Nevada County picayune., 1891-07-23

and he went away the instant he could get the receipts in his hands tonight. And here we are in this hor. rid place, without so much as a dol lar among us all"
 It was all too true. Their mana. ger had forsaken them, leaving the unfortunate company stranded in the remote little western town.
 While leaving the theater, in the excitement Kate happened somehow to become separated from her com. panions.
 She walked on, thinking some oi them would overtake her. And pres ently she stopped on bridge span, hing narrow river which flowed in a sluggish current through the ram- bling little city.
 She had stood there long time waiting, gazing down into the dark rolling water and absorbed with her Respondent thoughts, before it oc- cured to her that the others must have preceded her from the theater building.
 And there was little probability that any of them would come back to search for her.
 But what did it matter?
 And it was calamity in which each one must help herself or him. self.
 And doubtless they had all by now settled themselves somewhere for the night, at least.
 They had all of them, even the lit, tie soubrettc who had sobbed so dls- consolately, been members of the profession for longer time than she.
 They were used to it's ups and downs, it's shifts and expedients. .-- And most of them had experienced exactly the same predicament be- fore.
 Now, Tn her distress and perplexi- ties, Kate concluded that they had all forgotton about her.
 There isu't one of them who cares enough for me 10 miss me, to won- der what l will do, or what will be- come of me" she thought, as she stood there on the bridge alone in the night gloom. And this is the ca reer l once fancied so full of pleas ure! This is the end of my dazzling hopes, my lofty ambitions? Well, tonight is but the emblem of it all . In love, in everything which makes ones life sweet and blessed, I am indeed-stranded." |"
 Perhaps it was only natural in such q time that she should recall her old ca home.
 How pretty it was, how dear, that simple little cottage in the quiet \il. lage.
 The old apple trees where the rob ins used to sing so riotously must now be pink with bloom.
 And the peach tree !-how beauti- full it was in blossom when the petals used to fall in showers against her tiny bay window.
 Had the new owners driven the swallows away from the caves !-the wren from her nest in the moulder- ing stem of the dead and branchless locust?
 Perhaps they had pulled down the dear little house altogether and erect ed some grandcr structure in its stead!
 Suddenly she stretched out her arms ycarningly. She lifted her sad face to the cold, unanswering stars.
 But, oh !" she murmured, If 1 could but rest my tired head beneath that dear old roof tonight 1 think could die content"
 A listlcss, uncertain tread upon the blanks of the bridge at that mo- mcnt distracted her thoughts and aroused her to the imprudence of her position.
 She must not remain there. She must go.
 But where!
 How strange, how pitiful it seem- ed that in all the wide world she had no place to lay her head
 The footsteps came closer. With a half frightened glance she saw a tall man, broad shouldered, roughly dressed, with great shaggy yellow heard, and a pair of piercing eyes seemed to look her through and through.
 He had passed and re-passed a