Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-04-27
The Last Night of the Play.


The elegant Lord CourtIeigh. who,
when lacking greasc-paint and the man
ners Of a peer, was the ignoble Harrison
Wade pushed Bentley into the first wing,
with his back hard up against the switch
board. You'll be all right here, old
man." he whispered You can see first
rate, and won't be in the way till the
stage manager shows up at the end of the
act to ring the curtain down and turn
the footlights ont. Ii you want to know
anything, ask him. Here's where | go
on. I'll see you at the end of the act I"
Lord Courtleigh caught his cue and
sauntercd onto the stage, staring loftily
through his mOnoclc at the other play no.
bIes and commoners in the accepted man-
ner Of the peer of the stage: and Bentley
devoted himself to his first backdoor
study of play. The offering was one of
the oyrr-grown English melodramas OF
the Dfury Lane theater brand-a play
made mp of some dozen almost unrelated
incidents, tied together solely for the OPP
pOrtunitiCS they offered for the display of
startling stage effects-and this perfor
nance closed the company'S season. In
time Bentley wearied of the performance,
and his attention shifted from the play to
woman of easeful carriage, who wore
Gainsborough hat, and prodded with a
hlmy parasol, had caught his gaze the
minute Wade had pushed him into the
wing, and to her his eyes wandered
again. Despite the emphasis Of grease
paint and black lines ne could see that
her face was worth as many gances as
il man had time to give.
What part does she have--the lady
with the great black hatT Bentley asked
of the stage manager, who had slipped IN
beside him.
Lady Singleton" came the whispered
reply.
Bentley ran his eyes down his play bin
till they reach Lady Singleton" then
across the dotted lines. Gertrude Matt
land was her name AS his eyes re-
manned upon her he began to be pos
sessed by a vague sense of something IA
mihar about her presence Where had
he seen her before? And if he had not
seen her, what person he knew did she
suggest. He searched his mind. but
could not locate the spot Of time in the
past where their lines OF life had inter-
sected; Eor could he locate anyone of
whom she reminded him.
At length the shifting about of the
stage folk brought her to his side of the
stage. In his mental search for the elu-
siyG personality that he could not quite
close upon Bentley forgot that he was
IN theater, that Sne was an actress. and
that the people before him were merely
playing at life. He saw her handker-
chief tlutter downward Instinctively he
started forward.
The stage manager made a grab at
him and missed. Great God he cried,
IN tense whisper.
The ejaculation reached Bcntleys ears
and brought him to his senses, but al
ready he was STOPPING mt Miss Matt
lands side, with one hand closing on the
bit of cambria Then whispered words
descended 10 him in another voucher
voice: Don't go off the stage. Pretend
to be talking to me, but don't speak
aloud"
lie. straightened up and handed her the
handkerchief. Ii Goiag this he looked
her squarely in the face and his ewes
now saw beneath her makeup. He start
ed back
Harriet" he cried. involuntarily. At
this instant there was a pause i'm the
| stage, conversation, and Bcntleys word
was heard IN the farthest corner of he
! house
Miss Maitland bowed stiffly. and said
aloud, You are mistaken, my lord, This
! is Lady Singlctoni'
She bowed again, and while her head
was down she whispered: Pretend 10
| eNCuSc. yourself. Don't speak"
bGhtieN caught the cue. ana to those be
/
! protuSe apology She smiled her forgiye-
ness, took step nearer to him and be-
/ gan 10 move her lips as though talking
/ when she ceased he in turn made ,lumb
snow Of speech. \ couple of minutes Of
thlS voorhees, conversation and She wills
pered, When | tell yen to, walk across
( the stage into the opposite wing. You
/ must bow to me when Won leave me -
| She waited half a minute. Now" She
whispered. 9ii'
| Bentley made preten~e of uttering
words Of parting, raised his ha,. bowed
| and with what ease he could ~1mmand,
escaped INTO the safety Of the right wing
! The stage manager. half a dozen actors
ana outside of these a fringe of stage.
| handS; Were nervouSly waiting him.
| WIN These Bentley passed some words
he DID not know what-then pushed
through them and made his way 10
| thalr NJ the back of the stage. And il
MNaS She; 1T was really she, Gertrude
MISUNDERSTANDING that was lust her
stage name Strange that he should meet
her IN such manner, No not strange
elther Why any more strange that AFT.
er seven years they should come together
uh me stage or a theater than that they
| should meet by chance ON the street?
lie wondered If She S'ill felt toward him
as She once did for his behavior in The
ahair that had sent them apart And he
wondered how II was that she was now
an actress. And he wondered, with n
huSh of eNcnSahlc pride il she had heard
# his rapid rise to a high place among
Jne Younger lawyers of the city. His
Mf|nuerlhS WITS might have touched queS-
JomnSiy upon every change and incident
OF th', past seven years had not the ,ur-
'lh dropped just then and brought him
eagerly 10 his feet. '''
Bentley watched his chance ana sue.
eetded IN catching, Miss Maitland some
gave him an open smile as he came mn
and the glad light in her ewes brought
nm an immense relief lie had half
feared her greeting. hut the way in which
She smiled showed Mt once that She ba5
forgotten and forgiven.
Ihey had hut a moment together. for
She Went ON at the beginning of the next
act. SO time permitted only a question
and an answer. The question he mt
IN dozen wurdS-Could he see her after