The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-08-22

TOGETHER ON HER AUNT'S SHOULDER.
ma could not be improved upon. Its
Interpretation by Beaconsville's Bern
hardt was a surprise even TO her most
ardent admirers"
The sensation produced by his sweet
heart filled Berts mind with uneasi-
ness and stifed his pride in her accom-
plishments. 1t filled the mind of T.
Haworth Burnside with new schemes
and ambitions.
T. Haworth Burnside's card in the
dramatic papers announced that he
was lat liberty" They did not add
that the company with which he had
opened the season had stranded at
Morgan, the county seat, twenty miles
from Beaconsville. Those of its men,
bers who had the fare to Chicago
counted themselves blessed and start
ed at once for the midwest haven.
Those who lacked the price, Burnside
among them, fell back upon their wits
and wrote to their nearest friends for
assistance.
1t was just at this time that the
Beaconsville Dramatic society had de-
termined to produce Lorna" Burn
side, with swell feigned reluctance,
agreed to postpone his engagement
with a Chicago stock company to
coach the amateur Thespians of Bea-
consvile. This would pay his board
a few weeks, and then perhaps some
thing better might turn up.
The inspiration came with Bess
Ainsworths success. He again post
poned his start for Chicago and cult
waited the acquaintance of his "star"
and her unsophisticated aunt. He
fascinated them with his experiences
on the road and his acquaintance with
great men and women of his profess
sion and kept Bess well supplied with
dramatic publications He coached her
so assiduously that she had no time for
walks through the autumn woods with
Bert or for long talks in the front
room, with its embroidered tides and
wax fruit. She lost interest in the
pile of household linen which had
been slowly gathering for year. and
when Bert talked about the little cot
tage she replied with quotations from
Shakespeare.
In the meantime Burnside had writ
ten to the manager of repertory
company headed toward Morgan as
follows:
If you can make room In your company
for good light comedian and an ingenue.
! can fill the bill for you You know me.
The girl is a darned pretty amateur, a
bit gawky. but is improving under coach
ing, and she's got a tidy bit of money,
which would come in handy If we struck
hard lines up in Wisconsin. Let me hear
from you.
And from the manager came this:
Never mind if she is bit gawky if she
has the dough. Grey has been playing
light comedies for me, but as he's been
hitting the pipe again I'll give him two
weeks notice. and you and the girl join
US at Morgan. We play there one night.
| the 18th.
Burnside naturally did not read the
letter to Bess. He told her that be
had an opening in view for her, hold
ing off the truth until the 10th. wher
he laid the proposition before her. OF
course if she were going on the stage
she must do it in the most romantic
fashion. She should run away, ant
the papers would ring with her story
1t was the only way.
They left the next morning, Bes
sobbing and laughing together at tn
last moment on her aunt's shoulde
and leaving hysterical message TO
Bert. When she was famous he SHOULD
come to her in New York-Paris pei
haps-and they would be married an
live happy ever after Bert listened t
the message grimly, said some bite
things to the now thoroughly brighter
ed aunt and stormed back to his stuff
shop
OF one thing he was convinced-Bes
cared nothing for the crafty Burnside
And with Burnside it was Bess an
her money as a bait for the manage
Bert knew this somehow, though |
had never seen a line of the corr
spondence between Burnside and IL
manager. His little sweetheart's hea
was turned, but her heart was loyal
him.
| And, having thus settled the questit
in his own mind, Bert was quick