The Western news., 1903-10-07
Copyright, 1908. by Daily Story Pub. Coy
Bv HOWARD DEVINE

sporty i,-eas and hankerings for
'green-room escapades' and affairs"
with bellies of the stage, such as af-
fiict so many otherwise normal young
fellows, he never would have become
entagled with Viola Markham, and
certainly never would have given
Podgers Corners such shock as he
did
Paul grew ups very commonplace
sort OF boy. He was steady, indus
trious and saving. Everybody about
podgers Corners agreed that he was
a model boy-only some insisted he
was not overly bright. But others
said it was only lack of imagination.
VI that you may judge later.
He accomplished great deal in his
slow, methodical manner, however.
and by the time he was in the early
twenties had cleared the cumbersome
Indebtedness from the farm left by
his father when he and his sister
were mere children, and improved the
property until it was one Of the
model farms in the vicinity When his
sister married he divided the farm so
>NS W
and after that he lived with her and
began to add to his own acres.
He never had felt desire to live
in the city" nor even to go there
He moved contentcdly in his little
sphere. his only extravaganza being
books, and he grew to be a stalwart,
hardhanded, sun-burned son of the
soil
When it became necessary for him
to go to the city to fix up some dis
puted matters with the firm to which
he sold a large part of his produce,
he regarded the event with dread.
It was largely because Of his sis
ter's repeated admonitions that Paul
determined TO visit a theater. He had
only partially completed his business
and had to stay over another day,
anyway So he found himself facing
the footlights from a balcony seat,
and mentally clubbing himself for
wasting Is cents in so scandalous a
manner.
Just then the curtain went up
and a moment later Paul Comstoc+l
was plunged into new world. He
had never seen play before and the
scene before him was as real as life.
He sat leaning forward with half
parted lips, drinking in the panorama
before him. 1t was all so new, so
altogether wonderful that he rubbed
his eyes to see if it were not a dream
His interest quickly centered in the
vivacious soubrette who played the
ingenue. She was merry little
blond and had a very good part as a
sweet and guileless maiden who
solved everybody's troubles and cir
cumvented the burly, black-mus-
tached villain, despite the most
alluring temptations.
Paul Comstock thought she was the
most beautiful creature in the world
Never in his widest dreams had he
imagined such human perfection. As
a matter of fact. he had thought lit
tie about women. Romance had thus
far had no place in his life or mind.
He had seen only the plain. sim
pie girls of his neighborhood
with only their rural attire
and taste to enhance their natural
charms. He knew nothing of the art
of stage makeup" and to him this
glorious creature behind the foot
lights was just what she appeared
both IN appearance and character.
When the curtain went down on the
first act he sought out her name on
the programme. 1t was "Viola Mark
ham" Each succeeding act added to
his enhancement. When the end
came he sighed deeply and stumbled
from the theater.
He went home next day bearing in
his innermost heart the vision of a
golden-haired, blue-eyed divinity all
smiles and s-race-a ray of sunshine
which thereafter warmed and slim
ulated his lonesome life He built air
castles. of which she was a part, by
day and dreamed of her by night.
He lived on his lonely life very
much the same as Of old, but new
element had come into it. He had
built shrine and placed therein a
memory.
A year or more later he saw a
paragraph in a newspaper which
startled him as he had never been
startled before. 1t read:
"A benefit performance will be
given Saturday afternoon at the Ly-
ceum for Viola Markham, who has
been doing ingenue parts in we'll
known companies for some years, and
who has been seriously ill. Miss
Markham does not improve as rapid
ly as hoped and the physicians say il
is absolutely necessary for her tc
give up all thought of work and seel
absolute rest and quiet and country
air for long season. Her friend:
hope to realize enough by the benefit
performance to enable her to dc
this"
raurs heart sunk as he read, anl
he marveled greatly that so fair :
divinity should not have legions O.
powerful friends who would jump a
the chance to aid her in distress, ane
it was incomprehensible to him. TIL,
idea of her being i'll and poor dis
tressed him beyond measure.