Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-06-22
IN THE GREENROOM.


curtain raiser, and the beautiful
Sophie Cherubin, who personated Ma
rinette, was still on the stage, Fabrec-
you know, perfectly we'll, Fabrec, the
deputy with the golden beard who has
so young an air despite his 40 years
half opened the door of the dressing
room without knocking and called out
"CuckooP'
He was not little disappointed to
find the dressing room empty. Then
Constance, the old dresser, came out
from behind the screen:
If monsieur will have the goodness
to be seated, madame will return in five
minutes.
Fabreo let himself drop into tapes
tried armchair, crossed his legs, tapped
his patent leather boots with the tip of
his cane and lost himself in reflections,
while the old woman arranged the lit
tie things OH the dressing table.
After all, for what had he come
here? Not from love. Hardly from de-
sire One day, when he had urged his
claims, she had said to him, with a
show of reason:
Listen, Fabrec. You are very nice,
but have 40, 900 francs of debts, and
for you the beautiful days of Panama
are finished. Come here to gossip when
you will, but we will never be other
than good comrades" Frankly she was
right. Nevertheless an attraction drew
him always in that direction, content to
obtain here and there little privileges.
He amused himself near this woman of
a profession SO beautiful and gay and
laughed heartily at her sallies of wit
and cynicism, and then again it was
necessary to kill time. While meditat-
ing Fabreo regarded mechanically the
dresser and was brusquely dragged from
his reverie by the face of the little old
woman that he saw reflected in the
glass. What ruin! What heart break
ing ugliness Dry as stick, wrinkled
as winter apple, scanty hair the color
of ashes and eyes like the dead. To
think she had been woman, perhaps
pretty, doubtless loved!
She ought to be 65 years old, and
Fabrec, who was kind hearted, pitied
this lamentable old woman working un-
til the end. He felt also disgust to see
this sorceress in her shabby black touch
ing the laces, the silver brushes, the
blond tortoise she'll combs and all the
delicate and perfumed objects de luxe
which shone on the dressing table of
the actress. Suddenly the door opened,
and Sophie Cherubin appeared with a
rose in her hair. The beautiful bruno
was as fresh bouquet and sparkling
with youth, beauty and the pretense of
effrontery.
'Ah, Fabrec," cried she joyously,
you have come just in time. We are
going to give little farce at benefit
at the Gate. They will call for us soon,
but in the meantime we will talk while
Constance prepares my things. Sit down
and be good.''
The dresser had already passed behind
the screen. They joked, and, according
to her wont, Sophie began to tease the
handsome deputy about the number of
his successes in the theatrical world.
Was it still true his devotion to the
singer at the Nouveaute's? But Fabrec
was discreet. The veritable lady's man
is always so, because he loves women
for themselves and not from silly van
ity. To Sophie's questions he responded
only by pleasantries, admitting nothing.
She became a little vexed. How sus-
picious he wasl Truly? She had never
been able to make him recount one of
his successes behind the scenes-not
onel "Eh bien, ma chere," responded
Fabrec, smiling, "since you are SO tena-
cious on this point l am going to tell
you about my first passion
For an actress?"
Eyes, only warn you it did not hap
pen in the Rue de Richelieu and the
heroine was not societaire I was 10
years old, l had just begun my law
studies, but l was naif and timid. One
evening went to the little theater of
the Gobelins, where I was overcome
with love for the young premiere,
Blanche Lilas, the moment she appear
ed on the stage. Was she young? Was
she pretty? l ask myself today when 1
know that the beauty of an actress may
disappear with some cold cream and two
towels, and that ingenues generally
have a son who is lieutenant of caval-
ry or sous prefet- But then Mile.
Blanche Lilas appeared to me the most
fascinating Of women. l no longer lived
but to dream of her and then to admire
her upon the boards of the Gobelins, the
Montparnasse or Grenelle-for the troop
moved about l sold all my old books to
the stallkeeper in the Rue Cujas, and
thanks to Blanche Lilas know all the
plays of that day. All, she was charm
ing in Folder! She is the only woman
for whom have ever made verses. They
were execrable, but sincere, and 1 have
never understood how had the audacity
to send them to her. The vacation was
spent with my family in the country.
l passed it counting the days, and when
/ returned to Paris l ran to the Gobe-
lins, then to Montparnasse, then to Gre
nellie. The name of my idol did not fig
ure upon one Of the posters. The anx-
iety, the frightful anxiety, that I felt
gave me the courage to enter the theater
and make inquiries, when l found that
Mile. Blanche Lilas had not been re-en-
gagged, and that they did not know what