The evening times., 1895-08-20
| One Cent tis; ts,,
No sdvsrtissmsnf less fhan ios.

at all Of the others sulky scowl. The feI-
lows voice was musical and expressive
enough, Mr.. Outlet was forced to admit to
nmsef. And the tragedy-well. there was
something in 1T after all. Atthe end Of five
minutes the enforced listener had forgotten
to scowI; at the end Of fifteen he was intent
and Interested; at the end of thirty, when
the first act terminated, he was sitting al
! rost spellbound.
''Sban / leave off here?'' inquired the
stranger, ''or shall l go on? 1 am ready,
you know, tc <tand by our compact"
60 on, go on" said Mr.. Outlet, with q
wave OF bis hand Every trace Of anger and
resentment had left him. 1t was evident
from the expression of his face and from his
whole dereanor that he was alive to no
other sensations than those produced by
this extraordinary play.
With kindling eye aud heightening color,
the stranger proceeded, his deep, musical
voice never missing point nor slurring
light and shade. The motif of the tragedy
to wit, the representation Of the devil
III human shape-was obviously far from
original, but the treatment of the subject
was absolutely so, differing both in details
and essentials-and differing for the bet
ter-from every previous conception. Il
breathed throughout an air, mob merely OF
powerful tragic interest, but of genuine re-
! ality and natural consequence, which hur-
ried you forward to the fatal climax by
series OF irresistible develo pments. Long
before the end was reached Mr.. Outlet,
who-w as far from predisposed In the stran-
gers favor, saw that the piece would be
fortune TO any manager and inwardly con-
fessed that his own just completed tragedy,
on which hitherto he had rather valued
himself, would be literally extinguished by
the blaze of SO powerful a production.
But the wonderful strength and terrible
pathos of the denouement soon obliterated
from the mind everything in the shape of
sordid calculations, and left him only con-
scious of an overwhelming sense OF tragical
emotion.
There" said the stranger, laying down
his papers and regarding Mr.. Outlets ex-
pressive face with look of placid triumph.
What did you say? Does the piece justify
the strong measures / have taken to force
it on your notice, or does it not? Speak,
sirI"
Tits a masterpiece" gasped Mr..
Outlet. "A work of genius. A splendid
tragedy. There is no man living, and very
few dead who could have written it,"
Il believe you," was the quiet reply.
1T stands alone. know it. And now
give you your reward for having heard me
to the end. Take this tragedy, write your
name upon it, and produce it at the Erec-
theum for your own"
''Er-er-I don't understand you" Mr.,
Outlet calculated, supposing that his ears
had deceived him.
My words were plain" replied the stran-
ger. My meaning equally SO. 1 make
you present of the piece-out and out-with
no reserve, except that you offer it to Bill
hurst, OF the Erectheuin, in lieu OF the one
which you are now writing"
"Impossiblei" cried Mr.. Outlet. "Com.
mon honesty forbids me to appropriate your
work like that Why, man alive. do you
not realize that this tragedy is worth money
to you? 1t means name and fortune"
"Bah!" laughed the other scornfully.
What do 1 want with either? have long
enjoyed too much of both. All desire Is
to have my tragedy produced; in whose
name or to whose profit / care not
strawl"
but, really" objected Mr. Outlet.
L"
''Pish, my friend none of these butts.
With my eyes open and in good faith make
you an offer which. while IL suits ME, is
highly advantageous to yourself. II you
are too proud to accept-well, there may
be others less squeamish. But you have
your chance,"
pride is not concerned in the matter"
replied Mr.. Outlet. but how can bring
myself to put my name to another mans
work? 1t would be a species of literary
forgery"
Nothing of the sort" was the energetic
reply. The play is my own in every sense.
have an incontestable right to make it
over to you. Will you take it or will you
not?"
Upon my word" was the hesitating roe
joinder. .'I-I-that is-in point Of fact"
Continued in to-morfow's Morning Times.