The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-09

said: but it is so late that you can
have only a very few minutes at .ne
theater. Is it worth while 10 go there:
NV heart turned cold with olsap-
pointment. What! lose this sole chanoe
of entering those fairy realms OF Hiliiiic
life toward which my mental gaze had
strained so hungrily and so long! I'M
possible! My companion noted the look
of chagrin on my face. m,
You really care so much about IT.
she exclaimed. Well, come then" AND
we went. But we were too late In ar
irving. Rehearsal was just over, ana
the wings were full Of the people VINO
had been my travelling companions,
chatting. laughing, guying each other,
as is the wont Of such. MI. Greeley
came To meet us with a cloud on his
brow. Evidently something a gone
wrong.
What is it?'' asked his wife.
'Nita Conquest turned her foot COM
ing to the theater, and has had to go
home. She cannot do her dance to-
NIGHT. and nothing makes so bad an
impression on a frst-night audience as
an apology.
He paid no attention to me or to my
chagrin. His mind was wholly en-
crossed with managerial ~dlffical.les, IN
extricating himself from which, as l
afterwards discovered, it was his wont
to enlist the cooperation of his aple
and practical wife.
'Ts-ts-ts!' was this lady's sympa-
thetic rejoinder. THAT is bad indeed!
A worse misfortune could scarcely nave
happened. Let me see" And SIZE went
off into a fit of ruminative lotion,
so engrossing, and so divergent frtm
me and my needs, that had an PIE
leisure fully to digest my discontinue
at missing the performance l had so
eagerly anticipated-an occasion which
would probably never again be offered
me.
Meanwhile, the h%urrying, precious
moments sped by. The groups in the
wings dispersed, and the musicians
prepared to depart. I stood irresolute
and uncertain amid the shadows Of the
scenes, knowing that I ought to be en-
my way to the station, but reluctant
to intrude my affairs upon the preoc-
cupation of those whose interest in me
was 81 ItCClll, III opOA WhoAi L Aoo
not the shadow Of a legitimate claim.
And all the time at the bottom Of my
soul there lurked that deadly sickness
created by the thought Of returning to
my home and the colorless routine Of
my existence; and there was also, l
must needs confess, slowly terminating
the hope that circumstances might con-
spire to cause me to lose my train ard
remain overnight in Paradise. Pres
emily Kate broke the silence.
81 can't see any way out Of t." she
said. "Of course, I could do a turn to
fill in, out New York audiences have
had a good e Of me, while Nita was
a fresh attraction. Are you sure s. e
isn't playing off? I might go and zee
if she is really laid up. What time IS
it? Why, good g%racious!" she broke
off, there's this child and her train! I
had forgotten all about her. What
time is it, Geoff, quick?"
The stage was tolerably dark, but I
could see a sudden light fire Greeley's
gloomy eyes as 1 was thus unexepect-
eddy recalled to his memory. He turn
ed quickly, and surveyed me deliberate
ly. His gaze Travelled appraisingly V e
me from head to foot, increasing in
eagerness and satisfaction as it pro-
crossed; the while he was slowly pull
ing a massive gold watch from his
vest pocket.
1.-The train goes at 5, doesn't it," ask
ed he, abstractedly.
"Yes-yes," replied his wife hurried
ly, and I echoed the affirmative in a
less impetuous fashion.
"Whew! this is too bad!" he exclaim-
ed. "She has lost it. She never could
get VI to the station in ten minutes.
There is no use in trying it. Why
didn't o remember her, Katc?"
And so Fate, assisted by Godfrey
Greeley, turned over the leaf and open
ed part two in my history. All the
little, apparently unirnportant acct
dents which together worked the wide
separation between past and present
fell in SO naturally and tremendously,
one failed at the time to consider their
significance.
I had no thought Of any Interior mo-
tive in his mind, no suspicion of the