Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-11-17

MT. the lrdSSulHH, WAS
sadly IN need OF a shave, and there was
a haggard look about his eyes which
bespoke hard lines of fate. A hair cut
& would have altered his appearance
greatly, and would have done him no
4 material harm. His long, fur-caped
and ~fur-cuffed overcoat was faded n
threadhaIe, and was kept closely but
toned, for the reason, 1t ma be sup
posed. that his under coat was still less
prepossess;ng to the eye. His shoes
which once had been patent leather
Were cracked and scanned, but polished.
His hat was not quite new-in fact
there WAS a bare dent in the back
ground which, carefully as the nap a
been brushed, could not be concealed,
but the rim was soiled and bent.
But Notwithstanding Mr.. TreadWelps
seedy appearance, and the fact that
he was almost a counterpart Of many
another stranded actor who has
haunted the Rialto in years past, there
was something about him which inn
pressed one taVorably and held the at
4 tention
T~readwell came into my office n
afternoon. looking more seedy than
usual, but graver. more austere, and
more majestic
Il have just been insulted," he said
In suppressed tragic tones, as he sat
down in the easy chair by the fire.
NO trouble, / hope" | said, by way
of encouraging him to continue in eX-
PLANTATION,
Wei. no; though l should have pre-
ferred 10 "a struck the dog down. 1t
was Conrad the manage or the Metro
politan theater. where q crowd of gig
Cling fools are amused nightly. You
n imagine what the the ~despicable
scoundrel said to me. Treadwell, he
said, in that patronizing way of his,
sNypl1 Hgsg't cnaTrn ~ hA MIA yinrr in nonrh
luck Of late. Hang it man %slapping
me on the back with disgusting
familiarity, haven't YOU found out that
tragedy is dead n buried? Heaven
help you sir! The people don't want
It and they won't have it,. You would
starve ten times over while YOU were
convincing them that you were a sec
ond Irving. The rattle headed public
var screaming farce-thatS what 1t
wants. That's what it's willing To shell
out it's silver sheckels for, and that's
what we must give if we wan TO make
the best OF the situation. Now, iii tell
you hat I'll do-Iil give you ten
pounds a week TO join my Willy Wally'
company at the Metropolitan, and APP
pear just as you are without one bit
OF makeup. You duty viii be to go
z on and act your natural self. Why,
man, as the busted tragcdian you
would have the whole town holding it's
sides. You don't appreciate what a
frightfUl guy you are. You mustn't
even get a shave you know. | want
you just as you are. You don't say no?
There's a good thing in it for YOU, old
man, and it's the only sensible thing
what did you qay?" / asked,
amused, but Disgusting the fact.
Say" Numbered TreadWell, with a
magnificent gesture, Il told him to go
and boil himself! / was Gngered as /
~ nayal, Mas bpfprp RJrlpSftlA mNSplf
Ell? | wanted to crush him to the
earth! Il may starve, sir. yes starVe,'
I said but ] will not pollute myself
and desecrate my noble ART, by ac-
Cepting such a diabolical proposition as
this of yours. You are a raven insult
er, sir And with that I turned OIL my
heel and left him
The offer was very iil-adViSed," /
commented, but perhaps he meant
well. Yoa cam afford 10 De charitable,
Mr.. Treadwell.""
81 soCthcd his rufled foclinga as best
I could. and presently he askec me to
accompany hin up the street TO Cha!-
mer's theater, where there was TO be a
benefit performance that afternoon.
Some very good t~alent-worth see
ing" he added sententiously.
Il have always been more Or less Il
bohemian, and the idea of walking up
the Strand in company with Gilbert
TreadWell mad 10 embarrassment tor
me. Furthermore, / understood my OBJ
legations, Inc we pushed in the well
known yellow doors and then pushed
them out again before we turned into
the foyer Of the playhouse.
Who is the beneficiary p" l asked
when we had gained our seats.
.'One Of the noblest little women that
ever lived" he answered warmly. 'I;a-
mona Darling. You know of her, of
course. She was rarely talented, but
sickness and desertion BY the man
whom she loved have reduced her TO
absolute poverty"
Yes. | remember Ramona Darling.
In her palmy days when she was at the
height OF her popularity, ! thought her
the most chic and cunning actress on
the stage"
felt almost a personal gratitude to
those sympathetic artists who had vol
unteered to give their time and talents
toward the benevolent project of re-
lieving her distress.
The entertainment was MADE up of
a medley of songs, dances and portions
OF acts from plays which were at the
time runnig at the different theaters in
the city, and, altogether, was clever
and Interesting. But the tickle,
thoughtless public, unfortunately, had
not shown the interest IN Ramona
tDarling's case which II was expected 1t
would, and as a result tho audience was
"a not OILY Slllall. Out WAS tbiilib'Ntd lf"t
81 greater part of '~'deadheads,' like
Treadweii and myself.
Just before the curtain r,G2t down on
the final scene Mr.. Chalmers, the man
ager Of the theater and the organizer
of the benefit, appeared on the stage.
Il am very sorry to say, lac an
,uounced, that the proceeds OF this
benefit amount to a tritle less than
i 80. And this sum, J scar, will be
required to pay the expenses OF q flu
neral. / haye just heard that Ramona
q Darling Isl dying"
AS Treadwsil n ! went slowly out
of the theater l fancied he brushed a
tear from his eye.
If you'll pay the bus fare. Felix
a he said in a strained voice, well go
round to her house. l didn't know she
was so bad as that. I want to see her
II once more before size goes"
There was huuor I'll his pathos, for,
despite himself. in all that he did,
Treadwcll Was q hurnoriSt.
/ was quite sufficiently interested in
Ramona Darling 20 cordially agree
with his plan to visit her. and in a
few minutes we found ourselves ring
ing at her door. The place was one
/ of the cheap boarding houses which
abound near Kings Cross-one of
those unpleasant abodcS where the CO.
mingled doors OF cabbages and onion
j salute the nostrils OF the visitor as he
enters the door.
We were conducted up two flights
OF stairs and shown unceremoniously