Year: 1873

away, leaving no mark, for they had not
met for several years, and | knew they did
not correspond. Nevertheless he was the
hero of her life; his doings his successes
formed the one theme on which she was
never tired of expatiating


When, therefore, it was announced that
Mr.. Rutherstone was coming to play an
engagement at our theater bringing with
him new play in which he had met with
tremendous success in London, Miss Hal
worth did not hesitate to express her iov
at the prospect of meeting her old friend
and of being able at last not only to see.
him act, but to act with him. This juno
ture of affairs happened just at the time
she was weighing in her mind the answer
she was to give to our managers proposals,
and it then that the doubt and per-
plexity with which she viewed them came
under my notice On the one hand she
saw herself bound to man to whom she
had antipathy, but who would immediate
ly relieve her from the anxiety which the
care of her mother and sisters entailed
upon her (for Caugar had not failed to
avail himself of the strong argument which
her affection for her family placed in his
hands,; and, on the other, freedom, not
only TO pursue her art with the hope of
achieving a great London reputation, but
TO indulge in the dream that it might not
always be upon the stage alone that she
would have to play the heroine of dOmes-
tic DRAMA with Bernal Rutherstone for its
hero


The managers smooth words and prom
ises had quite won over to his side Mrs
HalWorth, a selfish, indolent woman, who,
congratulating herself on the comfort that
would accrue to her from her daughters
marriage, quite lost sight of the fact that
Caugar was not altogether disinterested,
and had no intention of Julias leaving the
stage, for he was fully aware of her capac-
ity, and knew he should be making no bad
investment by diverting her future earn
ings into his own pocket.


. [ think YOU would do well, Mrs Hal
worth, somewhat to check your daughters
outspoken admiration of Mr., Rutherstone.
| was not aware until his engagement with
me was announced this morning that she
had ever been acquainted with him. 1t is
scarcely becoming for any young lady to
express her predictions in such glowing
terms, but you can understand that it is pc
culiarly unpleasant for me to hear her
when the delicate nature Of our present re-
lations are considered. She said but now
that it was the cherished dream of her life
some day to play the heroine to his heroes,
and that directly he had heard she was to
do SO here he had written to her, reclaim
ing his old acquaintance, and reminding
her of their early hopes ofsOme day form
ing an alliance, which, at any rate behind
the footlights, should aStonish the world
Now, you know, loving her as | do, this
was not agreeable to my feelings, especially
when she promised / should have my an
swer to-day; but since the bills have been
out about Mr. Rutberstone, she again puts
me off and declares she cannot decide in
so much haste She has tortured me al
ready long enough, and this coincidence is,
to my mind, very significant"


" Oh, dear don't think anything of that
kind, Mr.. Caugar; am sure you have no
cause to be anxious. She must make up
her mind; she promised me she would
yield to your wishes, and this enthusiasm
about her old friend is only part Of that
which she shows on all matters concerning
her profession. 1t is true. that in better
days, during my husbands lifetime, as
children, Julia and Mr. Rutherstone knew
each other, and were constantly playing at
acting, but they have not met for years,
and this letter | am quite sure is the first
my daughter has ever had from him. 1t
is chiefly about some stage directions,
dresses and hints he wants her to attend to :;
you shall seen


We'll WE'LL ii may be So but I shall
keep my eyes open when they meet, and
must warn you that / will not be trifled
with. If | see anything to justify the sus-
picion which her conduct has suddenly
aroused, / wash my hands of the whole
affair, | withdraw my proposals, and |
leave you to your present life of penury.
Meanwhile, caution her, and exercise
your authority by compelling her to make
her choice"


This much of the conversation | vOlun-
tarily overheard one evening" whilst
standing at the wing waiting for my cue,
the speakers being merely separated from
me by the canvas of the scene, but it was
sufficient to make me also keep my eyes
open when Bernal Rutherstone arrived.
This he did in a few days, and rehearsals
of a new play in five acts, called The Duel
TO the Death, were Immediately entered on.
II is unnecessary for my purpose to refer
to any but the one great scene the sensa-
ton, as it would be called, of the piece 1t
is the story that grows out of the story of
the drama that | am concerned with-the
real tragedy evolved by the mimic one.


The plot was long and gloomy, culmi-
mating in the situation from which the
play took its name, in which the hero is
shot at the very moment his mistress, too
late to avert the fatal bullet, rushes for
ward and falls across her lovers liteleSs
form Upon this climax to the fourth act
the act-drop descends In London the
great success of the drama had arisen from
the reality and care with which this
scene had been rendered, and an inn
mensity of time and pains was therefore
spent at our theater in order to do it equal
justice, The whole extent of the stage
was occupied by an elaborate "set," rep
resenting secluded glen.


Principals and seconds arrive certain
pacific overtures are made by the blame
less combatant, one Mark Mavburn, and
rejected by the villain Houndsfoot, who is
| the cause Of the contest Not only does
he refuse to listen to them, but insists that
it shall indeed be IA duel TO death,'' So
il is settled that lots are TO be drawn for
the first shot, which is to ba twelve PAGES
this falls to Eoundsfoot; in the event OF
his missing he who is fired at (Mavburn)
then steps Forward one pace, and delivers
his fire. If this, in its turn, be unsuccessful,
the duelist who had first fired then steps up
another pace and delivers his second shot
Then. gradually reducing the distance,
and alternately firing, the chances are sup
posed to he equalized, and the two enemies
brought closer and closer together.


Cool and bloodthirsty deliberation marks
the conduct of both Three shots have
bepD delivered on p5fhpr side hut only two