The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-03-19
HER LAST DANCE.

She was not Il beauty, perhaps, but
she was assuredIy a fascinating butter
hy of creature; even her women
friends admitted that. And though
s+ven-andtwenty, and the mother of
girl Of seven. She still retained 80
much of virginia. expression and con-
tour that Imagination was 10th to az
cept the fact of matTonhood. One felt.
indeed, that if the ''Ewige Weiblich,
changefully changeless, radiantiy soul
satisfying. were to be PerSonIfied, here
WAS the model. Gracious and graceful,
gentle and joyous. she possessed
talents innumerable, all cultivated to a
certain degree-to Il degree that had
quitesuiliced forher own enjoyment and
the edificatiOn of host of admIring
and not too eNacting friends, who
thought her a delightful prodigy and
spoiled her accordingly.
But. now. cudgel the stunned brain
aS she would, no real capability "of
marketable value" as il had been so
bluntly put to her even in these early
hours of misery Cousin Selma always
put things a bit bluntly. she felt with
little ShiNer of annOyance-nO resource
could she discover To stand her in good
stead in the dreaded day that had come
at last. The bolt had fallen that morn
ing, and, with numb. folded hands and
dry, terrOr-filled eyes, she sat in the
darkest corner OF her gay little draw
ing-room, beneath the CHASTITY chamber
whence were soon to be borne the earth
Iy remains of her husband.
What was She Ia do? How was she to
procure. not the luXuries without W hich
She scarce imagined her child could
exist, but the bare necessities Of life?
Every piece of furniture in the house
was mOrtgaged to its full value, and
her last jewel had gone to pay the rent.
Thank heaven, they would have this
haven for some time to come. She was
in debt to butcher and baker, and she
had not had new pair of gloves foT
months. Shillings had become the basis
of expenditure as guineas had been
hitherto.
In the morning sympathizing friends
came TO support and assist her thr ugh
The trying ordeal. All passed like a
dream. Tout passe, tout casse,'' she
said, over and over, but my heart is
strong
When. a month later, she sat with
Cousin Selma in the same room, in the
same chair, listening again To he gusty
rain as ii beat against the windows. it
was TO her as if no appreciable time had
INTERVIEWED Drezlmily she took up the
thread of her thoughts where she had
dropped it that sad night, and the
strange conceit came back to her.
Women. less brilliant but stoI.d and
Plodding. were eusconced in journals
where she had diSdajned even tO allow
lser verses to appear. With voices IN no
way comparable to hers. she saw p.hers
succeed; while she, who sang like n
bird-but like Il bird, too. only wien in
spired-could make no impression.
And so. lowered as she was. she war
poorer and more helpless than the
humbIcst woman who could conscien-
tiously knit a pair of stockings or en-
bTOider a teaclOth.
The pretty face seemed pinched and
weary; two deep lines began to inclosc
the dropping mouth. Il smile en-
parentheSe," she said, to Cousin Selma.
as she turned from the mirror. where
she was trying To change the expires
SION of those quivering lips. that even at
the moment curved upwards, a Cupid's
bow, at the quaint cOnceit-
More surely than ever she knew she
could ask no favors but must put her
own shoulder TO the wheel. But " hat
to do when all else failed? To dance on
the stagei Why not? She could da nee:
all her life she had loved to dane. In
her greatest JOY she had ever found full
est expression i'm dancing to her oN n re
Elections before the long mirror in her
boudoir. \ hundred times her darling
had been lulled to sleep. eased OF her
pain by the dancing of her pretty
Mumsie." Once, with her husband. she
had seen Il famous actress woman
chaste as hcrself-dance so gracefully,
yet with an abandone SO perfect as to
captivate an audience accustomed TO eN-
hibitions from which she had turned
in loathing-to his annoyance. since
his taste grew yearly less refined. Even
then, The pity of it," she had sighed.
And how much even then was implied
that she should say, turning to him:
THAT l could do am certain"
MAY you never need" he had an
swcrcd. ferventiy. For he loved her and
was proud of her, though his paths in
life were devious, though he would not
follow her. 1t all came back to her vivid
~ -tllt gay Sttilt- the tsiStE l<tAtN. the
murmur of delight, the applause that
rose again and again. and could not be
stayed Her heart beat fast; yes. she
would dance. 1t might cost her the few
friends she still possessed. but as long
she helped herself she could maintain
her pride.
Next day began a tiresome round of
interviews with impatient, incredulous
or impertinent managers, with a heart
growing daily heavier and brain
sharpened almost to viciousness. vt
last an impressario, touched by her
grace and the expression of brave des-
pair in her hungry eyes, granted her
trial, fixing an hour at the theater on
the following day in the early forenoon
Amid n concourse of women. some sVul-
pathetic, some braZenly inquisitive, all
so different from herself that she scarce
felt they were her sisters, she made her
first essay. How unreal it seemed; a
dream, she kept telling herself. adreaIp
from which she would waken in a mo-
ment.
She kept her glance straight before
her. trying to shut out the crudity of
her surroundings. The sets" all
aXyry the srIiynnSeS of busy carDenterS