The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-17
The players stood around him. o flush

:
"It's CO."
"a hit"
went swimmingly. Every line told
/ never played to warmer house."
Words like these and the persistent
applause followed him down the mar
row passage to the street. He wanted
to feel alone for n little while the rap
ture of triumph. They lied who said
that hope was fallacy, life n failure
The world had widened and grown so
fair. The years teemed with rosy pos
sibilities, mystic, reckoning. His heart
was full with q rush of joy.
1t seemed to him there never was Il
fairer night than this, which marked the
first important ascent in his life. Frost
glittered on the pavements like pale
dust. The rays of the moon blanched
window panes into squares of pearl and
sketched the outlines of chimneys and
doorposts in fanciful black angles.
AS he strobe along his blood tingled
in the seductive confusion of dream
where passion and triumph walked hand
in hand. Virginia-he loved her so! She
was so necessary to him. He would make
up for all she suffered now. All, would
h0 lOts IL MOuld DO bNGSU W lttNloIl
upon her the dainties and elegancies that
all women love. She should have done
with pinching and worry in that happy
time.
Wonderful visions these, which Tom
saw revealed in the moonlight Stain
less, they buoyed his spirit and beckoned
him on.
When he reached the theater, the sec
ond act was over. He felt little tired.
and his breath came fast, yet in his en-
altation he was scarcely conscious of
having walked.
At the box Office the manager stood
chatting with some friends. A low,
thick laugh gurgled from his lips; his
face was radiant. Everything about
him told of n crowded house and big box
Office receipts. He saw Tom and beck
oned to him.
"Shy, are your" he asked, with a roll
licking wag of his head, an expanding
wave of his white hands
He was large man, red faced, pale
haired, one who had always genuine
welcome for himself, and whose every
action was climatic. If he were only
offering n cigarette, he plunged into his
pocket with an air of mystery and
brought forth triumphant surprise.
You stole away from us all after
making the biggest hit I've seen in Is
years. Come, come, that will never do.
You want to pull yourself together,
youngster, and get cheeky, for you'll
have to face the crowd by and by"
Face the crowd? You don't mean
.sNoc I do rrbo,,,11 n,1l 20, ,,o,, rrl,a.,
you'll go out with pretty speech, and
all the girls will fall in love with you
The last is most important, by the way
1t will bring crowded matinees. The
women keep the theaters going, just as
they elect the presidents. They're the
ones you want to please. You'll please
'em. my boy; you'll please en-
He laughed knowingly, his friends
joining. Then his face grew suddenly
sharp and serious, something hawklike
chasing the lazy good humor from his
expression.
Here's Delatole. Be nice to him,
and he'll make your fortune doubly
sure. heard him asking for you n min
ute ago."
"Delatole3 The critic on The Chal-
lengef'
The same. See here, Murray. A lit
tie flattery goes long way with him.
If he likes you personally, the dictionary
doesn't hold words strong enough for
his praise. If he doesn't, lie can do the
wet blanket business in the most ex-
quisite diction you ever read Ask him
to supper. Cultivate him. He's a bit
of a schemer, two faced as they make
EN-, and / wouldn't trust him around
the cofner-no, not around the corner.
All, Delatole, how are you! You're the
very man we want to see," he cried as
the newcomer strolled up to them.
What do you think of the play? Some
of you fellows would rather roast us
than do the other thing any day. But
you'll DO us justice. AS l Was just say
ing to Murray, he can rely on you for
fair play"
The lie was spoken with impressive
earnestness, suggesting deeply rooted,
long tried confidence, but was accom-
panied by thumb thrust that left an
aching memory in the region of Toms
ribs.
He moved from the thumbs vicinity
and found Delatole critically examining
him.
So this was Delatole, the feared, the
brilliant, the applauded. The very chill
dren were familiar with his name. Es-
says, poems, reviews, had trickled from
his untiring pen in crystalline phrases,
the pattering music of a mandolin in their
light swing. He had been pioneer in re-
forms in the political, social and ethical
centers of the country. But he was best
known as dramatic critic, a mechanic
of verbal eccentricities that surprised