The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-09-20


lie could see nothing but an endless
row Of horizontal blurred LIGHTS that
were dancing between him ana The
audience: the house seemed to be fun
Of fog. Columbine trippcd toward
him. she took his hand, ana they twist
cd and tnrned together.
The harlequinade was short and
bnstllng, and at the finish the Uarle-
quin had TO take the usual flying leap
through a window.
Brooke and his sweetheart again
made their entrance hand In hand.
"Stand stlll. Eddyw she whispered.
and then danced around him with n
hundred little tricky steps and beckon-
ing gestures.
The cue came. Harlequin struck the
ground with his wand and lcaped. It
was last effort Luck and training
guided him to the right spot. He shot
through the window as clcanly MS an
arrow and was caught by the men
who were waiting to receive him. He
rose to his feet, still cllnging to their
arms, staggered a minute and then
fell fainting TO the ground.
"Plucky little chapw said one of the
men.
mot an ounce of flesh on his bonesw
said the other.
When Edgar Brooke came to himself,
he was lying on n bench hastily drag
ged on TO the stage. lie saw that the
gas Jets in the flies were turned off.
The curtain was raised, for the noisy
audience had poured into the streets.
His bench was near to the footlights,
but they, too were lowered and 1t 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 hand on his breast and n
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 untidiy 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, dlscon-
nected and broken as the sentences
were.
"In couple Of months this old panto
will be over" she said. I'VE 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-therel | love hlml
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 few minutes more.
ITS just this: Edgar Brooke has no
soul on earth to turn tol tell you he's
danced in a booth; he's sung in the
streets; he's worked; he's starved;
he's looked at life under the canvas;
he's 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 flash.
ing eyes.
"Well, what do you say? Shall it
be a round robin for the sake Of our
| 10 oil
where the shoe pinches."
She bent down and pulled off one OF
her own shoes and held 1t out to the
manager first of all. He might have
resisted the disconnected little speech,
but not the pretty face turned up so
appcalngly to hls-a couple of coins
clinked into the shoe.
Edgar felt his checks burn, for the
theater 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 jest or smile, now with
tear.
When she brought the little shoe to
the side Of the bench at 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.. Brooke|
said the youthful interviewer again,
recalling the popular comedian 10 the
faded ballet shoes
Eyes, yes" said Edgar Brooke light
Iy. But It would scarcely interest
you. BY the way did / tell you that
my wife was a dancer-before we mar.
rled--a long time agop-Malnly About
People.
when Surgeons Are of No Use.
"The driver Of the stage which was
rolling down the Rocky mountains as
fast as six mules on the gallop could
keep ahead of It, may have noticed
that I was" said thc man who was re-