The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-05-11
A PAIR QE BALLET SHOES.

A PAIR Of BALLET SHOES.
REALLY, I'm the dullest of men," said
! Edgar Brooke, with the smile of long
suffering, to Il youthful interviewer, who
was trying to pick up few more crumbs
Of interest at the end of his long talk
| with the most inimitablc comedian of the
day. Edgar Brooke glanced abStructed-
ly round his study, and racked his brains
for suitable anecdote: but he couldn t
| for the life of him remember ut the min
ute any of the antiquatcd theatrical sto-
ries that every actor makes his own.
The youthful intcrvicwer's eyes wan
ler,d curiously round and fell on a
| quaint little pair of shoes which were
hanging over the oak fireplace. Not dain-
ty slippers, spangled and gay, but just a
limp memento Of the ballet with rounded
toes, no heels and an old covering of
silk. worn and frayed. They hung
against the wall with the little toes
turned in. as if their dancing days were
over and they were far too weary for Il
pirouette or even the first position.
"a curious souvenir. Mr.. Brooke"
Edgar Brooke smiled, and there was
silence for minute.
The comedian had forgotten the youth
full interviewer. He seemed to see the
little. shoes dancing on the wall. His
comfortable room faded out of sight.
and the flare of gas. Twenty years had
slipped away in hardly as many seconds
1t was behind the scenes of IL country
theater. The close air Of little room,
almost stit1cd Edgar Brooke. He dressed
| with the pantaloon, two acrobats and the
Demon Hing of the pantomme.
1helr clothes were heaped on basket
in the corner. The Pantaloon was max.
| ing whisky and soda and reading scraps
| from the Sporting Times to amuse the
| two acrObatS.
Edgar Brooke. hungry-eyed, lean and
| haggard sat with his aching head be-
| tween his hands. His tinsele,l harlequin
suit was loose for his wasted body
Months of illness. hard luck and poverty
had taken the heart and soul out Of him
He gave Il sigh of thankfulness when
his noisy comrades were summoned to
| the stage and he was alone
Heard that Brooke has got the sack?'
said the Panta.oon.
YES, poor dcvil! answered the Demon
King.
Then there was quick patter of feet
on the stairs: the door was pushed Il lit
tie open, and Columb;ne. in gauze and
il smile. peeled into Rrookes dressing
room. Although she was only IL. they
had been solcmnly engaged for two
months.
Eddy, darling"' she exclaimed. run.
nny into the room and perching herself
on the Pantaloon's basket. The young
l.l,l -IIlI1 too, hnI ff> do Il,
marks Of tears on his face, or to try to
control his unsteady lips.
ITS all up. Kitty" he replied. 1--WE
got my notice dear! Run downstairs
you shouldn't come up. One day they'll
catch YOU.
My own love-" said the Columbine
jumping off the basket and kneeling down
none of these fools know you! You're
worth more than the whole LOTT
"Oh, kitty, KITTY! can't bear it!''
Broken by weakness and despair, he
| drew Kitty's slender arms around his
| neck. and resting his head on her shout
der. sohbed aloud.
You must cheer up, Eddy she whis
pered.
She persuaded him to stand up: hunted
! for his small mask and stiff wand, SHOOK
| herself together. and gave a touch to hcl
own complexion before the glass.
Edgar Brooke went down to the stage
with his hand on her shoulder.
The manager of the company was
standing with his back to the curtain.
"'Crry up there said he. "Iavt
You got that side braced? My boy. your
shops webbing. Lights! '.Ang it all
lights: KNOCK i'm off: Ring up: Now
Up went the curtain and on went tn,
| Columbinc, with Il flying bound and 4
| bSaninr sI,iIn E,Ir,r Prnnl-o lon,oI
against the wall for Il second with hi
clcnched hand to his throbbing brow
Then he, too, ran into the glare of the
| stage.
| He could see nothing but an endless
row of horizontal, blurred lights thai
were dancing between him and the audi
| tnce: the house seemed to be full of fog
| COlnmbine tripped toward him. she tool
his hand and they twisted and turned to
| sether.
! The harequinade was short and bus
thing. and at the finish the HARLEQUIN
had to take the usual flying leap through
| Il window.
Brooke and his sweetheart again mad.
| their entrance hand in hand.
Stand still, Eddie" she WHISPERED
and then danced round him with hun
drcd little tricky steps and beckoning
gestures.
The cue came. Harlequin struck the
! ground with his wand and leaped. |,
was last effort. Luck and training
guided him to the right spot. TIe shot
| through the window as clearly as an ar
row, and was caught by the men who
| were waiting to receive him. He rose
to his feet, still clingins to their arms
| staggered a minute and then fell faint
| ing to the ground
"Plucky little chap-' said one of the
| men.
Not an ounce of flesh on his bones..'
said the other
| When Edgar Brooke came to himself
he was lying on a bench hastily dragged
on to tho stage. He saw that the ga.
jets in the flies were turned off; the cur
tam was raised' for the noisy audience
had poured into the streets. His bench
was near to the footlights. but they. too
were lowered, and it was an anxious
whispering group of people on every sid,
that gradually crept into his conscious
| ntSS..
There was the manager stopping owe
him, with a hand on his breast and bi,
finger pressed to his pulse; beside hin
was the clown. Most of the girls wcr,
stu III their costumes, with their hal
falling untidily en- their shoulders. Th,
whole scene was shadowy and strange t,
the pale, exhausted Harlequin, as h,
sank back again OH the arm of the De
mon King.
H. closed his eyes, but suddenly tn
ringing voice Of his Columbinc seemed t,
leap out of the babel of tongues.
At first he could not follow what sh
said; he only saw how erect was the lit
tie figure, at once pathetic and eloquen
of love and the fierce earnestness O
youth.
| Slowly her words took shape, discon
nected and broken as the sentences were
| I'm a couple of months this old pant
will he overr' she said I'VE shall nj
go east and west-the Lord know
where! But look here. we've been goo,
friends. haven't we? Jolly good friends
You fellows have heen kind to me, al
of you! But there's one Of you that
lcve-there: l love him! Why? BE
cause he's fought against trouble an,
poverty and illness. Because his hear
has never failed him till tonight. II
tell you something else!'
There was such intensity in her yoic
and face that she held them silent an,
absorbed for Il few minutes more.