Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-06-03
LOVES MESSAGE.

structions conveyed of typewriting in
the little blue-covered book
She knew exactly what she would
see there. At her right would be a
huge electric calcium pouring it's
green rays upon her white dress. 1t
had been decided that green would
be better than blue. The moon had
been green ever since the night when
the stage manager had arrived at this
decision.
There were also a couple of stage
braces holding up the scenery, and
sometimes a couple of stage hands in
very dirty shirt sleeves lent animation
to the view.
Tonight the men were absent and
Anice was able to give her whole at
tention to the floor, on which some
one had chalked Il love you," in a
clear print
She wondered idly who might have
done this. Some stage hand, prob
ably considering 1t a good joke.
She was still wondering when she
heard the cue which was her signal
to turn with a cry of horror to per-
]
the floor struck down by Hugh de
Maltravers, who in private life was
most unvllain-lilke villain.
After that it was a busy time until
the fall of the curtain. and she gave
/ the chalk marks no further thought
until the following evening.
There again, were the eloquent
words neatly chalkod fer her inspec-
| ton She was the only one required
to use the window. She could not
/ suppose that ,he tcsssge " meant
/ for any on else.
Gradually the legend began to an.
noy her. Every evening the same
words appeared, only to disappear be-
fore it came time to make the change
for the next act.
The matter both annoyed and inter-
ested her. She made a practice of
running to the window the moment
the curtain fell in the hope of discov.
ering the writer eraging the lines, but
by that time the marks had been OBJ
scured and she could only wait for
time TO unravel the mystery.
On the seth performance Agnes Car.
Teton celebrated the event by intro
ducing a new gown. In place of the
white satin which WIS beginning to
show the marks Of wear and tear, she
appeared in a handsome black satin,
which caused every woman in the au-
dience a pang of jealousy and Incl
dentally got her several newspaper
items.
AS usual Annice stood by the win.
dow, wondering who her unknown ad.
mirer might be. Lady Gwendolin gave
her customary shrek and Annice
turned with a scream Of terror to be.
hold the villains wicked work.
Tonight she supplemented her
stage horror with a cry more nat
ural. Lady Gwendolin fell with her
face to the audience that they might
marvel at the play Of her facial ex-
preston as she slowly died from the
effects of Maltravers' cruel blow.
There on the back Of the black satin
were the marks of a mans fingers
clearly outlined in white
In a flash it all came to her. Hugh
Cameron, who played Maltravers. was
the only person VIII, fert the stage.
He made his exit from the very win.
dow out of which she had been look
ing. All of the other characters we're
supposed to enter from the castle on
the opposite side of the stage.
1t was an easy matter to chalk the
legend while she was having her
scene with Miss Carleton Then when
he fed from the consequence of his
murderous assault he could rub out
the chalk marks.
Only the black satin dress had been
out of his calculations. When he had
grappled with Lady Gwandoln, the
: chalk from his imperfoctly cleaned
fingers hal left their mark. On the
old white dress they had not been
, noticeable.
All through the last act the incident
3 kept running through her head She
liked Cameron very much. better than
anyone else in the c7nrany. He had
been so kind to her in many little
ways.
1t hurt her to think that he had q
t hand in this joke. lust MS the curtain
l ltll at llN.' '.''ot VI inc ttl o4-' luI net
to Cameron.
' 81 should like to speak to you after
you have changed" she said simply.
He bowed. but it was with no easy
heart that he awaited her coming OF
the dark stage
She preached the subject directly
"Mr. Cameron" she demanded. "wh!
do you annoy me by challling sucl
absurd sentiments underneath thu
window in the second act?"
"How did you know?" he countered
"You left chalk marks on Miss Car
leton's black dress this evening" sh,
explained "Now I want to know VIII.
you played such an absurd prank?"
He colOred like a guilty schoOlboy
"Believe me-" he said earnestly. 81
was no prank. I meant it, ever,