The San Francisco call., 1904-07-17

JUST LOOK me Dy the SIlOuluSIo'
Nancy Olden, you little thief!
cried to me inside of me. How dare
you! I'd rather you'd steal the silver
on this woman's dressing-table than
cheat her out of what she expects and
what's coming to her."
Nance really didn't dare. So she be-
gan.
The first one was bad. 1 gave 'em
Duse's Francesca. You've never heard
the wailing music in that woman's
voice when she says:
There IS no escape, smaragdi. You have
The shadow in glass to me. and God
Let's me be lost.
/ gave them Duse just to shew them
how swell L was myself; which shows
what a ninny l was. The thing the
world loves is the opposite of what it
is. The pat-pat-pat of their gloves
came in 10 me when L got through.
They were too polite to hiss. But it
Wasn't necessary. L was kissing my
self. Inside> OF me there was a long,
nasty hiss-ss-ss,
l couldn't bear it. 1 couldn't bear
to be failure with Latimer listening,
though out there in that queer half
light l couldn't see him at all, but
could only make out the couch where
/ knew he must be lying.
! just jumped into something else to
retrieve myself. l can do Carter's Du
Barry to the Queens taste, Maggie.
That rotten voice of hers, like Mother
Douty's, but stronger and surer; that
rocky old face pretending to look
young and beautiful inside that tall
ented red hair of hers; that whining
Denny Denny!" she sQuawks out
every other minute. Oh, L can do Du
Barry all right,
They thought 1 could, too, those
black and white shadows out there on
the other side of the velvet curtains.
But cared less for what they thought
than for the fact that 1 had drowned
that sputtering hiss-ss-ss inside of me,
and that Latimer was among them.
L gave them Warfield, then; l was
always good at taking off the sheenies
in the alley behind the Cruelty-re-
member? L gave them that little
pinch -nosed Maude Adams, and dry,
corking little Mrs. Fiske, and Henry
Miller when he smooths down his
white breeches lovingly and sings
Sally in Our Alley" and strutting old
Mansfield, and
Say, isn't it funny, Mag, that I've
seen 'em all and know all they can
do? They've been my college educa-
ton, that crowd. Not a bad one.
either, when you come to think of
what / wanted from il.
They pulled the curtain down at the
nd I C1r fn 6e
/ had my hat and jacket on when Mrs.
Gates and some of the younger ladies
came to see me there, but 1 caught no
glimpse OF Latimer. You'd think
wouldn't you-that he'd have made an
opportunity to say just one nice word
10 me in that easy, soft voice of his?
l tried to believe that perhaps he
hadn't really seen me, lying down, as
he must have been, or that he hadn't
recognized me, but 1 knew that
couldn't make inyself believes that;
and the lack of just What word from
him spoiled all my satisfaction with
myself, and l walked out with Mrs.
Gates through the hall and past the
dining-room feeling as hurt as though
I'd deserved that man like Latimer
should notice me.
The dining-room was all lighted, but
empty-the colored, shaded candle
sticks glowing down on the cut glass
and silver on delicate china and
flowers. The ladies and gentlemen
hadn't come out to supper yet; at
least, only one was there He was
standing with his back to me, before
the sideboard, pouring out a glass of
something from a decanter. He
turned at the rustic of my starched
skirt, and as 1 passed the door he saw
me. 1 saw him, too, and hurried
away.
Yes. 1 knew him. Just you wait
l got home here earlier than I'd ex-
pected. and I'd just got off my hat and
Jacket and put away that snug little
check when there came a ring at the
bell
1 thought it was you, Mag-that
you'd forgotten your key. 1 was so
sure of it that I pulled the door wide
with a flourish and
And admitted-Edward
Yes, Edward, husband of the Dowa-
ger. The same red-faced big-necked
old fellow, husky-voiced with whisky
now, just as he was before. He must
have been keeping it up steadily ever
since the day out in the country when
Tom lifted his watch. It'll take more
than one lost watch to cure Edward.
followed you home, Miss Murie-
son." he said, grabbing me by the
hand and pushing the door closed be-
hind him. COR is it Miss Murieson?
Which is your stage name. and which
your real one? And have you really
learned to remember it? For my part,
any old name will smell as sweet, now
that I'm close to the rose"
1 jerked my hand away from him.
L didn't ask you to CALL" 1 said
naughty as the Dowager herself was
when first I saw her in her gorgeous
parlor, the Bishops card in her hand.
No, l noticed that" he roared jovi-
ally. You skinned out the front door
the moment you saw me. All that was
left 20 me was to skin after"
"Why?"
Why" He slapped his leg as