Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-05-20

appoint"
Raoul asked no further questions but al
lowed events to develop themselves as J
wished
When he had dressed, we went downstairs
The cab was still waiting, and we again en-
tered it. In few minutes it drew up before
a large building. the front of which was one
blaze of light. There we dismissed the cab.
1T is the Odeon THEATRE said Raoul.
"Ah-I see-but Gabrielle l'
| allowed him no time for reflection | led
him up the staircase and through the cor
ridOr to the stage-boxes. | knocked at the
door of one of these, opened it. and half
pushed Raoul within. Then | closed the door
and waited.
After an interval of few minutes the door
was reopened, and Raoul drew me into the
box. / found myself with my friend and
Gabrielle Dumaine. The light was dim for
the curtains of the box were drawn. but it
was not so dim that | could not discern the
change that bad come over the faces of these
two since | had last looked upon either
Gabrielle was radiant with happiness. the
serene, pure happiness which is born only of
sorrow. | had seen her before in her mo-
ments of gayety and in her time of anguish
but [ had never seen her looking so lovely as
she did then. 1t seemed as if her trial had
not only tested her heart, but had in some
subtitle way heightened her beauty and given
it new dignity and sweetness-a soft witch
cry, calm, spiritual rapture born Of deep
ened thought and proved devotion.
| need not repeat here what Gabrielle and
Raoul said to me as we three sat, holding
each other by the hand, in the darkened box
in the Od6on. Suffice it to say that they so
exaggerated my share in restoring Raoul to
liberty that, protest, it was almost "a relief
to me when the door opened, and there ap-
peared NJ. Sapinaud, leading in Nine Du-
maine. Then there were fresh congratula-
tions, and we were still in the midst of a CON
versation, joyful, but ON the part of the
ladies fearful also, when bell rang and
hush succeeded TO the hum that had filled the
theatre.
Then | drew back the curtain of our box.
and looked, for the first time, on the audience
that had assembled to witness Raoul's play.
The house was crowded from floor to ceiling.
looked from the circle, from the beauty and
rank that filed it-from the snowy, lustrous
dresses, the brilliant uniforms, the sparkling
Jewels, the flowers, the white-gloved fingers
toying with fans or raising lorgnettes-I
looked from the circle to the stalls, to the
black-coated gentlemen among whom, knew,
were seated the keenest dramatic critics of
Paris. The thought that they were there
filled me with exultation. | had no fear for
the success of Raoul's comedy. had no doubt
that before the night was over several of tie
brightest pens in the most critical city of the
world would be running swiftly in his praise.
Manyseyes were turned to our box that
niUbt The eyepiuu raparS had aI,aaIu on
nounced the fact of Raouls liberation and a
rrlnor that he was present in the theatre had
circulated through the house But it was
not merely to the romantic experiences or its
author that the comedy owed its success
Its power, its pathos and its wit would of
themselves have insured that. 1t was SO
strong that it held that brilliant, that fastidi-
Gus audience from the first scene to the last.
At the close of the second act NJ. Desnouettes
and great critic-one of those who can
speak in golden pieces, if they will-came
round TO our box to congratulate the
author The color came back to Raoul's
cheek and his eye sparkled. From the
inmate of a prison-cell-from a man all
but conference.-the become the cy-
nosrlre of Parisl The men and
women who had but yesterday mentioned his
name with cynical indifference or fiippant
affectation of horror, were now the willing
captives of his genus-the unconscious mir
rors of his moods, as the dialogue shifted from
grave to gay. Raoul had drunk of the cup of
despair; he was now to taste of the sparkling
draught of fame. l feared the revulsion
might be too great. And SO, indeed, it might,
had not Gabrielle been there. But the love
which had sustained Raoul in his hour of agony
Gained and steadied him in his hour of tri-
umph. His eyes were turned less often to the
stage, where his ideas ere finding body and
voice and clothing themselves in new power,
than to Gabrielle Asfor Gabrielle, she passed
the time in charmed distraction between
her lover and the creatures of his imagination
For my own part, am afraid / could not
that evening have given very clear account
of all that passed ON the stage of the Odeon
Indeed, nowhere perhaps, in all the theatre
was Paoul's comedy followed with less intel
ligent attention than in the box occupied by
the author and his friends But it was the
happiest hour of my life, and the thought
which always came to me was-What won
derful thing is this Lowell 1t has lifted Raoul
out of the shadow of terror worse than death;
it has made him strong to receive with COM
posure an ovation from the elite of Paris.
remark that Partisan audiences are
not, as a rule prone to enthusiasm. But,
when the curtain fell that evening on Raours
the house fairly rose at him. A great
shout of ''Author Authorl" went up from all
parts of the theatre. Then, for the first time,
Raoul turned pale and trembled slightly.
'sIt is too much" he said, ''let us 60"
We hurried to the cloak-room, the roar of
tl,1 hoo linz in NJ
nouettes, as we learned afterward, came for
ward and assured the audience that the author
was deeply grateful for the reception they had |
given his piece, and that only the state of his |
health prevented his appearing in answer to |
their call.
When we came out of the Odeon l said:
"You have borne yourself bravely, my |
dear Raoul, but your trials are not yet ended. |
Even Moliere is not privileged to break his |
promises. You have conquered Paris, but |
you must obey me-you must still follow"
''Are we not to go back to the Rue de |
fOdeon!" said Gabrielle. What do you
meanIn
II mean that since Raoul has tonight pro-
vided so we'll for the mind, it is for me to |
provide for the bodyn-and | led the little |
party to Bignons
w nat supper tnat was! we lauSned-We
grew witty-at least some of us did-we con-
graduated one another, we basked in the
lame of our dramatist, we were eloquent,
childish, whimsical, satirical, sentimental
We uttered a thousand absurdities-apd we
we're wildly, supremely happy. But il our
ak was beaded with the bubbles of frivolitv,
Is current flowed from the deep places of the
leart. Our light words were often only the
mask of our up-welling emotion.
The honors of the evening were carried of
~ Sapinaud, who relieved his feelings in
peech OF surprising elOquence-indeed, it
vas SO ingenious, SO thrilling, so ornate, that