The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1907-07-31
LittIeBrighteyes
By LOUISE NURRIrIELD.
! Copyright. 1901. by E. Q. PARCELS.

1nAI was WQ6L OHVlB QdU u1CAuhueU
her at the first rehearsal Of "Flim-
ham." She was the scrawniest, home
lest girl In the chorus when the girls
lined up for first inspection and hap
pened to land in the middle at the line
up. Davis spotted her and called out
before everybody in the pleasant. mer-
ry little way he had:
'aThat will do for yours, Little Bright
eyes. Never mind about taking the
center. Wen save the spot light when
you're around. The back row Aor
yours"
Everybody turned to take good
look at Little Brighteyes before the
back row swallowed her forever. She
was about thirty, a slim little woman
with big gray eyes and dark hair. It
was a point Of beauty IN its own way.
that hair, soft and brown and straight
as Minnehaha's ever was, but she had
tried to marcel it Into shape with
home applied curling iron to make her
look professional, and 1t was a sight
But she took her medicine bravely, and
even Davis recognized the grit In her.
1t was her best asset In the after
days, that grit. 1t carried her through
all Of Davis major and minor tan
trums and the teasing from the other
girls. She said little and worked hard,
but the nickname that Davis had given
her that first day stuck fast Even
Jennie Reynolds, the wardrobe wom-
an, caught it, and when she was hand
ing out the costumes to the girls she
tossed a bunch across the room and
called out cheerfully:
Here you go, Brighteyesr'
And Little Brighteyes just laughed
good naturally, although she had
drawn the least artistic clothes In the
lot. 1t didn't matter when one was
only the fourth girl In the last row
back. She did as Davis had told her
and kept out of the spot light.
THAT girls an old timer" Davis re-
marked to Vida Lorne as the two stood
in the first entrance the opening night
and watched the girls take big encore
on the "Rattlebang" song. There were
sixteen picked out from the little ones
In the crowd, and Brighteyes was one
of them. 1t was a jolly, swinging,
drummer boy chorus and took the min
ute 1t hit the house. The girls were all
In scarlet and black, with snare drums,
and Little Brighteyes was beating hers
for sure no make believe. The rouge
helped her lots, and so did the red and
black costume. Her head was held
high, just bit atilt, and her lips were
parted In q smile.
MarshaIl-Nick Marshall that was
the manager, was beside Vida. He
watched the skinny little figure on the
end thoughtfully as the girls went OF.
shes all right" he said. "Put her
on to lead tomorrow night In that ch0-
rus, Davis. and see how she goes. She's
on to the ropes all right"
Vida leaned forward to get better
look
1--WE seen that girl somewhere,
Nick" she said. Look at her now
with that drum. And the way she
steps! Who is she?"
Little Brighteyes," laughed Davis
shortly. That's all she is now any
way, but she's an old timer all right"
Vida laughed, too, as Marshall walk
ed around with her to the big white
automobile In which she made her flrst
entrance. The first act showed a noun
tain scene in a country anywhere BE-
tween Italy and China. The beautiful
American heIress was doing the tour
ing stunt all over Europe and the
prince of the country was In love with
her. He had followed the lead Of the
white automobile all over the map and
finally had induced the girl to pay Q
visit to his own land. She feared posi-
BILE banditti. He assured her the red
and black drummer boys and the army
behind them could protect her. And
all the time, Of course, he merely want
ed to get her over the border, abduct
her, shut her up In the castled steep
fortress (act 3 and starve her into
marrying him and filling his stingy lit
tie treasury with coolies Of American
coin. 1t was a rehash, but 1t went with
a bang. Even before Vida's entrance
the thing was sure success, and Mar
shall was solidly joyous.
BE careful and don't lose your head
when you take that rum" he said as he
stood beside the auto while Vida was
helped In. 1t was a good trick. that
first entrance Of the American girl
They had a mechanical arrangement
for the auto to scorch down the noun
tain pass. and 1t looked as though It
was going straight over the f0otlights.
There were four turns to the run, and
then 1t brought up short right In the
center Of the stage In a self locking
frog and made a mighty effective pic
ture.
There isn't a bit Of danger" an
swered Vida, drawing on her white
gauntlets. I'm just as cool as can be.
Not a bit ratified, thank you. Let her
60"
There was the seconds pause In the
orchestra, then the crash OF entrance
music. and they released the machine.
It took the incline like a boys coaster
smooth and swift and easy. Davis
was white, but Marshall stroked his
vandyke and frowned ever SO slightly
as he watched the car and Its occu-
pant. 1t was a dangerous trick. but It
brought down the house.
Marshall stared at Vida. Under the
rouge her face was dead white, and he
knew she was scared. When she came
or the stage she sent for him.
'Nick. won't go through that again,
not IL the whole show goes to pieces. !
simply can't It is terrible. Why, Il
would be like dying every night
won't ride In that thing Again."
Davis suggested a dummy. but Mar.
ihall wouldn't stand for any fake. The
girl In the machine must be alive, and
suddenly Davis suggested Little Bright
eyes.
"She's got the same air and build as
Miss Lorne, and you can hide the face
with veil. Change the scene so as to
carry on the auto long enough for the
two to change places after the run. and
there you are. And she's the only girl
know who has the grit to do It"
She had the grit. 1t meant q dOu-
bling Of her salary, and she made the !.
run night after night with nav@P n