Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-05
He came back ,otth a t,.mbler.

He came back 1otth tumbler.
pay society part again you'd zee!
This is the way you say: Good morn
ing, DIR. Kendall. = All, thank you
so much. Shall we see you again
soon? - Goodby.' You make all
the little things eansomething. That's
dignity. personality. haven't any more
than blade of grass, but Pm gaining
on 1t. If live another week, shall
die and go to Daniel Frohman's No. 1
company instead of to heaven. I'd
rather"
do speak like that when address
DR.. Kendall?" said Brenda. with a
slight access of color. "Well, 1t may
be so. You are very clever, my dear"
'rhis is the way you hold your
arms when you walk" said Elsie.
isn't that pretty? OF course can't
do it very well lying down, but see the
fingers and the ease of the wrist.
Were you taught to do that?"
Il used to have a governess who was
crazy on Delsarte," replied Brenda.
But she presently went crazy on all
other subjects also, and we had to send
the poor thing to an institution. was
not aware Of my debt to her"
You owe her great DEAL" said Ell
sic. Il wish I'd had lunatic of that
kind in my family. couldn't afford to
have much teaching. OF course had
some, but when found what my
mother was enduring in order to pay
for it-well, l took an engagement with
the first thing that came along. And it
was n transforming crew! We gave
SIX plays n week, and had to learn a
long part in every one Of them. The
second Monday, in the afternoon, the
leading lady came into my room and
found me huddled up on the floor in
the corner gibbering -just gibbering,
that was all-words out Of all the
plays, as she told me afterward, all
jumbled together, and was cross eyed
with sitting up al|night studying un-
der little Pickering gas jets. Yes, that's
the way she found me, and the room
was as cold as barn too. had the
bed quilt wrapped around my shout
ders and my arm through hole in it.
1.-The leading lady yelled to the ju-
venile man, and he really was juvenile
about Is, as remember. She said,
Go get glass of brandyv The ju-
venile man went down to the bar and
came back with tumbler solid full.
He had to carry 1t carefully in order to
keep from splitting any. The leading
lady was temperance woman. She
never touched n drop of wine, and, in
fact, she was regular straitlaced
New England pilgrim, but somebody
had told her once that brandy was
good for the thing that had-.white
brain, we call 1t. The Juvenile man
didn't know how much brandy a per-
son ought to take, and well, didn't
know anything. So drank 1t all, and
then l lay down on the bed, and the
leading lady covered me with every
thing she could find, and pretty soon
the bed got up and stood on the ceiling,
and | didn't care at all.
when it came time to go to the the
alter brenda, it's disgraceful, but 1
was $3.50 drunk that couldn't walk
straight the leading lady got me up
and told the Juvenile man to walk me
around the block, and he walked me
around about fifty times in the snow.
We were in little Minnesota town,
and 1T had showed for week. When
he took me to the theater, l was per-
fectly sober, and didn't care for any
thing. had no troubles whatever.
walked up to the stage manager, and
said cheerfully, Well, what do we play
tonightY He told me, and l couldn't
remember ever to have heard of it, but
! got out my part and studied it while
/ was making up.
when I went on, knew about half
of my first scene, which was the lon
gest one had in the play. But didn't
care. I'd always been troubled with
stage fright more or less, but not this
time-not fright. When forgot, I
waited calmly for the prompter, who
was off left having fit. By and by l
had to go across right and sit down by
n table. knew couldn't hear the
prompter there, so walked over and
got the table and dragged it clear across
the stage, and the audience applauded
because did 1t so naturally.
"Then l went crazy, and what htp-
pened afterward scarcely know. But
when came Off after the thrilling eli
max of the scene fell into the lead
ing lady's arms, and she Rugged me up
tight. She s.Nl: You never played SO
we'll as that before. You were like
Julia Marlowe.' And she kissed me on
both checks. Julia Marlowe was my
idol then. and cried with heavenly
joy on the leading lady's neck. That's
oil true, just as it happened, Brenda,
and never had stage fright after
ward"
"Poor little Elsiew said Brenda, kiss
ing her. at was hard school where
you were taught"
at was" said Elsie. "Yet think I
wouldn't have amounted to much any
way. How could any mortal man fail
to see the difference between you and
me?"
My child" said Brenda, no man
can. Why, the brass knobs on the
posts Of this bed know the difference be.
tween you and me-the vital, essential
difference. They love you in their lit.
tie brass hearts. Everybody loves you
DIR. Kendall, for cold blooded sawyer
of bones who could amputate my head
without n trace of emotion, takes your
hand with the eternal reverence Of
man for woman. and when he gives
you pain can see his own heart
shrink. But he treats me us If l were
gentleman whom he had met at the
club"
Elsie opened her eyes SO wide that
they seemed to light the room as she
stared at Brenda, whose cheeks were
flushed by her unusual earnestness.
Il am glad to hear you speak like
that" she said.
Brenda rose and walked across tc
the window. Then she returned to the
bed and took Elsie's hand.
II am going to open my heart tc
you," she said, at was not because