp' "Give us
some musicr' 'sSend out the fiddlersg'
reverberated through the building.
Presently we heard a tremendous round
of applause, and cries of ''Three cheers
I for old Mossp and In another moment
our manager appeared, cash-box in hand.
"Heavy-eh, governor" asked Kitch-
um.
"Rather," he replied. "Tvenever had
such house before, Barton, ring in the
music. Egan, play good ten minutes.
Now, boys, do your best. All, Emerson,
you there! This is the night that makes
or mars your fortune; don't forget that,
old fellow. There, there-you needn't
I look so glum. Just try the weight of the
cash-box, and see if that won't give you
courage" Thus he ratified on, more with
the object of banishing our nervousness
| than anxious to remind us of what had
| long since been arranged.
Everybody is ready to begin" an
nounced Barton.
sThat's right cried Mr.. Moss. "Come
along, my boys!''
The first act went very smoothly. IN
erson quite astonished me; [ never Saw
the part so well played before. The So
| iloouy, 80 that this too too solid flesh
would melt!" quite brought down the
house; and, when the ghost appeared, it
was almost painful to observe the fear
| depicted on Emerson's face, while the
terror he seemed to feel in the presence
of the "dead corse again in deep steel
was evinced in every tone of his voice.
The audience seemed spell-bound, a dead
silence reigning throughout the house.
When the ghost and Hamlet had left the
stage, there was a mOmentary pause,
followed by deafening thunders of ap
plause.
We all pressed round Emerson, eagerly
offering our congratulations.
"Where's Lily?" he asked, looking round
in vain for his yfdncee.
Then | noticed what did not appear to
have struck Emerson-neither Lizzie nor
Thornton was present. | felt annoyed
at this, and determined to watch them
during the remainder of the evening.
did not get many opportunities of doing
so, however, as in my part of Horatlo
was seldom off the stage. Between the
acts l was able to observe that they were
much together, and were apparently en-
gagged in discussing some matter of grave
import. Once or twice I approached
them, and each time did so they separ.
ated as if by mutual consent.
On the following morning we were tc
rehearse Oths!lo at eleven o'clock. 1had
left my book in the theatre on the night
before, so l went down about ten o'clock
to read up the part of Cassie. I had just
seated myself comfortably in the prompt
entrance when / fancied I heard the
sound of footsteps approaching. Pres
emily could distinctly hear some one
pacing up and down a corridor close by,
but, being anxious to study my lines,
did not attempt to ascertain who it was
A few minutes later l heard a second
person enter the corridor.
SIS Emerson with your asked the first
conner, in loud whisper.
"No; he told me he was going out early
this morning to wander alone along the
cliffs, in order to cultivate closer &C
quaintance with the jealous Moorp
The voices were those of Thornton anC
Lizzie.
Too much astonished to realize that
was playing the part of eavesdropper,
make my presence known to them.
$50 you did not have any difficulty il
getting here early, Lizzie, thanks to thai
gallant lover of yours preferring his OWL
society to that of his future wife,"
ooh, Dick, you should not speak O
Arthur in that sneering way"
''Why should | not, Lizzie? Do yor
think 1 can admire and compliment hin
as others do, when he possesses and neg
lects the only woman l ever loved9"
ST am sure he means to be kind to me
it is only that he is so anxious to succeed
in his profession that he has no time tx
think of anything else"
"Means to be kind, does he? A littl,
doing is worth deal of meaning. Why
you might as well be about to chair
philosopher! tell you, Lizzie, no mar
| Il &y-ao
her as Emerson treats you"
cat all events, he once asked me to 81
his wife, however Indifferent he may bs
to me now"
thought could detect slight tremo
in Lizzie's voice, of which Thornton was
quick to take advantage.
eyes, that's Just it, Lizzie-he loved
you once, I've no doubt; but since the1
he has become enamored of another god
dess."
I'm sure you are quite wrong there
Dick-Arthur never even looks at anoth
er girl
ooh, don't mean another bewitchins
little goddess like yourself!''
"What do you mean then?"
''Simply that Emerson's whole hear
and soul are in his profession, and tina
he has not a thought beyond it."
'But, Dick, think what he has sacri
feed for my sake!'
'And, to reward him for having made
such sacrifice, you are about to give
him your hand, when your heart has gone
out to another man"
''Dick, you have no right to say such
things to mei'
"On the contrary, have the best right
in the world. You know very we'll
love you, and I know equally well YOU
love me- Come, Lizzie-:you cannot lool