San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-31

pea;ed 10 on the SUBJECT, SAID Jney-Mr
Whitman and the rest of them-were
wealthy and well connected, and that it
was desirable for lady connected with
the stage to cultivate their acquaintance.
"A little social relaxation is an excel
lent thing for you, my dear mademoi-
selle," declared this worthy lady, land
capital way to get rid of that little
frigidity and stiffness you have brought
with you from the country. Ladies con-
nected with the stage have to work hard,
but, en- revanche, they are allowed more
freedom in social intercourse than other
people. 1t will be quite proper for you
to let Mr.. Whitman drive You home
from rehearsal in his brougham if l am
along, or even without me at a pinch.
All the others do it. You will not let
him take any liberties, of course; but
don't betray any timidity; he wouldn't
understand it."
sit is one thing for me to do as like"
replied mademoiselle, land another thing
for me to let other people do as they like.
don't mean to be stiff, but there is no
reason why should be bothered either"
at will be no bother when you are
used to it," Mrs. BeInax replied; but at
the time she did not advocate her view
any farther.
The finishing touches were being put
to the theatre, and Godfrey Bellingham
was constantly on hand to oversee the
work; consequently he and the prima
donna must needs meet occasionally. He
said very little to her, and was generally
very busy when she might have entered
into conversation with him; but she had
an impression that he kept his eyes upon
her often when she was not looking at
him; and his appearance at the theatre
was generally ,coincident with the hour
of her rehearsais. One day after she
had been singing a grand scene very eff
fectively she happened to catch his eye
in the stage box, where he stood leaning
against the curtained partition, abstract
edly knotting and unknotting piece of
tape. His gaze was SO earnest, and at
the same time so melancholy, that the
prima donna, obeying an impulse that
was partly curiosity, but partly some
thing else, went round to the box when
the scene was over, and met him as he
was coming out.
"Eow unhappy you looked" she said
Was anything wrong!"
He stared at her for moment, and
said ironically, 'Oh, you're great
artister
81 mean to be" she answered smiling.
"a great actress, too! | should like
to see you when you are yourself"
Il am myself now," replied Mile.
Mariana. Then she remembered that
she was not telling the whole truth,
and blushed and looked down.
Then you must be u remarkable
woman! But you probably don't know
that you always appear to me like a
fresh and innocent American girl.
can't see anything foreign or-stasey in
your talk or manners. Extremes meet,
suppose, and, like Paul. you are all
things to all men"
This speech made the young diva feel
that the world was very wide and very
cruel, and tears came into her eyes.
She was alone: there was no one TO an
swer for her or to protect her. She
would not have minded so much what
most people thought of her, but it would
have been great comfort to her if this
man, at any rate, had by some divine
faculty of vision been able to see through
the disguise that yelled her from the
rest of the world. He did see through
it; but he did not believe what he saw.
He thought that his discovery was her
deception, and the more she was frank
and simple, the more she was her real
self, the less would he believe in her.
It was dilemma between intuition and
reason; and, with a man of the world,
reason, in such cases, is apt to have the
best of it,.
It would have been easy for the prima
donna to nave enlightened him, and I'M
der certain circumstances she might
have been tempted to do so. Bat now
it was matter of pride to her, if moth
ing else, TO say no word that could lead
him to infer that his sympathy was any
thing to her one way or the other. But
she was at liberty to resent an insult,
and she felt that TO do so would help her
to preserve her composure.
"You PROBABLY don't know, SIR" she
said, initiating his phrase, that to call
even an opera singer the extreme Oppo-
site of fresh and innocent is not polite.
am not so contemplate a thing to all
men as | seem to be to your
1T was brutal thing to say, and !
did not mean it," he replied in low