The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03

coul6 NOT Law my hands on u, though I could
SEQ IL lying. apparently IN the same position
box meant 70 be out Of sight Of persons In the
library, but convenient In case OF need,
.Just before Katherine went on In the shooting
scene she came TO me aughing and bright. ms n
bit OF sunshine and told me that, we had n1t
only made the hit Of our lives ~ ths play. bnt
that we had won the villain, out OF his mood
ness, and he was quite himself ,hgnin. lie
Joined us as we we're talking; and his manner
back, referred to Katherine as Kate, and
went on so that ] began to suspect ne had been
drinking, But ,soinehow ! had Lost ny spirits
thing was going to happen that ! could not
prevent, and / could not shake the feeling of,
Then came tho shooting scene, and az I, the
husband. stepped INTO The Library 9'n,n tmf
e cbbSlk.ndIeSs su stiffness Sso, r o5 ,c .no myself SSeifp' ard as !
quickly caught No the revolver something, WA!
seemed TO me To- he n voice told me 70 l.lht u
NJ the villain. This influence Quiz nov htve
tenisteu u would. and ~ The audience Goulih !
tel which. wa. | was pointing IL ! heId IL
Katherine screamed. clutchcd at her henrt;
where the bullet was supposed. to strike, ana
fell to the floor in a stage fall that was perfec-
stood as II dazed. forgetting everything.
WIN my gaze riveted on the villain, who t2r
sive clutch at his breast lie recled and fell
ac lr9 the body OF he woman at his tnct, an,
when the villain fcii, though "nlv n portion
OF his weight struck katherine, 1t WIS O. ough to
shock her so that she screamed again ami tried
10 get away. by this time the audience under
stood that an accident had happened. and the
stage, manager who was watching every inuNe
was letting the curtain down rs fast us he
could.
went down as the curtain did. and when !
recovered coRscionsness | was In my dressing
y physician holding my pulse; Another ply,
sician WINS attending TO the villain, but 1t was
quito useless, for within an hour he was dend,
shot so near tho heart that the wonder was he
had not died where lie fell. a
fortunately for my peace OF mind; too ne
Katherine whom he had asked to see alone,
ana who, saw, him in the presence of the ply.
sician, that no had changed tho r"volvers on
the nantcl, putting n loaded one In the place
or the one ! had put there. 80 that he wouLu
hand OF tho man who had stolen her from him.
and whom she loved and who loved her. as lie
hated both. a CHASTITY revenge, indeed. That
wise, and he brought what would have been
our undoinE upon himself and paid tho PEN
My part in the tragedy was ex claimed on
the ground of poor craftsmanship caused by
the excitement, for ! was Il good shot ordina;
on all .iides that we had. by, II mere twist OF
tho wrist, as one might say. been saved from
the plot Of the villain, This explanation was
cred to tell my story, and when l heard ~ l
accepted II ms the true solution and until this
writing | have not contradicted II. Now dear
Katherine will never know and | am wiling
that the true story be told.
As l said before, the play was q great one
and It ran through several seasons. but kath.
crime and | were never Ia the cast again. and
during the twenty-five. gears Of our. married
life we never appeared In any play in which
there was shooting.
For some years before she died we we're rich
enough TO live elsewhere than before the foot
lights. but we loved it and were happy in our
work and would not give II. up.
Nor will now until the curtain IS ruha
" wv w. i. HAMPTON.