Connecticut western news., 1899-11-16

lThe following story is based on the celebrated play, "Cyrano de Bergerac, " in which Mir. Richard Mansfield, the actor, has been recently creating sen sation in New York. In the play Cy rano, a man of brilliant intellect, but handicapped by an enormous nose, wooes his cousin Roxane, through handsome fool. keeping himself out of her sight. Phyllis began to laugh just as soon as Cyrano made his appearance. This conduct on her part was as distinctly disappointing as though I hadn't fully expected her to act in such a manner. To tell the truth. really didn't want to take Phyllis to see ''Cyrano" at all because-well, you see, I've a pretty big nose myself It isn't a Cyrano mem Der by any means, of course, but even as a child the women who didn't like my mother used to pity me openly on account of it, and my college friends still allude to my unfortunate proboscis as regular wind splitter. So, as I said, I wasn't at all anxious to see "Cyrano" in Phyllis company, and if I hadn't feared her suspecting the req son of my unwillingness in this regard I should never have done so. As it was it really hurt me little when her dim pies began to come and go at sight of Mansfeld's colossal nasal organ. said nothing, however, and it was not until the end of the ''poet's bakery" act that I received my first cruel blow.
 'sI think Mansfield is perfectly sub lime, don't you f' gushed pretty girl of Phyllis acquaintance who sat in front of us It was with difficulty that Phyllis restrained the dimples from open ins surrection as she replied.
 "Wen, they say it is only a little step from the sublime to the ridicu lous," she remarked with dancing eyes, "and as never in all my life saw any thing half so ridiculous as that nose suppose its wearer is at least approach ing sublimity."
 ''Phyllis," said I when the music had given me half chance to speak without the girl in front hearing all I said, "don't you think it's possible for the owner of big nose to be anything but ridiculousf''
 Phyllis cast mischievous glance at me over her shoulder and before mak- ing answer buried her face in the big bunch of violets had given her.
 'tAll things are possible, she then rather cruelty said, ''but I should think it would be rather difficult for the owner of big nose to be anything else. I"
 The kiss scene was beginning now, so had long act in which to recover so much of my equanimity as might. When Roxane had delivered her pas sionate exhortation to Cyrano to protect her lover from all the danger which might threaten him at Arras, begin ming with sword wounds and ending with cold, and when she begged her cousin to see that the wordless object of her devotion wrote to her frequently, Phyllis turned to me as the curtain fell, and I could see there were tears in her eyes. She acted as though she would have said something, but did not. For once I was wise enough to hold my tongue and to leave all chance of assist ance for my cause to fate or providence and the girl in front of us This girl had been crying openly, and her eyes were all red and moist still as she squirmed about in her seat in order to face Phyllis.
 "Oh, Phyllisl Isn't it pity such a perfectly grand character should have such an awful nose'' she exclaimed weepingly. Phyllis regarded her with an air of chilly contempt.
 "What under the ever blessed canopy does the kind of nose he has matter '" she inquired loftily. "With character like Cyrano's features don't matter in the least Who with any soul at all would dream of considering or even remembering his nosef"
 The girl in front of us was properly squelched, and was unwisely elated
 "Who. indeedf" I murmured ac- quiescently. Phyllis stiffened immedi- ately.
 ''I wasn't talking to you. thank you, she remarked in tone softly suggestive of icebergs and the Klondike and SO on. I was so crushed by and in dignant at her manner and speech that I didn't even come to her rescue when she lost her handkerchief during the course of the fourth act and was in dire distress for another wherewith to wipe away the tears consequent upon Rox- ane's sorrow over her lover's death and Cyrano's wounding. And she in turn was strangely silent when we rose at the conclrsiCpof the last act and made