The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-01-03

first what they wcrc talking about but as
was looking around to SEQ who among
my friends was present caught hor nume
In most miscrably nippant sentence.
Tho speaker was n big, handsome fellow,
dressed in tho height of fashion, whom
had never seen before fop, but by no
means u gentleman in appearance.
II spoke instantly, for 1 was furious.
We do not call it good form here, I said,
Ito discuss lady's namo in clubroopl,
and shall Insist that you mako no further
remarks about that particular lady,
He stared Mt mo n moment, and thon
with an insolcnt lnugh, replied: You arc
greatly mistaken. was not speaking of
lady. mentioned u little actress at tho
Halcyon thcnter.'
II aftcrward learned that he WINS ono of
clnss of men, moro numerous 40 years
ago than they aro now, who were proud
of their reputation us fighters and who
lost no opportunity for n brawl But If I
had known it Mt the timo it would havo
made no difference, for 1 was mad with
rage. mado n hot answer and stepped
toward him, but he was quicker than
and struck me across the face with a
loaded cane
II fell inscnsiblo and marked for lifo,
| as you SEQ mo now. OF course that ended
my carccr rs nm actor. We did not know us
much about makeup then MS tho actors do
now, but nobody would try to fix up such
face rs mino for tho stage even now.
That wasn't the worst of it. I was
carried home and taken caro- of by my
| friends for two or three weeks before WINS
| able to movo around for tho injury was
dangerous rs well ms painful. Ada had
| inquired about mo when 1 was missed
from the thcatcr and Mt first had wanted
to como and nurse INC, but l wouldn't al
] low 1t. There were two or three reasons
hoped at first that wouldn' DO SO badly
disfigurcd rs am, and did not want her
to be shocked at tho sight. Then wanted
time to mako up my own mind. I was
not ovcrconccitcd, but she had given mo
every reason to believe sho loved mo, and
1t seemed certain that she would say yes
if asked her to marry mo, and I was still
afraid to do that. That sounds conccitod
certainly, but felt suro l was right, and
she told mo long afterward that 1 was.
She would have married me If had asked
before was manned, and lived to thank
God that didn't, though that was years
later.
Whom l first came out didn't feel that
way, for my love for her was strong enough
to conquer everything else, and 1 sought
her eagerly. She had gone from tho thea
ter, and could learn nothing of hcr at
u
find out that she had run away with the
very man who had struck me down. Sho
was poor, and ho had tempted her with
money When / add that ho had wife
living, needn't shy any more.
If you had known mo mt any time in
the next five years, 1 suppose would not
havo called you wrong in speaking Of my
hard fnto, for it certainly appeared hard to
mo thon. had no tics and no ambition.
1t was hard for me even to make living,
though did after timo get n job us stage
carpenter, and havo dono fairly well at
that evor since.
But tho salt was oil gono out of nv
life. tried to forget Ada, and after q
time thought had succeeded though
had wild notions now and again of follow
ing him and her and killing them both.
1t seemed to mo, though, that by doing
that i would wrong myself moro than
either of thom had wrongcd mo, and 1
conquered tho temptation In time. am
worry glad Of TINT, md am glad, too, that
never had n serious thought of any other
woman in oil that time. 1t would have
been foolish If l had, for my face would
have barred tho way, but 1 am glad be-
cause 1t proves to mo thnt 1 did not really
succeed In killing my lovo.
Il heard of her from time to timo. In
tried to SEQ her or send her any word, oven
after heard that sho had left the life sho
was leading and had entered n homo. And
oven after that, when 1 learned that she
had Joined a sisterhood, and was dovoting
her life TO works of charity and piety, I
made no sign, for 1 remembered what
love of beauty sho always had, md could
not forget my face My trouble seemed
greater than ever thcn but know I still
loved her because WAS SO happy In think
ing of her now life.
'Then ono night ono of tho sisters came
to tho stage door and told mo that sho was
dying, or tbcy feared she was, and that
she wanted to SEQ mo. Sho had been hurt
by an accident and brought to this very
hospital.
II cannot tell you much about our
meeting. There WAS an almost divine sor-
row in her beautiful eyes us she looked Mt
me, and for an instant l thought it was
pity, but only for an instant. 1t was sor-
row for hor own sin, not only against her
self, but tho wrong she had dono mo, and
her first words were plea for my forgive
ness. And sho seemed hardly able to be-
liovc mo when l told her Ind forgiven
hor long before. 1t was n long timo be.
foro knew my own heart sho said, but
when did know it was you had loved
always, oven when 1 was SO weak and
wicked
''Sho did not die then, as they thought