Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-11-30

riam answered that he didn't know a
note.
| I'll teach you,' she said. There's
an air l want you to learn and remem-
I ber'
"' All right said Merriam, and he
took the mandolin from her. She
showed him where to place his fingers,
and kept humming the tune until he
could play it with only one or two
breaks. Then she went to her dress
ing-room to get ready, and Merriam
sat there drumming until the half
hour was called.
That night there was a good deal of
handshaking, and the word went
around that there was to be a weddin'
at Christmas.
| The next night, on my way to the
theater, l noticed a crowd around the
stage door. and heard talk of a run
away. / hurried up, and as did so
Merriam came out, his face as white
as a ghosts.
For Gods sake, get a doctor,
Jenks!' he cried.
| Il rushed to the nearest drug store,
and, luckily, found one there. When we
'got back to the stage door Merriam
was waiting, and, without word, he
led us to a sofa in the wings, on
which Nellie Moore was lying. The
doctor bent over her for a minute,
shook his head and said it was too late.
IAN understudy played Juliet that
night and Merriam, as usual, was the
Romeo. The audience didn't know the
real reason for the change, but in the
tomb scene l don't see how they could
help feeling it.
| Those of us who saw it from the
wings will never forget it. The women
were in Mysteries, and the stage-hands
and flymen were nearly as bad. l
don't know how Merriam ever lived
through it, but this do know. He
was different man from that night.
He seemed to lose all his ambition,
and he withered up so that when met
him at a rehearsal two weeks later l
hardly knew him. He was bent much
as you see him now, and was playing
character old men. Every year he
J dropped down further, until they
wouldn't trust him with anything bet
ter than bits and servants. Yes, sir,
and that old man has played Romeo
with the best of them"
The story was finished, but the man
dolin still tinkled. The leading mans
face was drawn, and jerks sat think
ling of his own high tide of prosperity
aud of what the future had in store
for him.
But sympathy and curiosity are
closely allied and soon the two men
were tiptoeing through the passage
way. They paused before the old
actors room. A ray of light filtered
through a crack in the thin pine door
Merriam was dressed and made up for
comedy servant. His green livery
coat hung on a peg on the wall, and
the red wig with which he covered his
own white hair lay on the dressing
table before him. There, too, was a
! faded photograph of pure-faced girl
in the dress of Juliet. The actor was
bent over his mandolin, and the lead
ing man now caught the tune for the
first time, broken, but recognizable.
When other hearts and other lips
Their tales of love shall tell
! Then you'll remember, you'll remem-
Der
Twang! There was the sound of
broken string.
First act! All up for the first act!"
The call-boy came tumbling down the
passage and the listeners hurried up to
the stage. A few minutes later the
! call-boy came UP. too, and he found
the stage manager Tuning.
where's Merriam" he cried. 81
can't hold the curtain ali night for that
doddering old fool. Hurry him up, will
your"
The boy disappeared, and reappeared
almost instantly.
mr. Merriam S." The tears choked
his voice and he got no further. The
stage manager made a rush for the
stairs. Ten minutes later he came up
dressed for the comedy servant, but
the man whose name was down on the
bills for the part lay in his dressing
room clutching an old mandolin, with
his eyes fixed on faded Photograph
New York Herald.