Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-11-28
go. Ely CNLIN
Copyright. 1901, by A. S. Richardson)

| Copyright 1901, by
IF Bradley Evans had not been so
deeply in love, he would certainly
/ have benn angry.
| The curtain had Just fallen on the
| Thanksgiving matinee, and the stage
! hands were already clearing the stage
for the feast which Manager Evans had
| ordered for his company That astute
| gentleman had personally superintend-
ed the preparations and arranged every
| detail
The stage was to be set with a dull
oak interior, ablaZe with electricity
| overhead. in the flies and at the foot
| lights, with the front of the house in
darkness to heighten the brilliancy of
the improved dining room. Gorgeous
chrysanthemumS he had ordered from
New York for the centerpiece, and the
menu was the very best that the lead
ing caterer of the small New England
city could furnish
Evans had just stepped into the lead
ing mans dressing room for the assur-
ance that his personal appearance was
in keeping with the festal occasion be-
fore presenting himself to the young
woman in whose honor the dinner was
being given, Miss Ella Ransom. He had
meant to be careful as to speech be-
fore dinner, and afterward when the
company was trying to amuse itself I'M
til the evening performance and to
forget the folks gathered around home
firesides, he would have little chat with
her alone in her dressing room and
put the momentous question Surely
IL, .xft . f,,I
pave the way. He knew in a general
way that she was New England girl
and that Thanksgiving day was to
such as she the all important festival.
The theatrical instinct in Evans was so
strong that even his own love story had
to be worked up to the proper eli
max. But MISS Rsnsom with true
womanly contrariety set all his fine
plans at naught.
When he entered the stars dressing
room in response to a muffled Come"
instead of facing handsomely gowned
and smiling girl, as he had anticipated,
he saw forlorn figure curled up on the
sofa. Miss Ransom still wore the frock
used in the last act, and as she straight
ened up she made a futile effort to hide
her grief with lace trimmed bit of
cambria. All the graceful little speech
es which Evans had been coming for
hours failed him at this critical mo-
ment He forgot the flower decked
table on the stage and the actors who
by this time must be hurrying from
their dressing rooms to the scene of
the festivities. He knew only that Ella
was in trouble and--he loved her.
My dear girl, what has happened?"
Alas for the cleverly worded pro-
posa that was never to be spokenl
The tone, the gesture and the love light !
III his eyes told their own tale. and Miss |
Ransom understood. That is why a
few minutes later she was sobbing out
her little heartache in his arms and |
lncoherently pouring the cause there
of ipto his ear.
"Oh, it was lovely of you. perfectly |
dear. to think of this plan eor my |
But you did not now
how close you were bringing me today |
to my old home It's just ten miles from !
here, Upper Dalton, and haven't seen |
ii for five years.
why didn't you tell me this, and |
instead of the dinner we'd have ridden |
there between the matinee and night |
performances" asked Evans, gently |
smoothing the golden head resting on |
his shoulder. 1t was natures own that /
tint There was something genuine and /
about Ella Ransom. He had i
this from the first
"Oh, YOU see. wouldu 't--be-wel- /
The sweet lips quivered |
again. and Evans felt in duty bound |