Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-03-18

Monty"
"A trif1e sore!" cried the man in the
fur coat bitterly; he was fOotsore,
hungry, dead beat, weighed down by
the conviction that fate had singled
him out for calamity, and he had been
denied the relief of giving utterance
to all his pent-up indignation repsct-
ing Lewisham We're, the manager
Joe had interrupted him when he was
just warming to his task. And now
for Joe to make jest Of their mis-
fortunes; it was the last straw; flesh
and blood could not stand it.
GA trifle sore, We gods!' he repeat
ed, fiercely "After weeks of half
salaries, we are finally left stranded
in a miserable dust hole of town
that has neither appreciation of nor
soul for art-that screamed with
laughter in my great scene, sir, that
guyed me in my wonderful impersona-
ton of the maniac murderer at bay
left stranded through the perfidy of a
bogus manager, our valuable ward
robes left perforce in pawn with a
harpy of landlady, and he says, "a
trifle sore!' Oh, may a whitening
malediction-"
Monty showed premonitory symp-
toms of continuing his interrupted
apostrophe to the absent Lewisham
We're, and his arm was going up in
semaphore fashion in the fervor of
his wounded feelings-Monty, good
fellow as he was, lacking even YES
tige of sense of humor-when he
met Joe's eye. Joe's look was more
eloquent than any words. Reluctant
ly his half-extended arm dropped He
relapsed into moody silence.
Hard luck" said Jack Lathom, SYM
pathetically. The heavy mans out
burst, absurdly stacy and exagger-
perately heartfelt and sincere to bring
the ghost of smile to his face; the
few sentences had been enough to
give him morethan an inkling, for all
the shorter mans airy cheerfulness,
Of the plight the two actors found
themselves in, and an impulse prompt
ed by that revelation made him pull
out his tobacco pouch as though about
to fill his pipe. He saw the eyes of
the two men fasten On it hungrily.
Have pipe with me before we part
company? he said, as if casually.
Fill up, won't your"
Tobacco to weary, hungry man
who had walked all day with an emp
ty pouch! Monty's fingers trembled
as he took the pouch that Lathom
held out; it was only by an effort
that he restrained himself from
snatching it in his eagerness.
"Uncommonly kind of you," said
Joe, taking the pouch after Monty had
filled his pipe, his eyes glistening.
Nothing like the fragrant weed that
cheers but not inebriates-no. r
haven't got it right, but it's near
enough-to help one along. I shall
enjoy this. Ever heard of Chatter
tons Portable theater? All, thought
you might have DONE" as Lathom
nodded. We've been rather lucky:
the day after our tour dried I'D in Sla-
ton we got the oerff of joining Chat
terton's. Bit of unexpected luck.
can tell you! Not coming our way
| suppose?"
But Lathom's way to the railway
station lay down the opposite of the
two branching-off roads to that which
the two actors were taking.
They stood chatting a few minutes
before they parted. Then Jack La
Thorn took the road leading to the
railway station, in pursuance of his
vague plan of going to Liverpool
But more than once, as he walked
along, he thought of turning back and
making an attempt to overtake the
two actors, to walk with them as far
as Observation-Disclosures their company
would at least take him out of himself
and his brooding thoughts, and this
hunted man felt so much alone
Meanwhile the two actors trudged
along the road towards the village of
Westham For the first few yards, at
any rate, they forgot their WEAKNESS
IN the unexpected luxury of a pipe.
Good Samaritan that" said Joe.
pulling away his briar. Wonder who
ne is? Good sort, anyway. Could see
he would have liked to press further
supply of baccy on us, only delicacy
OF feeling prevented him. Wonder
how far Westham is? I'm afraid orr
threepence-half-penny won't go far
towards getting us a dinner, Monty,"
Monty sighed deeply.
While this pipe lasts Pm not feel.
ing quite so ravenous, Joe. I don't
think l ever enjoyed a smoke so much
in my life he said. ''But-well. Joe.
| don't see how we're going to do the
twenty miles to Dalebrook on three
pence-half-penny! I have a growing
sense of an awful vacuum. If onlv
| hadn't been such an ass over that
shilling We could at least have had
some bread and cheese and a tankard
of brown October apiece at wayside
inn." He relapsed into gloomy silence.
We'll, we've got to get to Dale
brook somehow. It's no good living
down like the Babes in the Wood for
the dicky birds to cover our fairy
forms with property leaves, eh. Mon
ty? Wrong time of the year, for one
thing. Besides, Chatterton would be
annoyed, since he's expecting u.s."
IL only Westham were a town. 7
could pawn my fur coat. It's an old
friend, and to part with it after all