San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-02-15
CHAPTER V.
erton's.

During the three weeks which elapsed be
tween the two expeditions Of the Sunday
League" Kendall saw Miss Bretherton two or
three times under varying circumstances
One night he took 1t into his head to so to
the pit OF tho Calliope, and came away more
persuaded than before that as an actress there
was small prospect for her Had she been
an ordinary mortal, he thought, the original
stuff in her might have been disciplined into
something really valuable by tho common
give and take, the normal rubs and Difficult
ties Of her profession. But rs ii was she had
been lifted at once by the force Of one
natural endowment into q position which,
from the tistic point of view, seemed to
him hopeless. Her instantaneous success -
dcpen ,ent as it was on considerations wholly
outside those Of dramatic art-had denied
her all the advantages which are to be won
from struggle and from laborious and grad
ual conquest. And more than this, it bad
deprived her Of an ideal; it had tended to
make her take her own performance as the
measure Of the good and possible For,
naturally, it was too much to expect that she
herself should analyze truly the sources and
reasons of her popularity. She must inevita-
bly, believe that some, at least, Of it was due
to her dramatic talent in itself 1T is very
possible that am not quite fair to her. She
uas all the faults which repel me most
could get over anything but this impression
of bare blank ignorance which she makes
upon me. And as things are at present, it is
lmpossi BILE that she should learn. 1t might
he interesting to have the teaching Of
her! But it could only be done by some one
with whom she came naturally into frequent
contact. Nobody could thrust himself in
upon her And she seems to know very few
people who could be of any use to her"
On another occasion he came across her in
the afternoon at Mrs. Stuart's The CONVEX
sation turned upon his sister, Mime. de Cha
Leauvieux, for whom Mrs. Stuart had q
warln but very respectful admiration. They
nad met two or three times in London, and
lime. de Chateauvieux S personal distinction,
ler refinement her information, her sweet
urbanity of manner, had made great i'm
preston upon the lively little woman, who,
from the lower level Of her own more com
mouplace and conventional success in society,
felt an awe struck sympathy for anything so
rare, so unlike the ordinary type Her init
macy with Miss Bretherton had not gone far
before tho subject of Mr. Kendal's interest
ing sister" had been introduced, and en- this
,articular afternoon, as Kendall entered her
,lrawing room, his ear was caught at once by
the sound of Mares name. Miss Bretherton
lrew him impuIslvely int tie conversation,
md he found himself describing his sisters
node of life, her interests, her world, her be,
.ongiugs, with a readiness such as he was not
very apt to show in the public discussion of
ny subject connected with himself But
II
ing eyes and sweet pLrted lips, and that
train Of romance in her which made her
20 quickly responsive to anything which
OuCLed her imagination, were not easy TO
resist. She was delightful to his eye and
sense, and he was as conscious as be had ever
been Of her delicate personal charm Re-