Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-18

my youth l had been much given to parlor
tE'atricals, and through all the confusion
of tfat moment, those early days OF train
ing came back to me like the whispering Of
angel voices. The voice of the accepted
, stage doctor in my day had been bluff
though pieaSant-ny voice should be bluff,
though pleasant.
"A rough ride" l said. budding nv coat
( about me as in fancy l moved up md down
I before the fo0tlighs with IN easy stage
stride. We have been he deuce of time
getting here"
Il hope you are not suT ring from the
cold said my companion, politely as he
moved up the steps of the IrliIding before
me You seem heavily bundled"
/ got mixed up with fool of Gentts:'
, l ret@rted. and then I swore discrcetIy 1t
| would not do to he too nice in my lam
I gliaSe. Able old men rarely are
| MY companion murmUred polite sympathy
over ne distress, and laughed in gentle APP
! probation OF my rugged displeasure Our
/ teeth are sad burdens all through life he
| Sald as he conducted me into large, we'll
! warmed, but badly lighted, apartment
| We weep and we swell and we go ricketv
and altogether wrong, until We get them
| but no sooner are they through than they
/ commence again to play the very deuce
! Although attending me with courtesy. 7
! could see that he was filed with a rest
! less Impotence which could hardly brook
| the necessary removing of nv coat and re-
/ arrangement of my bandages which. Won
| may be sure. l took good care not to re-
, move from my face, and which swe,Jed az
| was about my only visible eye, must have
| rlitctually disguised me from nv own
| mot her.
| When YOU are quite warm we will go
| up stairs. he said grudgingly as
| stretched my stiff hands toward the fire
! but | would not take the hint to hurry for
| had the scaffold and halter been before me
| could not have felt much greater re-
| iuctance to go forth and meet them
| My surroundings were as | expected do
| c!dedIy suspicious. Though the items
| winch made up my evidence were innocent
enough individually yet looked at collec-
| lively. they could not but appear peculiar.
| seen III that country, at that hour of night
| ana al that distance from anything like
| 'iNiiize; restrictions. In the first place the
| entire inconEruity of the man himself wit h
/ his surroundings, was something that DO
| manded explanation, for here in a place
/ which would naturally suggest to your
| mind host either Of the strictest hermit
| type shaggy of hair and eloquent of some
/ gloomy past. or tol-staned miner we'd
| ded l" his pipe and glass, | found man
! 81 town speech, one lately from the hands
! Oh lhouShtiul tailor, and bringing with
! nm INTO that wilderness all the trouhle-
/ some necessities of civilized life: for exam
! pie the soft rug flung down before the
! glowing CRATE. the books and Dapcrs tosce5
! everywhere about and, above ali the
| snowy whiteness OF exquisite table linen
| showing upon some shabby old mahogany
| i'll the room beyond
! All these marked the gcnfIepoan Of ,o.,a
| linen why the comparative barbarity of his
! retirement, why the unusual orna mentatino
! II pistols upon his mantel shelf why his
| haste and embarrassment and WHY the
| man-cating look of his great bloodhound
| that kept privately testing the sharnnase
! Of his yellow fangs on the legs of nv
! trousers?
| You may suppose that ] did not remain
| suspiciouSly silent nor show myself Of
! tenSiVely curious | noted all these little
! Facts. No Again my private theatricals
| came to my aid. In the days gone by
| had been so accustomed to CARRYING on
| long mouolosues within three feet of the
/ stage Villain and keeping accurate watch
/ OF the cue at which he was to Law me nm
| conscious AT his feet while. to the audience
| appeared perfectly blind to his existence
| that at that trying time | was enabled to
| make all my observations and silently kick
| piciouS. without drawing down upon nv
! head anything like a doubtful scrutiny
| from the black, restless eyes of nv mvs-
/ terious entertainer.
| He gave me his name as Brown" which
| was so Slaringiy commonplace that | nri
| Vateiy rejected ii, and could only be thank
| fui that in his preoccupation. he paid no
| heed to mine. l seemed to be a medica I
/ man to him, and nothing else When I
| could make no farther excuse for DELAY we
| went out through a windy passage and he
| gan mounting some stairs; scandalous
| stairs they Were too. crooked and steen
and so badly lighted | came near rakins-
| down my companion in general crash
| before L grew accustomed to the semi
| darkness. He bore with me patiently, how
| ever. I'VE are dreadfuly primitive here,
| he said lightly; but as yet electricity has