The times., 1898-07-10
Nell Emory. Sweetheart.


There is nothing new under the sun
and yet once or twice in the course of
lifetime one runs across an oddity Cen
orally the finder is wrong IN supposing
that his discovery is something apart
from other objects. but once in a very
long period he is right, and when this
happens the object is almost invariably
wonan-a woman whose icy self has
been melted by the glow Of affection until
it has disclosed her heart.
Bruce Taylor thought Nell Emory an
oddlty.
Nell was playing small parts in stock
company at that time. and there were
several good reasons for CHASING her
with the unusual. She was fully twenty
two and had spent her whole life among
stage people and yet in heart and mind
she was still a child-a pretty. innocent,
simple child. with a wonderful longing
for affection tucked away in her bosom.
Her mother had been an actress and the
daughter had taken naturally TO the same
work All through her hard existence
maternal affection had guarded and
watched over Neil so that when at last
the eyes that had looked after her COM
fort and happiness so long were closed in
I death she, knew no more of the world
than she had I'm her infancy.
The people with whom the girl labored
felt strange reverence for her ignor-
! ance and protected 1t so carefully that
when Taylor joined the company and
/ laughed at its protege he lost his popular.
I ity so suddenly that it startled him And
/ this prepared him for meeting her. not
/ long after, with wonder in his look, bu
not derision.
As time wore on and the success of the
troupe became assured he saw more and
| more of her. She interested him and h
knew of no one else so entertaining. He
could tell her tales of his selfish exist
ence that would bring either tears o.
smiles at his VIII. They were NOT alway
true-these stories-but she never ques
Toned them and he never laughed. ever
20 himself. at her trustfulness. There wa
a certain triumph in having won such al
affection, and though Bruce interprete,
the suspicious glances Of his feIIow-work
ers too well tU confiGe in them. Nell.
/ ltaiiic was llletut Inc SUBJECT OF many
| boast among his more intimate friends
In more ways than one the girl an.
Z pealed to his selfish nature He soor
learned to count on the little attention.
that sprang from her growing love fol
him. Most of them were of a nature
that pleased while they amused him
One night they would take the form o
some tiny gift put where he could find i
when it was required, the next il was il
Garrra- hnr I'll
have accomplished weeks ago. Her feel
ing was the outcome or many reasons
In the first place Bruce was as strang
TO Nell as she TO him. His cynicism hi
quiet. worldly way the very atmospher
OF sin that hung around him attractet
her while she rebuked him for it. An,
| when he began deyoting all his time L
her she took il as a sacrifice she mus
repay and gave him in return her Who'll
self-longing for love and FOR kindness.
Meanwhile those who had always bee
Nells best friends glanced more an
more askance at the handsome reprobat
10 whom she was devoting herself. TIL
mOtherly old lady who had been engage
to play grand DANES and general char
acter parts had the temerity to call tn
girl into her dressing-room one after
noon and advise her against the organ
zation's latest member, but Nell took
so lily Inal the Wn
was very human in spite or her profes
! sion, took occasion to cut Bruce eve
after
Shortly after this affair George Lawto
who had admired Nell long before ht
sweetheart had put in an appearance
and who had known her mother viii
both were playing in Canada, came int
, the theater early one evening and hear
? Bruce saying harsh things TO the gi
: through the closed door of a neart
; room. The listener waited moment ar
! then with a quick pull he broke the loC
and entered the apartment Taylor W:
very drunk and Nell was seated in co
ner listening 10 his abuse with a whit
set face and frightened eyes. WhereupC
her friend took the liberty of seizing Il
2 fellows collar and throwing him to Il
5 other side of the inelosure. He wou
, not have stopped at that had not Il
child herself intervened and asked hi
; none too kindly what right he had in Il
2 matter.
r BSo days later there were apologies q
around and the next month passed |
r quickly and quietly. Nell was very ha
: py and showed it. Every part she play'
was done with dash that soon made h
a favorite with the theater's patrons al
: in decided, contrast to his ianguid ma