The Opelousas courier., 1904-07-16

Suddenly from the ro$ Eoutside cam
a rattle and oar Hea Sturned wit
one consent.
ITS Johnson starting 4r the Inter
national" said an excited voice, an,
the speaker vanished through the door
There was a general rush I'm the sam
direction. and much talk ahl laughter
The stage manager was theSlast to dis
appear. Z
L"SYou see," he explained AQ "Leslit
from the doorway, 1--WE al1AsS:Sspw him
and he's come round on AHsNlcar thi'
way, | expect, to say gGAnfI. Wei
only just give him a seq NE and b.
back in five minutes" 3
The door shut behind h1 EAgand they
were alone, actually aloneTN
us 1t Providence?' said MSslie, soft
ly. "a
That depends" she aMSred, be-
tween laughter and tears how we
use it." MAS%
He came closer to h9sRTw want te
use it in telling you I'Narryt.'
smiling. "
so do l." she ed, AM sol
think-it must be4H8vidence.$
You're lookinaeill,' he said sud'
denly.
She shook hdEhead. ooh, no, it's
nothing. I've Seen working a little
too much, and it was hard waiting
Or"
"Me?" he suggested, vaingloriously.
Providence" she said, demurely.
He laughed. did you say working
too hard?" he added.
yes"
He looked surprised, and there was a
pause.
Dear" she said-and from her with
whom %endearing terms were rare, the
sound came like a caress-"you re-
member why we-quarrelled?"
He nodded.
81 was wrong; I ought to have ex-
planned; but l was afraid"
"Afraid?' he cried. "Of me?" r.
"Of losing you. Listen" She spoke
hurriedly, glancing fearfully at the
door. Would they give her time? 81
had work to do-for about six months,
of which you might not have approved,
and / was afraid that if | lost you I
should not do it we'll. That was cow
ardice." She smiled sadly. "And-
and it was not even successful, since
l lost you after all"
"Mislaid me-" he corrected. Il re-
fuse to be lost"
She thanked him with her eyes, and
went on. But now the six months
are over, and-and I will give up the
work, If you want me to-"
He protested. Have ] proved my
self so narrow-minded?' he asked.
Have l ever said l thought less of a
woman because she worked?"
you understand" she said. DO
you remember telling me, very soon
after we met, that you thought actors
who married actresses were-fools?"
He looked vaguely uneasy. 81 have
a kind of hazy remembrance of it," he
admitted.
Then you know why I am afraid. l
am an actress"
Kate! You?" he cried, desperately.
ooh, what an ass I've been. Tell me,
dearest, what can / do? Give me a
chance to make up. Tell me what you
want to act, and let me use any influ-
ence Imay have in getting it for you.
Only tell me-"
Perhaps" she suggested, smiling,
"I may not need to trouble you. You
haven't asked, by the law, what name
l act under"
What is it? To think that I've
been coolIy lecturing and correcting
you, when, for all | know, you may be
a second-a second'eehe searched his
mind for a celebrated name-'Mar-
garet Ellison"
She came a step nearer, and her
laughing ayes looked into his.
"cNot a second one," she whispered.
"What?"
81 mean. I'm her" she explained un-
dramatically. "Ah-you mustn't.
They're coming back"
The outer door banged, and there
was a sound of many approaching feet.
"Kate-dear!" he implored.
"Well?"
He drew her back, for she was going
to a d%ecorous distance.
Promise me one thing"
Eyes; quick! / promise"
make me a fool soon."-Vanity