Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-06-04
A CHARITY PERFORMANCE

the boat" the girl in the pink frock
said coldly, land | wish to be alone.
don't see what right you have to fol-
low me everywhere"
1T isn't safe for you to take the boat
out alone" the young man in the
flannel suit who walked beside her
returned bitterly. You never used to
question my right to look after you.
You know quite well that our people
always expected us to make up to one
another. But I've had enough of your
nonsense. l shall go back to town on
the next train, SO you'll not be worried
by me again. But you needn't think
don't know what's wrong with you.
You've been putting on these silly airs
ever since that actor-fellow came to
town for week in the spring-that
Harvey Richardson
On hearing his own name the man
who was lazily stretched on the warm
sand sat up suddenly and looked after
| the two young people who were dis
cussing him SO holly. They had not
noticed him as they passed-he was
| half-hidden by the big red sunshade
which his wife had left behind when
she went down to play with the baby
at the waters edge and he could not
help hearing their excitedly loud
voices
He watched the couple as they went,
still arguing fercely, down to where
little white boat rocked at it's moor
in 70 vi
eyed and go.den-haired, put forth in
the boat alone and defiant-saw the
young man stride back, his whole
some, good-looking face full of rage
and disappointment.
Harvey Richardson, ''the rising
young tragedian" Che was 45), shut
his fine mouth very firmly and gazed
in stern meditation on the calm sea-
Him. he at length soliloquized. "a
very CeCen fellow, I should guess, and
desperately fond of the girl, or. he
wouldn't be SO rude to her If | Of
fered to let him punch my head it
might relieve his feelings a little, but
really don't see that I'm responsible
for his woes. That child in pink
would have lost her head over the next
fiddler that came along even if she
hadn't seen me-"
But the rising young tragedian
could not settle back into his COM
Portable Goze, and with his eyes on
the little white boat as he rose and
walked down to where his wife and
brown-legged baby were accomplish
ing marvels in sand architecture.
The baby hailed him with shrieks of
delight, and urged him to join in these
ed solemnly at his child.
She, too, was blue-eyed and golden
haired; in seventeen years or so she
would probably be very like the girl
who was making herself so miserable
out in the white boat there, And as
he realized these facts Harvey Rich
ardson made a resolution.
There's a rocking stone, or some
thing of the kind, round that point"
he said to his wife. 'Tve notion I'd
like to so round and see it. Do you
mind, Mary, if l do?"
Walk away" said Mary, cheerfully.
If you don't take more exercise you'll
soon be too fat for anything but Fal-
staff"
And if l shouldn't be back before
tea time you and the family could find
your way back to the hotel?"
Mary was sure of it, SO her husband,
glancing every now and again at the
little white Loaf as he went, was soon
out of sight round the point.
"Am I right for the Rocking Stone,
please?'
The deep, soft voice set the heart of
the girl in the pink frock fiuttering
wildly. Surely she knew that voice.
She looked up at the handsome face
and found her speculation verified
This was the man, this was the meet
ing she had dreamed of SO often.
Yes. she stammered, wishing that
she hadn't been crying, and wondering
what her hair looked like, "but-but"
laughing nervously-"are you not
Romeo and a Montague?"
Neither, fair maid" the actor quot
cd back gaily. I'm on holiday. But
how nice of you to know me. | was
just feeling lonely" and straightway
he settled himself gracefully on the
turf beside her.
The girl in the pink frock felt the
least culver Of horrid doubt as to the
| reality of her enthusiasm for actors.
| It had never seemed to occur to her
hero that she might object to his sit
| ting so close to her. This was not like
| the department of the young man in
the flannel suit-but then, of course,
actors and heroes were different.
When she had looked at Richardson
again she decided that they were even
more different than she had imagined.
In her heart she had fondly cher
iehed an idea that Harvey Richardson
was just two years older than herself
| Cthe perfect age for a man, Now she
| became possessed Of an uncomfortable
conviltio that he was about the age
| of her Uncle William. He didn't look
so clear, either, as the men she was
used 10 Richardson had a genius for
looking his part" and had somehow
grown very disreputable in appearance
during his Walk, and he did not seem
to notice that the smoke from his Gig
arctic all Blew into her face.
"And so you've seen me act?" he
went on, carelessly. Thought | was
nice, eh?'
oh, went to the theater every
night you were in B.. l do so love
! Shakespeare. I've hardly read any
thing else since then"