The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-11-29
BEHIND THE SCENES
ACT I.


One, two, three! Sit together now
One, two, three -
1t was the ballet-master's voice. and
the hailet-master was drilling some
half dozen young, ladies'. in short skirts
and long stockings, in the intricacies
at grand pas. The great, empty the
alter never looked so wretchedly dis
NAL and dreary as it did OH that chilly
morning, with all the ladies and gen
tiemen at rehearsal. stalking about the
stage in their overcoats and slawls.
and stamping their feet continually up-
on the floor to keep them warm. At
the back of the building a few win.
dows, with tlieir blinds thrown par
tally open, let down a feeble, CHASTITY
light upon the stage, revealing the din
giness OF the reversed scenery and bare
rafters to such an extent that the idea
OF ever finding in them the material
tor palace OF dewdro,is' or Il ..fnirv
.
One would have thought the place had
not been used for IA year, so dirty and
dusty and dismal did every thing ap :
pear; set the Christmas season was at
its hight and The annual pantoniine
was III the midst of an unusually sue
cessful run.
A number of people occupied the
stage, some of tlem with books in
their hands, some of them crossing and
recrossing to places in accordance with
stage directions.
1t was somewhat unusual to have all
this going on during the run Of snc-
cesstnl pantomime, but the evening
was u sort of.gala- night. A young and
lovely debataate, the daughter of an
old French actor who had recently
died, was to make her first appearance;
and, in addition to the usual bill, two
acts of the Lady of Lyons were to pre-
cede the pantomime. Old Peter French
had left little to Marie except his name
her mothers beauty, and, perhaps
something OF his own his.rionic genus
The two former requests would not af-
ford her a living, she had determined
to fnd what the latter would do 70,
her.
She sat this morning in the wings
apart from the Others. Her only com.
pany the clown, and she had beer
talking with him earnestly.
81 won't, l won't ~ she said "This
must be stopped, Edward. for your
own sake as well as mine. | don't love
yon--I can't love yon--and never
could learn to make you happy. YOU
are crnel to talk to me about this thing
at such q time. Don't need all the
nerve I've got to get through with to-
nights trial? [ should think yol
would know better" a. 4I2 "a
Il drifted into it,n said the clown
hnmhly. 81 never meant to speak t,
lyou about it again. But remember
Marie, that have loved you 50 long
| never thought that any one coult
take the place of my little lost Jeanne
until your father came to me for heiI
in giving you instruction for the stage
found yon SO good, SO beautiful, Sc
! different from other girls. 1t WASH
very, strange that your tutor shohlt
fall in love with you, WAS it, Maricw
Il think it was,n she said. 81 dom
see what there was to fall in love with
Besides, yoa are SO much older thai
| Why, used to sit in your lap before
was big enough to bring costumes tt
| the theatre" a.
eyes, / know" he said; "thcre ar.
/ fourteen years between us. | hay,
| been a fool to think OF winning you ii
all. After tonight, a still broade
gulf will separate rs, for you will sue
coed, Marie, I know it. The highes
place in the profession will be in you
lcaeh.n
She was silenta moment. Then sh'
said, quietly: H
"Well, won't you be glad of it?"
| "Indeed- indeed shalI,' he repliet
earnestly. II would give half tn
years Of my life to see it. I wpul'