Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1896-01-09
DrrR XXVIII.-(Continued.)

Oli, p--,,n+;ne Graeme would not hear
Bu' 'ooomnromise. He was stage-man-
al! and was especially bent upon these
gen. ,.icoIs being success. NOR nao ne
aea't INV fear for the result. Colonel
o@ an was one of the best amateur
Pnn''P India, and particularly good at
.doEs ~ king, which was the principal
1e ~" ~ the small comedietta they had
2afI ~ while Jane, too, had considerable
l sE'. os she had shown at Slmla.
aE E Grst rehearsal she had with Col
lnI pr sr was a decided failure. She
Sl5 NJ aonp through the piece with Val
d.. Sa,1n several times and had been pro-
'. a.nod bv him letter-perfect. NOW she
'ou lnI ber cues, stumbled over the sim
n','s sontpnces, and by her general aWk-
p's 'Sn D and stupidity sent down the en-
,'l aiasm Of the stage-manager to zero.
l y"r was the next rehearsal more prom
wv lane spoke her words correctly,
s s4j Unused no spirit into the part. And
his time Colonel Prinsep was also I'M
..,cticabIe, repeating his lover-hke
n,echps with parrot-like precision, but
.rodpc carefully any sentimental in
fiction.
psrrv Larron, who was generally pres
N, when they rehearsed, guessed the rea-
en- Of the stiffness which was mutually
svmed whenever any tenderness was
.,cnirpd He knew that they loved each
,,bpr still. and therefore dared not trust
tbpmseyes to pretend what they really
An Yet he did not give up hope.
And 50 the evening arrived. The time
had bpep SO short that they had no full
dress rehearsal; and the station, being a
small one, would scarcely furnish an audi
ppce for two performances.
1T will be only for this once, so we
4 cO make supreme effort" said Colonel
pdpsep to her as they stood alone in one
Of the wings waiting for the rising of the
curtain
She was trembling visibly; but as he
gOke encourag ingly she tried to smile.
"You must not be nervous" ne went
on after all, it is only acting, and no
one will misunderstood if you throw you
self into your part, as know you could"
The bell rang; and a minute later she
vas called to go on the stage.
storm of applause broke from the
audience as she stood before them in her
Ol-fashioned, short-waisted frock and
sandal shoes, her white arms almost hid
den by her long mittens, and her brown
hair gathered on to the top of her head
with huge comb The enthusiasm in
creased when Colonel Prinsep came on,
byshly impulsive, and betraying the
love he felt in every glance and gesture.
And Jane was SO daintily coquettish, so
beWitching even in her declared heart
Rssness, and again so pathetic in her
despair when he left her; and the curtain
fell as she laid her head on the table and
SObbed aloud.
They were encored vociferously, Jane
responding to the call, led on by Colonel
Pnnsep, her cheeks crimson from excite
nent, and her eyes still red from the
Tears that had really fallen.
Then the band played during the TWEEN
Vmlnutes' interval, which was supposed
"Oe equivalent to thirty years.
Jane was now a sweet old lady. Quak-
slshly robed in plain gray satin, prema-
0Fely silver-haired, and leaning for sup
port on gold-headed stick. Her voice,
when before had been so joyous, was
aOdued into habitual pathos, and man
ler and appearance both spoke of the
sadness which had pervaded her life.
Inc years had dealt very differently
WIN her lover. The romantic boy had
grown into crotchety, matter-of-fact,
aadIe-aged man. Yet her loyalty never
Iapered, though it was keenest pain to
zee how entirely he had forgotten the
events Of the past which by her had been
treasured.
Jane was acting almost beyond herself.
4 was all so like a dream that for the
.ouient she believed it might be actually
~ue mat she and Stephen Prinsep had
!. Ite' IN the aftertime of their own life,
Me loyal as her nature was, he oblivious
" y. everything save the merest details of
0ne and place.
Al MS careless, boisterous way he de-
s sa'ea she had never loved him, and as
s-s sadly put aside the doubt, an accent
" ~ pI1tul and tender came into her voice
u -I. Colonel Prinsep himself forgot that
i,+ was acting, and involuntarily glanced
.r,., ner lace. There he saw the whole
tb ta'I written so plainly that he was on
fr,,, point OF answering very differently
Nv, ,,Sl5 the book. Recollecting himself, he
failed ~
"a prompter came to their rescue, and
ts,n 'Vst 1t had appeared only a momen-
~: iofsettulness of their parts; but to
.'o OF those who were LOOKING on If
hs I rs clear enough. Major Larron bit
~ y, Up with rage.
s,an we other who had noticed, and under
nou I wnat passed, had no such COM
I uS OF facial expression.
S;s s'e stood up, his eyes glazing, his face
NAVY ,UIse "a. with the violent passions that
him Iu nim. Several of the men around
baaa .ooked at him curiously, but he never
IbS h. them, he saw and knew only what
rss 'euousy had shown him. The play
her l. enued, and when Jane had spoken
sroa last word she allowed her glance to
b. ~ me audience, but it was arrested
IAN &c nrst object on which it fell-the
locoi sure and passion-distorted face of
hama Snuddered so violently that her
1sc 4u, being in Colonel Prinsep's, he de-
Of ~ uer agitation. and led her at once
down. stage more quickly than was laid
~v "rl IN the book.
Sdad strange thing about it ALL" con-
10 A., aientine Graeme that same night
him t"por Larron. who rode back With
Their ~ .neir quarters. was. that they did
fail est just where I expected them to