Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-11-16
I'm A SECOND BALCONY

-, $3.50 NtDs " SGG IloW Dbdul1 UNIV
simple and good she was. She wouldn't
nave liked this play. / remember she
said" ~
DID you meet her?', Seton asked in
d low voice. He knew how little she
would have liked the remarkable play.
~aes-rather unconventionally," said
me girl, and she smiled slightly. Pos
slpIy she appreciated that the uncon-
senllonallty had been no more than
mat IN which she was now engaged.
seton made no rejoinder, and she con-
tlnued: 1T was at a first night OF one
OF Seton's plays. l sat just below her.
She was in a box. She had forgotten
hef opera glasses, and she couldn't see
Win the ones she got in the checkroom,
So lent her mine. She seemed ever
more eager TO see than land | don't
usually use opera glasses" The girl
ADDED h explanatory phrase as though
She feared her auditor might think she
meant TO eXalt her own thoughtfulness.
Il often lent them to ~people-but l
never nave to anyone like her. She
was SO charmingly grateful-and de-
lighttul. She told me she was Seton's
Wlfe, and l told her 1 was about TO
marry a member of his company"
me actor started as the girl said
this and quickly glanced at her; but
she did not observe him-she was for
the moment lost in her narrative. She
continued, turning occasionally to
Seton.
Il had a beautiful time with her" she
said slowly. She was so wonderfully
single-minded. She told me some things
ABOUT her husbands career: could
see how much everything he did meant
10 hef, and l could see how much she
must mean to him. People say he has
been rather wild and reckless since she
dled: l should think he would be,
wouldn't your"
Seton looked at her young face, with
It's Wistful Irish tenderness. She had
ihucn OF the single-mindedness that she
admired.
Yes; oh, yes!" he said hastily.
My husband said he didn't think
grief was any excuse for recklessness-
put he says Seton isn't so reckless as
people say"
Does he know him?" the actor asked
quickly.
He doesn't know him very well; he
is younger than Seton. He is his un-
derstudy in the play he has now"
All Seton exclaimed. To himself
he added, so she is his wife: hat ex-
plains her-someWhat."
He has a tiny little part in the play
i suppose an undcrstudy always has
and he probably never will have a
chance to play Seton's part"
Does he act pretty welI?" Seton
asked, although he knew. He wander.
ed If the girl could judge an actors
performance as well as she could look
at a play.
Il don't quite know" she said. Il
think he may, If he has opportunities.
remember asked Mr.. SETON"
You did, ~indeed?"
yes she said Tbap oc sc - .o,1,,
TO his half expressed surprise, she add
ed: People sometimes do such i'm
pulsive things. Sometimes we remem-
per Tor a little while that, after all.
only a very few things count; and we
except the usual conventions from the
few"
But for her extreme and simple seri-
BUSINESS, Seton would have accused her
or an attempt to be epigrammatical.
he II n suspected herself
or excepting tho usual conventions. He
wondered what his wife had thought of
the girl; he had frequently laughed,
with fond amusement, at q similar art
leSSneSS in his wife, whom this girl in
no other way resembled.
He wondered also what his wife had
said about his understudy's ability.
Before he could lead her to disclose it,
the curtain assembled for the next act
Of the play.
The girl appeared to forget him in
the play. She had talked to him mere
~ in plying revolt against his face, in
which she sew such tragic sorrow. She
gave her eager attention, as before, to
the stage. II Seton again watched
her.
He suspected that some friendly i'm
pulse had led her to speak to him, as
it had led her to lead her opera glasses
tN hig wife Tho Iitt1n pha va 1+,pfCtir
glimpse of his wife hat she had given
him refreshed him and softened his
loneliness as his arduOuS attempts at
diversion lever had. He hoped, but he
did not expect, that the girl would at
the end of the act resume the CONVEX
sation.
She did not; but after a moment Of
silence, he felt warranted in saying,
more ~guardedly than she could know,
II must have met your husband the
other day" He reflected that the
~equivocation could do 10 possible harm.
You met SetOn's un~derstudy?" she
said, with immediate interest.
Yes"
"Then you did-meet my husband, /
mean. He hasn't much opportunity as
Seton's understudy," she repeated.
MOP"
NO; he probably won't ever have a
chance TO play the part She sighed
almost imperceptabIy, but Seton heard.
Does he think he can play it?' he
asked.
Yves, he thinks he can. And I think
so, too; and Mrs. Seton herself said
-
what did she say?" Seton was so
eager to know that he interrupted her.
'.Seton didn't have then the play he
has now" the girl said. But she said
I she thought he had promise-and a
beautiful voice j.,
Seton bit his lips. He had so loved
in his wife the sweet grace with which
she had been at once honest and gen
tie.
tho Girl went on. u often think Of her.
Sometimes my husband gets a little
disco11raged. because he doesn't ad-
vance in his profession so quickly as
ether persons in it; and then | re-
ma,nher how she must have inspired
bar husband when he got discouraged"
She paused for a moment; but her
ustaner made no comment. she felt
THE BIRDS REGRETS.
W.