Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-22


the theatre-door ill-clad half frozen,
lonely desolate, heart sick, yet knew
that rich furs and soft laces and glim-
mering silks could be hers for the talk
ing? What is even home to her
a place where she is bored, and yearns
| for excitement? To me the thought OF
| It is like the opening door OF heaven
| through which | shall pass to peace,
and rest. So you will understand what
Dicks love has been TO me. He came
/ to me with respect. He showed me rev.
| erence. He never once remembers the
actress. but only saw in me the woman
he loved"
| cara paused. Forgive me" she said.
II did not mean to say so much. Only
ask you over again. grow stupid, |
think-to tell me if it is true that
shall ruin Dick if | marry him."
IL am afraid So answered one of
the women, and the other reached out a
hand impulsiyely and touched Zara3
where 1t lay upon the ciotn.
Thank YOU" she said. simply, rising
and steadying herself as soldier
might after blow, and then she passed
quietly out into the streets. Once in the
air she hurried along, her steps trying
to keep pace with her flying thoughts.
Dick would be ruined Dick would be
ruined, and through her Hers would
be the hand to pull him downtown to
poverty and obscurity and want. Doors
open to him now would be shut in his
face. Old friends would cut him. He
| would have to learn for the first time
the hard ways of privation and want
all the old bitter lessons she knew 50
well. HE is willing to give up every
thing for me. My love will repay him. y
cried her heart. HE does not realize
the sacrifice he is making. The day
will surely come when he will repent it
and hate and curse you for being the
cause of it," answered her head, with
all the inexorable logic of reason, and
through it all her soul sent up the
agonized prayer, 81 cannot, cannot
give him up. My life has been so hard.
so bitter. Oh. my God, my God"
Her life had trained her to actions,
not introspection, and so soon as she
reached home she sent a scrawl to Dick
giving him back his freedom. She did
not attempt to deny her love. She
only told him that she had learned of
the ruin their marriage would cost him,
and she would not buy her happiness
with the price of his.
1t is one of the unwritten tragedies
of the stage that these who minister to
the worlds pleasure and gayety have
no time to indulge their own emotions.
They must laugh and make merry
though their hearts are breaking with
sorrow. So when the curtain went up
on THE Queen of the Cannibal Isle
cara stood ready in her fantastic and
glttering dress, saucy, debonair, as IL
she and sorrow had never met. She
was an actress to her inmost ffble
and the very passion and excitement
of the last few hours lent new power
to her. Never had she been in better
voice, never had her smiles been so
dazzling, her gayety so infectious. She
seemed to catch up the whole audience
and carry it with her into land
where there was nothing but ripping
laughter, and singing birds-fashing,
glttering, bewildering Storm after
storm of applause swept the house, but
after the last bravo died out, and the
curtain had gone down for the last time
on the smiling face, it was weary and
worn looking woman who turned to-
wards her dressing room.
She had only taken a few steps,
when through the confusions and noise
of scene-shifters and stage hands rush
ing scenery into place for the next act,
there rang a sudden, sharp, shrill
scream, and little chorus girl, frantic
WIN llISuty Will iiSi NioPhoAOuo Nld
peries afiame rushed down the short
flight of steps from the upper tier Of
dressing rooms. Another moment and
running amidst all Of that infiammabie
material she might cause. God knows
what awful catastrophe. cara saw her
first, and all the old swift training
of her youth asserted itself, and she
sprang forward and clasped the girl
in her arms. The girl fought with all
the mad strength of fear and pain to
free herself, but Zara's muscles were
still clothed in velvet, and she held her
fast and bore her down on the floor,
trying to smother out the fire with her
own clothing. A hundred willing hands
rushed to the rescue, and the danger
was over almost as swiftly as it had
come, but when they had borne the
little chorus girl sobbing away, sZa:a
lay very still. Her gay dress with its
flashing jewels, and golden sequins still
glittered about her, the painted roses
on her cheeks cleaned in ghastly con
trast to the whitening face beneath,