Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-07-13
SOMEBODY ELSE.

They were both in the chorus. Every
night they sang love ballads and nonsense
rhymes, flashed for an hour or two in span
gled garments behind glittering lights, and
then went into darkness and forgetfulness
again.
These two, then, are only of the mob.
They might have died any day, either of
them or both, and the manager would
merely have written letter or nodded
word, and hardly a soul in the next nights
audience would have known that there had
been changes in the chorus.
And yet these two of the chorus were set
far above the common lot of mummers and
onlookers alike.
They were lovers.
When the opera demanded that they sing
the chorus of drinking song, the eyes of
these two met and drank to each other the
intoxicating wine of silent love. When
their hands met in some stately minuet or
mazy peasant dance, the thrill of shrink
ing, fearfully sweet pleasure coursed
through both their bodies.
Every night he waited until she came
from the big dressing rooms He opened
the big gloomy door Of the stage entrance
NNset =
tender adieu she was gone into world he
knew not. Several times he had tried,
when it had been fierce weather. to accom-
pany her to her home, to lend her aid, pro-
lection, but no, she had always sweetly de-
clined these proffers, and so they both came
nightly out of the unknown, danced awhile
In the light of love that never spoke and
went out again into the unknown.
But one night he was waiting for her
sooner than usual. Eager and trembling
he waited for her coming. The others had
nearly all gone. There was patter of feet.
She was coming.
He held out his hands to her. She hardly
knew why, but she took them In her own
and looked into his face wistfully. "Well.n
she said timidly.
"Oh, Fam" he said, "you know what
mean. love you. That's ALL LongagoI
told you with my deeds, and you understood.
But that is not enough. Now, Fan, must
know; will you be my wife2" Strange, is 1t
not, that member of the chorus, which is
merely an entity, should wish to marryp
Yet
Pain crept slowly into her face as she lis
tened to him-pain that struggled with JOY
Yes" she said, then in her low, sweet
voice, II knew you loved me- knew, and
L
now. But marry you-no, I-oh, cannoto'
She sank upon his breast, sobbing a little
Then she tore herself away and wiped the
tears away quickly. "Do you hear2" she
continued, II cannot"
An awful thought came to him as she
spoke Could it be that she was already
another'sP How should he have known?
Had she not gone always into the unknown
and forbidden him to follow? And there
came to his lips that insane cry Of thou
sands like him-thousands Of lovers in
whom sudden Jealousy creates frightful
of suspicion. "Ah, then-there
elsep" Why is it that lovers
must always think that because they are |
not chosen some one else must needs be?
Is there no such thing as woman who re-
fuses to love simply from disinclination, in
stead of from previous exhaustion of the
sentiment?
In this case the girl nodded her head and
said, Yes, there is somebody else."
"Then, why" he returned flercely, stung
out of his passive grief into quick
anger, did you not tell me so before-with
your eyesP Why did they always say yes
If your lips were to say nor Cruel you are,
How is it possible2 But he-who is he?
Ah, well, what does it matterP You have
OuhSo my udy iuuO 1 Will 20 away |
into it." He turned to go, but her hand
was ON his sleeve.
"Stopp' she cried Come with me. l
will show you somebody else And it is
you who are cruel. Did not say that I
loved you? Come"
So for the first time he accompanied her
into what was to be no more the unknown.
The house at lasti She opened the door
and beckoned him to follow her. In a dimi
shabby room he saw figure lying on
5he bed, wasted, shrunken figure that
Dreathed heavily. This" said she, ''is my
mother. She is dying inch by inch Of
wasting disease Every moment that is
not spent at the theater must devote to
1er. Every thought of mine must be for
ner and her comfort. See, she has so little
eft of lifel Would you have me deprive
her of the care she needs2"
A big lump came into his throat and
eemed to wish to stick there forever. He
'hoked little with hoarse sound, and
hen his voice came, "And is this the some
,ody elsef"
She nodded and turned to the bed, but
he other member of the chorus suddenly
,icked her in his arms and covered her face
With kisses For" he said, and his voice
night have been suspected of having tears
n it, you're an angel on the stage and off
But why didn't you tell me at firstS"
Because" she said. ''you wouldn't let
ne."
And am told that certain member of
he chorus is daily trying to postpone his
marriage by his self sacrificing tenderness
n nursing the somebody else. He does it
o ease Fans burden, and he's not thinking
# himself very much Pm afraid.
But poor somebody else has already
leard the voice of the Father of us all, and
fear there will be wedding in the chorus
Ifter all.-Figaro Fiction.
-ane's Medicine Moves the Bowels Each
Day. In order to be healthy this Ia necessary.