The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-06-06
sORELY TEMPTED.
An AetOr's Romance.

Nobody accustomed TO facing
an audience knows the distinctness
with which every upturned face is
visible to the actor, speaker. singer
or public performer. Every ripple
of mirth, every wave of dissatis-
faction, can be traced in the sea
of faces, as many an unfortunate
candidate for stage honors knows
to his or her cost. Here, among
the auditors, the eye detects a
sneer, there a smile, alternately
encouraging and discouraging
those who are treadiHg the boards
and dependent upon shifting
public favor for fame and daily
bread.
Will Harper, the "juvenile man"
of the Arcadian Dramatic Con
stelIation, was thinking of this as
he was going through his part be-
fore an audience in st. Louis, one
night. In fact, Will Harper was
apt to be thinking too much of
something else, and too little of
his part, else he might have made
better progress in his profession ;
for the Arcadian Dramatic Con-
stellation did not embrace many
luminous stars, and was a travel
ing company of rather mediocre
merit. This was the first night of
its two weeks season at one of
the st. Louis theaters, and the au-
dience was large; and Will, when
not actively engaged in the bust
ness Of the play, coYertly studied
in the faces before him.
""There was man., he thought
to himself, "who couldn't be made
to laugh by Momus himself-his
face looks as solemn as a tomb
stone, and there's a jolly-faced
woman who would laugh without
knowing why, just for pure good
nature. And, by jingo! there s
the prettiest face L ever saw"
OF course, the face that so excl
ted Will Harper's admiration was
that of a woman. She was young
scarcely twenty-with light,
golden hair, and feature delicately
regular. The heat of the crowded
house added a feverish glow to
her fair complexion, and her neat,
daintily-stylish dress was in perfect
taste. No wonder that VIII well
nigh entranced by the lovely face,
almost missed his t'cGe," or that
he played better when once he got
fairly started, knowing what eyes
were upon him. Will was only a
tolerable actor, not SO much from
inability as from carelessness; but
the interest which he read in the
girls face whenever he could catch
a glimpse of it, and q sudden,
strange desire to please her, in
spired him to unwonted effort.
His character in the play was full
of love making, and was what he
termed ''devilish spoony;;" but, as
he now played, he made oft some
thing quite respectable.
That night viii dreamed of the
pretty face, which was rather re-
inarkable, seeing that he was no
ladies' man, and confined his fiirt-
ing and loYe-making to his stage
assumptions. During the next
day he sauntered aimlessly about
the streets, which were new and
strange to. him, with a shadowy
hope of seeing the face, but in
vain.
On the following night, howev-
er, there was a change of bill, and
as Wills eyes searched the house
his heart suddenly gave a big
bound. There sat the object of
his interest, just where she had
sat before and looking more be-
witching. He noticed this time
that a man somewhat her senior
sat at her side, and he promptly
conceived for that man the deep.
est dislike. 81 suppose, though
he said to himself, t'he's her uncle,
or elder brother, or something OF
that sort. o, what wouldn't give
to know her. But / mustn't get
spoony over a girl that 1 don't and
never shall know"
The next day, with his mind
still filed with the haunting face
Will Harper sat in the hotel sit
ting room listlessly watching the
passers-by. Suddenly he started
up and sdot out the door and on
the sidewalk, with his heart thump
ing against his side. Cause.-The
face and it's owner passing by.
ssWhat q laundering idiot I am .
he said almost aloud as he stopped
short, tsthere wouldn't be any us,
| in tagging her about the street, anG
she'd take me for a simpleton If shG
caught me att. I'll let her go
no / won't either"
The last sentiment prevailed
and he started on, keeping he
| finttering skirts in sight. To d.
this he Was obliged TO lessen tn
/ distance between them, for it wa
already getting dark. He. ha,
nearly caught up with her. AM
was again cursing his folly, wheI
| an aoccaFfence-a very ordinaf
and anrouiantic occurrence-threI