The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-04-14
PRIVATE THEATRICALS.
Aunt Martha's Story of an Inter
eSting Drama

esting Drama
Dear me-" Edna said, tossing aside
| a small paper-bound volume, this will
not do at all 1t is stupid"
stupid Jennie cried. "Is that all?
All the rest are too long, or too short,
: or have too many parts, or some other
insurnountable objection. But mere
stupidity"
Don't be sarcastic, Jennie" Dollie
said, looking up from her book. There
were six of the girls, and on table,
chairs and even the floor were sixty, at
I least, of the books
1t was just as Dollie spoke that Aunt
Martha came in; tall, prim and stately,
but as sweet as rose for all that, and
prettier at sixty than half the women
of this world are at twenty.
What are you doing?" she asked,
with mild astonishment
Selecting play for private theatri-
Gals. We want to help the fund for the
sufferers at the B street fire" said
Tassie, collecting scattered books in
one great pile.
Private theatricals.' said Aunt
Martha, with very odd smile. lit
is a long time since l took a part in
private theatricals. Forty years and
more"
''You?" we all cried in chorus, for
Aunt Martha, although she never in
terfered with us, was well known to
disapprove of theaters and all that be-
longed To them.
The audience was very SMALL" said
Aunt Martha, still with that puzzling
smile, land there were few perform
ers. Still l tell you about it?"
What was the play?" asked Edna,
perhaps hoping for aid in her perplex-
tiles.
1.-The Midnight Alarm" said Aun
Martha
Can l get it?'
Il think not 1t was composed for
the occasion and never written out
BY this time we had deserted the ta-
ble and array of acting copies" of
popular dramatic works, and were
drawn up in a circle near Aunt Martha's
chair, keenly interested in hearing all
about it.
at was when l was a young girl"
said Aunt Martha, "and had been in
vited To be bridesmaid for my very
dear friend, Dora Burke. She was the
only child of very wealthy widow
who lived in Willow Banks, and had
one of the most luxurious homes ever
visited. But it was in the country, ten
miles from a large city, where Mrs
Burke owned another house in which
her winters were passed, but which
was rented to a lady who took Mrs.
Burke and Dora as boarders for the
winter.
$50. when il was decided to have a
grand wedding, it was also arranged
that il should be at Willow Banks,
where there were many spare bed
rooms, and which could be reached by
carriages from the city. One peculiar
ity of the domestic life | must mention
here. Years before, Mrs. Burke had
been robbed by burglars, admitted to
the house by a dishonest servant, and
from that time she would have no serv-
ant sleep in the house. A separate
building for their use was connected
by a covered way and fitted up COM
fortably. Here Mrs. Jones, wife of
the head gardener, kept house for the
gardeners, stablemen and maid serv-
ants, who were summoned when want
ed by a bell from Mrs Burke's room
A second bell. also connected with her
her room. was an alarm, only to be
pulled IL the men SIOutu Dt MdUlcu dl
night for fire or burglary.
The wedding was very grand, but,
while the festivities were at their
height, l was taken i'll with a severe
pain that l was subject to- l tried in
vain To conceal my suffering, and final
ly whispered to Doras cousin, Mollie
Burke, that must go to my room and
lie down. She wanted to go with me,
but that | would not allow, as she was
filling Dora's usual place in assisting
Mrs. Burke.
~ will come in before l go to bed,
she said, and | slipped away unnoticed.
My room was at the end of long
entry, a room | liked because 1T com
manded a magnificent view, but 1t
seemed lonely To me that night, going
there from all the light, gayety and mu-
sic in the drawing-room. There was an
immense closet in it, as large as many
modern hall-rooms, and in that was
slowed niue h of the rubbish that most
families own, odds and ends whose use-
fulness is over, but which are too good
to throw away. In this, / carefully
hung up my fine dress. slipped on
wooden wrapper and crept to the bed,
having only the bright moonlight to
Sultt iilC CouAtl hcb ~ DNN N'-N
pain wore away and ] lay quiet, won
dering how soon the guests would
leave. Already Dora and her husband
had driven away to the city, to start
upon their wedding trip, but the rooms
had been still filled when | left them
IL cannot teiI what made me think
then of the temptation for bur glars
there would be in the house that night
The family plate, usually stored in a
bank vault in the city, and only dis
played on great occasions, was all
spread in the supper-room In the
library were Dora's presents, valuable
Jewels, silver lace and other costly Of
fcrings
''As if in answer to my fears, | sud
denly became aware that some one
moved softly along the entry, creep
ing, creeping, to my door, and so across
the room to the closet AS the figure
crossed the window, / could see that
the intruder was n tall. powerfully
built man. He entered the closet, and
| could hea him stealthily crouch down
in the corner. probably pulling over
him some of the articles on the floor
II dared not move. Alone, weak
girl far fro IN the other inmates of the
house, / was afraid he would murder