Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1904-05-07

haunted-house with your mimicry OF
the cockney dialect was simply killing.
Wasn't 1t gratifying to find your audi
ence SO appreciativeT
Very gratifying" l murmured,
wishing that l had known something
about 1t at the time But did l look
all right My shoes for instance
Il didn't notice your shoes. The only
criticism l could make was regarding
your veil. You claim that they are in
furious to the sight and l never have
seen you wear one. l was surprised
that you wore one yesterday when you
read In public" l, too, was surprised.
did not own a veil, l must have
bought one, or, not being responsible
for my acts, may have stolen 1t. The
thought was anything but pleasant.
L began to cherish a sentiment of
bitter resentment against Mrs. Her
bert. She must have known the eff
rects OF the wonderful Indian drug
which she had so often urged me to
take. Why did she not tell me what II
would do, why did she not give me
the option Of remaining In pain or of
wandering forth in a state of resem-
bling somnambulism? Thus ex-
pressed myself to her in a long letter
relating the events of that wonderful
day. l will quote from her reply:
nave been too busy to write soon
er, but l supposed you would know
that 1t was l who read your essay.
rarely mention the fact that l once
studied for the stage, for it Ia a sore
subject with me. | had obtained an
engagement where my rendering of
even the insignificant part assigned
me as beginner was warmly pra sed
by the critics, when my uncle lied.
leaving will in which he made me
his heir upon condition that | should
give up the stage forever Never was
fortune SO reluctantly accepted. and
you must have noticed that the plays
the thing with me. That morning
when l saw your manuscript lying for.
gotten on the hall table I was seized
with longing to impersonate you,
and to render that excellent rroduc-
ton as 1t ought to be given. 1 have a
genius for makeup, but in this case
IL was not 80 great a task as you may
suppose. We are of about the sama
height and figure. Your eyebrows are
darker and more arched, your eyes are
darker and your nose is shorter. diff
culties not hard to surmount. with n
becoming veil to help the disguise.
and Of course 1t was easy enough to
reproduce your perfectly white pom
padour. l borrowed your hat and
gown because my own things are not
like you, and also wore the quaint
jeweled chain so often seen about
your neck. l initiated your gait in
walking, and l tiatter myself that my
Introductory explanation was accom-
panied by your voice and manner to
the life. 1 let my voice drop at the
end of the sentences as you do, and
one or two calls Of louder, please!
showed me what you would have been
obliged to contend with had you been
in my place. 1t was not necessary to
retain your voice when | began to
read, and l will venture to say that
for once at least your club listened en-
thralled. l had arrived late, and left
as soon as l had finished so l man
aged to speak at close range to no one.
You cannot imagine how much l en-
joyed that little three-quarters Of an
hour when l was once more an ac-
tress; remember this and forgive me
for having taken your place" !
The man of the house declares that
there Is not a word of truth in Mrs
Herbert's statement Says he: "She
was frightened at the harm she might
have done in giving you the medicine,
and she wanted to smooth your ruftled
feathers. She couldn't have fooled all
of those club women every moment Of
the time. No, you were there yourself,
and very much under the influence Of
the Indian drug"
1t may be that he Is right, but l
have not yet solved the riddle to my
own sfactlon.-Ch.cago Record
Herald.