Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-12-22

called after him, TEL jim.
Perhaps / should state that thcro was
nothing peculiar in our doing so uncscort.
cd. All tho party were following, SO far
as general principles could be followed in
this particular case the stages traditions
of strctcst proprioty, surely tho funniest
traditions that were ever brought forth on
oven that difficult subject.
For time Maggie was silent, but at
last she said: awful funny bout Jim's
brother, amt itS just like play, Christ
mas and all. Broke mo all up. Jim's got
a good heart, hasn't hop / knew he had q
brother once Hos told mo somo things
about when he was little. They wero
newsboys and bootblacks and things, but
he says that was after they began to get
up in the world. They had it awful when
they can first remember. think the more
of-of 'om both for having made some
thing of themselves.
1t did not yet seem entirely clear to me
that there was reason for prido in what
Jim's brother at least, had made of him
solf; but, except for sympathetic murmurs,
1 snid nothing, and Maggie talked on,
evidently stirred to an uncommon interest
in her subject.
"Jim says his mother was good wom-
nm, but she was sick lot, and then she
died. Those two kids just skinned around
fer themselves. Mikc's the oldest. He
got himself sent up to IA reformatory some
where. jim, ho'd been suping already,
and then he got chance to so on the road,
with a couple of words to speak and to
help the property man, and he amt seen
his brothcrsince. He says he hadn't learnt
to write much then-he can now as good
as anybody. He didn't seem to think Mike
~ Ga mi
SO much about him. Jim's got big
heart, / guess"
1 thought 1t probable that Jim had dis
covered tho depths of his fraternal affcc-
tion only within tho last hour, the capac-
ity for sudden EN- otional revelation of
that sort at the sight of one before forgot
ten being highly human, or-it is the
Same thing-espccially Irish, but l saw
that Maggie was minded 10 regard the
agitation of rhe meeting as evidencing
rare depths in The heart that was hers, as
perhaps it did.
That night after tho performance was
over, Maggie came to my dressing room
on some trumped up excuse, really for the
pleasure of conversation, or, rather, for
that most widely appreciated phase of it,
consisting in hearing oneself talk. She
removed hor makeup in my room, and as
she vigorously rubbed her face with a
towel, from time to time minutely peering
at it in tho looking glass, she entered upon
her subject-Jim.
"No, SIR" she at last concluded, break
ing her sentences by moments of exclusive
attention to her toilet, Il tell you amt
going to marry but once, and can't risk
that on an actor, though Lord knows Jim
liln or the ctnpo off
There's your hat behind the trunk. I'll
be ready in a minute" and Maggie flew
back TO her own room.
l naturally inferred from these fresh
declarations to the contrary that her res.
olution not to trust herself upon the
troubled sea of what wo may fifty call his
trionic matrimony was weakening, prob
ably had been weakening for some time
past 1t is the way of such resolutions,
under fire, so To speak. And / made the
mistake Of surposing that should soon
find her publicly rccanting, which only
shows how precarious profession is
prophecy in such n world as this.
The next day we left Helena, and am
happy to say l have forgotten where we
went, but l remember well that Jim's
brother went with us, Ito finish his visit, 1"
he said. His visit was n fatoful matter to
Maggie and jim. The first news had of
its results for them was comprehensive.
1t came from Maggie herself
We were all at railway station, and
Jim's brother had just taken the train
that was to carry him back to Helena. l
was walking up and down the platform
looking through the chilly air at the fat
dreary winter landscape that stretched be-
yond the bare, squalid little houses and
the seas of mud of the foreground Most
of the company were in the stove heated,
dirty waiting room. Maggie was opening
trunks on the platform, trotting about,
looking very taut and pretty and unmis-
takahly the actress i'll her ulster and
cap, with her handbag strapped over her
shoulder. She kept staring at mo with
remarkably bright eyes as passed her
AT last having completed the transfer
OF something from her hotel trunk to her
theater trunk, or vice verse, she camo up
to ne, fell into step, ran her hands into
her hip pockets and said
''The trains half an hour late. / guess
I'll tell you now" Then she stopped and
faced me. Pm going TO marry jim, and l
haven't had to give in either. He's going
to leave the stage. Yes, sir, he is, resum-
ing her march ''Ain't it good thing
didn't give in before! Hurrah for cotton
seed oil and the Christmas supper it drove
us to, say. I'll tell you all how it is.
He and his brother arc going to buy nice
little liquor business in New York on
Sixth avenue. They're going to buy it to
gether. You see, Mike understands al
about it. And VIC won't be OH the stage
any more Isn't it goodf' Maggie's voice
was expressive of chldlike gratitude, seri
Gus and tender. New York all the time
No more Arkansaw, she went on. "Ant
Jim and me living together all the time
real sure enough married peopleP'
Before the train came Maggie told IN
the whole history of the transaction tina
gave her such satisfaction, but the mos
interesting part of her story was rather II
the nature of hope than of an accom-
plished fact.
"AIike, =" che was saying, says he want
to get away from Helena. He says that
an awful tough hole hos in. He and Jir
are going to keep their now place as IT
spectacle as can be. Then"-hore sh
lowered her voice little ard spoke with