The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-12-19

triches and weird objects. all piled in
confusion with artificial plants and
floral devices, g.itterin- arsliur and all
the thousands OF odd things that were
being prepared for the most dazzling
comic opera OF the year The NinStre!
of the Sahara"
The scenic artists bad been working
DAY and night foi weeks. and. with the
"opening' now Da!y Il few days OF, the
managers we're ncrNouslr Greading
that the beautiful eiIc<t,j would not lie
finished in time. To add to this fear,
Henry Granger. the artist OF whom
the projectors, OF the great spectacle
had mainly depended. had Succunbed
to the strain Of working fOT days and
nights without sleep and scarcely stop
ping for anything to eat He lay at
his little east side home. tossing aud
raying in the deliriuin % typhoid fe
yer. He had been ahse from the
"painter's- bridge" for nearly fort
night, and, although his los was con-
sidered serious at first. some one else
had filed his place, and now he vas
forgotten. Scenic artists. like actors,
are improvdent creatures, and if any
of the warm hearted stage folk had
had time to think Of nught except the
duties that weighed so heavily Oh each
and every one they might have
thought that the sick man, out of work
and helplessy ill, might be suffering
for want of money. Granger was a
fayorite generally, and many time
had he gone down into his scant saw
ings TO help swell contribution to
some needy professional in distress. If
anything Ger reminded the company
of Changers absence it might have
been that his little girl, an only one Of
seven, cane no more With the artists
meals. us she used TO when he painted
away up there OIL the bridge" She
was Il sweetly coy little thing, her
great blue eyes set in a thoughtful
and pale face. surrounded by golden
crIrlS.
And now it WAS Christmas eve, at 4
O'Clock In the afternoon. Old Pete,
the stage door tender. was startled
from his reverieS back in the shadow
of his cage by the sweet voice Of
child. She had "a note from mamma
to MI. Haracraft, the manager" No,
the manager was not around just then,
but she could wait. He might be back
*ny moment. Tenderly the rough old
fellow led the bonny one to prosce.
mum box and. lifting her into big up
holstered chair which she far from
filed. bade her wait. A busy rehearsal
was ia progress, which the child
watched with NO special curiosity, Tor
the sight was q familiar one to her,
until after succession of mods she fell
asleep.
Every one on the stage was too busy
TO notice the mite as she rested there
one foot curled under, her pretty face
Snugly pressed into the corner of the
softly padded chair. Her red tam had
slipped of. and her hair was loosely
massed In ringlets about her face and
neck. In Il few minutes the stage
manager abruptly stopped the evolu.
lions and singing to announce that an
hour would be given for something to
eat. So there followed a hurrying to
nearby cafes and lunch places, and the
big theater was left dark and silent,
where only few moments previous
had resouRded the voices Of chorus, the
shutting and patter Of feet and the
shouts OF the excited director. After
awhile. one by one and In pairs ana
, more, the company began to assem-
BILE again. There was still q good
half hour, and the boys and girls
. Of the chorus accepted the opportunity
TO chat and gossip as they sat on
boxes. bundles of carpet or even squat
, ted on the floor of the stage, their talk
. causing hum 70 resound throughout
the big audit