The Saint Paul globe., 1899-03-26

| SpColS DSSdn TO arrive early.
Everyone wants to be made up at once,
! and the professional dresser who has been
! engaged for the evening is in despair.
Inc whole place is in state of chaos
! When 1 meet Sir Anthony behind the
scores, l utter little cry of wondering de-
light.
He looks superbly handsome in his white
satin costume trimmed profusely with gold
! lace, and the white wig just tied at the back
with a piece Of black ribbon.
| [ do not know what he thinks of my ap
pearance, but everyone else tells me that L
! look charming
| Lancelot Curton comes up and begs him to
throw as much animation into his part as
possible.
| Sir Harry, in the background, remarks, sotto
voce, but rather audibly, to a girl he is talk
ing to, and with whom he has been carrying
on desperate filtration during the last fort
night, no doubt to pique me
Pom my honor, the fellow is next door to
a fool. 1 said all along he wasn't up to the
part; only, no one would pay any attention
to what I said 1t wanted a man to play
Lovel, a real live fiesh-and-blood man, not
dressed-up prg made Of wood"
| L do not catch the remainder of his SEN
tence, but see a change come over Sir An
thongs features; his eyes glow with passion.
and even the powder on his face does not
conceal the deep red flush that suffuses it.
You hear what they saying of me- he
says, abruptly; that 1 cannot act, am
fool, and that am spelling your part as well
as my own. What do you advise me to do?"
Il think you might certainly put more
spirit into the part I reply, rather coldly,
for l am naturally mortified at his apparent
sulkineSs; 'or you had better not have under
taken it at all. You take things too serious
ly, Sir Anthony. After all, it is only act
ing"
rs it?" he asks quietly, and I feel myself
change color, and grow hot all over, as he
continues: so be 1.-THE decision is against
me- only, don't blame me afterwards Bar
bara.'
1t is the first time he has ever called me by
| Christian but T 70
think of that.
The curtain is rung up, and I am
pushed on to the stage, where I find Daisy
Curton just finishing her first long speech,
and giving me my cue.
[ dare not look at the sea of faces in the
front, but rush into my part; and presently
Lovel comes on, and 1 see at glance that a
startling change has cone over him during
the last few minutes
He is absorbed in the part-it is not Sir
Anthony, it is Lovel himself who has come to
WOO me- and a storm of applause greets the
close of every speech
I have never seen acting like this-it car
ries all before it and imbues with fran
tic desire to act up to it. .e-. ....
| I, too, forget that / am Barbara Courtseine;
I forget that 1 am only portraying a fancy
Part for the amusement Of Lady Curton and
her guests.
For the nonce I am really Dorothy True
heart, soon to be Lovel's bride.
laugh, dance, sing, play. am a coquette
and prude my turns to suit my capricious
fancy.
exert every latent charm and power to
bring my stage lover to my feet, and succeed
beyond all hope.
Again and again called before the
curtain at the close, and it really seems as
if the applause will never cease.
I've seen Robson and Sothern. and every
actor of any note within the last fifty years.
remarks one old gentleman, solemnly; but
not one of them could touch the Lovel of to-
night He is a genius-a wonder! It's quite
a pity that his position precludes the idea of
adopting the stage his profession AS for
the young lady, she is born coquette and
some day will have all the world at her feet
That's the Prime Minister who is speak
ing" murmurs Delsy Curton in my ear
Praise from such man is praise indeed
The performance over, go down to sup
per, I with Sir Anthony as my escort; and
! we return to the drawing-room an hour later
to find it cleared for a dance.
Sir Anthony claims my hand for the first
waltz, and then another and another
He is still Lovel-ardent, tender passion
ate.
He still holds me closely in his arms, and
bends his face near to mine, as we glide
round the room together
Sir Anthony, with his cool, careless Ian
guor and ''platonic'' manner, has vanished
and left not a trace behind
1 feel that I love and am loved; I tread
upon air, and in the realms of Paradise
He follows me about the whole night; he is
jealous if ] lnger with another partner one
second longer thar g absolutely necessary
He begs the flowers at my breast a knot of
ribbon from my hair he steals my handker-
chief, and VOWS that he will part with them
only at his death
Then Aunt Janette comes up and breaks
our tete-a tete.
Child she says, with a yawn: do you
know it is o'clock? I am dead with sleep
we really must go home or we shall both he
i'll together. All, Sir Anthony, what an ac-
tor you make, to be sure! Why you can
make your audience laugh cry at your