The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-10-17

drama'-probably belted earl"
"Who is that?" / asked the
doorekeeper. "Him?" said the man.
why that's the guv'nor; that's Mr..
Belshazzar, our manager"
Just then Harry Vincent came
down. He seized me by the hand
and told me he was uncommonly
glad to see me. Lets 90 and have
some supper at Spagnoletti's, old
man." he said. We went to Spagno-
letti's, and over that supper we got
as thick as thieves once more. I
congratulated him on his success.
81 didn't think you had it in you,
Harry" l said.
And then he told me he had
drifted into the theatrical profession
because there was absolutely nothing
else he could turn his hand to
partly that, and partly because he
was in love with very pretty girl,
81 married her," aid Harry Vincent
with a sigh; land we got 9s week
between the pair of u.s. We earned
that 93 a week and we had to work
uncommonly hard for it. Now I ge:
my 9l6, and I don't let Hetty work
now. She has her hands full with
The children-6ve of them, nv boy.
You remember Hetty Summerleigh,
Jack?"
Of course 1 did. I had seen her
play Cordelia when Boarnerges
Bawler had come down to "star" as
King Lear at our little theatre at
Bury St. Edmunds.
cts hard work to make both
ends meet" said Harry Vincent !;
" but Ive saved a little money in
case of a rainy day, and now l think
we are all right. Come and look US
up at BALKAN next Sunday, jack"
said Harry Vincent and he gave me
card -" Mr.. Vincent Malet, Pal
merino cottage, Lath-and-plaster
road, Balham."
did 60 down to BALKAN. Harry
introduced me to his pretty wife, his
four small children and his prize
baby. Harry Vincent and his wife
were evidently very fond of each
other, and pretty Mrs. Vincent was
evidently very proud other husband.
Harry has got the ball at his foot
now, you see," she said, "and all he
has got to do is to go on kicking"
did not see anythi g more of
Harry Vincent for three years. That
was not my fault, but because my
governor sent me out to our Lisbon
house under the pretext that l ought
to learn the business. When / got
back to England l felt particularly
bored one morning. 1t was a very
fine day. 81 can't do better than
look up old Harry Vincent" l said
to myself: SO l hailed a Hanson
and drove off to BALKAN, and pulled
up at the door of Palmerino cottage.
| Knocked, and Harr- Vincent let
II Seemed to
have come over the place. } The once
pretty, though cheap, furniture now
looked worn and mean, the carpets
were threadbare, the children looked
pale and were stability clothed, the
prize baby had grown into weedy
little boy of 4, whose head seemed
too big for his body. Poor little
Mrs. Vincent had become wreck,
and there were great dark rings
round her eyes. Harry, who used to
be so particular about his dress, wore
a shabby old weed suit which was
shiny at the elbows, and he was
baggy at the knees, and he had on a
pair Of slippers which were down at
heel. l regret to say that he also
smelled of cheap tobacco. We had
cold mutton for dinner and beer
from the public house. During
dinner / noticed two very strange
things. The first was that when
Vincent answered me he seemed to
do so haphazard. l also observed
that whenever Mrs. Vincent ad-
dressed him she did so at the full
pitch of her voice. After dinner
Harry and l went out into the garden
to smoke pipe.
"I'm out of an engagement old
man," said poor Harry, with dread
full smile; "Mr. Vincent Malet is
resting and I shall never get an.
other engagement, Jack-I have be.
come as deaf as post. 1t is q ter.
rible misfortune" he added, with q
groan, land the doctors tell me
shall never get better-in fact, that
/ shall probably lose my hearing al
together"
Of course l sympathized. l offer
ed to help him. l could not do less
"It's no use, old man." he said
"It's no good my sponging on you
I've one comfort left, though, and
one comfort only. Thank god, Het
ty and the children are provided