Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-11-26


unusually sober-minded and ear.
, nest young man he never would have
become involved in the affair with the
actress. Had he been inclined "a
sporty iaeas and hankerings for
green-room escapades" and affairs
with bellies Of the stage, such as af-
met so many otherwise normal Young
fellows, he never would have become
entagled with VIOLA Markham. and
certainly never would have given
rodgers Corners such a shock as he
did.
faul grew up a 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 1t was only lack of Imagination
VI that you may judge later.
lie accomplished a 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
as to leave the homestead in her part
and after that he lived with her and
began 10 add to his own acres.
i He never had felt a desire to live
In the city" nor even to 60 there
He moved contentedly in his little
I sphere, his only extravaganza being
books, and he grew to be stalwart.
hard-handed, sun-burned son of the
soil.
When II became necessary for him
to go 10 the city to fix up some dis
puted matters with the firm 20 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 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 Comstoek
was plunged into a new world. He
had never seen a 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. II was all so new, so
wonderful that he rubbed |
his eyes 20 see II II were not a dream. |
His interest quickly centered in the
vivacious soubrette who played the |
ingenue. She was a merry little |
blond and had 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
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
IF stage makeup" and 10 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
irst act he sought out her name on
he programme. IL was "Viola Mark !
nam" Each succeeding act added to ,
IFS enhancement. When the end I
anne he sighed deeply and stumbled /
rom the theater.
He went home next day bearing in
lis innermost heart the vision of a $
blue-eyed divinity all r
miles and grace-a ray of sunshine I
which thereafter warmed and slim {
Hated his lonesome life. He built air 1
.astles, Of which she was a part, by c
Law and dreamed of her by night. 4
He lived on his lonely life very '
much the same as Of old but a new r
Element had come into it. He had
,uilt a shrine and placed therein a b
memory. S
A year or more later he saw a
paragraph in newspaper which I
tartled him as be had never been I
tartled before. II read:
"A benefit performance win be r
-ivsn Saturday afternoon at the Ly- q
cum for Viola Markham, who has {
,een doing ingenue parts in we'll e
.nown companies for some years, and
vho has been seriously i'll. Miss Il
Markham does not improve as rapid
v as hoped and the physicians say it a
! absolutely necessary for her to /
i've up all thought Of work and seek !
Ssolute rest and quiet and country h
ir for a long season. Her friends a
ope to realize enough by the benefit
performance to enable her TO do G
his"