El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-26
ouIn had TO take the usual flying leap
|

through n window.
Brooke and his sweetheart again
made their entrance hand in hand.
"Stand still. Eddy. she whispered.
and then danced around him with
hundred little tricky steps and beckon-
ing gestures
The cue came. Harlequin struck the
ground with his wand and leaped. 1t
was last effort. Luck and training
guided him to the right spot. He shot
through the window as clcanly rs an
arrow and was caught lily the men
who were waiting to receive him. He
rose to his feet, still clinging to their
arms. staggered n minute and then
fell fainting to the ground.
"Pmcky little chap said one of the
men.
Not an ounce Of flesh on his boncs-'
said the other.
When Edgar Brooke came to himself.
he was lying on a bench hastily drag
ged on to the stage. He saw that the
gas jets I'm the flies were turned of.
The curtain was raised. for the noisy
| audience had poured into the streets.
His bench was near to the footliShts,
but they. too, were lowered, and it was
| an anxious. whispering group of peo-
| pie on every side that gradually crept
| into his consciousness.
There was the manager STOPPING over
him, with n hand on his breast and a
big finger pressed to his pulse. Be-
| side him was the clown. Most OF the
girls were still in their costumes, with
their hair falling untidily on their
| shoulders. The whole scene was shad-
owy and strange to the pale, exhaust
| ed Harlequin as he sank back again on
| the arm of the Demon King.
He closed his eyes. but suddenly the
| ringing voice of his Columbine seemed
| to leap out OF the babel of tongues.
At first he could not follow what she
said. He only saw how erect was the
little figure, at once pathetic and elo-
| quent of love and the fierce earnest
ness of youth.
Slowly her words took shape, discon-
nected and broken as the sentences
were.
"In n couple of months this old panto
| will be overr' she said. We shall all
go east and west-the Lord knows
where? But look here-we've been
good friends. haven't we-jolly. good
| friends? You fellows have been kind
| to me. all OF you. But there's one Of
you that l love-there! / love him,
Why? Because he's fought against
trouble and poverty and Illness, be-
cause his heart has never failed him
till tonight. I'll tell you something
else
There was such intensity in her voice
and face that she held them silent and
absorbed for a few minutes more.
Its just this: Edgar Brooke has no
soul on earth to turn to, l tell you he's
danced in n booth. he's sung in the
streets; he's worked; he's starved;
he's looked at life under the canvas;
| hes thought of death under the skies.
| That's the stuff for an actor TO be made
Of"
Edgar Brooke put out his hand to
stop her. but she went on. with fash
| ing eyes.
We'll. what do you say? Shall 1t
| be n round robin for the sake OF our
own hard times: Come, We all know
where the shoe pinches.'
She bent down and pulled off one OF
her own shoes and held IL out TO the
| manager first of all. He might have
resisted the disconnected little speech.
| but not the pretty face turned up so
| appealingly TO his-a couple of coins
cliuked into the shoe.
| Edgar felt his checks burn, for the
| thcater was his little world, and the
quick response of his comrades touched
| and amazed him.
His wistful eyes followed Columbine
as she tripped from one to another.
now with n jest or smile, now with n
| tear.
| When she brought the little shoe to
| the side of the bench Mt last. he could
only stretch out his hands TO the crowd
| that pressed round. He tried to thank
them, looked up to the Columbine with
| a few broken words and turned his
face away
The ring of encouraging voices, the
| flicker of uncertain lights. the touch
of the girls fingers twined round his
hand faded into misty shadow of
sound and sight. and were gone as
swiftly as they came.
"a curious memento, Mr.. BROKER
said the youthful interviewer again,
| recalling the popular comedian to the
faded ballet shoes.
Yes, yes" said Edgar Brooke light
ly. But 1t would scarcely interest
you. By the way, did l tell you that
| my wife was n dancer-before we mar
ried--a long time ago?'-Alainly About
| People.