Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-07-16

She Joined the others for Il chat in
the wings till the end Of the act. and
when she went to her dressing room
she found two fine bouquets of Jack $
waiting for her. She looked for the
cards. Her first bunch was from Il
man to whom she bad sent Il box. He
was doubtless herewith bis wife and
children She must remember to look
when she went on again. But the sec
ondt She opened her eyes He had
not only spoken to her; he had sent her
flowers Did it mean that there were
others in this world who would take
her back again still? The manager
and his melodramatic alteration seemed
/ suddenly rs far away from her as they
would have been year before. She
remembered having read newspaper
clipping which had suggested higher
/ than this for her Miss Kennedys
abilities" it had said. ARE rather
above her voice, and 1t would Lot be
amiss for her TO see what she could do
+ in legitimate comedy" Indeed she had
been thinking seriously Of leaving the
operatic stage at the close of the pres
ent engagement, perhaps for the
drama, perhaps for no stage at all.
Who could tell? She lifted the flowers
and impulsiycly hurried off to the man
/ ayers room.
II have come" she said, afraid TO
stop for breath, lest her resolutions
should change, "to refuse your very
kind offer, for reasons which | cannot
explain, and to return you the books"
She thrust score and librctto into his
hands. He stared ut her astonished
WHY. Miss Clara" he exclaimed,
you will at least take till tomorrow TO
think it over. You viii at least try
the score You cannot refuse me
surely YOU
NO" she said firmly, for she would
have no more words with this man
than she could help. Il am sorry if
disappointed you-sorry if | gave you
to understand this is final, and
must gol There is my call" she added
hastily as she heard the song ont on
the stage drawing to an end. Then she
ran out and stood for an instant in the
wings
II may repent it afterward," she said
TO herself, but | won't if | can help
it. 1t was real nice Of him sending
me those flowers | am glad. though,
that he'll never know how much they
happened TO mean TO me. He'd think
it was too silly! | shan't dare to look
at him again."
The star brushed past her with a
kind jest ana laugh, and she went
on, crying to meet Il SrcphOn in blue
satin, who yainly cndeayored to WDo
away her tears. She was too much
occupied with her business to have
fair look at the front seats After
few explanatory sobs on her part
Srcphon, with histrionic intuition,
seemed TO grasp the situation, and
they advanced to the fOotlights to-
gethCr joining in Il duet. The air was
familiar to every street boy now, and
unless she gave it her entire attention
each person in the audience would
think that he bad heard it better done
She dared not glance even once to the
spot toward which she was half I'M
consciously acting all the time, but
when she ran out for the last time she
thought that Il certain lifting of her
eyclashes and saucy shrug Of one
shoulder just rs she kissed her hand in
that same direction would be accepted .
as rcparation for her apparently cold
treatment. She almost fancied CLEAN
of gratitude rs warm rs her own com. I.
ing toward her from the golden haze
of the footlights on the end
That seat, had she but seen it, was
empty II had been empty since the ,
first scene The man i'm box of the .
upper tier scarcely remembered that /
he knew one of the girls on the cast. /
He was cngrossed for the present in .
quite Il different sort Of young WON .
an-thc one for whom he had brought .
some flowers and whom he had been .
dblt W lllIu WHY "l''l INV HNN'ii' "Nt I
She was sitting little behind the rest 4
of her party. and rs he leaned over
her chair she bent her head back until
it almost touched his arm and laughed .
softly into his eyes mt something he
had said. There was charming I'M
Outstanding between them. They had
both forgotten that there was any one
on the stage.