Evening star., 1897-03-06
- E|ESSsRS VS. ;{s9n

beautiful enough they are, too, but you
wouldn't think they were dangerous. would
you?'
Nobody seemed to think that could be
possible.
STILL he went on. they are dangerous.
and 1 had the most trying time l think l
ever had in my life, all on account of one
of the confounded things not more than
three weeks ago. 1t doesn't make any
difference where it occurred, but In one of
the southern cities where L have recently
been selling a large quantity of goods
there was biograph on exhibition. In the
same town also was widow whom l had
known for about two weeks and who. un-
like good many widows, had a great
love for her late husband. Indeed, he had
been dead only about a year and she was
still very devoted to his memory. though
she had begun to take notice again and
was most charming woman. Young. too,
and devilish pretty.
We'll, 1 wanted to show her some at
tention, and. she was not go2g out
any. and We had to be very conservative in
our advertisements. SO 1 selected the bio
graph one evening and asked her to go.
1t was the first night it had opened in the
town. and she thought there would be no
shocked her greatly to so TO the
theater. The hall In which the exhibition
was given was not large, and tt was COM
fortably filled with the best people in the
town. The pictures were of American sub
jects, including Niagara, street scenes in
various cities. soldiers marching. process
sions moving. and that kind. and for the
first half hour / was thoroughly interested
and she was even more SO.
We had just seen a fine water effect of
the Niagara rapids and the lecturer an
nOunCed that the next picture would be a
street scene taken year or so ago in the
capital CT the state. and there were a num-
Der of people in the picture who were of
sufficient prominence to be known to many
in the audience. Then the lights went out
the machine began to buzz and splutter and
a ric-
ture showed up. To me it was only street
scene of more than usual activity. with one
couple evidently trying to catch a street
| car in the foreground of the picture for
| they came right down the center as large
| as life and as If they were coming right out
over the footlights. the man with a broad
| grin on his healthy, round face and the
| woman hanging on to his arm and laugh
| ing. as if they were having a fine time
| Everybody laughed. and did l, but in the
] midst of it-you know 1t lasts only min
| ute-a smothered scream came out Of the
| darkness beside me, and on the instant my
| widow went down on the floor at my feet
| in heap.
| THE house was all excitement in a mo-
ment and the lights went up at once. which
| TO some extent quieted the people, but did
| not have much effect on me- as 1t did not
f, lift the widow to her feet nor restore her
| to consciousness for she was lying there as
( limp as a rag. and I didn't know what in
| thunder to make of It,
| 1t was not long, though, until rescuers
| came to my relief and very soon she was
| taken INTO an ante-room, where a physician
| came to her. and as soon as she recovered
| sufficiently she was taken home In a car
| riage and ! was excused from further at
| tendance. AT the same time a large number
| OF people in the audience were well aware
OF what had caused all the trouble for
| they had recognized the almost living
couple who came out of that picture as il
| they were going right over the footIights
as the widow and her husband, who had
| happened to be right in the midst of ths
rush when the biosraph photograph picture
| was made, although neither of them knew
| IT until 1t was too late. Even then they
thought II was only an ordinary photo
graph taken by local photographer.
| III you have never seen one of these liy.
ing pictures of person you know you car
| nave no idea what a peculiar sensation IL
gives you to see the person actually moyins
and smiling and talking right before youl
very eyes when you know he Is hundred:
| OF miles away. 1t is much more affectins
when the person Is dead and you can CUES,
how 1t must be when the dead person thu.
brought face to face with the living, an
parently as merry and gay as the best OF
them. is some loved one-a dear husband
as In this instance"
The handsome drummer took a Ions
breath. as of intense relief
Il know" he went on to the finish .,
you don't, and 1 am sure do not want +,
be put into that kind of a position an,
more She didn't get over it either for s
week. and when heard from her throupl
one OF my customers yesterday she wa
sun SO nervous that she would only se
old friends and was not yet able to ac
knowledge by letter the flowers 1 sent he
"hen took my departure the next day."