The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-09-24
downright, 1905. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
nv HOWARD DEvINE

nest Young man he never would have
become involved in the affair with the
actress. Had he been inclined to
sporty i.eas and hankerings for
"green-room escapades" and "affairs"
with bellies of the stage, such as af-
fict 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 upa 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.
Of 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
as to leave the homestead in her part
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 contentedly in his little
sphere, his only extravaganza being
books, and he grew to be a stalwart.
hard-handed, 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 large part of his produce,
lie 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 balcony seat
and mentally clubbing himself for
wasting Is cents in so scandalous a
manner.
Just then the curtain went uI
and a moment later Paul Comstock
was plunged into 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. 1t was all so new, sc
altogether wonderful that he rubbed
his eyes to see if it were not dream
His interest quickly centered in ths
vivacious soubrette who played thu
ingenue. She was a merry littl,
blond and had a very good part as 1
sweet and guileless maiden whs
solved everybody's troubles and cir
cumvented the burly, black-mus
tached villain, despite the mos
alluring temptations.
Paul Colnstock thought she was tn
most beautiful creature in the world
Never in his widest dreams had h
imagined such human perfection. A
matter of fact, he had thought lit
tie about women. Romance had thu
far had no place in his life or mind
He had seen only the plain, sim
pie girls of his neighborhoo
with only their rural attir
and taste to enhance their natura
charms. He knew nothing of the ar
OF stage makeup" and to him thi
glorious creature behind the foo,
lights was just what she appeared
both m appearance and character.
When the curtain went down on tn
first act he sought out her name o
the programme. 1t was "Viola Marl
ham," Each succeeding act added t
his enhancement. When the en-
came he sighed deeply and stumble
from the theater.
He went home next day bearing
his innermost heart the vision of
golden-haired, blue-eyed divinity a
smiles and Crace-a ray of sunshir
which thereafter warmed and stin
ulated his lonesome life He built a
castles, of which she was a part, b
day and dreamed of her by night.
He lived on his lonely life vel
much the same as of old, but ne
element had come into it. He hs
built shrine and placed therein
memory.
A year or more later he saw
paragraph in newspaper whit
startled him as he had never bee
startled before. 1t read:
"A benefit performance will
given Saturday afternoon at the L
ceum for Viola Markham, who h
been doing ingenue parts in we
known companies for some years, al
who has been seriously i'll. Mi
Markham does not improve as rapi
" as hoped and the physicians say
is absolutely necessary for. her
give up all thought of work and se'
sSsolute rest and quiet and count
air for long season. Her frien
hnpe to realize enough by the beEe
Performance to enable her to
tl,isn
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