Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-09-15
SALLIE.

looking, handsome fellow, and when he
enacted the part Of a Jack Tar, and Just
as the Villain with a capital V please
was about to rush off with the sweet
heroine, weighing a hundred and sixty
pounds, after having instructed his
band to carry off the treasure and muir
der the old "parients," Tom always
was sure of a tremendous roar of APP
plause from the gallery by rushing down
the stage from some unexpected locality,
shouting: "Neverl Unhand the girl
ruffian! Never shall it be said that a
British sailor deserted his ship or failed
to rescue a pretty girl in distressg' Then
he would go for the villain and beat BIN
and his "dastardly crew" of the stage.
Tom Clarkson was IA married man
with one little daughter, a poor, delicate
little thing of six years, who w~orshiped
her father in a way simply rivaled by
his own alteration. There could not be
many more completely attached families
than Tom ClarksOn, his wife and little
Sallie. 1t was positively beautiful TO see
them sometimes when at rehearsal Tom
would bring little Sallie Ito keep her
out Of harms way" as he said, while
the wife is doing the marketing" It was
a question which loved Sallie more, the
father or the mother, and it was pretty
TO notice how the child endeavored to
share her favors equally between them.
So sweet, too, were Sallie's ways and
so amiable and loving was she, and 80
patient when all knew how she must
suffer at being unable to romp and play
like other children, for her mind was as
bright as a star, that every member Of
the company down to the meanest super
and smallest stage hand was in love with
her and ready to go to the other end of
London, or England for that matter, for
the sake of Mr.. Clarkson's Sallie."
"Our little Sallie" most Of them called
her, for she seemed to belong to them.
Two years ago, when in London, the
story was told ME by a prominent actor
at the Adelphi, who had been 4 member
of the Holborn at the time Clarkson was
'in the lead"
"We were going to produce a new
play that night" he said, land Tom was
in high feather, for he had a part which
suited and pleased him and he thought
his chance had come at last. Something
else excited pleasurable feelings within
his breast. He had obtained a couple of
dress circle tickets, and his wife and our
little Sallie were to be in front to see the
first performance.
TON came down to the theater in
great spirits. We all knew in a very
short time what was the matter. He
had all sorts of funuylike yarns to tell
about Sallie and her excitement and de-
light at the idea of coming to see father
act. He told us fellows in the dressing
room how she had put her little arms
around his neck and had insisted upon
giving him the last kiss before starting
him of to his work. That's for good
luck, father; don't you wipe that of.
I'm coming to see you tonight; mind,
you make a big hit And Tom laughed
with delight as he initiated the baby
voice using the quaint theatrical slang
expressions,
THE play was a highly sensational
one, and Toms big voice and fine figure
had plenty Of opportunity to make CAPT.
tai for themselves. This was always a
source of great fun in the theater, for
we knew Tom to be the most gentle
hearted fellow that ever breathed. AS
the saying goes, he wouldn't have hurt
a fly. Why, he was tender and kind as
q woman, and a kinder nurse never
lived. | was only playing walking on
parts at the time, but he had always a
kind word, a gentle suggestion of advice
for me, and | had been to his little home
in Holloway several times. He was like
a big elder brother to me. Little Sallie
used to call me her sweetheart.
tom was dressed quickly that even
ing and down on the stage looking
through the peephole to see his darlings
arrive. 1t is not always 70 very easy TO
distinguish people in the front of the
house from the stage, though, and when
the first act was called Tom had not yet
been able to find them. He knew they
were there, though, and full of the feel
ing that he was acting for their delight
he did mis- very best.
81 never saw him act so well before.
The manager was heard to remark that
he didn't believe it was in him. We
fellow actors knew all about it, though,
and when the applause came at the end
of the act, and Tom, nervous and ex-
cited, stepped before the curtain, he and
we felt sure we could hear above all the
noise the clapping of "A tiny pair Of
hands in the dress circle, and a little
baby voice saying; Look, motherl
There's fatherl isn't he beautiful! Oh
I'm so happy
BY and by some of the rest Of the
company began looking through the
peephole for Toms wife and child. but
no one could see them.
''Then as 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 an
ditorium a pair Of bright brown eyes
were following his every movement and
he did his very best, though with a
somewhat heavy heart.
HE had a big change in dress to make
before the fifth act, and as he had been
on the stage mp TO the last moment of
the fourth he had very little time to
make it in. Therefore he did not get
time to take a last peep at the auditorium.
| think some kind of a presentiment
must have filed 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 could
hear him heave a great sobbing sigh.
1.-THE audience, however, had grown
lenient. Tom had caught their sy1npa.
thies in the earlier acts, and anything
he did was good enough now.
1.-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. 1t was
Mrs. Clarkson's servant girl
almost h~urrying 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 banda