River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-05-14
STORY OF A WRECK.
His Little Dot and Yet Not His
Own Child.

Best actress IN the company and
minds her own business, too" said the
crusty old stage manager. The ex-
CARNATIONS mingled with caresses, were
showered upon the head of one of the
brightest and cleverest child prodigies
who are playing upon the stage to-day.
Little Dot had just come off the scene.
She was great success in the play
that was running at the Amphion at
that time, and her performance that
evening seemed even better than usual.
A big roun of applause attested the
appreciation of the audience, and when
she came into the greene ON to kiss
papa goodnight before going home
with her nurse she was warmly greeted
by every one there, for we all loved the
dear little girl as well as admired her
genius. Dots father was Gus Mervin,
the low comedian OF the theater. They
made strange contrast, these two.
Gus was short and very stout. His
beardless face, lined and wrinkled by
the contortions that had amused the
public for twenty-five years, loose,
ugly mouth and sandy hair, could never
have possessed any claims to beauty,
while the child was very lovely with
her big, hazel eyes and golden brown
hair.
Good night, my little one" Gus said,
running his red fingers through Dots
crisp curls; sleep soundly, and don't
dream of new parts.
Il love to dream of new parts" said
the child. Papa, shall | really play
Juliet when | am twentv?'
''You won't if you don't grow" re-
piled Gus, laughing, ''and if you don't
sleep, you won't grow, so run along
with Susan So Dot after kissing us
all good night was wrapped up in her
fur coat and carried away by her care
fulnurse.
''All ready for the third act"
screamed the call boy and the scramble
for props and places began.
Neither Gus nor | were on again until
the last act and we usually INDUCED in
little smoke and chat during our wait.
He came in my dressingroom tonight
as usual, but sat silently smoking his
pipe and gazing abstractedly at the
dingy ceiling. Gus and l We're old
friends and | was used to his long fits
of silence. so | said nothing and busted
myself at my dressing table, putting
things to rights and touching up re-
fractory eyebrow or so.
Frank, old man." ne said at last, Il
want to talk to you about Dot"
$50, it's Dot you We been thinking
about all this Time, replied. ''Well,
] don't blame you, Gus. She is the
sweetest little tot | ever knew, on or
off, and by far the cleverest child in the
business. Why, it is perfectly wonder
full the knowledge that child has of
stage business" / continued, warming
to my subject. Last night old Davy
missed an important cue and got com
pletely rattled-couldn't think of a
word. Dot was up back-business with
the flowers you know-but she walked
down stage, spoke the line for him
which happened to be my cue-whis-
pered the next line in the old fellows
ear, and then turned up stage for her
business with me. don't believe a soul
in front noticed anything wrong but
Dot saved that scene and perhaps old
Davy's position for him. You would
think she had been playing ten years
instead of ten months"
THAT is true, said Gus, ''she needs
but little teaching"
There's where blood tells" con-
tinued; ''she has got your twenty-five
years of hard work behind her, and re-
member your wife before Dot was born.
Poo Alice was one of the prettiest and
neatest soubrettes in the business. She
was great loss to the stage, old man,
as well as TO You, but she has given us
Dot in her place"
Frank, old friend, am going to tell
you something. Dot is not my own
child or poor Alice's either, for that
matter. 1t isn't very long story and
] will tell it to you tonight if you've
time to listen"
$50 ahead" said I, closing the door.
''The act isn't half through yet"
you remember my wife you say,
sweet, delicate, little creature, too
fragile by half tor such life as ours.
i don't know what she ever saw in me,
but she loved me. and married me, and
! tried hard to make the rough path a
little smoother for her tender feet to
travel
Money didn't come as easily then as
it does now. but we got along very
we'll We were playing in the Orleans
the winter Dot was born, not this Dot,
but our little Dot, Frank" looking up
with tears in his honest eyes.
THAT was the happiest year of my
life he continued. Il was making
enough to run the little home and take
care of Alice and the baby.
Il tell you this life of ours teaches a
man to prize home if he ever has one,
and if he has wife and baby in l. and
money enough to keep things going, he /
doesn't want much else in this world.
''Our season closed in April and Alice /
was anxious to get back to New York. !
Summer was coming on, and she /
thought the baby would be better /
north. so about the first of May we
started by rail for New York.
Il remember now the strange feeling
of depression had when leaving New /
Orleans. but tried to throw it aside as
foolish fancy. True. we had been
very happy there, but had my happi- /.
ness, my life. my everything as ] be- I
leved with. me. 1t took nearly week /
then to make the trip ara the accom- +
modations were not what they are now, +
but we managed to make ourselves 1
very comfortable. Alice was perfect +
genius at that.
There was a sad-faced woman in /
black. occupying the berth next to us /
She was widow, we understood. not +
in very good circumstances, and going .
TO New York with her baby, a little
girl about as old as our Dot The two
babies we're a bond of sympathy be +
tween the two women ard in few /
DAYS she and Alice were chatting to- .
gether like old friends.
lone night, after Alice and baby were {
soundly sleeping in their berth, went /
forward into the smoker to have pipe /
before going to bed / had been smOk-
ing and engrossed with my thoughts i
over an hour when there came an awful i
crash. The car suddenly pitched for
ward and then. leaving the track, turned 1
ever On one side. You perhaps remem-