Gloucester County Democrat., 1900-02-15
THE REHEARSAL. .
By RICHARD O'MONROY.

. @ @ o o @ o o 9 o 9 @
"Well, what luck?" l asked Nine
Bourrimel, my Concierge" as l came
in the other evening Her daughter
Leona, you must know, had presented
herself for examination at the Conserv-
atoire that day, and | always make a
point of appearing interested In my
'concierges" family affairs. l find it
pays to do so.
"Ah, NJ. Richard, you come at just
the right moment. l was longing for
somebody to talk to about It, Sit down
there in my armchair by the latch
string, and l viii tell you the whole
story.
"Well, as you know, Leona had
learned the role of Blanche in LIE Roi
s'Amuse.'
"My husband know his political
opinions-chose the piece. He thought
it would be a good thing to show the
people the goings on of the kings in the
old days before we had this blessed re-
public. Besides. it is by Victor Hugo,
you know, and it seems to be fairly
we'll written. Leona's teacher-that
fat little NJ. Guillemot with the red
cheeks, you know, and very nice man
he is, too, must say, and always very
polite to newell, the teacher made no
objection, and so Leona studied up the
part of Blanche
She seems to have been created
expressly for the role.' NJ. GuilIemot
often said to me. She is Blanche her
SELF
'She selected for the examination the
scene in the second act in which
Blanche confesses to Dame Berarde
her love for the king. We went through
it several times at home after supper
'"The prince, ever kind and attentive,
held the book, and took the part of
Dame Berarde, which was quite suited
to my years. There's a ring at the bell,
NJ. Richard. Please pun the cord.
Thanks. Where was L? Oh, yes; l re-
member.
'sLeona knew her lines so well that
she could have spoken them backward.
'The prince had ordered her costume
and had even been good enough to go
with her when she went to try it on.
You need not leave your post,
Nine. Bourrimel' he said. 4 will at
tend to everything.
"Ah, but that costume was superbl
Imagine a foulard with honeysuckles
and humming birds on a white ground,
the skirt trimmed with three bands of
purple velvet. square cut bodice, point
lace sleeves-hut l forget. You are
man, and you can't imagine it.
"But when | saw that dress my ma
ternal heart leaped for joy. and threw
my arms around the princes neck and
exclaimed. With such a dress as that
Leona cannot help making a success,
and it will be all owing to your gener-
osity.'
Indeed, NJ. Richard, was deeply
moved, assure you. and the prince
himself was much affected. l even
thought | saw tears behind his eye
glasses. Well. the great day came at
last, and we all set out for the Conserv-
atoire, accompanied by our neighbor,
Nine. Frimard, and her daughter, who
has tried the examination in comedy
for the last six years and failed every
time
"But, NJ. Richard, the bell has rung
three times. Please open"
81 beg pardon, Nine. Bourrimel, am
1r,onv, Gao1aiorero ,.o,,,oY,,l,o
"Where was 1? Oh. to be sure, at the
Conservative Leona went to the stage
door with Mile. Frimard, who was to
take the part of Dame Berarde, and
Nine. Frimard and got seats together
In the little red theater They call it
'Etruscan.' believe, but it is quite
pretty for all that.
''Of course the prince, being connect
ed with the Russian embassy, could
not be with us. He sat in a proscenium
box, right behind the presidents WIFE
All, there's lady who knows how to
dress! l couldn't keep my eyes off the
bright yellow capote perched on top Of
her shiny black hair.
"Of course Nine. Frimard, whose
daughter had been going through the
mill so long. knew all the critics and
the members of the jury, and she point
ed them out TO me while we were wait
ing for Leona to appear.
''That fat man. sound asleep. was
Maurice Tourcey. He always slept at
these exhibitions.
1.-THE dark, shabby man was Victor
Fessard. who had left politics for lit
erature at the age of so and now slash
ed right and left to make people think
he knew all about it, just as people
hiss bullfights to pretend they are
Spaniards.
THE gentleman with the long hair
and the big mustache was La Puiser-
aye. who was kindness itself. and the
man who looked like general was
Auguste Destu. an honest man and a
scholar.
"Then, in the jury box, there was
Dumas, the smiling Jules Claretic. the
amiable Halevy The shriveled looking
person was Camille Doucet.
taI,ba old man ir, tho naiddIa with a