The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-11

Mr.. Vandeleur sighed. "If these ci
gars were not really good, Captain
Brett, think 1 should 60 now, but as
they are excellent will tell yen my er-
rand. think you are interesting your
self in the South Audley street muir
der?"
My tagging attention was at once
aroused.
"That is So" replied. e..
"Well, think can give you some
information. This Lady Florence Mos
tyn had the honor Of appearing for q
fortnight with me in the leading parts
Of the play which you just now dis.
missed so contemptuously. Iplayed Des-
mond and she played Maude in Hearts
Are Trumps' sumo two years ago, aud
played them, sir, to crowded houses"
"Are you quite certain of this, Mr..
Vandeleur?' I asked, for the iniorna-
ton considerably surprised me.
"Quite, captain. When Finnerure
Vandeleur makes an assertion, the gos.
pei isn't in it for accuracy"
II presume the lady had a stage
name?"
EXACTLY. She called herself Mary
Western, and I only knew her real
name when l saw the photograph which
10 now in every shop window
"But surely you may DO mistaken,
Mr.. Vandeleur. 1t may be very like
Lady Florence, and yet Miss-what did
you Western may be quite anoth.
or person altogether.
II think not, captain. The dates CO.
incide pretty we'll. She joined our COM
pany about year after the Duke Of
Lundy's daughter was announced as
having disappeared, and she certainly
appeared to be in trouble. But it is the
picture I rely upon. It's her down to
the ground. She used to wear dress
very like the one che was photographed
in, and the absolute resemblance strikes
one at once. Mind you, was not the
first to notice it. Bill Haynes-you
have seen Bill Haynes, captain, surely
the low comedy man who made such
hit as tho count in 'Tne Bally Rag
ger?' No? Well, really! But to return.
I say it was Bill Haynes who first drew
my attention to it, and there are others
Of our old company who have noticed
it. It's dead certainty, captain; take
my word for it."
"Then will take your word for it,
Mr.. Vandeleur, since you are SO certain,
and I am very much obliged to you for
the information. You will still further
increase the debt il you will tell me all
you know of her. Have another cigar?"
"Thanks, awfully. They really are
good ones. lisa long time since sam.
pied such a box. Oh, I'll tell you all I
know, although you never did see Lost
In the Great Sahara Believe me, there
is treat in store for you. Well, let me
see. 1t was in some money torsaken
Scotch hole she joined Us, but which
particular accursed spot I can't remem.
Der now. only know we were all pref
ty we'll stumped. We played to &3 l5s.
houses. captain, and II you've never
done that you don't know what it
means. Fact was, we were ruined by the
leading lady. We were playing The
Lady Of Lyons there, and her Pauline
was just about sickening. Even the
Scotch recognized that, and they didn't
much care to see her foundering about
the stage under the influence Of their
own particular still. If there is any
ssmpling to be done, they prefer to do it
themselves.
"Well, there we were when Mary
Western joined us as super. Dick
Lambert introduced her, I remember, to
Flannery, our manager, and he, being
susceptible, took her ON straight off the
reel. Dick grew rather sick as time went
on, and once he told Flannery he'd kick
him either up stairs or down-he did
not much mind which-if he pestersd
the lady SO. Dick left the company
had to leave-got the chuck-a fort
night from that day, but be followed us
about from town to town, for every
where that Mary went old Dick was
sure to go.
"They were curious pair, captain
as curious as / ever saw. He seemed
deuced fond Of her in a way, and she
fond Of him, also in way, but they
never spooned, as you would have ex-
pected. However, that was their con-
Germ, and not mine. AS said bsfore,
Miss Western Joined as a super. and a
good one she made, so much
SO that when an understudy for Pauline
became increasingly necessary she was
singled out for the job.
lone night her chance came. Pau
line was blind drunk and could not pos
sibly be allowed on the boards. Miss
Western took her place, and never in
all my life did I ever see a finer bit Of
acting. She literally brought down the
house, and she filled us with 80 much
of her own enthusiasm that we all of us
clean forgot we were playing to ca los.
Upon my life nearly fell in love with
her myself that night, and when told
her that
We'd sit beneath the arching vines and wonder
Why earth conld be unhappy while the heavens
Still left us youth and love,
why, I wished we were sitting there,
that's all Hsr career was made from
that night. Juliet was her next success,
and that led to Maude In Hearts Are
Trumps, In which she was simply mag
niflcent. After that the deluge came.
"Miss Western vanished
"We heard afterward that 1t was a
letter which had bowled her over. Any
way she went and left not trace be-
hind, and Dick vanished too. Verb.
sat. sap, captain, as the ancients said
under similar conditions, and that's all
know of Miss Mary Western, and it's
dry work talking, captain.
took the hint, and when Mr.. Van.
deleur seemed again quite happy with
his surroundings went on:
"And the man Dick? What did you
say his name wasp
Lambert.
"This Dick Lambert-oan you tell
me ANYTHING Of him?"