Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-09-24

lowering his voice "The President has
ordered me not to close the theatre"
ooh, hang the President" cried Lee
moline impatiently. 'Why doesn't he put
a stop to the war, and then the theatre
would remain open of its own accordl"
''He is doing his best to put a stop to the
war, only his army does not carry. out
his orders as implicitly as our manager
does" said Dupr6, smiling at the others
vehemence.
"Balmaceda is fool" retorted the
younger actor ''If he were out of the
way the war would not last another day.
l believe he is playing losing game, any
how. It's pity he hasn't to go to the
front himself, and then a stray bullet
might find him and put an end to the war,
which would save the lives of many better
men,"
81 saw, Lemoine, l wish you wouldn't
talk like that" expostulated the manager
gently, especially when there are so many
listeners"
''Oh the larger my audience the better
I like it." reioined Lemoine. 81 have all
an actors vanity in that respect. | say
what | think, and | don't care who hears
me-"
Eyes but you forget that we are, in a
measure, guests of this country, and we
should not abuse our hosts, or the man who
represents them"
''Ah, does he represent theml 1t seems
to me that begs the whole question; that's
lust what the war is about. The general
opinion is that Balmaceda misrepresents
them, and that the country would be glad
to be rid of him"
"That NAV all be-" said the manager
almost in whisper, for he was man evi-
IDENTITY. inclined towards peace; but it
does not rest with us to say so. We are
French, and l think therefore it is better
not to express an opinion
I'm not French, cried Lemoine. I'm
a native Chilian, and l have a right tC
abuse my own country if l choose to do so. ,
"All the more reason, then, said the
manager, looking timorously over his
shoulder-"all the more reason that you
should be careful what you say"
81 suppose" said Dupre, by the way OF
putting an end to the discussion, lit /:
time for us to get our war paint on. Come
along. Iemoine, and lecture me on oul
mutual art, and stop talking politics-if the
nonsense YOU utter about Chill and it,
President is politics"
The two actors entered the theatre; they
occupied the same dressing room, and the
volatile Lemoine talked necessarily. Al
though there were but few people in thu
stalls, the gallery was we'll filled, as wa
usually the case. When going on for thu
last act in the final scene, Dupre Whispered
| a word to the man who controlled the fall
ing of the curtain; and when the actor, a
the villain of the piece, received the tata
knife-thrust from the ill-used heroine, h.
plunged forward on his face and die
= without struggle, to the amazement o
the manager who was watching the pla
q from the front of the house, and to tn
evident bewiderment of the gallery, VIII
had counted on an exciting struggle wit
, death. Much as they desired the cuttln
o off of the villain, they were not pleased t
| see him so suddenly shift his worlds will
v out an agonizing realization OF the FAC
h that he was quitting an existence IN who
he had done nothing but evil. The cul
e tain came down upon the climax, bl
+ there was no applause, and the audlent
silently filtered out into the street.
O 'There," said Dupre, when he returne
l., to his dressing room, 81 hope you are sa
Il isfied now, Lemoine, and If you are, yo
n are the only satisfied person in the hous
| fell perfectly fiat, as you suggested, an
h YOU must have seen that the climax of IL
-" play fell fiat also"
m Nevertheless, persisted Lemoine stou
", sit was the true rendition of the part
a As they were talking, the manager can
TO into their dressing-room. Good heaven
Dupre," he said, "why did you end Il
q piece in that idiotic wayl What on ear
got into youi"
" ''The Knife" said Dupr6, flippantl
re 1T went directly through the heart, al