Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-30
CHAPTER ".
A COMPLICATION OF FEVER,

Rehearsal. A bitter March day. Theater
full of draughts. One gas jet. Daylight
dribbling through ventilators in the roof
Sweepers shouting to each other from where
they were covering the chairs with white
cloths. Everybody cross, and with reason.
Called at 10, we had waited o good half
hour for Mr.. Butcher and his leading lady.
The day before had come two minutes late
to find the entire company assembled.
Mr.. Butcher watch in hand, pacing the
stage, and Miss Loowella shivering ostenta-
tiously in her furs. Mr.. Butcher had in
formed NE that such thing as being two
minutes late was unheard OF, and that
probably 1 had caused Miss Loowella to
take cold.
Said I now to Mr.. Ned, who sat beside
me on roll OF carpet: when they come I
shall tell him they have probably caused
me to take cold"
Just then he strobe in with Miss Loo
wella at his heels. He was in an i'll humor
"Come, come, come, comer' said he in
crescendo. "Let's get to work. No stand
ing around. A chair for Miss Loowella.
Ned, W here are your manners? A chairp'
Ned, who off the stage would have
knocked man down for such tone, obeyed
sullenly. Butcher got crosser and crosser,
and it all fell on me. It is hard to do
comedy scene all bundled in a cloak and
scared to death beside. "Hang it" he
roared, "take it off,
1 wondered I had not thought of that be-
fore and hustled out of the garment; but 1
was still stupid, and presently began to cry.
"What are you sniveling for?" Butcher
demanded hoarsely. "One would think me
brute. You should be in Siberia, with q
man with whip after you"
I laughed that it was cold as Siberia, and
that 1 shouldn't mind the whip if only with
it he could make me understand what he
wanted.
"Are you fool?'' he inquired.
s'No," retorted, mot quite, and what
| intelligence 1 have is concentrated on try
| ing to make out your meaning. If you
would direct your giant mind to expressing
yourself clearly we should get along.
Therel'' and I stamped my foot and waited
for Butcher to plunge over and murder me,
wondering if Mr.. Ned or Touchy would
dare save me.
Butcher didn't plunge, though. He NUT
tered something about insolence, and turned
so abruptly that he collided with Touchy.
"Dcn't run into me, sir" he roared.
Touchy was in temper over the bullying
of me, and he roared back: ST didn'tp'
''You did,"
'Sir?"
"You're liar" they both retorted stimuli
taneously, springing at each other. Some
one caught each Of them, and presently
Touchy was getting his fur coat and hat on.
Then he crossed to me. and said, under his
breath: "If you want to leave this fellow,
I'll take you safe to New York"
,aI
stay. But he meant his "Good-by," for
when we got to the hotel he had departed,
bag and baggage. It was two years before
1 saw him again. Then we met in railway
station. he rushed to me, jerked my head
back, and cried: "Bless my heart, its
Katie" With that he tucked me under his
arm, and pranced with me into the ladies'
waiting room.
"Katie, here's my wife, be said, beaming
all over at 8 wee. blue-eyed thing. "1'm
happy as king" Touchy wenton; though
Birdy here doesn't let me call my soul my
own.
shook hands cordially with Birdy, feel |
ing glad that Touchy had not drowned him. |
self prematurely for me.
Now let us regain those two elapsed years. |
May be the rehearsal gave me q cold. |
May be it was griet for Touchy. But the |
next week I developed a cough that went
down button by button of my bodice till it |
reached my belt. There it hurt awfully. |
grew feverish, and could not see very clear
ly, nor move without being tired. Thought
myself lazy, and laughed a great deal and
was noisy to cover it up. Only Mr.. Ned
noticed it. He quietly emptied my bag
into his, that mine might be light. He
helped me up and downstairs, and into cars,
and took my part when was blamed for
To make things worse, Miss
Loowella slipped away to New York to buy
was left with her part to do through two
weeks OF one-night-stands. Toward the end
of the time became 80 wobbly that could
not stand except on the stage.
One day Mr. Ned carried me upstairs,
and found me in dead faint when he got
TO my room. When came to he said