Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-04-26
ROMANCE OF A PLAY,

"But what put the idea into your head'"
asked the leading map Of the dramatist as
they stood together daring the rehearsal Of
new play.
The dramatist was a lady-a tall, slight
woman of perhaps so, with a striking face,
lighted by pair of large dark blue eyes,
The beauty of those eyes made people some
times fancy Mrs Clavering was beautiful,
but she was not. She was intellectual, she
was charming and sympathetic, and she
had suffered-you could see that in her
face. Perhaps, then, she was in a sense
beautiful. The leading man was inclined
to think so, and he liked very much to talk
to her. AS for her, she thought him "a
nice fellow" and admired his acting, but
that was all. She smiled at his question.
"Oh, hardly know" she said, with an
absent look in her blue eyes.
Mrs. Clavering was a novelist who had
not been very long in London, having
spent most of her life abroad. What the
| leading man alluded to was as it were,
the motif Of the piece. The hero, in the
first act, cast off his wife and left her, de-
claring he would live as he chose, she ham,
pered him, and SO on. The wife, still low
ing the man who was SO cruel to her, de-
clared he could not shake her off 81 shall
be with you," she cries, whether you will
or no! You shall hear me call to you when
the darkest hour of life comes, and if
cannot win you back to love will, at
least, keep you from crime"
In the second act the hero is about to
marry rich girl. The wedding guests ar
rive, all is ready, when suddenly he starts;
no hears his wife's voice calling to him;
he is appalled,, conscience stricken, he con-
fesses his intended crime. In the third act
matters have reached climax; the hero,
ruined socially and in purse, is about to
commit suicide; once more the warning
voice arrests him; he filings the pistol away,
and as he does SO his wife enters, and the
two are completely reconciled.
ga charming idea,' said the leading
lady to the author, shut don't you make
Margaret too forgiving?"
The stage manager came up to ask about
proposed 'cut," and the leading lady
turned away to ask the leading man wheth-
er Mrs Clavering was a widow, divorced
Or scparaleu
"I'm sure don't know" was the an
swer, and nobody else did. She lived in
apartments near one of the West Central
squares and was always welcome in the
literary and artistic circles in which she
moved, and, though 1t was generally pre-.
sumed that her husband was dead, it coult
not be recalled that she had ever said 80
and sometimes in these days it isn't wist
to be curious about peoples absent or non
est husbands. When you came to think
| 80 ;,Iood 4 would Io n IF r. tO copp
positively that Clavering was the author's
real name. Her novels were published al
by Alix Clavering, and when she came tc
London she called herself Mrs. Clavering
which might or might not be nom d.
guerre, for it was her publishers who frs
introduced her into London literary socie
ty, and it was not their business to dis
close her real name, surprising that SHE
had another name than that under which
she chose to appear.
The rehearsal was over, and Mrs. CLAW
ering went home. She had few altera
lions to make in the second and third acts
and after slight luncheon she set herself
to the task. Settleds She seemed very
restless and worked ftfully. Sometimes
for minutes together, she sat with her fact
hidden in her hands, and more than onc'
tears trickled through her fingers.
y "
''They say the piece Is likely to catcl
on" said gentleman who, in truth, wal
hacker of west end theater. He was
one of q group Of men in the smoking
room of rather bohemian club, and hi'
remark was in continuation of a desultor,
chat between himself and well known
actor manager.
Eyes" answered the other carelessly a
he knocked the ashes off his cigar. 1.-THE!
say that of so many of these matine
shows, and they're generally such rot!'
"What play is that, ii / may ask?" in
auired a man who caught the last words.
The speaker was an uncommonly hand
some man, apparently about 30 or ", bu
he had reckless look, not pleasant to see
A cautious man would think twice befor
introducing this gentleman into his home
for besides his personal good looks he hat
sweet toned voice and an attractive al
dress, and with these weapons of attacl
he could easily conquer women's hearts
breaking them afterward at his leisure.
The "backer" answered him: IA piec
written by Mrs. Clavering, the novelist
She's not prentice hand Some one &C
plays of hers have been done already"
II remember reading one of her novels
it was clever" said Mr.. Leslie. "What'
the play abouts" You noticed, when b
spoke, that his English was slightly tinge'
with foreign accent. That was natura
enough, for his life since his youth hat
been passed abroad, and he had only COM
to England about month ago.
III can't tell you-story cut of the beat
en- track, they say, again. shall be abb
to send YOU a stall if you care to go. 70,
needn't cit it out II YOU'RE too mucl
bored"
Wilmot Leslie was already favort
with the men who knew him. In this top
az turvy world it often happens that tn
least worthy people are the most attract
i i've.
"Thanks," Leslie answered, II shall b
very pleased to go. A trial matinee /
something of novelty to me, you know
One (locsnt have them abroad"
mo, thank heaven!" groaned the acto
manager, aud Leslie laughed, but hi
laugh was not mirthful. 1t would mo-
strike you that he was a happy man. Per
haps, like good many, he was trying t.
live down his conscience. Some one sug
gested cards, and move was made to TIL
cardroom. There Leslie proved "plun
GER" but he generally won, and keen oh
server of human nature might have notice,
that there was something fictitious in hi
excitement-as II he were keeping up tn
steam, as it were, to prevent his "inne
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