New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-29
CHAPTER XLVIr.

Miss Coney's plain speech and tho embarrass-
ment she felt during Clarke Ewing's call had
the effect u making Evelyn restless at Mrs.
! Lcarys. She had many privileges In the house
| that she could not have secured at other board
ing houses. and she hated 10 wound Mrs. Lcary :
feelings by leaving. For the pre- sent least she
decided to content herself In her humble quar-
tors: but after the third week OF Deception"
she heard definitely that the po,'e would be kept
on until February. and If the business continued
to be satisfactory. even later II was the inten-
| tion Of tho management 10 force the run in New
| York 80 that the piece might take the road with
the prestige 81 great metropolitan success.
This. It thought. would more than compcn-
safe for the expense 81 the New-York theatre
where saunderson had to share sixty per cent OF
the receipts with the proprctors instead Of the
usual forty per cent for theatres out Of New
York. The new plans gave Evelyn n reason in
favor OF a departure 10 more arstocratic realms:
It was strengthened. moreover by an announce
ment made 10 Evelyn by Madge Guernsey that
Belle Livingston wanted to let the Nat in Seven
ty-hrst-st. which she and her mother were occu-
plying; Belle was just about 10 60 on the road
and her mother was 10 spend the winter with
friends In South Carolina; they had been unable
to let the fiat. and they felt desperate about il
that they would rent 1t by the month IL they
could. Belle had urged Madge to take IT, and
Madge urged Evelyn to keep house there with
her. II would be awfuly cheap. and the fiat was
just pretty 1t could be: Belle Livingston
might not be great actress. but she certainly
did have taste. They could retain for cook and
general housekccper the old colored nanny
that the Livlngstons had; her name was Chart
- Dusenberry. and Mrs. Livingston said she
jewel.
"A he lad nd mot
the girl who had been her rival for the part OF
Mathilde Belle Livingston was tall handsome
and twenty eight; she had large liquid black eyes
and Jet black hair. with strands Of gray in IL:
Madge afterward explained that the gray did not
show on the stage AS she eyed Evelyn there
was disappointed. an almost bitter look In her
face. She had to swallow her pride to urge the
girl who had secured the part she had set her
heart on playing To take the little home size had
made by hard work for herself and her mother;
all this Evelyn realized with feeling Of pity
that she knew Belle Livingston. If she had sus-
pected ii. would have resented. Mrs. Livingston
was little od-fashioned woman with white
hair and pathetic smile that revealed wonder
fully good teeth. She took no pains to conceal
the anxiety she felt to let the fiat; her daughter
was more reserved. but quite as eager
You see. we've got some OF our furniture"
said the old lady. 81 left IL at my brothers
house In Charleston when we broke up after
Bellies father died. And then last spring. when
we ueciueu 10 take this Hat. sent Tor some or
H."
IRIS very pretty" said Evelyn, looking around.
There was a large parlOr leading into dining
room. Behind these two small bedrooms
the kitchen and the servants room. Next TO the
parlor. in front OF the house. was another bed
room, which Madge declared she wanted for her
self.
IT'S just my size" she cried, as they looked
into IT, you can have the nice one next 10 the
dining room. Evelyn. and We'll save the other for
2 guest. When mother comes on 10 see me we'll
put her in there"
All Of the rooms were tastefully furnished with
touches that suggested departed wealth Belle
Livingston's father had been one OF the many
Southerners ruined by the war. The girl had
been brought up In atmosphere OF shabby
gentility, and after her fathers death. when she
about twenty-five. she had chosen rather
than live on her uncle's bounty. 10 go on the
stage. Since that time she had dragged YEARLY
In second-class companies from one end OF the
country to the other. She had a kind Of statu-
esQue talent; but she was too large, too stately