Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-03-11
Through a
WOnan'S Heart.
BY Sidney Warwick.
CHAPTER XV.-fContinued.)
BY Sidney Warwick.

Ragged bills announcing Enormous
attraction for this week of Mr.. Lew
isham Vere's celebrated West-end
company still mournfully,- fluttered
from the walls of that town; but I'm
fortunately the attraction had not
survived the appalling business OF the
first three nights of the week.
For some inexplicable reason Sla-
ton was veritable tomb of theatrical
ventures, and no particular surprise
had been felt when, on the Thursday,
fly bills appeared over the advertise
ments outside the Corn Exchange
where the company had been playing,
intimating that it would be closed for
the rest of the week, and at the bars
in the town 1t was common gossip
that the manager, Mr., Lewisham
We're, had for reasons that he kept
strictly to himself, left hurriedly by
the last train for London on the pre-
vious night, and that with the man.
ager had simultaneously disappeared
the takings of the three performances,
the unfortunate members of the COM
pany being left stranded in Slaton.
It was between II and II o'clock in
the morning Of the Friday of that IA
tai week-a warm day, with the sun
shining so brightly that it was diff
cult to believe that not many days
past snow had still been thick on the
ground, that had lain there for weeks
after the heavy falls of month ago.
In the geniality Of this April morning,
with the green buds breaking on
hedge and tree, it seemed as though
for once spring was making an effort
not to lag behind the calendar.
AS he tramped along Joe Grisson
had counted the milestones, and gath
cred that they had put some ten miles
between themselves and Slaton, these
two victimized members of Mr.. Vere's
company having shaken the dust of
that unappreciative town Off their feet
at o'clock that morning They had
left Slaton somewhat hurriedly, hav-
ing indeed been pursued for some dis
lance through the chill breaking
dawn by red-faced gorgon of a land
lady, who seemed to have an unrea-
sOning objection to her dodgers leav-
ing her house surreptitiously at such
an hour and with bills unpaid. They
had worn her down, however. in the
first 600 yards, though for the next
few miles the two mummers had ev-
cry now and again looked round with
uneasy apprehensiveness, and once,
when a vehicle was heard coming I'D
briskly behind them, they had so far
sacrificed their dignity as to hide in
a hedge bottom, lest it should be an
emissary of the landlady in pursuit.
IF there is one thing hate it is a.
lack of trust in ones fellow creatures.
| gave Mother Griggs my word, which
is as my bond, that she should be
paid-eT-some day." broke out the
man in the fur coat, in a deep boom
ing voice, his tragic brows suggesting
an unconscious burlesque of Macbeth.
The old harridan actually said she
had heard that tale before, as though
she impugned my Veracity."
We'll, for that matter I shouldn't
wonder if she has heard it just once
or twice before, Monty! You know
what the profesh isl" said Joe Girls
son, who could be f1ippant under try
ing circumstances. Anyhow, she's
got our props worse luck, as a set
off! Did you see what she charged
in the bill for the use of the cruet?
When l first cast my eye on the item
| thought at the least she'd dropped
in the years rent of her house by
mistake! Wouldn't she play Shylock
to the life? Jove, l thought she'd got
you once, Monty, in that sprint of
ours, when you stumbled, you know"
Mr.. Herbert Montague frowned
darkly as though he did not want to
recall the humiliating Incident.
The two actors, sharing the same
diggings, left financially stranded by
the managers flight, lad appealed in
vain to the 1andlady to allow them
to depart with their luggage, promis-
ing to remit the amount due. She had
been adamant; their baskets contain
ing their professional ''wardrobes"
should not leave their house till the
bill was met. Accordingly the two
desperate mummers had conceived
the idea of getting away surreptitious-
ly with their belongings before the
tOwn-or the landlady-was awake.
and leaving their luggage at the
station to be called for.
Unfortunately for their plans. one
travelling basket got wedged In the
window as they were about to lower
1t to the ground and the noise awoke
the landlady, who arose and dressed
Gxpeditiously, suspecting what was
afoot. Then it had been a case of
flight, with the luggage left behind, like
the spoils Of victory, under Mrs.
Grigg's roof.
And here we area dozen miles
from nowhere!" said Grisson And
I'm dead-beat, my shoe feathers worn
to the bone, and I'm so ravenous I
could chew boot laces. And when 1
think Of We're boiling without paying
us a penny, after fobbing us off with
half salaries for weexs-well 1 feel
there's no swear-word in the language
to do justice to the occasion!"
This part of the country that the
two actors were tramping was not
enlivening-the lonely moorland dis
trict of Yorkshire. Isolated farm
houses and occasional cottage showed
at intervals, but for the greater part
of the distance they might have been