The Cairo bulletin., 1905-09-30


IA thing TO own. 1t IS necessary
RA to stand It at all times in a
good light and to be sure that
The pedestal which holds il Is q steady
one. And whom II does fall. as sooner
or later Il Is bound TO do, there are
terrible crash and confusion and many
tears and lamentations before the bits
are finally gathered Into the dustpan
of resignation and made way with,
This Is the story of u girl who owned
an IDEAL. If she had not been eighteen
and pretty and blond and sentimental
md nolrished mentally from the time
She could read on the Dora Thornesque
style of literature | doubt il even she
could have accepted him as such.
10 most people he was simply a
handsome leading man, whose eloeu-
zion and eyes were his strong points.
IN q third rate stock company whose
manager changed the bill weekly and
made the price Of admission so low
that his company played invariably to
crowded houses.
The girl sat always in the front seats
and in time became ne much Of fix
ture rs the German gentleman who led
the orchestra. At first she came to see
the performance and applaud The mar
row escapes and lofty sentiments pc
culiar TO the drama presented at this
certain theater. AT the last she came
solely to look upon the leading man
with the eyes Of admiration and-eieht-
cen,
At this stage she wrote him letter,
youthfully supposing herself the first TO
do such daring thing. 1t was very
nice letter. original only because Of its
utter sincerity. 1t said that she adj
mlrcd his work more than she could
say: that she considered him one of The
greatest actors that ever lived 0lnder-
lined and that she was very sincerely
Miss Florence Arnaghdale, which was
not her own name at all, but one Dor
rowed from fayorite romance be-
cause her own was not pretty and end
cd In TIL This was done. moreover,
not from amy motives Of prudence but
simply because the ideal being one or
the lofty and artistic lights Of the
earth, might be shocked at such com
mon appellation However, her own
address was at the bottom of the letter.
There was no more reason why he
should have answered this than any OF
the ninety and nine OF the same callher
ne received daily. 1t may be because
something In 1t pleased him. the major
ity OF the notes he received being more
rpn1arkapIe rur rprIiias.y ts.~..-e..s.4
However, answer it he did He said
that 1T was always gratifying for an
artist to know he found favor with his
public, and. il 1t were not asking too
much, he should like to hear from Miss
Arlnaghdale again
The girl read this note with the feel
ing that she had peen picked from the
multiuae to receive the laurel crown
Of fame. Naturally she answered 1t
and received another in return.
This went on for a month or So, one
side becoming more amused and the
other more in earnest every day All
the while the ideal stood in becoming
light and was as excellent craven im-
age to worship as heart could wish
The crash came almost before the
pedestal had time 10 totter. Ii occur.
rcd in the largest restaurant In the
town, anything but an appropriate
background for such tragedy. The
girl aud some half dozen of her friends
ald been to see the ideal in n pathetic
lrama wherein he had shone as the
protector of youth and innocence They
We're having supper in little room
only separated from the main restau-
amt by carelessly drawn curtains. II
was doubtless some merry lest Of the
gods that made the ideal and two Of his
friends choose the table almost direct
ly outside for their customary even
ing repast.
Tho little party inside Of the curtains
had great deal to say and, after th'
fashion of youth, were making fai'
amount Of noise doing 1t.
II was some time before n certain
voice struck them as strangely famil