Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-03-25
"ln a Stage Box"
Z BY
JULIA NJ. KNIGHT

Ill dawned upon his sight, radiant
vision Of youth; began to haunt his
thoughts, to intrude upon the privacy
OF his art. Yet 1t seemed now that she
had been there since the opening night,
In the left-hand stage box, a single slight
girl with face like rose, and flower
In her chestnut hair.
II was at the close of a long, hard
worked season, and they were playing
a brief spring engagement in the quiet
little city, and longing wearily for the
moment of release when they could flee
to mountain fastness, or seaside resort,
for the rest so needed in the taxing ca
reer of the actor.
1t was phenomenal engagement con-
sidering the lateness of the season, and
Roy Stirling, the leading actor, who was
creating some stir in the dramatic world
by his rare histrionic powers, had moth
ing to ask of the enthusiasm evoked by
his every performance. He was the ia
vorite of the hour, the matinee idol, the
promise of even the most captious of
critics, on the high road to an early and
intoxicating fame, yet seemingly un-
spoiled by 1t all.
Who was she? Only nameless girl
in the flower and fragrance of her youth,
who came nightly with her gay compan-
ions to the little theater; yet, unknow-
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art, color, life and interest to the most
hackneyed role he was called upon to
portray. 1t was not Juliet, in her bal
cony, to whom he poured out his pas
sion with southern warmth and aban-
donment the proud beauty of Lyons,
to whom he pleaded for pardon, but
the little girl in the stage box; so near
yet so far, so clothed in mystery and
enchantment
He knew her not, her name, her en-
vironment, her fate, but each night as
the footlights frightened, the violins
thrilled in the opening overture, the
great curtain rolled up to reveal the
fascinating mimic world, she sat in her
accustomed place, till it seemed the play
could not go on without her.
She is simple, rare, unique; for her
heart still untouched, her life unwritten,
her sensitive soul like that of the poet
divines all through anticipation; in the
speaking face she turns to him, the
gray eyes that follow him about the
stage, what does she not reveal; she
responds to his every touch as a rare
violin to the hand of its master.
The actors. alive to the humor of the
situation, rallied him about his latest
mash" the leading lady pouted, and
protested that he made love to the stage
box rather than the rightful heroine of
the play. He laughed, frowned, and
turned them aside, but their careless
raillery fingered in his thought, con-
firmed his own fears and forebodings,
Could this be love? He secuted the
idea to scorn, would have none of it..
Was he the man to be swayed by a
girls smile like his fellows, turned from
his great ambition, his career, by a
dream BETTING schoolboy?
So he believed, protested and re-
solved; but one night of absence on the
part of his fair unknown taught him
a lesson in humility not lightly to be
forgotten. Where now were the magic
of his art, the exhilaration, the absorp-
ton, that had never failed him before? ?
The house seemed empty and void, the
friendly audience cold and pulseless,
the play moved with leaden feet; and all
because a girls face was missing from
Its accustomed place.
Then realization came home to him
with sudden force; he knew now that for
many weeks this girl had been his sole
audience, HIS gentlest critic, warmest
admirer, most innocent deyotee.
To her he had looked for inspiration,
response, sympathy, and she had never
failed him. When the thunder of ap-
plause rang in his ears, and he came
before the curtain again and again to
bow his Acknowledgements, he was ever
conscious of a more delicate homage
coming from that box so close to his
hand, like the fragrance from flower.
Only a girl unknown to fame yet for
the time she had ruled him, man of the
world, student, actor that he was, and
he could not escape her subtle spell, the
silken meshes of the net she had not
the coquetry to throw. 1t was passing
strange; yet the humiliating fact was
revealed TO him in the sense of loss her
absence brought, which could not be rea-
soned away or dispelled by his most
heroic resolves.
When next she came with gay, girl
ish throng, he could have taxed her
warmly for her absence, but his own
buoyancy and spirit returned and he
had never portrayed his gallant role bet
ter. so they said.
BY this time he had become acquaint-
ed with all the habitues of that box.
the youthful, vivacious mother, the
scholarly father, the girl companions.
and an occasional admirer who seeks in
vain to divert her attention from the
stage. Were she an aspirant for his
trionic honors she could not give the
mimic life passing before her a more
absorbed and undivided attention; could
not show q more subtle recognition of
the beautiful art unfolding like a flow
er before her vision.
The handsome young actor had never
played better, so they told him; with
more grace, spirit and magnetic fire. a
more delicate at, than now at the close
of a long, wearisome season, when all
others longed to be freed Ifom the fet-
ters of profession that taxed more than