The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-08-15
IN The LAST ACT.
BY ROBERT l.. ADAMSON.


of their pocketbooks. AS the prosperity OF
their purses depended upon the financial
success of Miss Raybourne and her com
pany, she and the company We're under CTS
cusson. AS Charles Standard, Miss Ray
bourne's leading man, just now threatened
to affect their pocketbooks in Il way that
would cause slecpless nights to the TWO
able managers they were talking about
him in very earnest and business Like
terms.
He's been doing wrctchedly Of late"
said Mr. Smile. He hasn't the life about
him he had when we first picked him Up.
In the love scenes with Mss Raybourne
he acts mserabiy. He's lame in all the
emotional parts. In the second scene where
he meets Miss Raybourne or the first time
after their angry parting, be acts IKE
school boy. He seems to have no rntausl-
assn and goes through the act Just as #
such occurrences made up his every DAY
life. He deliberately throws away Il fine
opportunity for effective acting.
Then in the last act, the closing scene,
where the lovers happily terminate their
troubles oy becoming engaged and kissing
i'll the most approved fashion standard
acts like a stick He is awkward, stiff,
clumsy, embarrassed-he seems afraid. He
kisses Miss Raybourne like MAJ wonid
kiss his mother-ln-laW and puts his arms
around her as if she were labeled handle
with care, Or as if he thought she would
break. It's discouraging. The critics have
already picked him out as Il mark
THAT is true" assented Mr. Crisp, slow
". He had discovered Standard, young
student, full of ambition and. as he thought.
talent, and being always eager to bring out
embryonic stars, he had engaged him.
Standards first work had caught the pub
lie He worked with freshness and energy
that were inspiring He was quick to learn
and for the first few months gave Mr..
Crisp ample reason to congrat ulate himself
upon his new protcge Mr.. Crisp was slow
to admit that Standard was Il failure, but
at last the truth hecam" too evident.
Standards work menaced the success of the
play and the failure of the play meant
loss TO Mr.. Crisp. His interest in the young
actor ended when the latter ceased to be
successful or no longer promised to sue
coed. When he was thus brought to view
the matter from Il financial standpoint he
had to agree with Mr. Smile. You are
right Smile; Standard is off, badly off.
| am disappointed in him. He has not JUS
titled the cxpccta ions his first work ere
ated. thought there was something in the
fellow there mus 81 Something III. him
he did so well IT first. [ have never seen
more promising beginner. He may I'M
prove"
NO I've lost faith in him. For a while
| thought like You. that he would get bet
ter, but ali the time he steadily grew
worse.
Has Miss Raybourne ever said any
thing?'
NO; not a word l can't see why. for she
never seemed to fancy Standard-treatcd
him indiifrr&nTly from the start She is
never backward in kicking when the others
do badly, and | don't understand why she
hasn't given Standard il piece of her
mind.
Say Smile. it can't be that Miss Ray
bourne is in love with Standard? 1t would
be very natural, YOU know: both are young
Standard is handsome. Miss Rabournc has
never had serious love affair; maybe
Standards the man.
"Fiddlcsticks, Miss RAybourne is not
such a simpleton as that. Standard isn't
the sort of man she would fancy. even if
she were given to falling in love with every
handsome young man who happened to be
acting in q play with her. The best thing
we can do is to get rid of Standard'
''Ie has certainly been great disap-
pointment." said Mr.. Crisp. with the tone
of a man who was giving UP something
from which he had expected great results.
Use your Judgment
The light over the stage entrance to the
Empire theater had just tlared up on the
night after the two managers had their
talk about Standard. when the young ac
tor climbed the stairway and walked across
the stage to his dressing room He WIS in
a most unhappy frame of mind.
\ tumult was raging within his
breast. His clean-cut face bore evidences
of his unhappy mental state. He nodded
to olls' or two men. who were busy about
the stage and stepped into his dressing
room. He noted the fact that he was among
the first to arrive. He dropped into chair
to think OF late, thinking in this unhappy
IN. boJ oh nf
H. was mentally accusing himself of all
sorts of shortcomings. lie told himself ovtr
and over again that he was Il fool, silliA
fool than be thought himself capable Of
being. lie tiercely charged himself with
failure, failure in the work that had been
the center of his Hottest aspirations and
dreams. He had frittercl away a golden
opportunity to get permanent foOthold
in his profession. and stood condemned by
himself and the critics and the pubic as
rank failure. He had felt sure of succeed
ing on the stage: as earlT~ as he couid
remember it had been his ambition to be
an actor As he grew Older this ambition
became Il passion. He bent all his energies
to its accomplishment. He had spent ms
years in study and after he reached the
print when he thought himself ready to pc
gin he had experienced no end OF trouble
in finding an opportunity AL iaSt cIle
came. Manager Crisp saw him IN playing
an InSlEnlncant part Win ii h'ii" ~ i-'
pany of players and offered him q place
with Miss Raybourne's company. re had
accepted it eagerly and gone about his
work with enthusiasm. :.
1t was his opportunity: he had losf 1t.
He did not not attempt to hide the reason
from himS elf, however. obscure IT ml&ht
be TO others He felt just as confideht "l
his ability now as he had ever feit. ne
believed that had he been with any other
company his work would have been gratli%-
ing TO himself He SAW the cause OF MS
unloing in Miss Raybourne. lie had struS-
gjc1 braycly to hide his secret from her.
In her presence he had constrained himself;
he had avoided her On the stage
he was afraid to trust himself. The
result of this was his wretched
acting of which his managers had com
blamed. She had caused him to lose sight
Of his passionate pursuit of his chosen pro
fession. Tonight he felt that he had lost
his profession and soured his whole life.
He heard light step crossing the stage:
Miss Raybourne. He hastily rose and
stepped out. She came toward him smll-
ing. and holding something in her hand.
Good evening, Mr.. Standard she said
II am so tired-those stairs are
SO drea dful. Am 1 late?"
She started into her dressing room, but