The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-12-07
Counter Currents
IorigInaLl

1t was the last performance OF the
Screen Monster" and the company
would break up as soon as 1t was over
Harold Gray. leading gentleman, was
to take a midnight train to join a new
company and Marian Treyille, was to
do likewise. their engagements being In
cities 0 thousand miles apart Miss
Treyilly was playing ''heavy woman"
interfering with Mr.. Gray's love affair
with Cynthia King, leading lady. There
was e real romance going on. running
counter to the fictitious one. Gray had
been falling In love with the very wO-
man by whose villainies he had been
thwarted in his fictitious love. To
make matters worse, Miss King. hero
Inc. had been telling stories" about
Miss Treyille.
The real denoument had come out a.
the actors in the double drama were
going on the stage. This made Gray's
role extremely difficult. He was oblig-
ed to heap anathemas on the head Of
Miss Treyl.ie whom he had Just dis
covered had been maligned by Mlss
King. He was obliged to make love to
Miss King, who had caused all the mis-
chief between him and the woman he
really loved. The first opportunity be
had to speak his real mind was IN the
third act when having spoken his lines
he retired with Miss King. II. q, amid
thunder reverberating from sheet Iron
behind the scenes. His concluding lines
were:
Fair girl, the blacker this fiend has
painted you, the deeper my love for
you"
While both We're dazed by flashes
Of lightning and frightful crashes OF
thunder, be added loud enough only for
her to hear:
"What did you want to put up job
on another woman for7"
Il didn't. That yarn came from
chorus gill;
At the end of the scene he took the
girl in his arms. she wept and nobly
forgaye her slanderer. While the lights
were being turned down to slow music
Gray growled:
"It's lucky this is the last night.
You've kicked up muss the company
wouldn't get over in hurry. The next
time You try to blacken woman'x
reputation I'd advise you to take u
high kicking ballet GIRL
''Etop making guy of yourself or
I'll go or the stage and tell the OLD
man won't finish with YOU
The threat had the desired effect.
and the kiss that came at the end OF
the scene was very realistic to the au--
dience. though the mans lips, being
nearer the woman's ear than her
mouth, whispered, or, rather, said, for
what Is said on the stage in an ordina-
ry voice can't be heard by an audience:
1.-THE only damage you've done you've
done yourself"
The scene which had evoked univer-
sal commentator for hundred and
ninety mine nights fell fiat on this the
two hundredth, and the curtain went
down without the clapping of single
pair OF hands. The manager was furi-
GUS. Calling the leading actors togeth-
er, he declared that he would withhold
their salaries If they did not put aside,
the company quarrel and do their parts
properly. His threat served to mako
things go more easily. but all natural
ness had gone out Of the performances
and could not be forced back. In the
next act the hero meets Miss TreviIle,
who Gin the play had slandered his
love. Unfortunately for good rendt
ton he had really learned that 1t was
she who had been slandered. His ljues
ran:
Your sex protects you. viii not
speak an accusing word to or OF wo-
man. In this you are safer than man
intrenched I hold woman so sacred
that I cannot deny her even proper
Difference" Bows very low.
Retiring amid applause, he found OPP
portunity to say
THAT cat came pretty near making
it hot for you. didn't she? Lucky we
got onto her tracks,"
"But you believed her"
His part came on again, and he said
grandiloquently:
"Gol To say that You have my for
giveness is nothing. baf when / say
you have me forgiveness Of the woman
you have slandered 1t but expresses her
nobility"
Mr.. Gray did not get another OPP
portunity to converse with Miss Ire
vile till near the close. 1t CALLED him
that he must spend the little remaining
time making love to the woman who
had caused all the trouble when he
wished to offer himself to the woman
she had injured. A few minutes be-
fore the curtain fell Miss TrevilIe APP
preached him to fire parting shot at
her stage rival.
go with your slmpering, sickiy
maid
Refrain. DO not goad me TO what
shall be sorry forl''
All the characters were now on the
stage and Gray took occasion to get
near the woman he was supposed to
despise. She stood behind fat wo-
man. He whispered:
MY leaving you is breaking my
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