Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-05

\ 70 come.
! 1t is curious, By tho way, considering
that there all LIES stories mus. finally
| end, how conventional goal it seems
IN story telling.
But, rs il happens. the small events I
have started ont to relate eliminated
only as my friends took their parts in
the universal tragedy and as always
that tragedy brings out as no other SET
ting could all the touching helplessness
and sweetness OF their dingy, stumbling,
| little lives
Cassius did well on the road. The en-
ter.ainment, with no literary merit and
no plot. fulfilled its purpose and pleased
number Of people. Cuss;us' share in
its success, as we learned from his let.
tiers, covered him with glory He soon
was looking for hacker, that theatrical
good fairy so inexplicably subject to en-.
| treaty. preparatory to starting rs the
toy man upon starring tour. of course
with "a play" Properly built around
him.
This ambition sounds wild enough.
but what is wilder than history, espe-
| cially - let US take a comprehensive
phrase-bistory in the show business?
Cassius might have made q fortune.
Needless to say he was sure he would.
aud win immortal fame rs we'll.
But it was not to he Aunt Maggie
became too i'll TO be left alone. Her
money was almost gone, and before the
| summer was past Csssius gave M his
engagement and practically his search
for hacker and returned to take care
CT her.
Through all this heard nothing of
Mrs Mason's daughter. After Cassius'
return he told NE that while he was
away she had sent her mother So. "She
ha0l't any appreciation Of Aunt Mag
gle, was his only comment. But if her
| daughter cared little about her ana was
| oppressed by little sense of duty, Mrs.
Mason had consultations such as wiser
people often lack
Friendship, like all matters Of feel
ing, is mystery. Evidently to enjoy it
| it is not necessary to he able TO read
wha; Emerson says abou: it. Here were
these two, with nothing OF intellect or
! deep spiritual experience to found con-
geniality upon, still building out Of
their crazy little tastes and LOYAL little
affections the great blessing for them
selves.
Cassius made up his mind to take
Mrs. Mason out of the city. 1t seemed
the right thing to do. but 1 was trou-
bled as to how he was TO take care of
| her anywhere. However, he had brought
L. 4
quite unburdened with fears for the
future. "Oh, we'll get or somehow. I
can DO lots of things" he declared.
l took it as evidence that lie could
when Ill three days he found Just the
place lie wanted and moved to it.
1t was on Long Island and was half
farmhouse. half old fashioned roadside
| tavern. 1t was within two miles of an
ancient village. now brought low and
become a summer watering place.
Yes, he was right, that young man,
when he said he could do lot Of
things. He did them. The one he had
made of his diplomacy in getting my
watch did not exhaust if. lie entered
his new boarding place on the regular
footing, and that footing he made firm
by paying his and Aunt Maggie's board
i'll advance for two successive weeks.
Then lie successfully rearraBged matters
and betrayed his own expenses with his
own labor.
He was incredibly industrious. and
before the late lingering colony of Wis
itors left the village be gave an enter.
tainment for their benefit and his own.
"A tutti frutti entertainment, he call
ed it on bills he painted with a brush.
Something of his situation, his care
OF the dying woman, had gotten noised
about Il dent think he aimed to con-
ceai the facts). and the entertainment
was, was told. in every sense a sue
cess. l knew Of its attractions only by
hearsay. for, though was taking late
vacation from city streets and dramatic
agents and had established myself in
the old tavern with my pair of players.
/ staid with Mrs. Mason while Cas-
sius ministered TO the public's amuse-
ment. Mrs. Mason had now become SO
weak that she needed more care than
Cassius could give her.
'Cassius has finished the dress. 1t
didn't show for half when you saw it,"
she told me ON the instant Of our meet.
ing. She made him bring il for me TO
see and had it hung over a chair where
she could caress it with her thin hand.
AS soon as was alone with him Cas-
sius said, tears filling his eyes as he
spoke: "She knows she is going 10 die.
and she says she wants to be buried in
that dress. i can't stand TO hear her
talk about il. but she told me that she's
been so much company for me ever
since I've known her, and she's given
me 80 much good advice"
And with this singular peroration OF
gratitude the boy broke down and sob
bed. But he soon checked himself 10
tell me that he had sent for some more
yellow embroidery silk and was going to
embroidcr all the seams of the gown.
''She thinks it's rs handsome ms IL
can be, but it amt. I always keep hay
ing ideas come to me when I'm at work
on anything like that" With this in
coming wave Of artistic complacency he
dried his eyes and quite cheerfully de-