The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-26

- er 10 Iiie ieao-
ing lady, and
groaned, but neither looks nor groans
would mend matters. 1t was crisis
a terrible crisis; ''new romantic mod
ern play" by a well-known author, was
on the eve of production at the chief
theater Of a large provincial town.
Everything was ready; the mayor and
the lord lieutenant. and two or three
other big wigs" were coming; and
now two days before the eventful even
ing, the leading man was seized with
sudden illness. This news came just as
the company had met for rehearsal,
at six p n. The manager knew it was
useless telegraphing the agents in Lon
don. There would be no one at the Of
fees at this time. He wired to three or
four men he thought of or who were
suggested to him-prc-paying replies.
He got two answers-''Too short no
tice,' and Cant come-engaged:" and
now, eight p. m, he and the author and
the leading lady sat in the managers
den, trying to devise some means OF
surrounding the difficulty.
Miss Beryl Werner. the heroine Of the
play, was a beautiful woman, tall,
slight and graceful, with large, pathet-
ic, dark eyes, that told. to a keen OBJ
server, a tale of mental suffering;
but, whatever that suffering was,
she kept her own counsel She was an
actress of rare gifts. woman Of blame
less life; and even in the theater, that
hotbed of scandal and petty jealousy,
everyone liked her; for she gave her
self no airs and graces; The was gener-
Gus on the stage and OFT it. Whether
wife or widow, no one knew; she wore
a wedding ring, but she never spoke of
her past life, or of herself at all; to all
suitors she turned deaf ear. She had
not been more than four years on the
stage, but she was a born actress, and,
as she had beauty as well as talent, it
was not very surprising that this was
her second leading engagement.
"You have sent to see if there Is any
one in the town?' she inquired of the
manager.
eyes; l couldn't hear of anyone, ex-
cept fellow who couldn't touch the
part-wouldn't be able to study it in
A day to get up such part and play it
without rehearsal! Gillian offered to
play it, but fancy him! With his dumpy
figure in the big love scene with you,
Miss Verner-the audience would guy"
WELL said Beryl Werner, "the only
thing can think of is this: for you to
try and get some one in the town; it's
no use our going on with rehearsal now,
is it? But if some one turns up, set him
to study at once-especially the scenes
with me, because they are the most i'm
portant-and send him up to me as early
as eight o'clock, if he likes. Then we
can run through the big scene, at any
rate, and be can have all the rest of the
day for study; and if there's time to
give him an idea of the positions, tant
auteug; if not, he must do without.
What do you say, Mr.. Weldon?" to the
author.
There was nothing else to be done.
Author and manager thanked Miss
Werner for her help, and the trio dis
persed.
At ten o'clock that night Beryl heard
a loud knock at the street door of the
house where she lodged; minute later
the manager of the Theatre Royal
rushed excitedly upstairs. and entered
her sitting-room.
1--WE are saved!'' he exclaimed. "Such
luck-we've got a man for the part
Gerard Langton-there, my dear!''
Gerard Langton!'
The actress had started to her feet to
meet the manager; she uttered the
name under her breath. Tom Wilson
hurried on, too much excited to notice
the involuntary interruption.
Il dropped across him at the Queens
hotel; he had just arrived. You've seen
him, of course! Ever played with him?
He's the man for the part-power-
emotion-splendid stage face and figure
awful quick study. He came TO the
rescue-he's got the part-he1l study
all night and come to you about ten to-
morrow for your scene"
Il am very glad" Beryl said. eyes,
Gerard Langton is just the man for the
part; he Will play it much better than
Gwynne could have done!'
But when she was alone she fell on
her knees and covered her face, trem-
bling. sobbing.
Gerard" she whispered, latter five
long wears are we to meet like this?
Would you have undertaken this If you
had known who Beryl Werner was?
And how can 1 go through with it?
l must l am only the actress now
not the woman. And he will not care.
That knowledge will give me strength"
She had no sleep that night but she
was outwardly self-possessed the next
morning when she sat awaiting her
visitor. Yet she clenched her hands for
a moment over her heart at the sound
of knock at the outer door and held
her breath as she heard a well-remem
bered step without The room door
opened.
.'Mr. Langton," said the servant. and
tall, handsome man of about thirty
came in. Beryl, who had averted her
face lest the visitor should betray any
surprise before the servant, turned as
the door closed. and Langton started
violently, and fell back step, flushing
to his brow.
"Bervlr' he muttered, hoarsely,
'Berylr' and his dark head was bent in
shame, his breast heaved He stood be-
lore her like culprit-and culprit he
was; rivers of wrong flowed between
them-wrong of his doing, not hers;
vet she looked at him with passion of
love and anguish in her daEk eyes,
which he could not see, for his were
downcast, She broke the painful ST.
lence