The times., 1898-08-07

in a fierce grip and went out into the
rain 10 wait for Stern. There was
nook in one corner of the theater and
there she hid herself. Her face was flush
ed and her breath very hot indeed. Al
last the manager came out of the Front
door. She heard his steps drawing nearer
and nearer and her fingers closed upon
the trigger of her weapon. He stopped
two feet ahead of her and she took aim
Then he struck a match to light his pipe
and held it to the tobacco. 1t colored his
face with red glow. He was smiling
and she .crawled back into her corner
again. She could not kill him
And so things went on Nearly every
one in the company thought that Jess had
gone mad, but others thought her jealous
of her sister. The two seldom spoke and
the worry of the elder had drawn her
skin and made her very ugly No one
knew it, but she followed Nita and the
manager everywhere, lodging around
dark streets and running after hired car
| riages until her breath was spent and she
was forced to sink down upon the curb.
Often she was next to them in the eie-
| waited and more often still she was stand
| ing outside of their room at the hotel.
| But the manager never struck Nita.
| On a certain afternoon Jess passed in
the street one of the men who had come
| to her fathers shop for the purpose of
seeing her. She shuddered and shrank
| into a corner as he came her way. Still
! he looked at her, but did not stop. Old
! Alto himself would not have known her
| had she walked into the basement where
| he still sat sewing on the pantaloons.
One Saturday night Jess sat in her
dressing room and thought of the meet
| ing. Then she heard voices. In the next
apartment Stern and Nita We're quarrel
| ing loudly. Angry words foated across
| the partition and curses and threats Jess
got up and searched in the trunk for her
revolver. She had not found it when Nita
| cried out, or things would have been diff
| ferent. But a moment later her fingers
had tightened over the steel as they had
in the shadows of the theater. and she
had crept TO her door and opened it a lit
tie. All was still and silent. She listened.
! with her nails deep in her palms, but
there was not a sound. After a moment
| Stern stepped out of the next room and
walked downst airs.
Then Jessica crept into the hall as
might a ghost and opened the apartment
| from which the manager had come. Nlta
was sitting in front of the glass with her
head in her hands. She was sobbing as
she had sobbed on the afternoon Jess
bad left home. and the old lump cam
into the throat of the older girl as she
looked. The muscles of her face twitched
when she stole across the floor TO where
her sister sat A loose board creaked
loudly, but Nita did not hear it, Strange.
All at once Jess leaned over and put
the end of the pistol to within an inch
of Nita's hair Then she closed her eyes
| Below the orchestra was playing for the
curtain to rise and one could even hear
the fall Of an occasional seat outside
Then the elder sister pulled the trigger
The report drowned the noise of fan
and Jess had her eyes closed so that she
could see nothing. But the blood splash
ed all over her spangled tights and int
her face.
That's right" Jess said to the police
officers. sneeringly, a moment after. az
guess you'd better put them things on M
hands. I shouldn't wonder If 1 wa:
stronger than the whole lot of you