Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-03-17
A LESSON In
SELFISHNESS
IOriginaLl
"May have a part Of your seatE'

voice and gentleman to whom they
were addressed, looking up from his
paper, saw the oval face of d girl, /
topped with shining yellow hair look
ing at him through a pair of blue eyes.
He moved aside, the girl sat down and
the train started on. The man re-
newed his reading, but soon yawned,
dropped the paper on his knees and
cast side glance at his neighbor.
Can you tell me-" she asked, how
| can get to the N theater when we
reach the city,"
would you know if | should tell
you?"
Il fear not. I've never been to the
city"
"Then l shall be pleased to put you
on the right car and tell the conductor
where to transfer you"
THANK you"
"Have you an engagement at the
N theater?"
ooh, no! Pm not an actress. But
my brother is an actor. He's under
study to Remington Field, the star"
'Tndeed?" The gentleman cast
quick glance at the girl. You refer to
Cecil Armstrong. | know him person
ally"
You do? How odd that l should
have met you"
Yes, your brother has rare dramatic
talent He'll make a success surely"
I'm delighted to hear you say So"
said the girl, evidently we'll pleased.
The only discouraging feature is that
it all takes so much time. We're
wretchedly poor, mother and Cecil and
l. We have nothing but his salary,
and that's very small. Cecil has been
struggling for nearly ten years. When
he got his present position he thought
he'd surely get a chance to show what
he could do, but M Field is distress
ingly healthy and is always able to
take his part. Cecil has been with him
for more than a year, and he has never
been i'll once"
Its too bad, isn't it," remarked the
gentleman sympathetically. Some one
ought to give him Il dose to keep him
in bed for at least one night and let
your brother have chance"
ooh, nol | wouldn't have that. 1t
wouldn't be right"
Field would deserve it. A man has
no business to be so selfish. He's been
keeping the young man who has
mother and sister dependent upon him
from his only chance of success when
he might have given it to him by sim
ply laying off one performance"
The stranger spoke with an honest
indignation which he took no pains to
conceal.
You wrong him. Cecil says he's
very kind and thoughtful"
"Thoughtful! Do you call it thought
full to be so absorbed in himself as not
TO think of any one else? | tell you he
has been neither kind nor thoughtful.
| know him, and | have a mind to
teach him a lesson. He frequently
comes to my rooms The next time
he's there I'm going to settle him for
one night at least"
Indeed you shall do no such thing"
who's to prevent me-?
"I'll tell my brother to warn Lin"
The stranger laughed sardon.ca!ly.
Warn him against me? He tha.,S
more of me than any one livin-.
Then it would be the more shame
for you to injure him.
When they reached the ciy the
stranger insisted on putting Il" NOW
unwilling girl on car, and they sep
arated Miss Armstrong. as soon as
she found her brother, fastened to re-
peat her conversation with the stran-
ger. She was met with laughter.
"He was chatting you, sis" said her
brother. He doesn't know either OF
us and was amusing himself at the
expense of an innocent country girl.
Don't ever talk with a strange man
again"
The next afternoon Cecil Armstrong
received a note from his principal say
with a friend and it had made him i'll.
The understudy was to take his place
that night.
Armstrong was aStonished. The
stranger had evidently been in earnest.
If not it was a singular coincidence.
However, there was no time for spec
ulation, and he got ready TO play lie
| part.
That was the last of Crci! ARM
| strong's understanding. lie won 4
start that gained him succt>s- Ills
sister was at the thcater anl enjoyed
his triumph, brimming over WI pas
ure at every storm of applause After
the play she went to his dressing room
to find him reading note.
Field has invited me-" he said, ito
his rooms to celebrate my success. !
want you to 90 with me. Wen set
out as soon as | get into my other
| clothes"
Half an hour later the brother and
| sister entered the building where Field
stopped and were met at the door by
| Mrs. Field She took Miss Armstrong
into her own room to lay aside her
wraps, while Armstrong went directly
! to the dining room 20 join the huS-
band. Then the wife ushered the girl
| into the dining room.
Miss Armstrong paused on the thresh-
old in astonishment Before her stood
the stranger she had met on the train.
| He advanced, smiling.
81 have kept my word" he said.
| gave myself dose that has laid ~.
for one evening and PEI tie
brother to achieve the SUI i'll o..
for him. have to thank you for al.
ing my attention to my selhshness. Al
sorbed in my work, it never occurred to
me that it was in my power to make
him and those dependent on him hap
by. And now let US sit down and drink
to his splendid reception and the girl
who made it possible