Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-02-05


the outside protection which it would
I enable you to command you would be
perfectly secure. However, I shan't pre-
tend to advise you, MademOiselle-Miss
Randolph. In the first place am an
interested party-I want you to go on
singing for my own benefit; and, fur
thermore, l cannot tell how far the
pleasures of the profession may seem to
you to outweigh the drawbacks-Or vice
/ versa"
''It's the only thing I'm good for
that's all" said she, looking Up at him.
Il wonder what Godfrey would say to
that?' thought Wallie. by Jove! it's
outrageous what fools these boys and
girls will be. They will-they seem to
like it! Well, then, they deserve to have
their little miseries, don't they? Of
course they dol 1 wish 1 were"-he
checked himself and dropped his eyes,
which had dwelt too long upon her love
illness. Come, come, he said to him
self severely, this will never do. At
tend to your business, old two-and-forty,
and pay proper reverence to your daugh-
! teri
He got up and said aloud:
Miss Randolph, I'm going to ask you
a great favor. I'm an old man, as 1
needn't tell you, and am slave to my
habits. Would you permit me to smoke
Ia cigarette? What small wits l have go
hopclessly wool gathering if don't keep
them together with little tobacco"
Miss Randolph smiled.
my father always smoked" said she.
1T would make me feel at home"
"Dear mel" thought WaIne rueruny,
''she might have let me of as an elder
brother! But she takes me at my own
valuation-bless her heart! Now let as
see what can be done"
He lit his cigarette, and sent the
smoke curling through his nose. art
is certainly a great resource he observ-
ed, land noble one. 1t has been said,
and it may be true, that it admits of no
rivals. If ones affections are unoccu-
pied-one's human affections, mean
and are likely to remain so, dare say
one could not do better than to devote
ones self wholly to art. You feel, you
say, that there is nothing else you could
possibly prefer to it; that you were
made for music and for nothing else?"
Nothing else she repeated in a
husky voice, feeling as if, with those
words, she had surrendered her last Sc
cret of hope of happiness.
This will come out all right, thought
Wallie to himself cheerfully; IF that
ass Godfrey were only here it might be
settled on the spot" Aloud he said:
THAT being the case, don't see how
You could be more fortunately situated.
With yOu circumstances, expediency
and inclination all pull together. TWAS
not so with young friend of mine
once who showed remarkable talent for
the stage. She had got so far as to make
her debut, with every prospect of sue
cess, when she was unlucBy enough to
fall in love with-and be fallen in love
with by-a young gentleman of good
family here, q lawyer. You will
hardly believ, it, Miss Randolph,
you are so differently constituted in
every way from her." continued Wallie,
gravely; but when she discovered that
he would feel panied if she remained on
the stage she actually gave up her whole
career! And they were married, and
she has never been heard of in a public
way since. And she seems very happy
tool But she could never have had the
same single hearted devotion to art that
you have"
81 can-understand her being happy,
though" said Miss Randolph, almost in
whisper. Then Wallie's heart smote
him that he had played upon her. After
all, what did he know about what had
occurred between her and Godfrey?
There may have been veritable TRACE
dy instead of an ordinary lovers misun-
derstanding. As a matter of fact he had
no suspicion of the tragi-comic mistake
which was the immediate cause of their
separation. He thought it probable that
she had revealed her true name to him,
and supposed that they had differed on
the public career question, which he
had just illustrated in his fable.
In order to give himself and her time
for reflection he took up the converse
ton at another point ''In the event of
your accepting another engagement"
he said, 81 suppose lingo would be the
fortunate MANI"
Nothing has been decided about
that" she replied, falling with a sense of
relief into the business tone. 81 have
been told-that is, it seems that there
may be difficulty had not thought Of
a legal trouble. This money that 1 have
been receiving" she went on, after a
pause, ''has been paid, of course, to Mile.
Mariana. The agreement according to
which it is paid is signed by her-that
is, not by me. So it seems that legally
L am only her representative dep
uty, as it were, and she can, if she
chooses, demand that 1 make over all
the money to her. But of course all the
money, or most of it, has been paid
away for-to my father, so you see there
would be trouble"
"Humph" calculated WaIlie, taking
a pinch of his mustache between his
thumb and foreinger. He meditated for
a while, staring at the owl, which 81
lently returned his gaze. "Who is your
lawyer" he inquired at length.
81 haven't any"
WAS it lingo who
''No-he-I don't know whether it had
occurred to him" The truth was that
Hamilton Jocelyn, in requital of the in
jury to his feelings, had written the
prima donna letter, in which he had
advanced the above suggestion; and he
had further announced that ~ xr-as ~.