Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-05-17
:LittIeBrighteyes:
BY LOUISE NURRIFIELD.
Copyright. 1907, by Z. c. PARCELS. 4
+51f11 I. j. Il. i

her at the first rehearsal of "Flm-
fam" She was the scrawniest. home
Hest 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
THAT will do for yours. Little Bright
eyes. Never mind about taking the
center. Well save the spot light when
you're around. The back row for
yours"
Everybody turned to take a good
look at Little Brighteyes before the
back row swallowed her forever She
was about thirty, a slim little wonap
with big gray eyes and dark hair. 1t
was point Of beauty in its own way,
that hair soft and brown and straight
as Minnehahas ever was. but she had
home applied curling iron to make her
look professional, and it was il sight.
But she took her medicine hravely. 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 naturedly,> although she had
drawn the least artistic clothes in the
lot. 1t didn't matter when one was
only she 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 a 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 jolly, swinging,
drummer boy chorus and took the min
ute it 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 a smile.
MarshallANick Marshall that was
the manager. was beside Vida He
watched the skinny little figure on the
end thoughtfully as the girls went off.
shes all right" he said. "Put her
on to lead tomorrow night in that cho-
rus Davis, and see how she goes. She's
on to the ropes all right"
Vida leaned forward to get a 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 first
entrance. The first act showed a noun.
tain scene in 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
visit to his own land. She feared posi-
BILE banditti. He assured her the red
and black drummer boys and the army
Dehlnd 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 q and starve her into
marrying him and filing his stingy lit
tie treasury with coolies Of American
coin. 1t was rehash, but it 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
taih pass, and it looked as though it
was going straight over the footlghts.
There were four turns to the run, and
then it brought up short right in the
center of the stage in self locking
frog and made a mighty effective pic
ture.
There isn't a bit of danger" an
bwered Vida, drawing on her white
Eauntlets. "Tm 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.