St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-02-25
A STAGE SILHOUETTE.
Robert L. Adamson in Atlanta consti-

town.
"Caryl is so bold" she said. Look
at her now frisking around and talk
ing so loud. She can't sit still. why
will woman be so brazen?"
Caryl sat at table across the room:s
She was talking and laughing at what
she was saying. Her companions were
choking with laughter. People in every
part of the restaurant were looking al
them. Some of the people were saying
what bad manners theatrical people
| have. Caryl was unconscious OF them.
| She was entertaining her little selected
audience, couple of principals ana
three others of the company, who were
| not Of much consequence in the snow
and who received no attention from
any other principals but Caryl. She
| liked them-one of them, shrinking,
tinfd little thing, inexperienced and
| childish who seemed sadly out of place,
in the harsh atmosphere of the theateF,i
! Caryl had taken under her guardian
ship. Strange, indeed, people said, thal
such a modest little thing as Hazel
English should gratefully, gladly ac-
| cept the companionShip and care OF.
such a wise, worldly and Independent
spirit as Caryl Yet little english chung
to Caryl with more than devotion.
The people stopped to hear what kind
| or talk this actress could be doing that
her companions laughed so imnloder-
| ately. They think it impudent that
| people of the stage should come to q
| dining place and make people look at
them like that. They listened for a mo-
ment. Caryl told her story with as
much spirit as she displayed an hour
before, when she went through the
| CIT ,i11rr oIS Of nj q
| brought forth storm Of applause.
81 don't see why Caryl is tolerated in
the company" said Miss Davenport.
"She brings all of US into unpleasant
| notice. I deteSt her noisy ways and
! her stories.''
She's a good soul, though" said
Sterrett, in a concilia tory tone. She
| Caryl was still making them laugh.
Miss Davenport got up in disgust. 81 m
going" she said. People might think
| I'm no better" She went out in a way
| that gave decided emphasis to her 60
ing. Caryl did not even see her, nor
| did any one else. Caryl told another
story.
| Miss Davenport waited at the hotel
until she came in that night. Miss
| Davenport was the star, and she had
a right to reprove her company, all but
| Caryl. The later would not allow it.
But tonight she was determined. The
interview was a tempestuous one. The
two strong-tempered women went to
the extreme of anger and violent word
| thrusts, and finally parted, each a little
doubtful as to which was the victor.
| The quarrel became the talk of the
| players. Most of them sided with Miss
Davenport, professedly. A few out
spoken ones took the side of Caryl. at
was all Davenport's fault" Sterrett
said. she detests Caryl and hadn't
enough discretion to keep it to herself.
I'll wager she got none the best of
| ft!' The breach between them widened.
They did not speak in passing. If it
had been practicable Miss Davenport
would have had Caryl dismissed from
the company. AS it was, they kept up
their open defiance of each other. The
constant contact of the two added to
the fury of their hatred every day.
1t was long past midnight. The great
city was quite still and an oppressive
silence pervaded the hotel. The hall
lights were darkened, and the Railways
were gloomy, save at one point, where
a bright CLEAN of light shone out
through a transom. 1t was Caryl's
room, and inside, unable to sleep, she
sat talking to little English"
I'D rather hear you talk than to
Sleep said the younger woman for the
twentieth time. They had been talking
about the quarrel with Miss Davenport,
about the stage, stage people, and a
hundred other things. For the thou
sandth time Miss English expressed the
hearty wish that some dire fate would
speedily overtake the hated Davenport.
Its not bad to wish that, is it?'
she asked. 81 can't help it. l do wish,
and nothing can change it. She hates
you gand tries to make everybody else
hate you. She can't do it, though
There's not one of them that don't like
you ever SO much the best. What
would they do but for you? Why, when
they all get the blues on the train and
everybody is looking like tombstone
you come in and make them laugh
You get them all in good humor, and
they forget about the blues. They
think you are worth 10000 Miss Daven-
ports"
Il have frightful headache-that
wine l drank said Caryl. After a
pause she went on: Hazel, you are
not the sort of girl for stage life or to
associate with such as [ am. You are
too deliciously ignorant, too good and
too loyal. Some day you'll be as
Wretched, as callous, as unfeeling, and
as worthless as 1! You won't care for
| anything; nothing will be sacred, moth
ing true nothing good Everything
will be false, a humbug. a sham. You'll
get selfish and won't love anybody OF
care for anybody except some little
girl who will be as you are now. I'm
mean and selfish and don't care for
any one but you. I hate Davenport SO
+ oh, hot In1; r i
without lifting finger to save her
You say you wish she were dead, but
you don't; you would cry, you are so
sympathetic. I wouldn't, and that's
one reason why you shouldn't asso-
ciate with me-"
Little English thought over this very
intently, and while thinking dropped
asleep. Unable to sleep, Caryl went
out on the balcony at the far end of the
hall for breath of fresh air. The bal
cony overlooked q busy street which
was now deserted. Not even the tramp
of policemen broke the quiet. Caryl
sat down to wait and think. She had
been failure and she knew it. Her
life had taken quite a different course
from that of which she had fondIy
| dreamed few years before She al
ways had had dash of deviltry in her
| ndluIe, put tnere mad been a time when
she was womanly and modest. Her life
on the stage had been a process of hard
ening. Gradually the better elements
OF her nature had been dwarfed until
now she knew no sentiment but self
interest. The warm love she felt for
little English she did not regard as an.
evidence of a heart still warm. 1t was
merely the fondness that one has for 3.
| cherished memory,
AS she sat there singularly start
ling sound came to her from behind. It
broke ominously against the stiffness.
sense of calamity came to her, but
cool and composed she stood I'D. AS
she did so rush of warm wind swept
upon her from the hallway, and the
same instant great light flashed up.
before was gauzy maze Of darting
lame. For moment she turned to
| the fire escape at her side, and the next
instant she had disappeared inside
A minute later she rushed upon the
balcony, dragging little English. white
and frightened. The next instant She
was gone again. The flames Kissed in
4