Year: 1877

no! no lauSueu tHe otiieT
Quasilnodo to protect his Esmeralda.


The dwarf bit his lips, and turned
pale as death.


Look out that YOU do not meet the
fate Of the recreant priest.


We are not il Paris, retorted the
blood. and there are no towers OF No
tire Dame At hand.


will Miss Darling accept my es-
cort home? | will protect her from
this sneaking bully


The young man, pallid with rage,
return I'd /:


'Ill thrash you within an inch OF
your life for this insolence, you
crooked back cur Take that /


He launched heavy blow at the
manikin' S head, but the little fellow
darted nimbly aside.


i am no match for you at Fl ticutis,
he hissed, but | have not played the
Sprite for nothing


The next instant he started for
ward. aud planting his head foil in
the stomach Of his antagonist. hurled
him over the embankmsnt where
they stood. The blood was unable to
save himself. Down, down he fell,
and striking head foremost on the
bank of Ike river. lay insensible.
My God +! you have killed him,
whispered Bessie.


Not much loss, miss. But the
devil aids such rs he. He is worth II
score OF dead men yet. But let us
hasten or he may recover, and he
would make it AS hot AS hades for me.


Half an hour later Bessie sat watch
ing her delerious mother. AS she
removed and replaced the icy cloths
upon the bursting forehead she ever
aud anon applied herself to learning
the part she must be perfect in on the
morrow. Tot wink Of sleep wa.
hers that night. and when she appear
ed at rehearsa, the red eyes and lever-
lsh creeks told OF that studious vigil
Ov nef motnef SiIe,


That night Bessie Darling took the
town by storm.


The play was ended.


The curtain rang down on heart
that little reckoned the floral offer
lngs Of the loud applause thai called
her before the green scene for as she
returned to the pronpters $ box, news
reached Bessie that her mother was
dead


The reaction was terrible. The
poor girl was stricken down herself.
aud wDen the mother WAS blred BY
the kindly members of the company,
the daughter was nearly fit subject
to occupy the same resting place.


Time ,passed and slowly the young
girl recovered. Each day during the
interval the inva id found fresh bo-
quet upon the table by her bed At
ilrst she refused to look at them, think
my they were but new opportunities
from INN whom she so utterly detest-
ed. But this was not the case, as she
shortly found. The timely lesson to
the young libertine had proved favor
able to her and useful to him. He
never troubled Bessie again. There
fore the flowers were rot from him.


Who could it be- she asked the
nurse; but she proiessed ignorance,
and stated the boqnsts were left on
the doorstep early IN the morning.


Finally Bessie was able 70 attend to
duty once more. What pleasure it
WIS to meet the kindly greetings Of
her friends, as she appeared at the
Ii st rehearsal. Each member Of the
company Strove to outdo the other III
little attentions. One brought her a
seat near tle wings; another drew
her shawl closer around Ter shoulder
fearing she would catch cold. Poor
Jscken. the iwarted call. boy, insisted
Oh bringing her little warm VINE
(his panaced for trouble.) The man
ager greeted her, and told her that
her fortune was assured; he was about
TO produce n new sensational drama
in which she was cast as the heroine.
In fact, her cup Of Joy seemed full TO
the bfim. NC relation to Jacken $
pauacea, for that had been disposed
of with many thanks, at which the
poor fellows face turned red to the
top of his ears)


The day fer the rehearsal Of the
new play arrived. In the last scene
Il telling effect WAS to be produced,
where the heroine Was thrown from
precipice by the william of the piece.
In falling she lodges in pine tree,
while he, losing his balance, topples
from the cliff and is slain.


III try that tree myself first, Miss
Bessie, suggested the csll-boy, to see
that it is secure. MIR. Jones will you
so through the business with me


Certainly although | don't think
that you make charming substitute
for the heroine, laughed the heavy
man.


So up the scaffolding they went
The struggle ensued. The orchestra
gave the chord, and with d heavy
lunge the dwarf fell into the abyss.