The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-06-28

Independent Theatrical Company,
Limited, announced pompously 20 the
newspaper men, lis growing tired of
poor shows by people who have moth.
ing but roputatlon-gottcn almost
any old way. What they want is a
good show. good play with good &c.
tors, and the name of the actor or
actress doesn't have the value of
last years doorcheck.'
It was in following out this plan,
therefore, that Kennedy picked out
Marshall Madden as his leading man
for The Cottage and the Studio
simple little tale of struggle and
heartache, of strength and the per
formance Of hard duty.
"But say, | don't know a thing
about this artistic atmosphere of
Paris and all that, you know" Mad
den objected when his selection was
announced to him. His strong point
was atmosphere" and local color"
and he had been playing for years in
dramas of the west. Il have been
foollng with guns and spurs so Ions"
he continued. that | am pretty near
real cow-puncher. Hot art student
I'll make"
That's all right" Kennedy eaid,
soothingly. you'll make good, all
right. AS to the atmosphere I'm go
ing to have you run over to Paris and
acquire It. You'll start at once. and
when you get there. you fix up
studio and join some class-just live
the thing. you know"
"All right" Madden agreed. How
about the leading lady? She is sup
posed to be an art student also. you
know"
though l have one in mind" Kennedy
replied.
The result OF all OF which was that
some four weeks later Marshall Mad
den was established humbly. as be-
| fitted his purse and the part he was
to play in the next winters produc-
ton, as a full-ledged art student in
Paris, under the name of Weldon
| Hampton.
1t was Just a month after his ar
rival in Paris that Madden met Elsie
Proctor at little students gathering,
and from that instant the days to
Madden were golden.
In the frank, easy air of the studios
they soon became far more intimate
in a short time than would have
been the case under any other cir
cumstances, but at all times there
was about the girl certain shy re-
serve that checked too rapid an ad-
vance. To Madden she appeared as
the one girl of his life, and she was
evidently not indifferent to the big
handsome chap. though she could not
resist the temptation to tease.
That was one OF her most charming
traits, although at times 1t drove him
to the brink of despair.
"Why won't you be direct with me,
girl?" he pleaded. you must see
how much care-don't play with
me-" but the girl would only smile
insorutably.
You are very large for play
thing. are you not?" she would say,
laughingly, and he would go away
raging inwardly. and occasionally
boiling over, to the hurt of his studio
| furniture.
BY and by she grew more gentle,
and confided to him some of the de-
! tails of her life-how, as a child in
her poor, cramped and bare New
England home she had longed for
some OF the beautiful things OF life;
how in that hard soil her artistic tai
ent had struggled toward blossom,
and how at last she had succeeded in
obtaining a position in New York
which enabled her by the closest
economy to finally come to Paris and
| take the course for which she had
longed. 1t would have to be short,
! however, she told him; she would
have to go home early in the coming
fall to again secure her position. A
widowed mother and two smaller
children required her support.
why, that might have been Jes.
sizes story" he exclaimed aloud.
"Then she has my sympathy,
though / do not know her" Elsie said.
"Who is she?"
He flushed o little, thinking how
near he had come to giving away his
secret.
"Oh, just character in a play" he
said.
And the plays the thing isn't
it?" she murmured, her eyes fixed
upon n distant point
Madden was startled. Had she
| penetrated his make believe? Almost
at once, however. she changed the
subject, and he gradually grew reas.
sured.
As the time for his return 10 New
York drew nearer. Madden pressed
his suit with more and more ardour,
only to be kept gently at safe dis
! tance.
At last the night before the day on
which he was to leave arrived. He
had called to see her. and found her
with suspiciously bright eyes. Her