The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-06-12
THE GIRL IN THE GALLERY.
BY CONSTANCE D. MACKSAY;s MA,S1 story

Publishing company.l They sat in the first fys roy Of Of the lne rush off her hat and smooth her ruiaph nd her hair. She was still breathless aru rhuss,de cnseks were glowing The hscR Inan Triumph astly ast tarnss %e and aS ppetty ws to far front" he said. There's a whoiie oie lot of people standing up: There tsr snow. S Seems s as if if the 'f theatre couldn't hold all the folks that want to come; va9uelv. we Yes. assentsd s; the ngM giTl anas@snd nSsusdi strange. I've only been in the theatre when Uncle Ben took me to, see shore amest Afnss SSshesseea Sh seaf it was was. sG true sa | be like Shore Acres, do you think?
 The man spread his program out Se Se snswsred sls snssd YSn sss ohs'i this is Romeo myself, but thought you might like 'o Thank I'm saass you. Mir. stubbins." said the | girl, with a grateful glance, She was a pretty girl, fair-haired and fragile-
 peaked lookin S,as Was the hsosrdginr wag a9G house described her--when they spoke of her at all; for as errand girl. dish washer and general acS drrdgs EstheP one 1 had a lover. True. there had been , a gawky student who LOOK ueiIBnI IT, drawing her thin, delicate profile, ana who used to murmur ''Spirituelle" when she passed him the pickles, but untlI MT. Stubbins came no one ever gave to speak to her when they met in the hall and once he took her to walk m Central Park. It was after that that with vi 16 him. When this piece of news spread amongst the boarders, they ex- changed significant glances, but when Romeo Ron sd and juliet it seemed as if the climax had been reached. One of the married women sniffed reminiscently.
 wen ws wss ms ara snG held hands all durin' the last act"
 If you marry Mir. stubbins you Ss wSs d hayf se to eoapders wqFk so Rndy Esther SRPence gRPanee ph She fI had never thought Of mar rlage as means of escape. MT. stub puffy and red-faced, and had abnorm- ally large hands and feet, still, as Es- ther shyly acknowledged to herself, ne had ever been, or was likely to be. As for the play--the. words Romeo ana Juliet had no significance. She had youth and love. In her humdr1m life The mere fact of going to the. theatre When the great night arrived she put on her best gown and her hands shook over the ,fastenings; Her aunt. Kin kin ness Sled atO of the stnaon ns heped Ref dress Tt would be a big thing for you if he should ask you to marry him, him, Esty she said Now ,e0 d0nt bes sit 5llHnr to you. and don't have that far-away look in your eyes that you you have fN ,Ss right but he'll give you good home and you know, Esty. I've got enough. to do to look after myself, without taking care
 "Yes. Aunt" said Esther, thinking more of the theatre than of Mir. Stub-
 And now at last the moment of mo- side the theatre! The lights-the space the sense of waiting for one knew not what--all were intoxication. It was brryr like ne boniy ynsone aa SaW ne their places When the orchestra be- gan to play she clasped her hands to- Then came M1en the magic Instant when the overture died to a whisper, the foot lights glowed 1uminously in the dark iy, giving to view a street scene in
 "Ahi'' said Esther. in a little shiv-
 And sspite of all her a,nts in structions it was the only word she spoke all the evening. MT. Stubbins gave up any attempts at conversation. and confined himself to staring about the house, and now and then watching the rapt face beside him. It was his voice which reused Esther when the final curtain fell.
 Pretty good show, that was," said
 iYes-oh. MT stubblns," answered Esther, coming from her state of dream to the actual present of work and boarding houses. They spoke little on the way nome. MT Stubblns was won- dering what was the quickest and easiest way of making proposal; Es- ther was thinking of the impassioned words of Romeo. On the steps of her aunt's boarding house. MT. Stubbins paused. The street was very still The ugly rows of houses opposite were as sllvercd the streets of Verona. MT, S.ubbins cleared his throat "Esty," he began, T ain't much at love-makSag like that fellow we saw this evening, but I want to say eight here that I l think a whole lot cf you, and l.! want | you to marry mel Will you? 1ts--lts a bargain, ain't 1t, EstyF'
 aunt, or the love of Mir stubbins? A life of drI1gely. -or--or the bargain | that he offered? She heard a window ! open upstairs and knew that her aunt 1 was leaning out to listen. For an in | stant the girl had a fleeting vision of the play which had taught Ter what Come, Esty," urged Mir. stubbns, "one little, word! Which IS 1t to be, | The window above creaked ominous- | ly. Esther threw back her head like | one accepting a challenge.
 ''No!" she said.