Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-05-27

ADAF1 Sd BIZ q. Z

confidence is gone forever Then low
erinp his voice. he added But your
brother. Frank, your brother! What can
he possibly be thinking of He seems to
be in dream the greater part of his time.
He thinks If nothing, cares for nothing,
but this invention Of his. / assure you,
every one Is saying, is the man knaVe
or tooiP
The two men were walking in the gar
den. Frank could almost have believed
himself to be the sport Of a troubled
dream. His hurried Journey; the sudden
change Of climate and surroundings Jobs
mOnotonous voice, revoiuti0nizing all his
preconceivcd ideas Of Sylvia, the woman
he had loved, cf his brother the man
whose honor had been above suspiciOn-it
all bewildercd him.
1t was late. Job invited him to go
home with him, bat Frank refused pre-
ferring to be alone. Mechanically he
turned to his old quarters, and on the door
saw the card, 40 be let" 1t was the
room where he and his brother had lived
for so many years, and opposite glistcned
the De Lacy's little sign. Their door was
half open. Should he 20 in? In the
whole Of London he could not have found
q safer sbelter;It was Ike quiet harbOr,
q shore radiant with sunshine and peace,
where the waters were calm and clear,
while outside the tempests rOared and the
waves ran mountain high. Without his
knowing it, Dora's love for him created
about her an atmosphere Of gentle tender
ness, which was inezpressibly grateful to
his wounded, sore heart. Dora, the little
icicle gradually thawed. They were talk
ing with much animation while Mrs. De
Lacy spread the supper-tabIe.
"You must have supper with US Frank"
she said. My husband has gone to
carry our work home, but he will return
soon"
The poor wife said this with an air of
pride; for since his grand managerial pro-
Ject, Mr.. De Lacy had given up his SatUr
day entertainments. Instead he would
bring his guests home; and in few min
utes he appeared, accompanied by two
broken-dogn actors; one, wrinkled and
shriVelled, with On unmistakable air Of
the footLghts; the other buttOned up to
the chin, without the smallest visible evil
dence Of linen. De Lacy announced his
visitors pomDOusly at the door, but inter-
rupted himself in the middle by catching
sight of Frank.
Frank my dear boyp cried the old
player, in a melOdramatic tone, "come to
my aTmsw
Dora made a little grimace as she saw
their guests. 1t would have been so
much picasanter to have had no strangers
there that evening; but her father cared
little for that. lis first thought was 20
undo his parcels. He produced a large
meat-pie, for the ladies'" he said, forget
ting that it was he himself who adored it.
Then appeared q lobster, huge sausage,
and some early cherries.
Meanwhile, one of the visitors pulled up
an invisible shirt collar, and the other
furtivlly watched the preparations for
supper with hungry eyes. Dora thought
with terror Of the immense hole made by
this in their weeks earnings, and Mrs. De
Lacy was at her wits end to find the re-
quisite number OF plates and knives.
The supper was gay enough for the ac-
tors, but TO Frank and the two women
the oft repeated anecdotes of the theater
had the odor of extinguished lamps and
empty benches. The three men recalled
their enormous successes; for in their
own opinion they had been the greatest
stars of histriouic art; and while they
talked they ate as actors eat; thrce-quar-
tiers turned to the AUDI ence, a napkin
spread on one knee. alternate mouthsful
and phrases, expressing JOY, terror or sur
prise by adrOit management of the knife
and fork
Mrs De Lacy listened with a smile, for
a woman cannot be the wife of an actor
for thirty years without sympathizing
somewhat in his eccentricities But at
the corner of the table sat Frank and
Dora. They talked in whispers, and heard
little Of what went on around them. Re
mcmbrances Of their childhood. which
were Valueless. except that they gave
L. 4 ~,