Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-09-08
antl-Irust SHOWS.

Mr.. %"
Just as long as | can't help myself
not minute longer"
There ought to be a way-somt
way"
Eyes, there ought. but there isn't
They've got things down to a fine
point and the fellow they don't feal
has got to fear them. III put
your number early tonight, so tina
you can get of by nine. Good luck
Nance"
At nine, then, behold Nancy 0lden il
her white muslin dress, long-sleeve(
and high-necked, and just to her shoe
tops, with a big white muslin sasl
around her waist. Oh. she's no baby
is Nance, but she looks like one il
this rig with her short hair-or rather
like a schoolgirl; which makes thu
stunts she does in mifnicking the cork
ers OF the profession all the more sur
prising.
Were just little party" said Mrs
Pau Gates, coming into the bedroom
where | was taking off my wraps
And I'm so glad you could come, FOL
my principal guest, Mr.. Latimer, is
an invalid, who used to love the the.
alters, but hasn't been to one since his
attack many years ago. | count OF
your giving him, in a way, a condensed
history in action Of what is going on
on the stage"
told her | would. But didn't just
know what | was saying. Think OF
Latimer there, Maggie, and think Of
our last meeting 1t made me trem-
BILE. Not that l fancied for a moment
he'd betray me. The man that helps
you twice don't hurt you the third
time. No, it wasn't that; it was only
that | lOnged to do well-well before
Mill, oO ludl-
And then found myself in an alcove
Of the parlors, separated from them
by heavy curtains. 1t was such q
pretty little red bower. Right behind
me was the red of the Turkish drapery
OF a cozy corner and just as tool
my place under the great chandelier
the servants pulled the curtains apart
and the lights went out in the parlors
F" In that minute | got it, Mag-yes
stage fright. Got it bad. I suppose il
was coming to me, but Lordy! | hadn't
ever known before what it was.
could see the black of the. mems
clothes in the long parlors in front o.
me, and the white of the women'l
necks and arms. There were soft ends
of talk trailing after the first silence
and everything was so strange that
seemed to hear two mems voices which
sounded familiar-Latimer's silkeI
voice, and another, a heavy, coars'
bass, that was the last to be Quoted
| fancied that when that last voic,
should stop | could begin, but all a
once my mind seemed to turn somer
sault, and, instead of looking out upol
! them, | seemed to be looking in OF
myself-to see white-faced little cir
in a white dress, standing alone unde
q blaze of light in a glare OF red, gaz
ing fearfully at this queer, new au
dience.
Fail? Me? Not Nancy, Maggie.
! just took me by the shoulders.
Nancy Olden, you little thief"
cried to me inside of me. How dar
you! I'd rather you'd steal the silve
on this woman's dressing table thai
cheat her out Of what she expects an
what's coming to her"
Nancy really didn't dare. So sh
began.
The first one was bad gave 'er
Buses Francesca. You've never hear
the wailing music in that woman
voice when she says:
There is no escape Smaragdi. 70
have said it;
The shadow = a glass to me, and God
Lets me be lost"
gave them Duse just to show theI
how swell | was myself; which show
what a ninny ! was. The. thing tn
world loves is the opposite of wha
It is. The pat-pat-pat Of thei
gloves came in to me when | &c
through. They were too polite to his!
But it wasn't necessary | was hisSin
myself. Inside of me there was a lon!
nasty hiSs-ss-sS!
| couldn't bear it. | couldn't bea
to be a failure with Latimer listenin:
though out there in that queer hal
light | couldn't see him at all, bu
could only make out the couch wher
| knew he must be lying.
just jumped into something els
to retrieve myself. | can do Carter
Du Barry to the queens taste, Maggie
That rotten voice OF hers. like Mothe
Douty's, but stronger and surer; thu
rocky. old face pretending to loo
young and beautiful inside that talen
ed red hair of hers; that whinin
Denny! Denny she squawks OF
every other minute. Oh, | can do D
Barry all right.
They thought | could. too. thos
black and white shadows out there o
the other side of the velvet curtain.
But | cared less for what they though
than for the fact that | had browne
that suffering hiss-ss-ss inside {
me, and that Latimer was anon
them
gave them Warheld. then; | wa
always good at taking of the sheenit