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

pree, stating the desperate nature of the case and urging her to come if it were by any means possible, had just returned. It was out of the question for the lady to leave her bed: the doctor had abso- lutely forbidden 1t.
 A small, commiserating group of stage hands had surrounded the manager and offered from time to time various sym pathetic and impossible suggestions
 "Cut out her part, Abe" urged the car penter.
 "Cut it out! Cut it outP' he exclaimed irascibly as he pranced up and down, ducking a drop that suddenly descend- ed from the flies. You talk d. non brette?? You might as well cut out the lights and music"
 It was at this crisis that Annie Kee- nan, arrayed to represent gorgeous ana totally impossible butterfly, with bare arms, legs incased in pink strip tights, her face covered with paint and rouge, her gray-blue eyes set in frame of unnatural. almost uncanny blackness, and with two flaps of gauge protruding from each shoulder to repre- sent her flying apparatus, stepped for ward to the knot of men and, address, ing the perspiring stage manager, said Tn a hesitating way:
 ''Mr. Meyer, think can do the part
 He paused abruptly as he was about to whirl around for another reckless rash across the stage, and stared at this unexpected apparition of human butter fly in very evident astonishment, not un- mingled with indignation.
 "What. you?" he said, while the crowd circled about them curiously.
 ''Yes sir.
 "Now. look here," he exclaimed, brusquely recovering his wrath, T don't want no buttin' in. I won't stand for no joshin'. I'm in no mood for it.' And he started to make his way through the thronr. But Annie knew her chance had come and was determined to stick to her guns.
 well MT. Meyer" she replied as calmly as her rapidly beating pulse would permit, "Pve studied the lines and I know 'em. know the dances too and the business"
 He stopped and looked at her again m credulously, though he was visibly inn pressed by the bright light of truth that 1 shone manifest in her eyes,
 "You know the lines and the dances, " he replied "Whered you learn 'emr | What'd you learn 'em forf'
 | Annie felt herself reddening even under l the generous varnish of paint that over lay her own pretty complexion. "Oh. just done it for fun," she said in some embarrassment.
 l It was now nearing o'clock. Tho asbetos curtain had been raised. Every inch of room off the stage, in the wings, | m in the wooden galleries. on the starr cases leading to the dressing rooms. Tn the large open space behind the oacK orop | was crowded with a heterogeneous mass | of men and women, extravagantiy anu i fancifully costumed and made up, iooK- | 1,yr creatures from another planet-all ready ! for the opening chorus. The manager Tn l his torture of perplexity stepped to the peep- hole in the canvas curtain that stili | separated the audience from the stage 1 and gazed out into the front The house was filling rapidly. The musicians were already in their places. He turned again and looked at the butterny careiuny.
 "sure YOU can do it without breaking i down? Got your nerve with you! 1 It was not perhaps, the best way or ,npa rtina a ssurance but Annie, who saw 1 fame already within her grasp was ilo' ! the one to let it slip without struggle.
 Sure" she replied
 .'Do you know the cues?' asked Meyer' | haunted by persisting doubts. lne sieua. | ton was quite beyond him. He could not ! comprpehend how this miracle or chorus f girl could come to his relief at the eiev- ! enth hour and solve difficulty that threatened to wreck the performance. 1 Sure" repeated Annie.
 How about the costumes?' he aske J. ] glancing at her figure. Guess you'll do' I though. Well, hurry, get into your clothes; And sayl'' he shouted as Annie started off joyously for the wings, If you gel , stuck in the dances just take few steps, Stevens will pull you through Stevens, the chief comedian, was "dou- bled, with Annie in the two dances m 1 which she was to take part. and the stage manager hurried off to put him on 1 his guard. Fortunately for the smooth conduct ol
 the performance, at least during the early
 stages. Annie was not to make her ap- | pearance until the first act was nearly !, half over, a circumstance that enabled
 her. with the assistance of the wardrobe , mistress to work her way into the cos
 tune usually occupied by the less copious
 person of Miss Flossie Dupree. She was
 cast as the leader of female bandit gang and the costume was purposely h. tended to give her ridiculously fierce
 aspect. -
 Wound about her head was a gaudy red 1 turban of the kind thought to be affected by enterprising Italian brigands The