The evening times., 1901-11-18

Z the hour one Of the actors told her that
! her rendering of "Curfev Shall Not King
/ Tonight showed that she was a born ac-
tress. and would some day De great one
a change came over her She worked
. harder than ever. but scarcely spoke 60
+. The people about her. She never rccited
for her fathers guests, they cared FOR
common things She studied late al
night During the day when her hours Of
freedom came she took long rides on her
mustang with a volume Of ShakesBeare
tied TO the saddle. over the plains. % the
bluffs beyond. she would hy-ambition
beating like some wild bird within her
! brain and warming her young heart The
/ bluff was now her stage. the long grasses
and the cropping herds her audience-and
she was a star actress
When she was twenty-one she asked
l her parents for the small sum of money
her grandfather had left her. They gave
1t with little protest. thinking she Eeeded
1t because Of her promise 10 marry one of
the young men who called on her quite
/ frequently They seldom questioned her
II she worked hard, that was ali they
asked Of her. She was their property
until she married or reached the age Of
twenty-One They had other children all
Of whom they regarded in the light Of
helpers. not children TO love and cherish
4 few days after Aicyoue received her
money she disappeared. The man whom
( they thought she would marry knew
nothing of her whereabouts. He told
them. too, that the girl was too high
strung for him; when he married, ne said.
It would be one who did not expect 10 re-
ceive any better treatment. OF be kept
any better, than the rest Of squaws
A
She was in Chicago. studying for the
stage. Her people stormed at first. but
could do nothing but await events. Her
letters grew less frequent. and they
learned that she had joined a company
and gone on the road. She was away
three years Then she came back. pennf-
less. changed. and took up her old work
Of washing dishes and waiting on the
men
She had learned, during her absence. TO
despise everything about her old home but
the pralrles and the free things that
roamed them. She took her position as a
servant with protest in her hot young
heart. but faced II well before her audi
cnce- She had learned 10 school herself
IA her lessons Of the stage She did not
speak OF lovers or conquests. but yet no
man dare approach her. Her manner was
enough 90 freeze the most ardent admirer.
Yet when all deemed her cold and with
out heart, she was then most deeply lost
IN the love dream that had come 10 her
during her absence. She lOnEed Tor the
man of that passing dream: she looked
for him, yet child herself for doing so. for
1t was wrong. But the prafries were so
cold that winter. life Eas so unkind. Was
it wrong 10 be glad when he did Gomez
One day, IN the midst Of a snowstorn
that swept owed the plains. a man came
20 the hotel lie was from Chicago. a
handsome fellow, who said he had missed
his way in the storm. He stayed at the
hotel for q week. was cheerful com
panion, and won his way into the hearts
Of all the rough prairie people. He seem
ed 10 win AlcyOnes heart, too, as none
before had ever won it. They we're as
Intimate as il they had known each
other hair their lives. They read together
over the roaring fire while the n5-th
winds Whistled out Of doors. they discuss
cd books. and she Tecited for him ard
those around her The home people were
electrified What action she had. how
she made them shiver and weep. and then
smile again through the tears that sham
cd them. Why was il she had faiIed-why
did she come back % them2 They could
not understand.
After the gOod-Iooklng stranger IeIt she
grew more moody than ever She took
longer rides on her mustang. spoke less
90 those around her. ana in return receiV-
cd sCaut courtesy. for they imagined that
she was proud. AMI would be pleasant TO
none but city folks. She endured thar
life for a little while. and then. at the
suggestion Of the local Congressman
wife, she went to Washir gton She was
introduced into this Iady's social circle.
reCiJcd At her receptions she tried 10
teach physical culture, and gave a few
lectures on the woman question. She met
a great many people who liked her. and
tried to help her but those who were the
most inclined to do so were the least able
She was greatly admired by the Congress
man. and by some Of his colleagues. whom
ne presented TO her thinking that they
might be able to use influence in her
behalf She had "A hard. rough time.
It WAS a struggle 70 keep I'D appear
ances, and look happy and well fed, when