The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-19

Just been committed In one OF the Ru burbs.
There was one there who listened-a wo-
man and as she listened she knew who
mad done it-she recognized his workman
chip. As thew talked of the large reward
which had been offered for the discovery
of the criminal, e great hunger began to
fill her soul and desire to
rise out of the depths into which
she bad sunk, and TO attain 10
comparative ailluence by means-of the
price of blood. This guilty man had been
her lover. She loved him still. But she
told herself that he was doomed-doomed
Some one would gain by his eternal fall
and why not she2 As she went of upon
her errsnd the man himself, against
whom all mems hands would soon be
turned, came on. This was Blaise Town
shend. known to his then associates aR
Gentlemen Jo." He WIS a man VINO had
been bu eted and torn-a genius gone
wrong, an inventor none Of whose inven-
tions bad attained frUition. Crammed
full OF ideas which seemed 10 all TO be
! abOriions, the devil had got into him
that devil which comes TO disappointed
and to hungry men, and, extreme in ev-
erything. IA had 20 sink 20 this-to crime.
While the opening was being played,
like a restless spirit ] was wandering
about behind.
The cali was passed for Mr.. Ruthven.
As he came | shTauk away, so marvellous
" did his appearance realize the creation
Of my fancY-the man with devil 1t
was difficult to believe that this was the
iifeless creature who had droned through
the rehearsals. Two minutes after his en-
trance the house was III tumuit OF ap-
| plause. He had done what every actor
hopes to do one day, and which scarcely
| one in generation does do-he had
taken his audience by storm. Instead Of
the disaster which l feared, it already
| seemed that ! was within measurable dis
lance OF that stupendous, that fairy-like,
that world-echoing success for which We
work, and OF which we dream.
After Ruthven's entrance the action
moved quickly. He was left alone with
| the journals, whose columns were filled
with the story of his crime. He glOated
over the hideous details with a sort Of
| devilish exutation. While he was thus
engaged q visitor entered, an unusual Wis
| itor in those parts-a lawyer who had
| brought him news-news OF the death of
a distant relative who had died in q far-of
portion OF the world, and who had left
! him one of those Unreasonable fortunes
which are characteristic OF the day. The
lawyer had come in person to 0tier his
congratulations And already the shadow
of the gallows was falling over him. And
while the tale is being told the woman re-
turns from her Judas-errand and hears IL
| all She has sold the man she loves, this
ten times millionaire, for q mess OF pot
tage Already the avengers OF blood are
at his heels.
When the curtain fell the audience gave
Ru.hven a call which shook the theater
| Ii was his success. not mine: his acting
which told, not that of his companions
| l went on t. the stage To shake hum by
| the hand but ne walked past me as
though he did not see that was there.
'Ruthven - l cried.
If he heard he paid no heed. Walking
straight on, he vanished out OF sight His
demeanor was so strange that | hardly
| knew what TO make OF il. Trotter was
standing 10y me he had been acting the
| lawyer.
"IIe is either q genius OF the first water
| or else the Old Gentleman himself. When
| ] was telling him that story about the for
| tune which he had LETT to him, the look
upon his face made my blood run cold"
81 believe" said Gordon, that he is the
| Old Gentleman"
"He has made me all OF a tremble," de-
clared Miss Stacey. She had played the
woman who betrayed Blai@ YOWHshmd. "I
| really don't think l can go on with him
again; he frightens me-"
She sank into n chair and burst into
something very like Mysteries. l pooh
! poohed their words "a nonsense. ] hur-
| RED them off 10 their dressing rooms, but
l declined Trotter's invitation TO accom-
pany him upstairs; l went out into tho
street TO get breath OF air. | myself was
/ II e. hot -
thing about Ruthven which was not alto
| gether what il should be. | had no desire
to make it worse by listening to Trotter's
rawlings.
That night?-well, who does not know
that that night was a blaze of triumph
/ Observation-Disclosures there was none. Ruth
ven went on from victory 10 vctory-tO a
perfect triumph The house was In a
| frenzy. Yet his companions on the stage.
and those behind. stunned him as though
| he were the plague. Even 1 held alooi
from the man who had done, who was still
doing, so much for the offspring of my
brain. There was something about him
which certainly was strange.
The last act was ON. My pulse was beat
ing like a sledge-hammer. | was strain
Ing my ears to listen TO the intense silence
in which the house was hanging on Ruth
ven's last great scene. suddenly some
one came rushing wildly toward me- it
was Farncombe. He appeared 20 be in a
state or extraordinary excitement; his
coat-tails were flying in the wind; his hat
was a, the back of his head.
"Incew
IL was a gasp rather than an nrticula.e
utterGnce. My first impression was that
he Was drunk. though undoubtedly ne was
no drunkard lie was trembling Us
though he could hardly stand. His eyes
were unnaiurally distended; his whole
countsnanc' exhibited mental disorder.
"Give-give me a chair"
He clutched at chair. lie sank into
il, trembling all the time as though he
had a fit of ague This WIS case OF
something more than drunkenness.
"Farncombe, what Is wrong"
lie seemed to struggle to speak
"Inee"-he caught at his throat as il he
we're suilocating-" lnce, have you got any
brandyp
/ went to TTotter's private store and
poured him out a wineglassful. He drank
it at a Rulp, neat,
Give me some more"
/ poured him out another glass. lie
drank thai, too; il seemed to do bim
good.
"Ince, do YOU think Pm mad"
cor drunk2"
"You think I'm drunk I've been trav.
cling all day from Scotland have only
just arrived in town. IL is. therefore, ex-
irsmely probable that am drunk, IL be-.
| inc my invafiabla habit In oct IN af a .