The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-04-15

IxnersTs fatheri Tmt be beautiful on
I'm 90 happyr
~By and BIZ some Of the rest q me
company began looking through ne
psephole for Toms wife and child put
| no one could zee them.
sThen Is the play went on we noticed
that Tom himself was getting anxious.
he had not been able to find them either
and he had begun to wonder why they
were not there and what had become OF
them. Still hope had not left him he
felt sure that somewhere in the vast su
ditorium q pair Of bright brown eyes
were following his every movement and
be did his very best. though with q
somewhat heavy heart.
He had big change in dress to make
before the fifth act, and as he had been
ON the stage up to the last moment OF
the fourth he had very little time to
make 1t in. Therefore he did not get
time to take last peep at the auditorium
I think some kind Of o presentiment
must have filled his mind, for be seemed
to have grown careless and did not act
with the same spirit as heretofore. His
thoughts seemed anywhere but on the
stage, and every now and then we conld
hear him heave a great sobbing sigh.
1.-The audience, however, had grown
lenient. Tom had caught their sympa
thies in the earlier acts, and anything
he did was good enough now
"The act was nearly over; Tom was
in the middle Of his last speech when
we noticed a woman standing in the
wing with a note in her hand II was
Mrs. Clarkson's servant girl
Almost hurrying through his words
for Tom had caught sight Of her. too
we came to the tag the last words Of
the play. They were soon spoken. and
amid an outburst- Of applause the cur
tain came down. Scarcely waiting for
the roller to thump upon the stage Tom
rushed at the girl and tore the note from
her hands.
Il saw it afterward-this is how il
read:
Tom. dear Tom, our darling mas
fallen and hurt herself; come home
quickly.
without waiting to change his dress.
without waiting to wash of the grease
paint and mascara, In his stage costume.
wig and all, just as he was, just a. he
had made the first and biggest success
Of his life, he rushed from the stage
pushing aside every one who stood won
dering in his way; with eyes staring like
madman's. all the terror and grief
that was eating at his heart looking out
from his face. he ran headlong down the
staircase and passage to the stage door
crying: Get me cabl For Gods sake
cabl Oh! my God! my darlingl my
darlingl be quicki She may be deadr
Just as he reached the threshold
something seemed to give way He
tripped and fell forward ON his face. and
a great gush Of blood spurted from his
mouth and nose.
"They picked shim up so tenderly
those supers and stage hands standing
round about, and carried him into the
doorkeeper's room and sent for q doctor
But when the doctor came poor Tom
Clarkson was dead.
well, no. that is not the whole Of
the story. The whole company sub.
scribed, and the manager gave benefit
for Mrs. Clarkson, and>a nice little sum
was raised. We have never let her be
in want, besides Tom had always been
thrifty man. But the most interesting
part Of this anticlimax to me Is yet ia
come Sallie did not die. We had good
doctors for her, and she grew up straight
and strong and tall, and If you will
come to the Adelphi this evening you
will see my little wife make her debut
on the stage. We have been married
eighteen months. Tracy L. Robinson
in New York Recorder.