Evening journal., 1891-02-07
CHOICE OF AN ACTRESS

Being at foundation a womanly wo
man, she always expected to marry.
say expected, instead of hoped, because
she had constantly too many admirers
to doubt her opportunities-to her mind
it was simply a question Of meeting the
right one.
She felt sure that when the right man
came she would be willing to give III
everything for him; indeed, she contem.
plated with certain serene satisfaction
the coming of q time when her triumphs
and ambitions and fame and freedom
would be exchanged for the proud servi-
tude Of wifehood.
Still she wasn't in n hurry to meet the
right man. He would come when he
did come-and when he did come il
couldn't be helped and she would be
glad. Upon various occasions she had
thought him come.
Upon these occasions she had expert
enced q distinct sensation Of fretfulness.
She had conscientiously given the adj
mirer q fair chance to prove himself the
right man, but had always been down
right glad when he had failed to do 80.
The admirer always made some mistake
fatal to his interests.
Perhaps he lost his head, and went
down on his knees; that always immedi-
ately settled it. She was much too proud
and too humble a woman to be willing
to marry man who went down on his
knees about it.
Or he lost his head, and threatened to
shoot himself. or drink himself to death,
or jump in the bay.
Now and then she was moved with re-
gret at the storm which she had raised,
and expostulated in a kindly fashion
with her victim, but more often she
shrugged her white shoulders, saying, if
not 10 the man. at least to herself, that
the man who was foolish enough to want
TO shoot himself because a woman did
not love him, had better shoot himself.
Some men were doggedly meek-of
these she was a bit afraid-yet SO far
these meek, dogged wooers had presently
developed into bores, which, she felt,
lessened the danger ! say danger, be
cause she regarded the possibility Of
marrying any man but the right man a
danger.
Sooner OF later, in the course of every
admirers attention she made stanch
effort TO dismiss OF escape him.
She argued to herself that escape from
the right man would be impossible, and
that escape from any other was TO be re-
garded as wisdom, and hailed as good
fortune.
She never went ont Of her way to at
tract men--in the first place she had ne
need to, and besides she really did not
care 70 increase the chances Of coming
across this more OF less 20 be dreaded
right man
She kept pretty closely to her work,
enjoyed the foothghts, spent her money
freely, rejoiced in her independence, and
Thought herself a lucky girl.
Of course she had admirers. She con
sidered that a natural result Of her posi-
tion, profession, sex and attractions
She permitted men who loved her Ger
tain privileges-they might kiss her
hand, come to the theatre and see her
play, and give her flowers and feel mis-
erable about her.
ANY one Of them, she realized, might
develop into the right man, so she treat
ed them all conscientiously. She never
misled them or led them on, and since
she was frank with them and never dis
courteous, she felt she had right to be
oxacting about their manners, and she
always was.
Upon the three or four occasions when
a mans devotion had stirred in her q
certain degree of interest she had rigidly
demanded time TO find out and TO make
up her mind.
To find out meant 10 satisfy hersel!
that the man In question and the fright
man" were Of one identity To make
up her mind meant to decide whether,
right man or not, she would have himl
The candidate having always failed tc
stand this test, she had. directly she was
SO assured. dismissed him promptly and
gently
BY what subtle sign Of authority she
would recognize the right man she did
not know. He would be big, she was
sure Of that, and very gentle: he would
meet her mentally, understand her
satisfy her morally and tenderly, master
her physically.
lie would be above all her little 'arts'
and caprices. but he would admire them
he would be too dignifed to 60 down OF
his knees from not being able to help it
yet quite fond enough Of her to do it
/ Iov l,ar r.art pl,a vr-,,slE ,,s,.ar- ,.rssl -
and she would be very meek and gentle
and obedient, and glad to be so; but
but, meanwhile she was free, and Of tha'
She was glad, too.
Really, her life was delightful; sh,
lifted her white arms into her pretty
lace wrapper and laughed to herself a
she settled for her little rest before re
firing. Her parlor was warm, and thu
light softened by colOred shades; a bit O
sandalwood among the logs sent n spic,
fragrance out with the heat, she rubbe,
her head among the cushions and laughed
| again TO herself.
It was % notion of her own, this hal
hour rest before retiring, For the sak'
y it she usually came home at once from
the theatre
Going out to suppers and sitting VI
and drinking wine was stupid. beside
such "a course would soon spoil her goo,
looks. A warm, all-by-hersef half hon
IN her own pretty room. with the crack
ling Of her fire for con pany and her mill
punch and biscuit for refreshment. wer
much nicer.
Il was nice to feel that the colnfor