Rock Island Argus., 1904-10-18
DAILY SHORT STORY
A BIT OE REALISM.
FOriginal.1

her figure. though diminutive. perfect
curves. Her great part was as Jaque-
line in ~ Child of Nuure," wherein
she personated one of natures most
impulsive children by acting naturally.
In other words, she portrayed herself.
Her first success was in private the
atricaIs. and when il was suggested
that she would make Il success on the
stage her mother declared that she
could never be brought to- play the
necessary love parts. and lis TO being
kissed she would spurn the actor who
should undertake any such business"
When. therefore. she appeared in a
play that required, a kiss and submitted
gracefully. indeed with response re
quired by the play, her mother ac-I
knowledGed herself to have been mis-
taken and the manager was relieved.
When ~ Child Of Nature" was writ
ten. especially for Estelle, it became
manifest from the first that the play
would have great run and that a
new star had appeared on the dramatic
horizon But it was found difficult to
find an actor who could I'LL the part of
Edgar ALrens. who loved Jaqueline.
tried ana all fGiIcd. In the climax of
the play Edgar pleads his cause with
Jaquelinp. and at Il moment of the
girls INDIGESTION carries his point with
a kiss. None but man of great deli
Cacy OF feeling and Il genius for por
traying it could do Justice To the scene.
Finally Il young actor. Eugene HO-
vey. was chosen 10 undertake the e'part.
He had seen something of Estele, and
it was suspected that an attachment
was springinG up betweenf them. The
manager hoped that this might infiu
ence both the girl and the man, to Il
more successful rendition of their
parts. He was right. At the very
opening il was evident that even!more
than had been hoped for would come
TO pass. IIovey was madW i'll love
with the little beauty, who was natu-
rally as capricious as the heroine she
portrayed. As the play proceeded
those who knew the actress well saw
that she had completely lost herself
in the part.
The first and second acts resulted in
curtain calls. The audiences interest
seemed to bc increasing and the man
ager was delighted. Then came the
third act. which badc fair To be Il per
feet triumph. While Edgar and ia
queline We're waiting in the wings to
20 OH together the manager. who was
keeping an eye on them. overheard this
bit of dialogue not in their parts:
Edgar-How happy l would be If
this were all real,
Jaquelinc (pOutingl-Isn't it!
Edgar-Why. no; it's nothing more
than playing for our salaries, but
The call came at that moment. and
both went on the stage. Edgar was
pleading against the aspersions of
the villain of the play, and Jaqueline
was replying to his prOtcstations of
innocence with short, sharp. cutting
remarks. Jaqueliue threw herself up
on rustic bench. and Edgar. standing
dciectedly before her, went on with
his pleading. an impaSSiOned though
covert declaration that he had gots in
to trouble through standing between
her and harm and this standing he
tween her and harm came from his
love for her. Proceeding with his plea,
he knelt before her and took her hand.
Then, becoming more bold, lie took
her face between his hands and slowly
drew it down toward his own. There
We're a few passionate words spoken in
n stage whisper and quickly drawing
her face closer he imprinted the kiss.
There was a smack, but not that Of
meeting lips. 1t was the sound Of the
little lady'S palm coming sharply
against her lovers ears.
The audience. astonished. sat mute
for Il moment, then burst into a guf-
faw. The actor lover arose, his face
crimson with modification, and stood
wondering what TO do. The actress
ooked as if she had awakened from
dream and was as much abaShed as
her lover. The manager, as soon as he
could collect his faculties, gave an or
der To lower the curtain.
Then came 4 terrific burst OF ap-
plause, with calls for Estelle.
The manager was striding across the
stage angrily TO vent his spleen on the
author of the occurrence, but before
reaching her whispered sOOthingly:
You've made Il hit, though in a way
unexpected. Come with me-"
But ESteIle demurred. She was in no
mood To face an audience before whom
she considered that she had made her
self ridiculous. The audience kept on
stamping and calling, the manager con-
tinued to plead.
Then the manager desisted for
awhile. Indeed he was quite willing
that the audience should be kept wait
ing. we'll knowing that when gratified
the enthusiasm would be all the great
er. Then he went TO her again and
failed again. Turning away, he sought |
Hovey and begged him to make an i'm |
mediate real declaration of love to the !
real Estelle. Hoyey sought her, and |
while the storm beyond the curtain /
was raging told her that he was dying |
for her and begged her to take pity on /
him. The manager, who was watching, |
interrupted their transports by another /
attempt TO induce EstelIe to satisfy the |
audience. Hovey Joined in the request. |
Estplle Welded and was led before fba /