Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-05


serted streets are gay again, the shops
sWarming once more, and the theaters
alive with Overlooking audiences.
A new star has opened an engagement
at one of the most fashionable EheaUerss
Miss Alice Vanss late OF San Francisco
whose name has been before the public on
white and yellow posters for the last two or
three weeks.
She is to play Pauline. in the weH-known
Lady of Lyons and although Page Car
rOI has yaWned over its five acts forty times
at least in his life, yet here he finds hime
self tonight. with a friend at his elbow.
waiting to pass his lazy, dispafaglng YER
dict with the rest upon Miss Alice Yane-
Truth TO say Carol goes any WheEe ana
everywhere now. in pure recklessnesss AMI
in vain struggle to escape from the neces-
sity of self-cOmmuniOn.
He never thinks Of Alice Berkeley any
more. He only feels her in his heart all
the time, night and day-a living and ever
present pain which viii not sink TO Sleep
though mis- whole life now seems one 6X-
pertinent at nareOtizing the sting.
The curtain rises. Pauline is seated at
the table, bending over the flowers. Pauline
has soft. dark hair-nO blonde abOmlnat10n
in the way Of a WIg-and sOtC gray eyes that
sweep the house with a glance, and a lace
so perfect that, in all the world, Page Car
rOl has never seen its Ikeness-neVer, since
he saw it last upon the HOlmesviue beach.
For this WOman-this actress who, by his
own verdict, has lost all right to a holieI
name-this star Alice Fane' is Alice
Berkeley, whom Carol loves.
The shock of it sickens the man to his
very soul The whole house swims. and
the binding lights reel round. He leans
back in his corner of the upper box, and
shades his face with his hand to shut out
the glare and the sight of her.
But he cannot shut out her VOice-higheE
and clearer than he had known it, but still
the same, it rings through the house, car
Tying Pauline's light words and mock1ng
laugh to the end OF the scene in triumph,
She has a storm OF applause at It's close.
She steps from the wing and courtes1es her
acknowledgements, sweetly and smilinglys
Obeying that call" whose every note falls
on Pages ears like a burning insult to her
Womanhoo and to his love.
And this is the secret-this is the mystery
Of Miss Berkeley's lifei She is an actress
the woman whom he WOrships is only a
thousand other mems cheaply bought ideal.
for the sight of whose beauty he, like the
rest, has paid his fee tonight.
He leaves the box and PAGES the lobby to
and fro, half determined to leave the house
before the curtain shall rise again, and
still unable to tear himself away.
He hears the calling comments OF the
men around him upon her face, her figure,
her voice; hears her talent criticised, her
success gagged, her name tossed from
mouth to mouth, until his blood bOIls with
impOtent wrath and misery.
The curtain rises once more. The piece
drags on, and the actors mouth their parts.
Alice Vane sweeps out among them again,
and he stands riYeted to the spot, drinking
in the sound and sight Of her as madly as
ever before.
She is beautiful, but her face has wild,
worn look in it tonight. Her eyes glance
restlessly, and a little nervous trick Of the
hands that he remembers betrays her.
/ Through all the business" Of her part he
! sees her scan the circle of the house con-
! tinuallY, and the color comes and goes
! through the film Of stage powder as her
! eyes flash round.
Has She seen him? Something makes
| Carol step forward into the front of the
/ box again and lean over, looking steadl!y
| down at her. There must be magnetIs IN
] his eyes. for her voice falters little
/ her hands twist together once more
! restIesssly, and she grows nervous, un-
certain. She stops short, and casts a wild,
! implOring look about the stage, as if seek
/ ing and Observation-Disclosures?
! One quick glance upward and she knows!
She meets her lovers eyes IN flash OF
! swift recognition. Pauline drops out Of be-
! ing and is gone. and Alice Berkeley. with
| faint, bitter cry of exceeding love and
shame falls fainting behind the. footlights.
Il feel quite we'll to-day. mother. am
| so glad everything is settled. Poor mOtherl
/ you have had so much trouble with all this
/ but we shall have a long, long rest now
! sha'n't we, dear?"
! Alice stretches out a hand from the sofa
! where she lies. and clasps her mothers s.
/ The little hand has grown thin, and her
/ face is pale; the fires Of fever, burnt out now
/ have wasted it sorely for month past.
/ 4 hope shall see you rest, Alice. Thank
| God for anything. almost, that takes you
| away from those theaters!"
Has Alice left them, then, fOreyer2 Verify
/ yesI
! The star" rose and set upon New York
! just one brief night. When Pauline sank
! upon the stage, the soul Of the actress
] passed out, never to reanimat6 the woman
| more. Where the real love d ad breathed
! the mimic passion could find no more ut
| terance for ever, and Alice Vane's fare
! we'll" was taken in that pjteOus little cry
/ And then the engagements" were Cancelled
| and all the wardrobe put away, and Miss
| Berkeley and her mother made really tx
/ withdraw from the world to a quiet little
| corner where they would live so simply an(
/ so plainly that there should be no mystery
| any more about the beautiful actress.
! 1t was all quite settled and the prepare
! tiOns made, and nobody knew where they
! were going least of all Page Carol, VINO
/ had called every day since the illness OF
/ the star" and who at this very minute was
| sending up his name to Mrs. Berkeley
| Alice had never meant to see him. She
| had put him quite away from her life, anC
! told herself twenty times a day that tina
/ foolish, hopeless passion must StarVe t
/ death-that it was dying fast already. Blu
| mother, wiser than the child, read matters
] differently. When she left the room to SET
Page Carol her mind was half made up
| and ten minutes later, when Alice turne
/ her head listlessly at the opening Of The
/ door, it was to see the face that she dreaded
! and yearned for more than all else taat thu
wide world held.
4 ought to have told you before a
/ HOImesvills," she is whispering, with hel
! shamed face hidden from her eager, ask
/ ing eyes; only it was so hard, you know,
! with a sad little culver in her voice. "YOJ
/ did not believe thai an actress could be
/ Alice, for Gods sake, dOn'tremind me o
| that-that miserable bigOtry OF mine, Page
/ begins hOtly.
She smiles. but it is a pitifuI smiI,
/ enough
But you felt so. I overheard you. yoJ
know. Do you remember that day when
/ passed you in the wood? After heard that
I couldn't tell you. wanted TO keep you
/ respect. even if [ claimed it on such poor
| false pretenses, and I never meant to SET
] you again-n6verl"
And do you suppose" he cries. tina
/ anything could have changed my love FOL
| you. then2"
I don't know how-how that might have