The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-11-28


and the supper and the stage and scene
ry have arrived, and how can put it
all off Oh, Jack, what am to do?"
"My dear girl, I'm awfully sorry, Pm
sure. l don't know what can be done;
can nobody else take her parts"
"No. Who is there? Miss Richie
does the sprightly old maid, and Mrs.
Halket the timid mother, and Colonel
Spriggs the heavy father, and George
Andrews the lover lie is the only one
that can act a bit except Miss Grey; the
whole thing depended upon her, and
who is there who can take her part"
Then Miss Rose said very hesitating-
ly, "Oh, Lady Ellerton, I'm afraid
should do it very badly; but if you are
in such difficulty would do my very
best, if you have really no one else;
would try learn very quickly by
heart, and you might show me-"
"My dear, you are an angel, dar-
lingr' cried Adela, rapturously, clasp
ing Miss Rose in her arms. ''IIow too
dear and good of you! l can't tell you
how grateful am"
'You are the first person in the world
to do kind and good-natured action"
whispered Jack in her ear, almost fatty
contradicting the very last remark he
had made to her. But he was in that
idiotic condition of mind with regard to
her, when whatever woman does or
says, or leaves undone or unsaid, seems
to be equally perfection in mans
eyes. Nevertheless, when Miss Rose
had been carried away by his sister to
be drilled and coached, he could not
help owning to himself that, amiable
and good-natured as was Miss Rose, he
feared that her acting would be fail
ure.
"At such short notice, and such a
part, so wholly foreign to her nature !!
Poor little girl, how can she do it?'
1t was with very nervous feelings that
Jack watched the curtain go up before
a crowded audience that evening.
He saw upon the stage Miss Rose, and
yet Miss Rose mysteriously transformed; /;
wealth of dark curls over her brow, a
red satin dress made in the latest fash
ion, and the glitter of diamonds upon
her white smooth throat; and then the
saucy glance of her laughing eyes, that
seemed as il more than once they
singled him out of the audience before
her, the easy gestures, the perfect
enunciation, the natural talent with
which she went through part in which
she had acted many times before, filled
him first with amazement and lastly
with admiration; she was more beauti-
full than he had ever conceived her to
be, and her acting was so marvellous
that it almost took away his breath.
There came one scene wherein the
'Girl of the Period" had to smoke a
cigarette. Miss Rose went through the
performance with graceful ease which
although it made his heart stand still,
was yet very far from jarring against
his taste; the cigarette, as smoked by
the Quakeress, became almost poeti-
cal and feminine action. "Nothing,"
he said to himself, "can vulgarize her
she is the innate embodiment of lady
in mind"
Nevertheless, he was glad when tho
play was over. The curtain went down
amid thunders of applause, and Miss
Rose, in her grey silk Quakeress garb
came back presently and sat dowr
among the audience, while some i'm
promptu charades were being acted by
the others.
Jack made room for her beside hIm.
''How did do it?" she whispered t.
him.
at was perfect. | am specchles'
with amazement at your acting. haC
no idea you were so clever" The praise
was grateful to her; she was conscious
of having acted her best.
"If you had studied your part fo
weeks, you could not have done il bet
ter.' She had studied il for weeks
She played with the buttons of he
glove, and held her tongue. 1T wa
dreadful to me to see you act that par
like that" he went on in whisper.
''Did it pain you?" She lifted he
dark eyes and fixed them upon him
with an earnest yearning look in them
how different was now their expression
from that which lie had seen in then
half an hour ago!
yes" he murmured back, "becaus'
l love you, and you know it," Tn,
charades were going on upon the stage
and the audience was in semI-daTkness
She lowered her eyes. and faint smil'
hovered upon her lips; was il Of joy o
was it of triumph? little of each, per
haps. 81 love you as you are and yc
everything you say and do is right il
my eyes, because it is you," he went ol
passionately.
A twinkle in her downcast eye.
Even the cigarettes?" she muir
INJURED. r..- -... -. ....r.
81 forgave YOU even that; no othe
woman could have acted that, and ye
produced no sensation of disgust upoI
me; and yet, dearest, tell me that yol
love me, and that, for my sake, you viii
never smoke cigarette again in you
lifeP'
II will never smoke a cigarette agaiT
in my life,' she answered; and she KEEP
her word. But she would give him NJ
answer to that other question, although
he urged her TO do so.
"Will you tell me tomorrow night a
Wigrams' ball, them"
"Do Quakers so to bslls?"
"IIow can | tell-you will so, viii
al