THE OTHER FELLOW.

Otago Witness, Issue 2130, 20 December 1894, Page 30

THE OTHER FELLOW.

k STORY WITHOUT A PLOT.

(Specially written for the Witness Christinas

Number of 1894)

•THIS IS THE NARRATIVE OF THREE— AN ACTRESS, AN ACTOR, AND THE OTHER FELLOW.

AdtvlpHu'i Griflwi was an actor— at least he said he was; hi-^ friends thought otherwise. But (-uffirie.t f- r tlvs narrative to stafe he was an actor. At tbe time of which I write he was leading man (th-s is thken from the bills) of a comedy aud burlefque company (1 know a lot of fellows who s»id it was a circus) touring in— no Diatter. Ad lphus was nob a hanesome man— rather the opp fii'e; but being a frank, light-hrartfd young felow, gentlemanly and cotuteous, he was well liked iv the company. Now thi? company, aft* r the ma'.ner of other compauies, had a'leadinglndy. Such a leading lady I Wnat induced Mras Violet Yarr-m to accept an engagement wi«h M'Bcan's crowd was a mystery to tbe Pov«rtyP<"it.trrs., It i* Sfcid that the love-lorn maiden followed Adolphus, but I doubt it. I believe that sternucc<ss'ty had a lotto say in the matter. Miss yarram was a charming little lady pergoually, and ske wa« a clever— veiy cleverlittle actress. Is it to be wondered at th-*t Adolp loved hwr ?— loverl her madly, blindly, p*s>iona- e'y. When they left Australia (for the first act of this drama takes place far from suuny Sydney) Adolph was her devoted slave — whtn he was well enough. It wiw Adolphus ■who helped her oo derk, arranged her pillows, brought her tea and toast. In the twilight, wbe" all was calm and ftHI, tcgetherthey would watch «he stsrs come out, far (or as far as possible) from tbe gay and *id<Ty crowd. Then w«»8 all the *orld as nothing to these two he-rts that beat as one. HwasEden. 'JheeerpiM.t— but we anticipate. The vo^a^e cume to an end, »nd the business of th? company begai. No more coMd Violet and Adolphus converse for bom-* toge'her. Stern f-»te, in the shape of a B*age manager, came between them. Now the low consed'an of the company meet* a dear old pal of his whom we will call the Other FeUow. The "low com." presented the Other Fellow to thH Star, tbe Stwr in turn presented him (th- O F.) to hi* U-adirg lady. Then the serpent, in the form of the Other Ft- How, entered Edeu. Now tho Other Fellow was, to os« Adolphus'e own words, a twaiultsi* fopplj, j, — one of the common h^rd — a low, Vulgar newspaper man. It was love at firsii sight. Not Jove for the Other Felluw and AdfJpbus— ob ! no. Violet and the Other Fel!ow were drawn together by that irre-istble powtr tbat no one can describe Adoiphus lovk'd ou from afar with bl*ck, bit'-er, words in his lit art and unclean words in his mouth.

Before tbe *erptnt— that is, the Other Fi How— ent-red EdeD, Adolpbus escorted Violet too and from the tbeatte. Now the Other Fellow took bis pkce. They did the sights tog< iher ; had lots <-f little picnics of two. Then the seawn of M Bean's Crmedy and Burlesque Com (.any came to a close. On the last day of thfir stay in • th« Other Fellow and Violet ftll out. But the Other FeUow was down at the railway station tob-.d h*r farewell. Tht-y parted coldly ; the whistle blew ; the tr*>i'i steamed out »mid a volley of Rood-bTe*. Tee Other Fellow turned away, feeiing fchat he ha«i lost th* one gl-*m of suneltin« th«t >-ad lijfh «rd feis dreary exisrese* He was disconsolate. Nothing could fill the aching void in his htart Six months passed awny ; thi n the postman brought the Other Fellow a letter. He ant-weivd it. He seemed gayer aud took more iij t> rest in life. Other letters passed. Then he vf.n : shed. His old haunts knew him no more. A warm day in Sydney, a crowd waiting on the wharf. The ship H comes slowly alongside. One man on board eagerly scanned the faces of the waiting crowd. It was the Other Fellow. He s*w her not. The light we*t out (.f his eyts. He turns away, wheu his e;e6are held by a tiny haadk*rcli cf He stops and looks again. Oh ! rfcj/ure! 'tis she! Violet welcomed him warmly — nay effusively— and wbm he h*d si tl«d down she took him "round the city." r i'i cv visited the Zoo, the Gardens, the Museum, the pa«-ks, the Academy of Fine Am?, and nightly (for, fad to relate, Miss Yap am was out of shop) they went to a th« atre or nmsic hall. They were not on the old fooling — simp'y friendt. He being arranger in the land, slxe act^d the good Samaritan. Ti at v as all.

One morning the Other Fellow, in his perambu!b<ions through the city, met face to face Arfoiphus Griflyu ou Poverty Point Ariolohus greet d the Other Fi How coldly (tbe Other Fellow was surprised to be greeted at all), then he soowled d-eply— after tha fash'on of stage villsins. Adolphu* informed the Other Fellow that he had d> ne him (Adolph) an irreparable wrong wh^n he (the Other Fellow) bad robbed him of the vit gin aflVction of a young lady's heart. " Could I loik upon you an a rival tror'by but a newspaper roan — ba v * ! " 'lb/i Other Fellow calmly lit a cigarette, passii'g the packet to Adolphus. But Griflyn did not i olice them. He was too bu y re< ousting his wrovgs; and with a wild oui burst of passion th*t caused the passers-by to turn the-r hearth, Gnflyn cvnt-uued, "Why hay« you done this th'ng to rntblrssly separate two hearts that be«t 'is one, two souls that had found thdr affinities ? " He w«rn*d the Other FeUow to be awnre ! That h« had been driven to the ver<re ot insanity, alnn st to seeking oblivion Vne«th the va'ers of Darling Harbour. Then he stopprd and glared at the Other Fellow, who was lighting another cigarette. The Other SVlk-w threvr the tn»tch. on the pavement, and calmly told Adolphus not to be a fool. "I resign all claim to the lady's hand; go in and mn, old boy." Griflyn remarked that the country was not big enough tor them bolh. What chance had ihe while the Other FeUow lingered on in Sj diney ? The Otber Fellow, turning to Adul,hus, said : '' I'm going back in a few days ; but you »nd I h'ncefortb ard for ever more remain black, bitter, miplacablo enemies !" Then he walked rway, leaving the broken-hearted one 6cowli«g after him maliciously. T> ey never met again. W' at's that ? How did it all end ? Did Ado'phus Griflyn marry Miss Yarram ? No. Griflyn fouud ont " » woman's love 'turned to scorn," &c. Did s' c marry the Othnr Fi-llow ? No, sir, I chuckle, fhe did not. How do I know all this ? Well, I was the Other Fellow. Poverty Point, 1894. B. S.

The Shipmasters' Association resent the remark by the New Zealand Times, commenting on the Wairarapa inquiry, that Captain M'lntosh's behaviour was probably the effect of drink, and have placed the matter in the hands of a solicitor.