The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-07-27
SIX STRINGS 10 HER BOW.
I1itt9ns for Five Lovers-Tlae Sixth
Catches on With q Ring.
by EMMA j. SHERIDAN.
COPYRIGHTED III Rights Eese.ucd.

it,
$50 you hav6 been through itY' Mr..
Ned questioned dfyly.
fastened to explain: "Notyery much.
No one has cared really for me. They
have just thought they did enough to
bother me. Bennb Shine last year, for
instance. He wass funny enough to tell
Of, and 1t win show you what mean.
He played my lover. Suddenly he
took to staring at he fixedly. Then he
began doing things for me-rushed for
my mail, fought for ny bag, buttoned my
oyershoes, took me 10 the theatre and
back till protested that did not want
to bother him. He ueganto cry--he was
very young-and said nothing done for
me was bother thought him home
sick, and patted his|shoulder and said
it would be all right. Then and there he
grabbed my hand, shouting, OH would
it?' 'Oh would whaE? said |. At thar
he talked hundred words minute. Ny
hair stood straight--no one had ever been
in love with me before, and I thought it
awful. tried to talk as fast as he'll
kept saying that. dear me, didn't love,
and couldn't, and never would, and that
he must get of the Aoor. Then he got
up, slapped his hat ON the back of his
head, and started for Che door, sayinghe
/ would drown himself. I chung to his
coat tails, weeping and saying, No, no.
When he broke away flew to Mrs. Bar.
ker, our old lady. She laughed till she
cried. / thought her unfeeling. Sure
enough, however, Bonnie turned up safe
at supper. He told me in an awfulw his-
per, while was eating my cakes, that
be could not find the river.
Mr.. Ned laughed 80 that I went on:
81 had an awful time with him. He
wasn't naturally truthful and honest,
and since he was ready to die for me-
if he could find the river--I felt ought
to reform him. exerted all my infu-
ence, and went through great deal.
He used TO sit glaring at me till my blood
ran backwards. He let his hair grow
long. that he might pull it in his eyes
and look worse
'.Did he REFORM" asked Ned, cyni-
caIly.
Mot much" 1 confessed; abut he
tried. When | caught him In stories he
would threaten to cut his throat. Nat
urally it kept me nervous. Besides,
was always afraid we would get into a
town with river lie left the com
pany before the season closed. he went
down on his knees and called me his
good angel, adding that he was going to
be an honorable man, and that the day
would come when, with a spotless career
to point to, he would return and claim
me for his bride. ] explained that
wouldn't have it, but at the last moment
he waved lock of my hair out of the
car window, and said, The day will
come Won't it be awful if it ever
does?r
didn't You encourage him. Katie?"
asked Mr.. Ned, in his usual mentor
fashion.
"What for?" inquired; s'was it any
fun for me? tried to be kind to him,
and pull him through. For myself it
only kept me in state Of jumpitiveness
and scare
We were at the hotel. After waiting
at the ladies' entrance for the sleepy
porter to unlock the door, 1 gave up and
went with Mr. Ned through the Office,
to be stared at, of course, like a wild
animal"
ssGood night" said Mr. Ned at my
door; ..go in and eat your cheese and
he made a grimace and went up the hall
to his room.
closed the door after me and looked
at my place. 1t was not cheerful. Square,
low-ceiled room, worn carpet, oilcloth in
front Of the bed and bare boards under,
and ono piece of furniture to do duty as
bureau and washstand. yellow shades,
one hanging Imply, half torn from the
rod, and the other twisted and stuffed in
above the lower sash, long legged bed
topped with so thin layer of mattress
that felt was going to sleep on a cold
waffle, one gas jet away in a corner and
high, the flame shooting up long blue
finger and whistling disnally. On a
small uncertain table some odd ends of
bread and bits of scaly cheese and a
glass Of pale milk. banged my Tam
o'Shanter to the floor, and said aloud
with gusty sigh, Jolly fun being a
promising young actress, isn't it,"
A. thump at the door behind me nearly
fractured my shoulder. Touchy was
there. He heamed upon me genially
and said: Supper in Ned's room. You
may come if you win toast the bread"
"Ohl Touchy, may I?'' cried.
"Don't gush = come along" said
Touchy.
/ wltimpered that if he knew how
lonely was he would not call it gush,
and linking my arm in his we cantered
down the hallway to the end room.
Touchy kicked against the door and in
we fell.
The room was thick with smoke, but
it looked beautifully cheerful. A bright,
open fire burned at one end, a table stood
in the center. chairs were crowded about
IN sociable fashion, the bed was strewn
with knives, forks, brown paper and
crackers.
.How lovely" said I.
Mr.. Ned, in a smoking jacket, stood
fussing over an alcohol lamp. Harry
Diggers, our stage manager, a stumpy
little man with CHEEKY blue eyes and a
dry manner, was unwinding packages
and spreading string and paper about.
Both nodded as we came in, and Harry
passed me q slice Of cheese.