The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-24

Bright Was Slte.ng in her drawing room
staring out over tho house tops. She
looked displeased. A letter lay open on
her lap, "He Is getting on very well with
cut me-" she thought sadly as she read It
again
There was a ring, and the servant an
nounced a gentleman whom Mrs. Bright
recognized as a theatrical manager Won
deriug the object of his visit, she offered
him a chair. Speedily be told her of his
presence at the matinee the day before. II
have come to offer o a position in my
company If we can como to satisfactory
terms and if you care to accept he said.
She was bewildered. alt is so sudden
she stammered.
Take until tomorrow to think it over
he suggested.
THAT is not necessary. I accept now"
Mrs. Brighthad become an actress. Her
success from the first night was assured,
and the manager congratulated himself
upon this latest acquisition to his compa-
ny. She felt that now the time had come
to tell her husband what she had done
"You did not want me to keep beard
ers, SO l have sold out the boarding house, ;
she wrote ~ did this some time ago and
took a small apartment. would have
been very unhappy and lonely without
you. only I have been studying very hard.
You will 10 doubt De amazed TO learn that
l have been studying fer the stage, out
more amazed TO learn that fer The pass
month / have been a member Of IS
company.
Il am sure you will be delighted to
ave US members of the same profession.
After all. husband and wife must have
the same interests tc te happy dent
wonder you like IL. / am quite infatuated
with it myself Always yoar devoted Ger
trade.
p ST. am o4 to the Heater now, SO
rardcr brevity. G."
Mr. Bright received this letter enc
morning or his arrival at the theater.
That afternoon found him In a sleeper
bound east; the next afternoon in his
w;fe's apartment. She was glad to see
him. but deaf to his entreaties,t to give up
what he termed her disgracefu! project.
Think of your child, MADAME he final
ly reared
"She is your child as well as mine, sir.
Certainly if the theatrical profession is
good enough for her father it is quite
gOCu Enough lOr her flOtileI.
They ate their dinner in silence. She
was absorbed in reading al evening paper
and he in watching her. She was dressed
in ''chic'' and becoming style, and h,
thought he had never seen her SO charm
ing before. SAt least she was his wife, .
with a glad feeling of possession. A spasn,
contracted his heart. ION the stage what
temptations would beset heri'' With a
Garoa rocnlv ha thnt1nbt 60 1p11ct Oot Ea1
off at any price"
remarked.
ut is rather early for you to 60"
81 suppose you want to see the perform
ance, to say nothing of seeing me act. "
There was a twinkle in her eye and a
touch of compassion, for she OWNED what
he felt.
II will go with you,' he answered
%grumpily.
He was Obliged to leave her at the stage
door. 1t was three-Quarters of al hour be.
fore the performance began, and he started
for a walk.
In no pleasant frame of mind he entered
the theater and glared at the programme
as he read his wife's name,
The orchestra stopped. and the curtain
NF0AAO ~ i v NkS g SAiSsA 80 PA3v . SSoA
tifully mounted and we'll acted. The open
ing act took place in a garden scene, Mrs.
Bright entered dressed in a costume of
white and q large white hat. She said
little, but was perfectly at ease OF the
stage. The more Mr.. Bright realized this
the more apprehensive he became
The play progressed, The next scene
was a ballroom. In 1t Mrs. Bright was
simply radiant. She had been almost
prudish In the old days, but now her beau
tiful shoulders were exposed to an extent
which her husband denounced as yulgariy
indecent. A betrothal between the hand
some leading man and Mrs. Bright was
sealed with a kiss,
This was too much. Heartsick, he
looked at his wife in the arms of the lead
ing man, shamelessly nesting her head on
his shoulder with a movement he had
seen her make a thousand times.
He rushed out of the thcater and back
to the stage door, where he awaited the
appearance of Mrs Bright.
Several days passed. and Mr. Bright
made no move to return to the Gaiety
mpa At the end of a week he re.
ceived a telegram from the manager Of
the compan stating that unless he re-
turned at once they must get some one
else.
That decided him, and with the telegram
in his hand he confronted his wife. Ger
trude. do you intend to keep this up?' he
demanded roughly.
Keep what upf"
Keep on acting2"
"Why shouldn't II"
because 1 don't want you to-because
it is driving me mad to think of my wife
on the stage. Where is our sweet domes-
tic characterP You used to love your
home. Oh, Gertrude, it is impossible for
me to CONSENT I cannos, and will nott'
Theatrical seasons end about the same
time. l shall always try to be home when
you are"
sit isn't that. 1t is death to our domes-
tic happiness. l know it, and"-
THAT is what l always told you. What
sort of domestic happiness did we have
before l went ON the stagei All, no.
George, there Is but one thing for US to
do-either we must both have nothing to
DO with the stage, or else we both must
belong to it
Read that. :" thrusting the telegram in
her hands.
How funnyr' she nuttered dreamily.
sWhat's fGnny?'