The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-05-13
ARELUcTANT AyESGER.

ettes. Florina Marsden did many
things of which we, in spite of our
admiration for her. disapproved; but
asfmembefs of her profession, we
were not called upon to be critical,
she said.
Her very audacity was her chief
charm to most. She rode we'll,
walked well, danced like a Spaniard,
sang maguificcntly, and took the
stage as if she were entering her
own drawing room.
Decidedly the critics We're only
among her fellow actors. Society
raved about her-but she cared lit
tie for society. She drew the larg-
est salary ever paid to burlesquc
actress by the managers of the Hol-
~ Street Theatre.
Ilrannot describe her. She inn
pressed one;as Strange combina-
ton of almost masculine strength
and womanly' sweetness. To see
her stride into the grecn-room with
her nonchalant air and iaunty wave
of the hand, with her red lips closed
over the inevitable cigarette, and a
dimple lurking roguishly in her
cheek, repelling the attention we
men involuntarily rendered, was de-
licious. Only we sometimes felt a
pang to see how persistc ntly she de-
clined to ascend the pedestal on
which we were fain To place her.
We were all shall fellows wei! met, /"
TO her. Many suffered hcartache
on her account, but she was all un-
conscious.
Her manner TO men was occasion
ally condemned as too fee and un-
conventional. She would clap a
nan on the shoulder and send a
hearty "lla! hal through the room
at some joke ut their expense; she
would request tho loan of fiver;
and offer her cigar case as naturally
rs any fellow in our company. So
it was that VIC, in the theatre, conld
not forbear our criticisms, which she
could i'll brook
Who she w:.a, where she came
from, no one knew. The Inanager
had picked her up somewhere, some
believed in America, but she was
rotan American. She spoke several
different langnages, and had been ali
over the world. On, we men would
have done anything for our leading
lady in those days.
1t was in November that the
managers rut on new play, and a
new member joined the company.
~ handsome man lie was, and he
soon became general favorite. He
was cast for Il leading part, and di-
vided the honors with Florina Mars
den. Whether sort ofprofessional
jealousy existed between our lead
ing lady and the new comor, or
whether it was just an instructive
antipathy which possessed them, no
one knew; but certain it was that a
slight animosity sprang up between
them which none understood, and
was soon apparently overcome.
From the start Florina cvinccd
an unusual interest in Harold Hart.
wick. | was beside her the first day
of his appearance at rehearsal. We
were staining at the wings, and
Hartwicis had just come on the
stage, with his easy speech and
careless bearing, which won for him
u round OF applause from the on
lockers.
Florina, without seeing his face,
cried "bravol' with aquiet, enthusi-
astic clasp. of her hands, all a true
artists love of real genius kindling
in her eyes.
Hartwick bowed his acknowledg.
ments with easy grace, and wheel
ing, walked to the back of the stage.
| was watching Florinn as she
caught sight of his face. She knew
my eyes were upon her, but she
quivered suddenly from head TO foot
as if shock had been felt. She
rallied Immediately, aud walked on
to the stage rs she received her cue,
and almost thought l must have
been deceived, SO perfectly was she
herself again.
nartwick admired her, we all
knew that She wore his flowers
invariably in the second act, on her
dress coat, in the duel scene, when
she and Hartwick shared the
honors.
Some way conceived the idea
that they had known each other be-
fore. Her manner to him differed
from her manner to the other men.
She never jested with him; she never