Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-04-22

70 iuyseu, perhaps a scene Tor some future
cCmedy!n
sent out for breakfast-two rolls of bread
and half-bottle of Macon-and remained al
the afternoon beside Raoul, watching. About
O'Clock he began to stir uneasily. then opened
his eyes and, seeing me seated by his bedside
stretched out his hand and smiled. felt in
expressibly relieved
"What is wrong with you, my dear Raoulr
said; ''are you unwellr'
''No, No! Only have had bad dream
the worst dream ever hadr' He passed his
hand over his eyes. "But am awake now
thank God! Have slept long, Paul!'
IAN eternity! l thought you would never
waken! Do you know, Raoul, you have fin
ished the morphia that was in the vialg'
FINISHED its l don't seem to remember
Tell me, was l late last night!"
pierre says you did not return until afte,
two. was asleep when You came in."
Raoul started and looked at me strangely
"How cold it is in this room!n he said; ''see
how l shiver!" And indeed the hand which
he stretched out to me was trembling; when
l touched it, however, found it quite hot.
"You are feverish, my dear fellow" 1 said
to him. 'This comes of infrequent dining.
Now, this is what l shall do. l shall spend
our two remaining francs on something re-
sembling a dnner-oh vesi | have had
breakfast; shan't want to dine till to-mor.
row, or the day afterl By that time, nc
doubt, l shall have captured somehow that
shyest of all creatures, the five-franc piece.
There must be some one still from whom ]
can borrow"
In spite of Raoufs protests, 1 had some
food and half-bottle Of wine brought from
the restaurant over the way. He felt better
after this; the headache of which he had CON-
planned left him; and he soon began to laugh
and talk in his usual manner. But he still
complained OF feeling weak, and persuaded
him to remain all day in bed
"Let us begin at the English book, how
ever" he said; ''fOr us time is money, as the
English say"
mo, no! We need not begin at that,
Raoul! You may say good-by to your trans
lating. The days Of your bondage are over
you will never translate again"
What in Heavens name do you mean!'
"Open and read!" cried, giving him the
letter. "Here is money, fame-everything!
And it has not come a day too soon."
Raoul took the letter; when he saw the
words 'Odeon Theatre" his face became a
shade paler, but his hand was wonderfully
steady.
''You are rushing to conclusions, Paul" he
said; ''this letter is evidently from the admin
istration of the Odeon, but it may not"
''it can mean only one thing-that the
comedy is accepted Open it at once, for
Worstthough q IL %i sa1E Il iset the % best f'f
am sure of it"
I ~, La
he took it more quietly, / knew he was quite
as anxious as myself. | watched him rs he
read; his glance seemed to fly along the lines;
a look of satisfaction, almost exultation,
came over his face, and saw that the good
news had come. Raoul clasped my hand.
''You were right" he said; 1.-The comedy is
accepted Readr'-then sank back nerve
lessly on his pillow.
This was the letter:
ODEoN THEATRE, Dec. a, 1856.
"MoNsIEUR: La the name of the adninistra-
tion of the Odeon theatre, l have the honor
to inform you that your comedy, 1.-The Gold
of Toulouse" has been accepted for early
representation at the Odeon.
''In my own name, Monsieur, allow me to
congratulate you on your work. 1t Is more
than amusing: it is brilliant. This is the
opinion also of my colleagues who have read
it. | desire, Monsieur, to make your ac-
quaintance, and request you to favor me by
visit on an early day.
ssYour comedy will be sent almost imme-
diately to rehearsal, and will be put on the
stase after the withdrawal of NJ. Victor's
piece, "The Hunting Party" 1 shall have
the honor of intiInating to you ere long the
day on which you will be requested to send
your comedy before the artists to whom the
parts will be allotted.
81 subscribe myself, Monsieur, with every
assurance of esteem, your very humble, very
obedlent servant,
'.DEsNOUETTEs, Manager"
shall not try to describe our proceedings
during the next quarter of an hour-or rather
l should say my proceedings, for Raoul lay in
bed laughing, while 1 waltzed round the
room, hurled the English book into corner,
read the letter aloud with comments, waved
it triumphantly aloft, and performed other
absurdities; l was, indeed, overjoyed Raoul
was going to be a great man!-he would
rival Scribe, Angler, Sardou, those giants of
the stage-he would make his way into the
charmed circle of the Comedie Francaisei I
said all this, which made him laugh more
than ever. He begged me TO SIT uv'--, hnfnre
Pierre came up stairs to see which Oh US nsao
gone mad.
''But you are satisfied ?" 1 said to him, sink
ing at last, out of breath, into a chair
"Does that letter not fatter you sufficientlya"
''Satisfied-I tell you, Paul, this is wonder
full 1t is one of those things which happen
once in half century. Now that it has hap
pened, begin to wonder how l could ever
have imagined it possible!"
''Yo1 must go to NJ. Desnouettes to-mor-
row! You must"
"Ask him for loan, eh %
"And why not He might have advanced
you few napOleons; it is the only omission
notice in his otherwise admirable letter.
Money we must have. Who, after this, could
go on translating English!'
81 am not going to borrow from NJ. Des-
nouettes."
"Verygood; there is another way Give
me the letter, and l will turn it into money.
Times will change in the Quarter before a
man with a comedy accepted by the Odeon
needs to starve!"
'sBy all means take the letter and get the
money if you can. And now, like good
fellow, give he pen and paper l have three
lines to write-you can guess to whom"
''Of course. It's a pity we can't spare her
the letter, is it not.n
II will tell her the good news. How it will
rejoice herI Last night, after | left you,
Paul, saw her. We talked CT this very
thing, of the comedy. Like you, Gabrielle
never lost faith in it. She has prayed to the
Virgin every night that it might be ac-
cepted."
''Well, it has been, anyhow. Here are the
pen and paper. Wait one moment while
put some water in this ink; it is almost
dry"
Just then there came knock at the door.
It was Pierre who entered.
.sIt is the coat of NJ. Girard," he said;
''Nannette bids NE say that she has done her