The Penn's Grove record., 1896-07-31
tn,ned. II was the girl with a tear

, stage manager is no. gracious tonight.
he said.
Same as usual" she answered. III
doesn't change much. That's his daugl
ter over there'-and she swept her arr
vaguely toward a crowd of girls VIII
were sitting on a flight of red steps.
The one with q pink ribbon In 1t
hairf' asked Morgan.
mo, that's the comedians wife-Mrf
Winters. r'he girl with the yellot
tights is Minnie Grips. She and III
Comedians wife are thick as thieve;
They don't love me and I don't Low
them. Some day I'll get even wit
them-Mrs. Winters first, though"
you're SpanishY' asked Morgan
looking at her lustrous hair and he.
dark Spanish eyes.
Eyes, my name Is Anita Cortez."
81 remember you now. You dc &
Spanish dance around q dagger stucl
in the stage"
Eyes, and IL 1t wasn't for that dane,
| Mrs. Winters and Lob, well, I'll tel,
you after the show. Going aaywher,
after the shown MOI Well, the u
tain drops at 1884 o'clock and 1t takes
me about twenty minutes to get cut.
I'll meet you In the ladies' saloon at the
cafe around the corner at 11:2o o'clock.
1 have to 20 up stairs and dress for the
second act new. When l come down
I'll show you my dagger. It's q beauty,
full Of Jewels, and I can throw 1t fifty
feet and hit a bulls eye. There goes
| the curtain down on the first act. I'm
late" And she darted up the stairs.
Then there was pushing and sbov
ing and hauling and hosting as the
coatless scene shutters began setting
the scenes for the second act. The or
chestra leader came through a little
door that led up from under the stage.
Cripps caught sight Of him.
Don't give an encore for the opening
chorus tonight, Betterton. We're -four
minutes late now on the first act. It's
twenty-one OF ten"
"AlI right" answered the orchestra
leader. There's a hns house cut
front" Then, after a pause: Say,
Cripps. l don't want to interfere. but
that Cortez woman is flirting with ev-
cry man in the house again. She's got
my first violin daft. He made two dis
cords Just because he can't keep his
eyes off her"
II warned that Cortez mink tive
weeks ago that I'd fire her. The two
weeks are up to-night-and she goes.
l guess she knows 1t, too, fer she's been
looking ugly-confound herr He pull
ed out his watch. We're ready for
you, Betterton," and as the orchestra
leader disappeared through the little
door Cripps called upstairs: "All down
for the second aet!'
A few minutes later the curtain went
up on the second act. Cripps was swear
ing, as usual, and a sensitive chorus
girl was crying because he had merely
called her a 'waddling hog. and had
threatened to fine her IL she didn't
walk with her head up in the air and
not down on her chest, "as If she was
roofing for walnuts." The act was half
over when Morgan saw Anita Cortez
coming down the wooden steps. AT
the foot of the steps stood the come
dams wife. Hay Winters. Her back
was toward Anita. In a second the
dancer had draw a dagger from her
belt-anOther second and she took a
quick look around. No one but Nor
gan observed her; she saw that he was
looking at her, and so she threw a kiss
at him. Then. like a flash, the dagger
few through the air and buried itself
to the hilt in May Winters back. Stimuli
taneous with her shrek came a cry
from the dancer, as she deliberately
tumbled down tile steps, landing on
top of the wounded woman. With the
quickness of lightning she pulled the
dagger from the quivering flesh and
sprang to her feet.
My God" she cried. MY God.
Grips, hi here. My foot slipped on
the stairs and the dagger flew out of
my hands, wounding May Winters, and
oh, my foot's sprained and there's my
cue" And with a limp she bounded on
the stage and throwing the dagger,
dripping with blood, point downward,
she danced around 1t like a wild thing;
while the audience, moved by her fren.
zy, rose and cheered again and again
at her tempestuous and whirlwind- like
entrance.
Behind the scenes a different part
was being played. The wounded wom-
an was carried into q nearby dressing
room and the stage carpenter had sped
up the street for a doctor. Winters. the
comedian, was stanching the 6ow of
blood with his cap. The woman was
unconscious.
"she did 1t on purpose" said Cripps.
'That fall Of hers was a regular stage
fall-yeu can fool me-"
II don't think 1t was done purpose
ly," said Winters, ~unsteadily. He bent
his head and the tears slowly rolled
down his cheeks and fell on the pink
tights of the hurt woman Cripps walk
ed softly to the door and went out; he
whistled softly to himself.
The doctor arrived just Is CrIpps
came to the door again: "Hurry up,
Winters-your cue"
by heavens. Cripps, I can't sing a
topical song now"
IT'S your bread and butter out front
there. Your wife's in that room. You
can't help her by staying. Better look
after your bread and butter"
Winters dug his nails into the palms
of his hands. Cripps half led, half push
ed him toward the stage. Your hands
full Of blood; wipe 1t on the wings as
you so past" he said, quietly.
And so Winters went capering on the
stage and sang and laughed cad made
the audience almos. wild with delight,
and the doctor In the dresslng-room
looked brave and tried to stop the flow
Of blood.
After he had sung three verses he
darted from the stage and was In the
dressing-room. Anita Cortez was help
ing the doctor.
"l'm very sorry about the accident.
MIR Winters" said the dancing girl,
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