The record-union., 1897-09-26
The man stared.

| door Of Mr.. Ruthven's dressing-room.
There was no answer. 1 knocked
| again. Still no answer.
| Mr.. Ruthven!" l cried.
| Not sound I turned the handle.
The door opened. I stepped inside. My
| first impression was that the room was
empty. Then, looking round, 1 saw
! that something, some one, was lying
on the floor. 1t was a man lying all
| of a heap. I am not ashamed to con-
| fess that. in the already agitated state
| of my mind, the sight of that heap
filled me with a sonse of distinct dis
/ comfort.
"Ruthven!" 1 said-"is that YOU
Ruthven?'
No. reply. My impulse was to seek
for help. What I did was to move for
ward and lay my hand upon the re-
cumbent mass. As I did so, it moved.
A face looked up at me. 1t was Ruth
vens But what a face! 1t was the
face of a man long dead-white and
drawn, with great, CLASSY, staring eyes
"Ruthven! Aren't you well?"
He stood up, rising slowly like
corpse from grave.
Il am quite well"
He did not look we'll. He did not
sound we'll either. His voice was harsh
and husky. There was about him an
air of wildness, of abandonment, when
was altogether indescribable.
"A bit nervous, Ruthven-eh?"
Nervous? I am not nervous. A
man in my position is not likely TO De
nervous" His manner changed. HIS
voice rose like the wall of a trumpet.
why, tonight I will witch the world
with acting I will cut for your play d
notch on the tree of fame. They sha1l
acknowledge me at last. L VIII chafln
them''-he spoke with a degree or earn
estness which I did not find altogether
agreeable-'with a voice from the
grave
1 did not stay with him long. L did
not find his company congenial.
"Mad!" I told myself, as L left ms
dressing-room. 81 believe the mans
stark mad! I only hope that his mad
ness has a method, and that he will
do as he says, and pull the piece
| through. Halo! What do you want
here?"
| This ejaculation was caused py SUI
denly encountering Maidment wander
ing ABOUT Den11Q lUe SICilCF7 e1' e@A~~No-
he were strolling through the halls OF
his fathers.
I'm going in front. 1 thought Ia
just come round and ask you what you
were going to do"
do you mean now, or M ten years
time?" Maidment laughed. He seemed
to think I was joking.
"Who have you got to take Ruth
ven's place."
"Confound it. Maidment, you seem TO
be uncommonly anxious that L should
get some one to take Ruthven's place.
He laughed again. He seemed in a
laughing mood.
How have you managed about a
substitute? You must have found
Ruthven's death a little awkward"
DEATH" I fancy I started. Maid
ment stared at me "Ruthven's DEATH
Haven't you heard?"
Heard what?"
my dear fellow, you don't mean to
say that you don't know that Philip
Ruthven died last night"
For a moment I was speechless; II
was with an effort I drew myself to-
gether.
Look here, Maidment; have a great
respect for your character, but II you
don't take care, I shall lose it. 1 don
know in what society you have beeIl
mixing lately, but it must have been
in that of persons who are descendants
in the right line of Ananias. L have
just left Mr.. Ruthven in his room. He
is not in his coffin. He is dressing for
the stage If you require ocular dem
onstration of that fact, you shall have
it, if you will only go in front and take
your seat and wait till he comes on
had hardly rid myself of Maidment
when Miss Stacey came up. She SEEM
ed to be in q state of excitement and
even of distress.
Now, what's to be done?"
I sighed. No more first nights for
me.
MY dear Miss Stacey, would you
kindly address that question to some
one else, and ask me another"
But 1 hear that Mr. Ruthven'
dead?"
That is exactly what I hear. But
Mr.. Ruthven himself assures me that
he isn't. He is at present in his room,
and tells me that he is in excellent
health. He is engaged, my dear Miss
Stacey, in doing what you ought to be
doing, and that is-dressing."
Two or three other people had come
up.
Whats that? Ruthven's not dead
Why" said Cardewe, everybody S
talking about it at the club"
"Babee of the Herald just told me
that he had heard of it through the
Central News"
That was Charlie Gordon He is one
things, is Gordon
tom Dawson tells me that he has
had it in a private wire"
That was Rayne-Ceci1 Rayne. He's
another man like Gordon.
Gentlemen, if you desire to hear Mr.
Ruthven's own testimony as to whether
he is or is not dead, l shall be happy
to escort you, so that you may inter
view him in his dressing room"
Not I!'' said Gordon Il wouldn't
for FLYER. I'm not fond of ghosts"
Miss Stacey gave a little scream. She
clasped her hands with what I imagine
she thought was an effective gesture.
Joking apart" said Rayne, L don't
like these stories being always told
about a man. He ought to be dead, il
everybody says he is. Upon my word
it's quite upset me-"
I should have liked to have boxed
their ears. But man cannot assault
his company on the first night of his
own play and before the curtain rises
Afterward, of course, it is a different
thing.
l