The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1899-08-11

of her dressing-room wide open that
all might see as they passed by. Clear
| ly she was not with the majority.
But Miss Casey had more at stake
than the majority. She was engaged
to Victor Laquine, a tenor in the chorus.
They were to be married in the spring
and would go into vaudeville in hap
Ply domestic way.
A disbanding of the company on
Christmas eve and their first engage
ment together booked for a summer
garden in May made scarcely a pleas
ing prospect.
Engagements that year had been
hard enough to get at any time and
in mid-season would be scarcest of all.
At the very best it meant different
companies and separation, and that in
turn meant good-by to matrimony and
vaudeville. Miss Casey had been en-
gagged before, she knew the sex.
On the stage the company guyed each
other and the audience as only an I'M
paid company can.
Miss Casey alone was too preoccu-
pied to pay any attention to it. Now
and then she cast her eyes toward
the rear of the theater hoping to see
the managers fur-decked overcoat NOV
ing about behind the last row of seats.
81 knew he wouldn't come!" every
one said as they faced each other on
the stage when the curtain had rung
down.
Hell come yet" said Miss Casey,
with firmness. maybe his trains late;
this heavy snow would stop anything,
and if he comes and finds the theater
dark when the third act ought to be
on. wouldn't give much for the tick
cts he'd give you to get home on"
There was logic in this, but the So
prano pierced it.
How do you know his train isn't
in?" she inquired with dignity and
look at the interfering soubrette that
would have silenced her, had she not
been Miss Casey with much depending
on her.
''Send the stage manager to the box
Office telephone to see about it," put
in the contralto.
INV w W hhO" AOab ~ 10
on? There are half dozen or more.
He may be on his way here now in q
cabl He may step on the stage any
minute and find everyone refusin' to
20 on instead of dressin' as we should.
Any minute he may be rushin' in.
say!" Miss Casey was excited into
the vernacular. Her words tumbled
Nth NJ fat l.
lar with the go she put into her songs
and dances would have been surprised
at the energy she put into her prog
ress to the dressing-room- 1t seemed
TO sweep the whole flank Of chorus girls
with it.
Bring my beer said the basso TO
the call boy, as his eyes followed Miss
Casey's figure. Clearly he meant to
sing the third act.
The tenor, the soprano and the con-
tralto looked at each other and then
at their retreating colleagues.
Presently the stage-hands. who had
been interested auditors, began to set
the scene for the third act.
Miss Casey was back in an incred-
IDLY short time. A critical eye might
have found fault with her general APP
pearance. but she was not thinking OF
critical eyes just then. The fate OF
that performance, and her own a.
we'll depended upon her and she knew
It. She knew furthermore that the
task of getting this act on was mere
play to what the Lext would be, unless
he manager arrived.
Never before had this third act
seemed so long. She had great dta
TO do. and il generally passed quickly
for she enjoyed her work.
Tonight she could scarcely act To-
casting her eyes toward the back o.
he theater Once she forgot her lines
entirely and her song ended with d
little croak that was the nearest ap- |
oroach to an involuntary Sob
The soprano, still smarting under a
recollection of Miss Casey's Inter
erence." guyed her to the entertain
nent of the entire cast and the front
lows in the parquet. Miss Casey. how
,ver, needed nothing but the back row
# chairs, behind which the manager.
when he did make his appearance-if
hat happy moment were fated to come
would lounge Importantly.
But never a sign there was OF him.
ind by the time the soubrette got to
Ter scene with the comedian IL might
lave been high tragedy instead of low
comedy as far as Miss Casey was con-
erned. For all his guying and in
Inference. the comedian had not
cached a point when he could calmly
ee people get up and walk ostenta-
iously out in the midst of his best
nance in the opera.
II he failed to tell her so the mo-
nent the descending curtain pole
aised little puff of dust on the stage
was because he could not get within
Iailing distance. Miss Casey seemed
movable axis about which her col