The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-31

a sharp twitch of joy as she beheld the house in tumult before her.
 Speak up" again excitedly whispered Steevens and he prompted: 'Well, here we are, my heartyp'
 The lines came back to her like flash.
 Well, here we are, me hearty!' she repeated.
 They were the first words that Annie had ever uttered to an audience in public performance. But they were sue cessful. It is true that her voice quaver- ed somewhat, and her manner seemed
 trife uncertain, but perhaps the very cir
 cumstance, taken in connection with the
 generally fierce aspect of her costume
 and the still open-mouthed wonder With
 which she surveyed the house, ana,
 above all, the strangeness and totally un-
 expected precipitation of her "entrance,'
 afforded an ingredient that sent the audi ence off into convulsions of laughter.
 Staid old gentlemen down in the orohes-
 tra chairs fairly wept for joy, women
 searched the programme In vain Tor the
 name of this extraordinary gifted young
 woman, hitherto unknown, and the gall
 lery, always appreciative of cleverly exc
 cuted acrobatic stunts howled its ap-
 proval.
 whispered Stevens before going on with
 his lines, pending the subsistence of the
 tempest in the audience.
 Meantime Meyer stood at the edge Of
 the wing, distracted by spasm or
 doubt Were they to use his favorlte
 expression, 'joshing" her? Had she |, "oueered the show?' Had he made big
 fool of himself to send on this wholly un-
 tried chorus girl to take an important
 part? Should he cut out the number
 ring down the curtain?
 h mp nrpEnntlX
 ed, For when the storm of really hearty
 and spontaneous laughter had passed oH,
 Annie. encouraged further by the inspir-
 ing sotto voce of her partner, qulckly re-
 covered her assurance, and with the res toration of her confidence the tremor
 went out of her voice, the natural gayety and vivacity of her manner returneo' and the lines and the "business' went on as smoothly as if Miss tlossie Dupree
 herself had been present.
 But 1t was when the dance came that not only the audience but Meyer himself, and the still curious and puzzled chorus' and the stage hands, and even the phleg- matio Germai gentlemen who composed the orchestra, were astonished Never had there been such dancing on that stage before. Stevens had been "uppeo to take the responsibility of the number on his own shoulders, but he soon found
  iety on this score. Indeed, whereas hlth- F erto he had attracted at least half the attention and applause of the audience by a certain numbering, awkward, coml- cal agility, he was now merely an appen- dage-a foil. Once the familiar strains of the dance struck up Annie was al
 home With all the old abandon and
 childish delight of her hurdy-gurdy days, intoxicated by the lights, by the applause of she entered into the swing of the music bounding about with the unttring elas- ticity of a rubber ball. executing the most difficult steps with that appearance oI perfect ease which comes only with nat ural ability supplemented by practice swinging her curly head from side To side romping through the measures In a complete and contagious enjoyment. Ana when at last she danced herself oH the stage, exhausted but supremeiy happy there was a storm of applause, of vigor- ous ,nsistent applause that warns the coclxles of the managers hearts, of ap- nlause to which she and Stcevens-Who had suffered total eclipse--were obliged To
 respond by a double encore
 Th,,s if was that the most difficult part of Annies task had been accomplished.
 The ice had been broken; the rest or her work passed of without hitch. She had scored ult, eVeu as p'oSN SAi' -'s' said. a palpable hit-the biggest personal success in the entire run of the Land oi Nonsense"
 It was at the end of the performance that Meyer rushed up and seized her by both hands. The stage manager was not ,, usually given to demonstrative betrayal of approbation, but on this occasion the sudden change from apparent rout tc overwhelming victory perhaps put him on
 his guard.
 "say," he exclaiced by way of congrat- ! ulation. that piece of business was
 great. Who put you on to it? You tum. l hled a.purpose, didn't youf'
 Annie, overwhelmed in al flood of tri' urph, a flood that drowned or at leas' temporarily submerged her usually sturdy ], and assertive conscience, answered.: Sure. l thought it out meself.' Nol l did she count the cost when Meyer re l piled:
 Tt was all to the good. We'll make i /, a regular feature. I'll have a mat on tn, stage tomorrow night. so if you don't fal ! on your feet you won't hurt yourself" l The congratulations of the compan, were voluminous, though perhaps not pro ] portionatey sincere. Bnt Annie wal