The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-11-10
MISCELLANEOUS.
BEHIND THE SCENES.
ACT l.

C''@' '''f 'AA''-N-' 49, 3N'AA'A INV RiiS'
two. three
1t was the hallctmaster's voice and
Tie ballet-m,Stcr was drilling some halt
dozen young ladies in short skirts and
long red stockings in the intricate cOmpli-
cations OF grand Pas. The great empty
theatre never looked so wretchedIv dismal
and dre,uv as il did ON that chilly morn
ing. with all the ladies' and gentlemen at
rehearsal stalking about the stage in their
overcJats and shawls. and stamping their
feet continually upon the floor 10 keep
them warm Vt the back of the building
u few windows. with their blinds thrown
partially open, let down feeble, CHASTITY
light upon the stage, revealing the dingi-
ness OF the reversed scenery and bare
raiterS to such an extent that the idea of
ever finding In them the material for a
palace OF dewdrOps or fairy gr0ttO,
seemed utterly prepOsterOus. One would
have thought that the place had not been
lIaed for year, so dirty and dusty and dis
maj did everything appear: vet the Christ
mas season was at It's height, and the an
nual pantOmme was IN the midst of an
unusually successful run
number of people occupied the stage,
some o. them with books in their hands.
some OF them crossing and Tecrossine to
places IN accordance with the stage drcc-
tI0nS. The ballet master occupied the
space Immediately before the fOotlighfs.
md was drilling his girls To the music of Il
sqIeakv violin i'll the orchestra, in total dis
regard OF the movements of those around
him. The manager sat at little table
near the wings and some halc dozen Ia
dies. wrapped i'll >hawlS, stood about in
rather sleepy attitudes waiting carelessly
for their cues
II WAS somewhat unusual to have all this
going on during the run ct successful
pdntomime but the evening was sort of
gala night \ young and lovely deb,ltoltte,
The daughter of IN old French actor who
had recently died. was To make her first
appearance. and in addition To the unusual
bill two actS Ot the Lady of LYONS"
were - precede the pantomime Old Pc
Ter FrOndai had left little to Marie except
his name, her mothers beauty. and per
haps something Of his own hstrionic
3 MUS The two former be,,iests would
not afford her living she had determined
10 lind what the latter would de- Tor her.
She sat tlli, morning in the wings. apart
from the others and screened from the
Stage by the portal 10 a icudal castle which
had got somehow into incongrIOus prox-
unity 10 nm F@yliim pyramid and the up
per portion OF a mountain pass in Auda-
tl-ia. Her only company in this little can
~. bower was the clown. and She had been
talking with him earnestly.
Il wont. | won't" she said This
must be- stopped. Edward, for your own
saAe a. well a, mine. | don't love YOU,
saui love YOU, and never could learn to
make YOU happy You are cruel To talk To
ne about this thing at such 4 time Don't
| need all I he nerve I've rot To get through
with 10 night rial, | should think YOU
would know better"
dTifted into il. y said the clown. humb-
" never meant to speak to YOU about
u again. But remember. Marie, th.t |
have loved YOU so long, | never thought
that any one could take the place of my
little lost Jennie, until your father came To
ME for help in giving yo" instruction for
the stage | found you 20 good. 50 bcauti-
ful, 50 different from other girls, II WASH I
strange that your tutor should fall in love
with YOU. was ii, Marie
e think il was, she said. Il don't see
Vhst there was to fall in love with BE
sidcs, You are 20 much older than L. Whv,
! used 10 1t in Your lap before was big
enough To bring costumes To the theatre. y
6, | know, he said, there are four
teen years between us / have been a fool
- think of winning YOU at all. After to-
LiSht, still broader gulf will separate us.
for YOU will succeed. Marie | know it.
The iroudest place in the profession will
be within your reach
She WAS silent a moment Then she
saiG quietly:
Well. won't YOU be glad of it,
g" Indeed indeed | shall ;" ne replied, ear
nestly = would give half The years OF
ny life to see IT, | would have been con
tent 10 take YOU as my wife, even though
you were but the little Girl still bringing
costumes To the dressing-rOoms Since
that il not 10 be, | shall be proud of the
day when dukes and earIS shall bend at
YOUR feet You need not smile. Marie
such things have been before now"
You good Edward she said, taking
his hand in both her own; shall never
forget wha | owe TO you, nevertheless
Should such day ever come. it will make
one more reason why / should not be
yours. Success would make me ambitious
! would not be contented rs the wife of a
poor clown unless / loved YOU more than
think do now. If fail, should diSap
point you. You would not care Tor me
faen
lie would have answered that assertion
quickly, but the Interview was suddenly in
trruupted at that moment by red haired
boy, who put his head around corner oil
the feudal castle, exclaiming, Now, then =
and Immediately disappeared
Marie had no sooner left the side of the
clown in answer To- the summons. than her
place was taken by one of the ballet
dancers-a slight, dark eyed girl, dressed
Ike her sisters practicing upon the stage
IN coarse, short pctticOats, and long woOler
stockings of fiery reel.
SOr' she said, stopping before him ant
curling her pretty lip contemptuotisly
you are in love with our grand lady, are
you"
Edward darted q frightened look mt her
Have You been lsteninesn he asked.
Bah, Why should take the trouble
Her silly gabble isn't worth listening TO
[ ia sure. Only when folks select .ucl
queer times and places for their love max
M. they ought Ia remember that canvas
walls aren't 20 solid ~ they appear Do
you know why Marie Frondat won't marry
You, Edward Steele
She does net love me- said the clown
simply.
stuff. She doesn't know what love h
but that's not It. She won't have you
because you are clown, that's all. She
has fine idsas in her head, and you have
yourself to blame for it, partly. She for
gets that you filled, and can still fill, higher
roles than the ones you have been playing
lately. She forgets that it was the loss al
your voice which brought you from You
legitimate line down to the position you
occupy now. She forgets that she has
never been any thing better than q dresser
all her life. There's no merit i'm her name
and beauty, but she doesn't think Of that
Us pride. Edward Steele, pride, and moth
ing else
she has genius said Steele HeI
dreams may be fulfilled"
Neverl Listen to me / hate that