The Washington times., 1910-10-30

tuc audience applauued as though size
were a -IdEUuJU SJaTt
Yes, IL was LuCle.
/ recognized uer only by her large,
dark eyes, with their Ions, uinSed
Iasles. NJ nat a change from the lovely
sTi who nad been the cause OF all our
SORROW
Aged, thin, her beauty faded. she was
TO longer the beauty whom POlyuOTe
mad married. II Was ner ghost who APP
pcared before me IN the taWdry span
glgd gown. The lOw-cuL OF her waist
showed me a. bare, thin neck The cleo
JrIC light threw its pIJiieSS rays on her
face TaNaStd by a passion for drink 1
could not mistake the dreadful Stigma
There Was nothing LETT Jnat reminded
me Of LuCIr, but the eyes still kept their
charm and seemed O.. give an intense lie
To her face. which looked like the face
Of a corpse.
low cred my glasses Their act went
on. / felt that 1 could not look az the
wrtIched show The BenEalese made
the people laugh, and Luce sang. and
SANG well Poor LuCie, J felt great
pity for her, AID as the public applaud
Cd tie final sceEe I stood up from my
chair and snatChej from my buttOuhOle
the small bunch of vioIeJs that a little
flower girl had pinned on my coat at
the entrance door. / threw them on the
stage. The tiny bunch of flowers drop
ped at the singers feet
LuCie- and Jim. with the same move
ment, turned 10 bow 10 the one who had
thrown them. / was standing up in the
. third row of the orchestra Ny eyes
were nNed on the stage. Lucie gave me
one startled look. Then, without even
bowling 70 the applause Of the audience,
she turned quickly and left the stage.
The servant OF the hotel. whom I
sent early the next morning 10 make in
qulrieS about the vaudeville singer, had
some trouble in bringing Jim back with
him The erstwhiIe servant was as
startled as Lucie. They were frightened
10 see ME in Montreal. and wondered
what / wanted. At fi-st Jim refused TO
accompany the messenger. but with the
gait OF some money and The assurance
that / wished him no harm no decided
TO cone and see me
I greeteI him in a corlial manner
which soon put him at his ease was
Just taking my breakfast or buttered
roofs and tea. 1 offered him a cup,
which he refused He preferred a glass
Of old rum, which he swallowed at q
Nov" Z; JIM said. tell me how it is
, ] ind YOU on a music hall stage in
MOntreal2'
You might have met US lasr wear in
Pittshurg, where we were married; then
IN Colorado, where we stayeU FOR six
months One must live. The money
that yau gave US did not last long with
Lucie- When II was all gone we had TO
| do something, and 50 we thought we
would do a vaudeville act. LucIe sings
well and she can dance. and 1 can do a
| few vaudeville stunts"
She is terribly changed I said.
At my remark his face suddenly be
! came overcast. He put his empty glass
8 on the table and turned his somDer eyes
I en- me.
she is doomed" he said, sadly.
! He cOUghed, trying to initiate Lucie's
| cough, to make me understand that she
/ was suffering from tuberculosis He
shOlk his head hOpelessly, then added:
I Yesterday, after the performance, she
! had an attack. She was frightened at
! seeing You She had hemorrnages all
night
''Have YOU seen a doctor?'' I asked
Yes He says she will never leave
] Montreal"
/ Has she coughed for Iong?''
/ 1T commenced in san Francisco. We
! hadn't a dollar left. She is too fond OF
! drink" he said, gloomily.
And he held out his glass TO me again
! with a trembling hand, to prove to me
/ that he did not fear the alcohol, al
though it was bad for his wife.
In his mOurnful voice the HindOo con-
tinued:
I have been very happy with my
wife,
I interrupted him.
who is the doctor who has attended
her?"
Or. Brown, on Wellington street"
/ Very good; I'll see him, jim"
I gave him a roll of bills and told hin
he could so.
He turned round at the door.
she was so pleased to have the vio-