Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-01-14

The drop went down amidst con-
siderable applause. and they wanted
to call her before the curtain, but she
refused.
MOI" she said. Let me wait until
the end. They may be sorry that they
have called me if I go on now and fail
afterwards"
There was nothing else to do in the
first act.
She went down and changed her
dress to fresh, bright morning gown,
and went on in ---e second act.
1t was in this that one of her op-
portunities came. Her lover was led
to believe her false by his disappointed
rival, the villain in the piece, and Joan
was called upon to display indignation,
tenderness. despair, all, as it were, in
breath
For time she played with reserved
force, as it is called, then, at the
proper moment, not moment too soon
or TOO late, she 'let herself CO."
The words seemed to spring from
her parted lips like flashes OF light.
ming, then melt and glow like fire. and
lastly to wall as the first sign OF the
devastating storm.
The house listened and watched.
spell-bound and enraptured. This was
acting which they had not seen for
many year, since the past and gone
queens of comedy had faded from the
garnish lights, and left until now no
one to replace lem.
Her voice fascinated them, and the
pale face, glowing with genius and
rejecting every emotion proper to the
difficult part, stole upon their hearts
and moved them now to sympathetic
wrath and again to tears.
AS the drop FELL leaving her alone
upon the stage in her misery, loud
roar of approval, admiration, awe, de-
light, rose from the excited house, and
it did not cease until Mr.. Gifrard led
her almost by force, before the curtain.
Then after bowling over and over
again, she glanced up at the box in
which Mordaunt Royce usually sat.
He was sitting there now; his face
was pale and set, his arms folded
across his chest tightly, his lips
drawn together as if with suppressed
excitement.
He had watched her with his pas
sionate love heightened by admiration
into fever. He could have killed the
roaring, yelling house that dared to
applaud.
He was jealous of every eye that
rested upon her, every lip that spoke
her name. The theater seemed sitting
and choking to him.
He could bear it no longer so great
were the pangs of jealousy which
mingled with the passionate love with
which he watched her.
TO share her with these fools-these
idiots! He would not, could not en-
dure 1t much longer. He would force
her to marry him before the week was
out.
Half choking he rose, and almost
fighting his way through the crowd
that thronged the refreshment saloon
and lobbies, he went into the open air.
But even there the noise of the
theater seemed to follow him, and with
a muttered curse he buttoned his coat
across his chest and strobe off at a
rapid pace.
My darling, my queen, to be starea
at by a yelling herd!" he groaned.
Soon, soon, she shall be mine-mine
alone! Strange, | never felt it so
much as | have done tonight: tonight
| cannot bear to watch her and to
know that others are watching and
admiring her, too! Great Heaven,
Mordaunt Royce-what slave love
has made of you!"
There was tremendous excitement
behind the scenery.
That a great, magnificent success
would be scored was certain, and al
ready they pressed around Joan, eager
to speak a word of praise and fiattery !;
but Joan stopped them all, and went
to her own room quietly.
There was still another act before
her in which the greatest effect had to
be produced. if she could produce it.
Wait until she had succeeded in that
and completed her triumph, and then
they might praise her if they thought
fit
Meanwhile one of those curious
incidents which people persist in
calling condolences, and freaks of
fate and fortune, was preparing out
side the theater, and all unknown to
Joan.
That evening BERTHE had arranged
to join a small party at the club, but
the day before he had received a note
saying that his host was going to the
Coronet TO see the new play, and that
no doubt BERTHE would like to go also,
therefore the dinner was postponed.
BERTHE didn't mind in the least.
There was one thing he enjoyed more
than a dinner with cards to follow"
and than going to the play, and that
was quiet evening at home, where
he would be free to take out his por-
trait, and setting it over the mantel-
shelf, smoke a cigar and gaze at the
beautiful face.
This evening he dined alone, and
Diminishing his man, lit a cigar, AMI
the cabinet, put the portrait
in Its accustomed place.