The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-05
CHAPTER vi.
Strangers in the House.

Strangers in the House.
The news in the letter alarmed Eta
not a little. but when she reflected
upon it, she remembered that it. was
ing all along. Her adventure had
been for day. She had never hoped
that it would be more. The desire to
appear upon the stage Of a theater had
haunted her since her childhood. Now
she had gratifed it. Why, then,
should she complain? -
er deceived her. All the gilt edge Of
her dreams had vanished at rehearsal.
She No longer believed the theater to
be paradise on earth. 1t was
somewhat gloomy. business-like, and
sordid arena of which the excitements
were purely personal, and concerned
seay wah hese e hS ana
perienced and found them unsatisfying.
A morbid craving for something she
could not express or define remained
her legacy. The {" Etta' in her had
not been blotted out by triumph. Had
she known it, should have understood
that nothing but tragedy would efface
it. ~ -.
This. naturally, she, did not know.
sired to see as much of bohemia as the
numbered weeks would permit; and she
refused no invitation, however lmpru-
dent it seemed, nor denied hersslf any
experience by which her knowledge
herself, she did not fear whatever ad-
venture might bring her. Her desire
had been to do exactly what the ordi-
nary stage girl did-to live in lodgings,
to tramp about the London streets, to
spend little sums Of money as tho they
10 -:oho rs II ch WOW, fv
free rein. Sometimes she almost wished
that man would make love to her.
The homage Of men, she had read, al
ways attended success upon the stage.
Eta would have been delighted to
evade her pursuers. to see their flowers
upon her table, to read their ridiculous
= letters. . .-e- ---
:. For the moment, however, her ORA
matte experiences appeared likely to
be somewhat prcsaic. She had an
swered Charles lizard with the intima
ton that she would give him a definite
reply within week, and with that,
perforce, he had to be content: The
early, promise Of success for ~,
ness done at the Carlton theater
proved beyond experience. There were
two matinees week, and splendid
houses to boot Eta delighted in the
triumphs Of these more than words
could tell. The thunderous applause.
the ringing cheers, the frequent calls,
in her the finest instincts of her in
heritance. She knew that she had been
born an actress, and that nothing, could
change her destiny. AL the frivolous
life Of the theater could show her made
their instant appeal to her senses and
: were enjoyed with q child 81 zest. Her
gestures were quick and excited, and,
: IL I'll, Z S,~,
French" She could behave like a
schoolgirl sometimes schoolgirl freed
from bondage and ready for any tom
3 boys play.
This was her mood on the Afternoon
of the seventh day after the first pro-
duction of "Haddon Hall" at the
Carlton theater. The exceedingly
few friends to tea. upon that occasion;
and an artist, known TO all the half
penny comic papers as "BiIly,' q lodg-
er in the same house as Lucy, kindly
put his studio at the disposal Of the
company. Here for time gentility
reigned supreme over the teacups. The
e theatrical ladies found themselves awe
ney, and remained so until the amiable
painter volunteered to do a cake-walk
If Dulcie Holmes would accompany him
This set the ball rolling; and altho gen
ti1ity suffered snub when lady from
the vaudeville remarked that she al
ways "gorged' currant loaves, never
theless merriment prevailed and some
striking performances were achieved
Eta had not laughed so much since she
left the convent school and she could
not help rejecting, as, she returned to
Bedford square, upon the vast capacity
for innocent enjoyment these merry
girls possessed and the compensation
90 Il Il u
no means without their tronbles.
II was : quarter 70 when she