The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-06
ROMANCE OF A PLAY,

"But what put the idea into your headP'
asked the leading man Of the dramatist as
they stood together during the rehearsal OF
n new play. .
The dramatist was lady-a tall, slight
woman of perhaps 30, with striking face,
lighted by pair Of large dark blue eyes.
The beauty of those eyes made people some
times fancy Mrs. ClaveriDg was beautiful,
but she was not. She was intellectual, she
was charming and sympathetic, and she
had sufYered-you could see that in heI
face. Perhaps, then, she was in senst
beautiful The leading man was inclined
to think SO, and he liked very much to talk
to her. eAs for her, she thought him sc
nice fellow" and admired his acting, but
that was all. She smiled at his question
"Oh, hardly know" she said, with al
absent look in her blue eyes.
Mrs. Clavering was n novelist who had
not been very long in London, having
spent most of her life abroad. What thu
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,n she cries, whether you will
or mol You shall hear me call to you wheI
tho darkest hour Of life comes, and If
cannot win you back to love ! will, al
least, keep you from crime"
| In the second act the hero is about II
marry rich girl, The wedding guests ar
rive, all Is ready when suddenly he starts
he hears his wife's voice calling to him
he is appalled,, conscience stricken, be con
fesses his intended crime. In the third ac
matters have reached a climax; the hero
ruined socially and in purse, is about t.
commit suicide; once more the warning
voice arrests him; he filings the pistol away
and as he does so his wife enters, and tn,
two are completely reconciled.
"A charming idea," said the leading
lady to the author "but don't you maxi
Margaret too forgiyingS"
| The stage manager came up to ask about
proposed "cut," and the leading lad,
| turned away to ask the leading man wheth
er Mrs. Clayering was widow, divorced
| or separated.
"I'm sure I don't know" was the an
swer, and nobody else did. She lived il
| apartments near one of the West Contra
squares and was always welcome In tn
| literary and artistic circles in which sh
moved, and, though 1t was generally pre-
sumcd that her husband was dead, it coul,
not be recalled that she had ever said SO
and sometimes in these days 1t isn't wis
to be curious about peoples absent or nor
est husbands. When you came to thinl
Of 1t, indeed, 1t would be difficult to asser
positively that Claveripg was the author
real name. Her novels were published n
by Alix Clavering, and when she came t.
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 pot their business to dis
close her real name, supposing that sh
had 2nothsr psue than that under which
she chose 70 dppedf.
Tho reAestsal was over, and Mrs. CLAW
ering went home. She had few altera
tions to make in the second and third acts
and after slight luncheon she set hersel
TO the task. Settled She seemed yer.
restless apd worked fltfully. Sometimes
for minutes together, she sat with her fac
hidden in her hands, and more than ono
tears trickled through her fingers.
|