La Junta tribune., 1898-10-19
THE PROMPTER.

stairs halls and rickety places of amus,,
mcnt along Third avenue In New York
| II any one had told him i've years before
hc began his career by prompting com
pany Of German comedians in Die Flo
dertnnus" that he should have to earn bis
bread and butter In such n lowly way no
would have thrown bricks at him.
A prumpterl He started out In life rs
first lieutenant in n regiment OF Prussian
| chcveaux -icgcrs With influence which
his family had Mt it's command he might
have become u general. when the unior-
tunate outcome OF n duel drove him from
home to foreign shores a woman had
been the cause of it-a cold. hearticss CO.
quetfe, who trew him nside as she would
cast oil an old glove when he had no Ion.
ger position and the expectation Of wealth
In New York lie had tried to obtain n
position commensurate with his social
standing and ais education. Like thou
sands Of others. he failed From waiter
In q Bowery chophouse he became come
dian In shack Of play house. where the
price Of admission was 20 cents ON Satur
days and Sundays and cents during tb.
rest of the week Fate had been upkind
to him by throwing him into tho clutches
Of n rascally manager. who was al ways In
arrears with the salaries, that ut best were
small and Insufficient for anything beyond
the inerc>t neccssities A few weeks sui.
feed to cure him Of the footlight fever
| and the erstwhile lieutenant glauly accept
cd the offer of n steady job as prompter in
little theater few shades better than
the one he had just left.
The proprietor ran an eating house in
conjunction with his temple Of the muses.
| and was always prompt in the payment
of bis dues Hans Karl Lcmkin became n
prompter. and because he did not have to
hunger and thirst any longer. eating his
meals MT his employer s table. he remained
prompter all his life. 1t isn't very strange
that the terrible shock to his brilliant cx-
pectatioGs should have crushed all the
spirit out sf him The neager comforts
OF his existence satisfied him. II he had
any ambitions to soar beyond the narrow
confines OF his box nobody ever heard OF
thcm-yes, one.
She was woman of courso Like him.
self. she had come from tho fatherinnd
She was child prodigy in the old conn
try, and when she grew older somc man
ager picked her up and brought her to
America The company, Of which she
was tho leading woman, became stranded
on a barn storming tour In Canada, and
naturally the girl driffed to New York
Her first metropolitan engagement was OBJ
tanned In the little house In whic., Lamkin
did the prompting. The girl wns young
and pretty and might have hecn sister to
the woman who had forsaken the rcor
prompter In his trouble, NO strong was her
resemblance to that bighborn lady who
~as his first love At first Karl was in
terestcti; then he abhorrcd her for that
uncanny likeness, md then. poor fellow.
he fell head over heels In lose with her
She returned his love IN n way-her way
which was shallow and insincere knrl
was poor; others who paid homage at her
shrine were well Erov ided with this world q
goods She needed their money for her
advancement, and she also needed Karl +
good will while she played In the little
German company in the Third avenue
playhouse.
The prompter watched over her with the
fidelity Of dog He carried her basket
with the togs back and forth between her
home and the thcater. he took her home
st night and he discreetly got out OF the
way when others more favored sought to
entertain her.
It was n sorry lovemaking on his part-a
sort OF comfortable exchange Of affections
| ns far ns the woman was concerned She
had promised to marry him at the end Of
tho season, and that satisfied the poor fel
low and filed him with happiness. which
he never expected to feel ngain He had
been frugal and economical and saved a
little out OF his scnnty earnings As soon
As they were married he would 20 into
some business and earn fortune for her
Yes, there, was the new incentive that
would bind him TO life with stronger links
than heretofore
Tho season neared Its end, and Knrl's
happiness grew In proportion. Magda be-
came more loving and thoughtful of her
6etrothed's feelings, and he had not . mo-
| ment's doubt that sfe Was faithful to him
| One day he was called away from his usunl
haunts by . letter from his homo, wherein
be received the welcome information that
| . distant relative had died and left him q
comfortable bequest. He had DO time 70
communicate this stroke Of guDd luck,
| which came at such m opportunc time. "a
his sweetheart, but hastened on to b
identified with some lawyer and obtain 4
power Of attorney TO send abroad thas the
/ money might b collected for him
| Being unacquHinfed with the people and
methods of 10 large city at New York. 1,
took yOung Lemkin many hours before he
accomplished his purpose. When every.
thing was arranged enthusiastically 10 aes
out for home On the way he would call
at Msgda's home and communicate 10 hes
the bappS newa Hs pictured 10 himself
their wedding. their happy life In some
pretty cottage in Harlem or across the Nv
er on Hoboken heights Way into tho fu.
euse the young man Dent his dreams. Ind
all seemed fair and bright once mors.
When be Arrived at MaBda's lodginka,
there was no response 70 kis repsaked
knocka She rnsy b ont, hS said to him.
eelf. and proceeded to make himself .cqtn-
Portable ON tho stairs 70 await her comib9.
He might have b6cn titsfne ID tho shadow
q the stairway for an hour or more. lusl
n idle thoughts, when tho ffput dooe ~
thrswu open and Aagda's landiady ~
tered.
You, Mr.. Lemktns' sahe said ~ did
6oe expect you till tSmosrpN. AIhh Aa9da
eB6usRs 5bd might t6me tAsh, Md II dAa
oAea Rhe told ule 70 Rjye xoq this pQta =
Tho WoinSh took from t6e pCckef " hen
spson Acrumpssd lsetsr. which abs hsndsd