Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-09-12

tutdtTlcdi DOdrulnE mouse ON one ot tDe
side streets. As we entered, We heard
a young woman on the first floor re-
hearsing her part in a melodrama,
while the second floor was evidently
training for a song and dance act Up
and up and up we went until the top
floor was reached. In small room,
lying on a miserable looking cot, was
Charlotte Temple, looking, not as she
did when she left us, but even worse
than when she first came to us. Her
mother, a peroxide young woman, was
entertaining several perfect ladies like
herself, with the story Of Charlotte
accident. The air Of the room was
foul with fiat beer and mask On
Charlotte was not one of the nice little
nightdresses that Mary had made her,
but loose pink silk thing trimmed
with spangles and lace that her mother
undoubtedly wore when she played
Camille. .
Much to the disgust of the women,
Mary opened the window and let in
some fresh air, and then the story was
told to us,
EvA's LAST PERFORMANCE,
"You sec, " said Trixie, "Charlotte's
been playing Eva all winter, and
how we will ever live without the
salary that she drew is more than
can understands. it does seem AS if
there was no end to our trouble. Well,
you know, in the transformation scene,
" Evan is put up in the clouds and sun
ported by machinery, and she is sup
posed to go sailing along to Heaven.
Some fool of a stage hand didn't fix
the machinery right, and they got
Charlotte up, and just while the audi
ence were going wild about her, the
fool thing broke, and down she fell.
And there's good money gone for the
rest Of her life, for the doctor says il
she lives she will be a cripple any
how" | don't know how ever listened
to this woman. Eventually Mary told
some Of the visitors that they had bet
ter go, and Trixie went with them to
the hall, and evidently sent for more
beer, and they stayed out there, much
TO our relief, and drank ii. Poor
Charlotte Temple was Just barely
breathing. But she knew us, and a
happy smile came over her face, and
she tried to say something about the
puppy. And Mary told her how those
upon the farm had grown, and that
there was new kitten which was
named after her, and then she laughed ;
but, oh so weakly. We gave her tea
spoonful of brandy, and bathed the
little face, and some strength seemed
to come to her, and she said, misses
Mary, | got so tired Of bein' Eva.
hadn't my puppy, but kind lady in
the company gave me doll, an
named the doll after the puppy, Sam.
An Misses Mary, if | get well, I'm
comm up to be your girl this summer.
But Misses Mary, I'm SO tired. .
Then we famed her and sang to her,
and after a while fast-looling man
came in, and we found out that he was
Mr.. Clarence Howard, who played
utility parts, and was the father OF
Charlotte Temple. He
SEEMED soRRIER FOR THE MITE
then her mother did, and he tried tc
straighten up the room little, put the
poker chips out OF sight, picked UP
the half-smoked cigarettes and threw
them out of the window, and thanked
us in the most dramatic manner fol
coming. And the hours went by, and
we three did all we could to make
Charlotte Temple find the going away
from life easier than the living it.
Two or three times | wondered where
her mother was. Time told. About
10 O'Clock she came in maudlin drunk.
And she cried and screamed, and
Charlotte grew restless and looked UNI
happy, and Clarence Howard removed
TriXie to the hall, where she fell on
the floor in drunken slumber
When the doctor came he gave me a