Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-19


puzzled. Well, l am Clarice Gerard
L began at the lowest round OF the
ladder III a travelling company. and
worked my way up to engagement as
leading lady at the Coincide Fran
| calSe. All. it is a glorious profession
ana L loved the music, the appla dse
and the glare of the footlights. PEG
pie said there was an intensity and
force about my acting | know | felt
the parts 1 played deeply There is,
| OF course, the reverse side to thea trical
life. the temptations are very great.
but, thank God, l escaped them.
1t was a great change for me-rhat
life in Paris. l went into society i
great deal, though not from choice.
reclted at at Homes in many of
the fashionable salons, and met most
! OF the celebrities of the day. The
! poets Of the time sang my praises.
ana some famous artists painted my
! portrait IN the characters l loved best.
! All these things did not turn my head
or make me vain, for l was engrossed
with my beloved profession; it occu-
pied most of my time, and all my
thoughts, and ! was happy. OF
| course, | was subject to the petty
annoyances incidental to the profess
sion OF an ress-anonym0us pres
entS, offers Of marriage from unknown
but ardent admirers, and the arrows
OF critics, who look only for faults
ana forget that we are but human,
and therefore cannot be perfect. The
presents and the critics were the less
serious of my troubles. | made a
rule to sell the first and give the pro-
! ceedS to some deserving charity: [
laughed at the second, and otherwise
neeQed them not, for | always did nv
best. But the lovers were no laughing
matter. My first serious affaire de
occur occurred in Italy, whittier our
manager had taken the company on
brief summer tour. 1t was at Genoa
that a young Italian Of noble birth,
Cartesi by name, saw me and fell in
love at first sight. He managed to
procure an introduction, and from
that moment 1 had no peace. l may
tell you that the passion was all on
his side, for / instinctively disliked
Inn from our first meeting. | could
see cOnceit in his affected air and
mode of dress, pride in his bearing
and manner, and cruelty in his thin
lips and the cold glitter of his eyes.
| determined to treat him with indif-
ference, and keep him at a distance;
1t was, in one sense, a difficult task,
for he was most persistent in forcing
his company upon me whenever we
met. Fortunately, l was at last re
lleved of his presence. He was an
expert sWOrdsman and-the two things
often go together-of quarrelsOme dis
position. A dispute arose at a gaming
table in which he killed his adversary,
who was a man of some Importance
and many years older than Cartesi;
public Indignation was aroused and
my admirer had to seek safety in Sc
cluSiOn for a time until the affair was
forgotten. | was happy again. A
few weeks later our company returned
to Paris, and, in the excitement Of
rehearsals Of a new play, [ soon forgot
CarteSi.
During the following winter | met
the only man | ever loved. He was
journalist, and, though but a young
man, had already made his mark in
the literary world. 1t was mutual
case of love at first sight, and after
wards on comparing notes. as he
called it, we found that we were in
tastes, inclinations, everything, suited
for each other. We became engaged
and then followed a few happy
months-the sweetest time l have ever
known.
Il was playing to a crowded house
one night at the Coincide Franchise,
when, to my surprise, [ saw Cartesi
in box on the grand tier. He was
alone. Once or twice during the even
ing our eyes met; he smiled, but |,
of course, gave no sign of recognition.
He must have had some influence with
the management, for later, as [ came
off the stage, he was standing at the
wing. [ should have passed on to my
dressing room, but he came up to me
and held out his hand. l was an
nOyed, and showed it by my manner.
| wished to get rid of him at once,
and as he commenced praiSing my
acting and cOngra tulating me on my
success, [ said You may also cOngrat-
ulate me on my engagement to NJ.
EuStace LafOnt; we are to be married
within a MONTH For moment Car
test looked savagely at me, and was
silent, then, recovering himself with
an effort. he said
This is sudden, mademOiSelle, but
[ congratulate you Then he added,
with a cruel laugh, 1t is so soon that
there is hardly time for any slip
and with an 'Adieu, mademoiselle,
he turned and left me. | saw 40 more
of him; he did not return to his box
during the last act.
After the performance Eustace
walked home with me. | did not
mention the affair to him. Indeed,
we were so happy that L forgot all
I about Cartesi.
1.-TWO nights after l was somewhat
surprised at not seeing Eustace in
! the stage-door keepers lodge, where
he usually waited until 1 came out.
Thinking some business had detained
/ him, l set out to walk home alone.
It was a beautifully calm night; the
! brilliar+ moonlight made it almost as
light as day. I had walked some
distance slowly, in the hope that Eus-
I tace would oVertake me, when a gen