Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-11


did, and stood staring down on the angular street,
sodden with spring snow, gray as the dull skies
and filed with the ha1f-hearted numbering activity
of the village market-day. Above the street hung
Reeves trim gltettered sign promising to the town
the services of the law In all that dreary year Reeve
had never hated Cobetown as he did whenever he
noted his sign nonchalant1y swaying its prosper
Gus gilt letters before his bare Office. Someway
that SNUG wellfed sign out of place in Cobe-
town as was Reeve himself.
And now! He might smash the sign and the
antiqueoak desk together, he thought buoy
antly, and make bonfire OF them in the middle
of the pine floor; for "Tete-a-Tete,' the musical
comedy of which he had done the book and Caldwell
the score, had been positively snapped up by Wynd-
WINNER would have its New-York production that
fall, and at an advance consideration that to
Reeves riches-riches As for CALDWELL he was
abroad in the Auvergne Mountains writing
vaudeville skit and finding fault with the climate,
and to that connoisseur in climates the sale would
mean merely another smile of Fortune.
But to Reeve it meant freedom-everyth1ng.
Moreover, Wyndwynner announced in this letter
that he intended using the piece to star Miss Elm
Miss Penelope Elm who in a minor role last
season had saved the soul of a non-supporting COM
edy Wyndwynncr said that for the third act
in which the heroine, travelling American girl,
would impersonate princess and save a duchy,
Miss Elm was born, and more than born.
Were going in for cut-glass furniture and
diamonds in the footlights and on wrote
NyndWynner, and the little Elm VIII paze
She do it
Reeve stood long by the window, lost in the
proposition, idiotcally mulling some of the
best scenes in his play then he went feverishly
through his desk to hunt out the manuscript.
And when an hour later Miss Ada Rogeda tapped
at his door to press her claim upon a rival milner
who had copied her Chicago tobacco-brown
model toque, she found Reeve laughing almost
tenderly over the scene in the throne-room He
had never appreciated how fine the stuff really
I'm glad you can laugh Mr.. Reeve, I'm sure
said Miss Ada Rogeda dolefully; Il but when per-
sons a milliner | declare it don't if there
was much to laugh at. An when it comes to
downright toque-stealing in the profession, | no
longer feel respectable, let alone proud!''
Six weeks later, Reeve, having settled upon the
damages due the owner of the Chicago toque, and
having persuaded old Tivton that he must stop
harping upon how his employers had deserved to
be robbed and try to put forward some proof that
he had not robbed them, turned his office to
willing hands and set his face toward NewYork.
There he met the returned Caldwell, who ban
tered him numerically upon never having heard
the score of "Tete-a-t&te," which was true partly
because Caldwell had composed most of the music
abroad and partly because Reeve knew music
and could barely distinguish a catchy chorus from
the national hymn. Caldwell played him bits of
the lyrics and Reeve listened with polite attention
and showed strong appreciation for his own lines;
and the two held conferences with Wyndwynner
and had luncheons for the sake of conferences and
vice versa, and mourned that Miss Elm would not
be back in town until after her vacation. And
when June came Reeve found to his delight that he
could now anguidy admit that he needed change
and could hear of the allurements of various
resorts without becoming a momentary anarchist.
To pursue the mere habits of white man, and not
be miser, was a luxury for which he had long
secretly understood himself to be designed.
He chose to spend June at Applegate Farm, Sc
fret CUNT oft he he