Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-02
a Change
OF Bill

In the audience people glanced at
their programs and stumbled over the
phrases which announced Senior Avar.
lilo and Dainty Marguerite In the
thrilling death-defying knife-throwing
act.
II wish they wouldn't have such
things" said the woman with the firm
chin In the first box. at is so nerve
racking! What IL knife should
slip?"
The audience held It's breath with
the same mental question rs the cur
tain went up aud disclosed the large
upright board against which Dainty
Marguerite twice II day was outlined
By the deadly hatchets and knives of
the Spanish gentleman attired In Grim
son and yellow and with the sweeping
mustache. Always when he first came
on and bowed to the plaudlts Senior
AMARILLO was wont to wave hand mp.
ward and through one side OF the mus.
tache before he gracefully whirled
about toward tho board Marguerite
unsmilingly bowling, wondered with a
dull WEAKNESS how many hundred
times she had seen him make that
identical gesture.
There even had been n time when
she. too. admired 1t. but that had
been three years age, when she had
just married him and he had cared
about her. II had been some time
now since she had come to realize
that everything was ended for her
When AMARILLO grew tired he also
grew brutal. Not that he struck her.
His cruelty was as graceful aud subtle
Us his stage gestures. When she had
reproached him with the patent fact
that he cared for her no more lie
had merely murmurcd endearing
phrases in his own tongue and smiled.
and that smile had piled the last stone
on the tomb of her hopes.
IL was not love for him. As she
watched him sorting his deadly wcap-
ons and noted his gratified vanity at
the interest of the spectators she won.
dered II she did not hate him des.
perately. She had reached such n
negative state of mind that she was
not certain even about that. She
was only deadly tired; tired OF the
iootlights glazing in her face. of the
rustling of the haif-seen people In
the body of the theater, of the orches-
ira music and, most OF all. OF standing
plastered against the board.
Once he glanced at her seelngly.
and his eyes were malignant. They
changed as they swept to the wings.
where stood the sons-and.dance wom-
an, who came next-all pink satin and
rouge, with her languid eyes bent
upon him. Marguerite understood. but
Jealousy did not torment her, for one
gets beyond that after time. She
did not care.
IL came to her that II only she
could care about something - could
he happy or enraged-life would look
simpler
There came an excited rustling from
the spectators as the large frame
pasted over with manila paper was set
up In front of her us she rested
against the board, for this was the
thrilling finale of Avarillo's net. When
she was thus hidden both from him
and the people In the theater the
man. with an apparent blindfold over
his eyes. hurled his knives through the
paper up and down either side OF her.
and then, with flourish, tore down
the fiimsy shield to show Marguerite
safe and smiling amid the shining
steel blades
She counted mechanically the
whizzes and thuds. One-the knife
at her foot Then gradually they crept
up her left side toward her head.
a slckening disgust, the climax of
her misery. swept over her. With a
sudden fierceness she desperately
sweryed behind the paper barrier from
her position toward the right to be in
line with the course of the knives as
they should make the turn over her.
head and creep down that side.
The singing knives were making the
line mp The left side, from which she
had moved. ut her waist, little high.
Grand then from the spectators a
smothered cry as the knife. on level
with her heart. curved and landed
three inches closer than 1t should!
There was pause as If they await.
ed her shrek. and then Senior AMARILLO
continued his throwing.
The woman against the board
turned her head and stared with fas.
cinated eyes. in which horror grew.
at the knife that had been thrown to
pierce her heart. The spectators
might be deceived into thinking It u
careless slip-but she knew better.
Still staring, she swerved back into
her original position out of the way
of the knives now descending on her
right side.
When the paper shield was torn
down Senior AMARILLO did not look at