The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-19

There's fatbsri Isnf b beantifpl. o.
I'm 20 happyr
~By and By some Of the rest o. ~
company began looking through the
peephole for TOMS wife and child. but
no one could see them
"Then ~ the play went on we noticed
that Tom himself was getting anxious.
he had not been able to find them either
and be had begun 10 wonder why they
were not there and what had become Of
them Still hope had not left him be
felt sure that somewhere in the vast au
ditorium q pair Of bright brown eyes
were following his every movement and
he did his very best. though with =
somewhat heavy heart.
"He had big change in dress TO make
before the fifth act, and as be had been
on the stage up to the last moment Of
the fourth he had very little time 70
make it in. Therefore he did not get
time to take last peep at the auditorium.
think some kind Of presentiment
must have filled his mind, for he 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 couid
hear him heave a great sobbing sigh
THE audience, however, had grown
ienient. Tom hal 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 woman standing in the
wing with note in her hand 1t 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 thnlnp upon the stage Tom
rushed at the girl and tore the note from
her hands.
4 saw it afterward-- is how il
read;
a.Tom, dear Tom, our darling mas
fallen and hurt herself; come home
quickly
Without waiting to change his dress.
without waiting to wash off the grease
paint and mascara. in his stage costume
wig and all. just as he was, just as 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
Q 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 cabi For Gods sake
q cabl Obi my Godl my darlingi my
darlingi be quicki She may be deadf
Just as he reached the threshold
something seemed to give way He
tripped and fell forward on his face. and
q great gush Of blood spurted from his
mouth and nose.
They picked him up SO tenderly
those supers and stage hands standing
round about, and carried him into the
doorkeeper's room and sent for 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 . nice little sum
was raised We have never let her be
in want, besides Tom had always been
q thrifty man. But the most interesting
part Of this anticlimax to me is vet to
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 yon
win see my little wife make her debut
on the stage. We have been married
eighteen months. Tracy L. Robinson
in New York Recorder.