Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1907-02-01

When Carter was eight ycarh o'u
his mother found him In the attic. De
meath the gable window In the ROOF.
through which the sun streamea
warmly and made. upon the dusty
ffoor. q golden patch not uniike tne
iimclight upon stage.
He sat In n pile OF pink ana yeiio~
and red scraps of paper. from whieh
he had cut. with unusual cunning. a
dozen gayly angular figures OF men
ana women. These Carter had In
duced. by means OF basic arrange
ment OF pins. TO stand upright upon
the floor; In a sing song voice ne was
droning out a crude. fantastic narra-
tive OF childish imagining to WHICH
with swift. deft hands. he suited me
movements OF his puppets.
The prince" he cried. has come
On slay the wicked fairy-for-er-er
more" And the scarlet princeiins
fell nightly upon the crumblins vel
low fairy.
Carters mother paused on the
threshold: there was a sick. scared
feeling at her heart.
''Oh. he's got II, too" she thought
bitterly. Her lips frightened WITH de-
cision.
Jimmie" she said. sharply. what
are you playing herewith those pa
per-thingsy
Carter hung his head shyly. II
don't know" he faltered.
He some way hated TO tell ms
mother that he called the game by
a name OF his own: The Make-Be'
lieve People. Carter had observed In
ais young life that his mother did not
often understand what he meant oy
great many "difrunt" things.
ITS not a nice game for little boys
TO play. You mustn't ever do II again
do you hear mother? Never again
You may give me those paper things
Carter's chin quivered; he did not
cry. Ito wanted to save the red prince
terribly. His mother crushed them all
sternly In her hands. and led him
out Of the attic.
Carriers mother was I'll on his elev-
enth birthday. Perhaps II should be
said here that the lads father had
dled-and he had Understanding. long
before Carter could frame an image
OF him on his baby brain. The boys
birthday was on a Saturday. In the
afternoon his mother called him to
her bedroom and kissed him. slipping
a shining dollar into his hand
"You may take old Hannah and 20
down town to buy whatever you like.
provided Il Is not something foolish"
she said. kindly, In the precise tones
she always used 20 children and serv-
ants.
AT the corner, pasted on the fence
around Simpkin's livery stable. they
found yillianous. blood-curdling
scene In a road. done with splendor
OF coloring and scorn OF conven-
ton. that filled Carter and Hannah
with admiration and forboding. They
gasped.
what Is Il, Hannah" whispered
Carter. wide-eyed.
"A play-picture," Hannah explained.
Its going TO be at the town hall TO-
day. It's a make-believe."
was it--spiendid. Hannah"
1t was Just grand"
"A make believe" The words fas-
cinated Carter. They reminded him
o. the scarlet prince.
Hannah, we're going to IT," he add
ed. conclusiyely.
The old servant demurred nervous
~. But In the end Carter stood
arm.
i've got a dollar--and we're go
ing" he repeated. quietly. Were so
ing 70 see H."
Presently they watched breathless-
ly the curtain rise on the most won
derful thing In the world. so the lad
thought For days afterward he had
only to shut his eyes and he saw the
beautiful lady who wore day and
night. through all her dreadful trou-
Bile. n pale. blue silk gown; In his
ears flowed the plaintive cadences OF
some song she sang.
II made little difference to Carter
that he was kept In his room for two
whole days after the play. and was
no, allowed to speak to anyone for
week-he was so sorry that Hannah
had 70 be sent away. He tried TO ex.
plain that Il was all his fault. but
his mother would not let him tell
her.
In the night Carter heard her pray
Ing:
20 Lord" she said. take away the
curse from him." an he guessed II
meant something about the red
prince.
Carter grew up amazingly fast.
when he was IL he entered college.
lie had never seen another play
save those he fashioned for himself In
his dreams--for he had promised his
mother that he would not so TO the