The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1905-10-27

by jover he said. "1ts Signal
The house did not recognize her a
at once and the boxes apparently no
at all. But even the awful presenc
Of the duchess and the appallin,
consequences which loomed In tn
near future could not restrain tn
men They laughed at every wicket
point in the song and when he wal
OH the stage they yelled to have hin
back again. 1t sounded as IL tn
whole hall were one confused, imper
i0us demand, and though they did NO
call her by name, it was obvious tha1
sigma was recognized. / wondered
what she would do, and almost held
my breath when the small ragged
ngufe returned for a brief moment
but only just In sight at the wings
There was a growing terror In Signa's
eyes-an expression most allen to
them. Either the passing Of the ex-
citefnent, Or the realization Of her
own daring, or else that clamorins
audience, was terrifying her. She
bowed hastily and battered off, in
spite Of the cries to her to sing
again. ! feared the demand was too
strong, and that they would force her
to come back, and I turned to look
round for Verney. But he had dis
appeared, and he was not in the
duchess box, though l looked there
with fear and trembling. Her grace
was still sitting, calm and smiling,
at the front Of che box; there was
something ominous In her tacit refu-
sal to recognize what everyone knew.
Lady James face was like a mask;
thought Lady bennington was cry
Ing, but I could not see her plainly.
The next turn fell flat, though there
was a gallant effort to applaud and
carry it through. But 50 many of
the men had vanished that it looked
as If a wind had swept the stalls
bare. 1t was fatally easy to get be-
hind. They were waiting for Sigma.
I sat out two turns; then I followed
Verney. He had, as I suspected, left
his place before Sigma had made her
bow, and was waiting for her be-
hind. By the time / got round, the
| wings seemed to be full Of men, chat
tering in excited voices, and at a
little distance stood Verney, cool and
lanquid, talking to Batsburg. I heard
the manager say, sulkily, "At the
side-d0or-yes, there is a way round"
| and l went then and there in the d.
rection indicated because I wanted
to see the end Of the comedy. There
was a brogham waiting there; I
stood unnoticed on the pavement un-
till they came out-indeed' it was I
who opened the carriage-door. Sigma
had changed her clothes rapidly, and
slipped away from her dressing-room
while the men were still awaiting her
in the wings. But she was crying
bitterly, and it so much surprised
me that / felt the whole scene a little
unreal. .Verney put her into the
carriage, hesitated, and stood with
foot on the step.
"Shall I come, too, Signa?" he said.
Her voice came out of the dark
ness, muf1ed.
~ am frightened, Noelw
AT last?" he said, quietly. "Well,
1 am not"
~ thought IT would be fun to scan-
"Do you NEAR, that I was the cause
this timer
"How dare you have two thousand
2 year?',, said Sigma irrevantly. Mel
Their Of them noticed me.
$50 you thought you would fling
your independence Of my opinion at
me once for all, and e If I could be
scared away, eh"
tSomething like that"
swell, you cannot. Nothing could.
I am going to take the onus of the
affair on myself from this time forth
however, and tackle the family"
evil you stand by me, NoelT" Sig
ma must really have had a fright to
say that!
'There shall be no occasion. They
shall not dare to refer to It. Union
Is st%rength-it is you and I together
He jumped into the carriage, and
I closed the door and told the coach
man "Home," because by that time
they were past thinking Of anything |
but themselves. Lady Jane confessed
afterwards that the engagement was
the greatest relief she had ever
known. She had feared that it would
never come off, because it appears
that, owing to her laundering and
excellent intentions, she had caused
a breach between them which sigma
would not give verney a chance to
heal. Batsburg was an angela fat
angel-in the disguise of a frock coat
and his Benefit was the medicine that
killed or cured.
The amusing part Of it is that the
Duchess has ignored the whole affair, |
and as she has declined to acknowl-
edge what everyone knows-that Sig
ma was the sensation of the great
Benefit-she will have to
60 to the wedding, on which occasion
sigma will make her bow and retire
rom her war with right and proper
1ehavior--for the present.
1SsSnE UDsf Cko~- N |