Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-13
The Heavy Villain
Continued rom page s

moment as equals-as man to mani" And
then, the voice went on with the Sergeant S
lines IN The Honor of the Regiment mingled
hopelessly with the lines of others and with
a pack of nonsense intended, doubtless, to
appeal especially to the present audience, all
constantly interrupted by the piping cry
" Pitch into him, buddyf Give it to him
Give it to him!" and by the frantic clapping of
the two little hands, until with a Boom
booml booml" to represent the destructive
volley of the firing squad, the whilom
drama, with fitting climax, came to its logical
end.
And the beautiful dream-lady? What
became of herr" Again the shrill, excited
tones came to me from the other side of the
curtain
"Ah, deary!" answered the Sergeant, now
in an everyday voice. The beautiful lady
did not love me as you do. Nobody loves me
high up in the gallery care for me; and
they whoop, and whistle, and stamp their
feet when | do well, and that's all the praise
get. Everyone hates me-they all hate the
heavy villain. He's always in a mess, you
know, and never gets anything he wants
through the heart at the end. And it makes
the heavy villain old, and sour, and grabbed,
and cross to think Of it All, me! It's hard
luck, deary; hard luck on and off the stage
these many years Empty pockets often, and
holes in the heavy villain coat, and piles of
debts to pay, sweetheart, ever since you and
were left alone to fight it out by ourselves -
But | love You. ! will take care of you :"
The little voice trembled but tried to be brave
and steady
Yes, yes, know it, deary, and it makes me
very very glad, said the Sergeant, his voice
trembling bit also
And won't the beautiful dream-lady ever
love you too''
No, deary, no, she will never love me at
all"
oJa1a ,,o,, ae1,ad ba-2u ,,,o-;ad 4La ,h;1d
anxiously.
No, l haven't even asked her" replied
the Sergeant rather hopelessly; but | came
very near it once for big black dragon was
going to eat her up, so thought He was a
terrible dragon, though he wore beautiful
Clothes and looked very handsome to dream
ladies, who when they leave dreamland and
come to live with us, can't always see very
we'll They think everyone is good and beau
tiful all the way through, just as they are. But
| could see beneath this dragons beautiful
clothes; and | found out that he had already
eaten up one pretty dream-lady, SO that she
disappeared and her father and mother could
never find her any more. And | was very
frightened, for ! saw that my beautiful dream
lady was beginning to love the dragon And
so L But he will never hurt her any more
now
Il should think the dream-lady would love
you for saving her from the dragon" cried
the child, excited again.
NO, sweetheart, lot you see TINS beautiful
dreamIady has a big, big cave hidden some
where in the ground; and in that cave she has
bags and bags of shining gold. If asked her
to love me, she would think | had come to
steal her gold, and she would be frightened and
run away forever. No, no, darling; that dream
play that | have so often played for you would
end-it has ended-like all the rest have
ended unhappily. For, don't you see deary
am only the heavy villain, after all, and
have nothing but poor heart"
| could scarcely see the little girl, or the
Sergeant or Mrs Gilpin who followed me, as
ran into the room. My silly eyes had been
SO long blind, and now tears filled them. Nor
could ! speak plainly; for the tears had some
how found their way into my throat, and was
sobbing.
oh, deary, deary," l cried, don't listen
any more, don't listen any more! Listen only
to mel For | the dream-lady come to
life And if | have bags and bags of gold
hidden in the ground, what of it What is
that which your brother has hidden in his
breast and shows only to your ! was blind
in the broad daylight and could not see it,
any more than | could see the wicked dragon.
But my eyes are opened now; and what do
see, deary?-a great big golden heart, deary
great golden heart that is bigger and heavier
and better than all the hard and shiny gold
in the world, heart that is brave and loyal
a heart that is tender and patient and true,
heart that watches over poor little dream
ladies wandering about helplessly like bats in
the sunshineP
And then ! knelt down beside the puzzled