LOVE AMONG THE MIDGETS.

Evening Star, Issue 8554, 29 June 1891, Page 4

LOVE AMONG THE MIDGETS.

PRINCE COLISRI AND PRJVCgSS DEDALE. A SOVAL SStfAtfDAL. [From Ocr Special CoBU£SFoycBM?.J London, May I, Performing at the Empire Theatre just now are a troupe of tho tiniest midgeta ever esen in London. The Colibria—as they Ihava been christened—number five, and are Wl grow.p men and women. The biggest of them ia far smaiiei' than Tom Thumb ever was, aud the smallest can .aft comfortably on ,an inverted teacup. Midgets, however, 'have paßßions like other folk. It appears to be an undoubted fact that Prince Colibri, the dashing young bachelor of the troupe, has been indiscreet enough to fall violently in love with his friend Prince Dedale's wife. y/osw than this, the lady returns his illicit atfoohraeat, and on Friday last allowed herself to" elope J'ph the misguided midget. The pair slipped' dut.gji the hotel when their manager (they thought)' w&s taking forty winks. Mr Munst&dt. got wind" of their departure, nevertheless, and following thein to Charing Cross, arrived breathless, but just in time to lift the little people through the 'carrte window. They were then securely tu'cke.fi 02« .itnsjr each arm and walked back home.' JJpon the news .of ibis rojraf scandal *6W*£wg the ' Star' office Mr sandp, myjijf amorous aai (.so far as the ladies are concerned) large»he»rfcflii of reporters, was despatched to Midgetland to the story. After introducing the subject, he sayai-:-In this pigmy community there are two wh<? form one family—Prince Dedale and jPrjnqasp Dedale, about 3ft high, about five-ftj&d-twenty years of age, and man and wife. jpay that it ifcbp tv/Q had a fussy, solicitous ol<i rnajdish &u*ni, no,ch as Hedda Gabler had, she would be flible 1,9 took forward with anxious Joy to the fact thai before long there would be congenial work for an old aunt to do in the household. If Princess Dedale does not love her husband dearly £he ought to. But, alas! for conjugal felicity, marriage was a failure. The silken bonds of matrimony became a burdensome ehftin of corroding iron. The Princess Dedale Joyed, with all shfl feryflr o* her human boul, th« Prince Colibri, another member of the tiny tronpe. How shall one trace in miniature the growth of this romance ? Prince Colibri is a young man of manners and "distinguished military appearance," like Mr Wilfrid Murray. He is amanof strong individuality and force of character.. The little Princess is a quiet, domesticated creature, whose joy in life has always been to make the fflidjjjat beds, compound the tiniest of cakes, an.4 najl up little ornaments in tha cowers of the rooms— ] a simple-minded little woman in habit, but with the quick nervous temperament of the artist. She it is who sings the bright little apngs in the midget entertainment. She u&pd fcp sing ' Wink the other eye' till Marie '£tpyd gofe jflft'ouf. What shall one say of tnem ? Sow shall one discuss their aotions —with pitying sympathy or with cold formality of horror ? 'Tie 1 fringe Dedale seems to have been constantly out'bf the way, The two were constancy thrown togethe'r. The stronger mind of the Prince Colibri impressed itself upon her imagination, »nd Prince Colibri, though a prince and a midget, is only human after all. The clairem of friendship and of honor were insnffici'enito jdanj the torrent of his ha. ma'nity. ' He gaye way at last to a wild passion for another* man's wjfe, and she loved him as the Wisest and greatest ef mejj. It is the real, living, palpitating feoiiaan#y qf this story that constitutes wt interest. He lqy«d her and she loved him. Who snail course of the passion of which these two, grown man and woman, found themselves the thralls ? Who would lay bare the details qf their love, and describe the glance's .they threw at one another ftß they sat ,in their nigh-railed chair* #$ &ble; Who would tell of

the stolen embraces behind the fire screen or within the shadow of the tablecloth ? Is it neceijaary to tell how the husband Dedale saw them once whispering together behind an egg spoon, but was too proud to harbor suspicion? Sufficient let it be, as it waß sufficient for them, that they loved one another with a great love that filled the universe. The olimax came a day or two ago. The manager of the troupe, Herr Munatadt, lying one afternoon in pretended Bleep on the sofa in their Regent Park lodgings overheard their tiny voices as they talked, sitting side by side on two inverted teaoups by the fire. This is the conversation he overheard:—

Prinoe Colibri: " Star of my life, do you not know that I love you ?" Princess Dedale; " Alaa 1 and do I not love you only too well ?" "Then fly with me, my princess—my queen. Fly with me !" " Ah, no, Colibri; you must not ask me. Am I not bound by all ties to another ?" " But, my life, I love you ! I love you!" "And do I not love you too? But do not ask me this. Is it not enough for us that we love each other ?"

"By the sky, no. Do you think I can live and see you another's. Do you not know that I love you ? You are mine and lam yours. Our love sanctifies everything Come with me, my love. There are other lands where the sun is bright and men are free. Come with me to America. I love you; do you not love me ?" " Colibri, you are all the world to me, and where you are my sun is always shining. But, alas ! I dare not." " Dare not! What have you to fear so long as lam with you ? Do you not know that it is that I may shield you from every harm that I ask you to fly ? Ah, my angol, do you doubt me? Once in America you are mine for ever. Why should you sacrifice our love—to—Aim ?"

"Oh, heavens, what shall I do? What shall I Bay? Colibri, you prevail on me, but still I fear. Know you the way to this America ?"

"My life, my love; trust in me." "Colibri, I fear, I fear, I tremble." " I love you ! I love you!" " But it is madness ; it is wioked." "I love you, my princess; will you not trust me ? Do you fear when it is I who am with you ? I love you ! Fly with me !" " Then let it be bo. lam yours. Take me far away. Let us go now before the patron wakes up." Hurriedly they rushed to their apartments and packed up their belongings in pill boxes. Colibri carried a little bagful of paper money. Furtively they carried a chair to the front door, and Colibri climbing up drew back the latch. Out they went into the utreet and were free. He stopped a crawling cab, and they climbed in. " Charing Cross, quick !" said Colibri, and the cab started. Charing Cross was the only railway station he knew. But what was that other cab which followed cautiously behind, and who was that grim foreigner with the cynical smile who sat inside it ? It was outraged sooiety in the person of Manager Munstadt, who had jumped up from the Bofa when they left and had hurried after them. They tittle thought, as the porter at Charing Cross lifted them out of the cab, that Munstadt was standing behind the pillar. " Where to ?" asked the porter. '' Dover," said Colibri. Dover was where the boat Btopped coming over, and to Dover he was going to take boat for the land of freedom. With his love hanging trustingly on his arm, Colibri, looking defiance at the whole world, marched to the booking office, and, standing on tiptoe and Bhouting up, demanded two first-class tickets for Dover. "Two half■ tickets V asked the booking olerk.

Colibri withered him with a glanca and took his two full-sized tickets. They went to the train and took their seats, The train was nearly due to start. Everything went well. But we think we are free agents, when all the while we are puppets in the hands of Fate. Just as the train was about to start, Fate, in the person of Munstadt, walked up, lifted them out through the carriage window, put them one under each arm, and marched them back home, There have been terrible scenes in the midget household. There was a stormy meeting and an interchange of reproach and defiance between husband and wife. And there Jiave been scenes between Prince Dedale and prince .Colibri. The injured husband challenged the destroyer of his happiness and honor to a duel with swords in Regent park, and the challenge was ai,ccptes. Only on the representation of justice, in the person of Munstadt, that Buch a proceeding would mean imprisonment, was the meeting abandoned. But the end is not yet. Justice Jeune or, since de minimis non curat lex, a seems the only prospect. The two oien glare at cue another on the Btage and off, and Jaw and order ;n the person of Munstadt has jto be continually ojj the watch leiitevil should befall.