Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-19
the &C., r: e
1AArri&ge

know what was saying. Think of Latimer
4 there. Maggie. and think Of our last meet
ing. It made me tremble Not that ]
fancied for q moment he'd betray me.
The man that helps you twice don't
hurt you the third time. No. 1t wasn't
| that: 1t was only that longed to do well
well before him. SO that
And then I found myself in an alcove OF
the parlors. separated from them by
heavy curtains. 1t was such a pretty lit
tie red bower. Right behind me was the
| red Of the Turkish drapery OF a coy cor
i ner. and just as took my place under
| the great chandelier the servants pulled
| the curtains apart and the lights went out
in the parlors.
In that minute I got 1t. Mag-yes. stage
fright Got it bad 1 suppose 1t was COM
ing to me. but Lordy! I hadn't ever
known before what it was. I could see
/ the black of the mems clothes in the long
parlors in front of me. and the white of
the wOmen's necks and arms. There were
soft ends of talk trailing after the first
silence. and everything was 80 strange
| that I seemed to hear two mems voices
which sounded Observation-Disclosures silken
voice and another. a heavy, coarse bass.
| that was the last to be quieted
| I fancied that when that last voice
should stop I could begin. but all at once
my mind seemed to turn a somersault
and instead Of looking out upon them
| oO0mCu " 10 AOOhiIl8 III Oh IuyS6lI-tO SOC
a white-faced little girl in a white Dress
| standing alone under a blaze Of light in
glare Of red, gazing fearfuly at this queer
new audience
| Fail? Me? Not Nancy, Maggie lust
took me by the shoulders.
| Nancy Olden. you little THEIR I cried
| to me inside of me- How dare you! I'd
rather you'd steal the silver on this wom-
ans dressing table than cheat her out Of
Iher."
| Nance really didn't dare So she began
ihe nrst one was bad. I gave EN-
Buses Francesca. You've never heard
the wa1ling music in that woman's voice
when she says:
There is no escape, Smaragdi. You have said It.;
The The. shadow Iha S Is Is glass to me. and God
I gave them Duse Just to show them
| what a ninny I was. The thing the world
lloves Is the opposite OF what 1t is. The pat
I-pat-pat OF their gloves came in to me
when 1 got through. They were too po-
lite to hiss. But 1t wasn't necessary.
was Kissing myself. Inside of me there
was long, nasty hiss-ss-ssi
I couldn't bear 1t. I couldn't bear to be
q failure with Latimer listening, though
out there in that queer haif-light I
couldn't see him at all. but could only
make out the couch where 1 knew he
must be lying.
I just jumped into something else tn re-
trieve myself. I can do Carter's Du Barry
to the queens taste. Maggie. That rotten
voice OF hers, like Mother Doutys, but
stronger and surer; that rocky old face
pretending to look young and beautiful
| inside that talented red hair of hers; that
whining Denny! Dennyr' she squawks
out every other minute. Oh, I can do Du
Barry all right.
They thought I could too. those black
and white shadows out there on the other
side OF the velvet curtains But I cared
less Tor what they thought than for the
fact that l had drowned that suffering
Eiss-ss-ss inside Of me, and that Latimer
was among them.
| l gave them Warfield, then; I was al
ways good at taking Off the sheenies in
the alley behind the CrueIty-remember :?
gave them that little pinch-n osed Maude
ADAMS and dry. corking little Mrs
Fiske. and Henry Miller when he smooths
down his white brooches lovingly and
sings sally In Our Alley" and strutting
old Mansfield. and
Say. isn't 1t funny. Mag. that I've seen
EN- all and know all they can do? They've
been my college education. that crowd.
Not bad one. either, when you come to
think Of what wanted from it.
They pulled the curtains down at the
end and I went back to the bedroom. I
had my hat and jacket on when Mrs
Gates and some of the younger ladies
came to see me there. but I caught no
glimpse Of Latimer You'd think
wouldn't you-that he'd have made an
opportunity to say Just one nice word to
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
L knew that l couldn't make myself be-
lleye that; and the lack Of just that word
from his spoiled all my satisfaction with
myself. and I 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 candlesticks
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. be-
fore the sideboard. pouring out a glass of
something from decanter. He turned at
the rustic of my starched skirt and. as
passed the door. he saw me. I saw him.
| too. and hurried away.
Yes. l knew him. Just you wait.
! l got home here earlier than I'd expected
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.
forgotten your key. 1 was so sure of 1t
that l pulled the door open wide with a
! flourish and
And admitted-Edwardi
| Yes, Edward, husband of the dowaper
| The same red-faced bfg-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
|
It'll take more than one lost watch to
cure Edward.
'1-followed you home Miss Murieson."
| he said grabbing me by the hand and push
| Ing the door closed behind him. "Or ia II
: Miss Murteson? 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"
l 5erked my hand away from him.
Il didn't ask you to cafl," said naughty
I as the dowager herself was when first I
| saw her in her gorgeous parlor, the bish-
| ops card in her hand.
| NO l noticed that" he roared jovialIy
| You skinned out the front door the mo-
! ment you saw me- All that was left to
| ME was to skin after"
| "Why?
| "Why!' He slapped his leg as though
| he'd heard the best joke in the world
| To renew our acquaintance. of course To
| ask you II you wouldn't like me to buy you
| a red coat and hat like the one YOU left