Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-09-30
Behind the Curtain.

| lClJ Wy Ii1C OSCIlC JuoC OuoOu CAAo SiAS
intensity of dramatic power revealed
| by this unknown actress who, in a
night, had stepped into amazing sue,
cess.
From beyond the proscenium the
continuous applause came in deafen-
ing waves. # the audience had been
puzzled by two of the lines spoken by
the actress-lines that seemed to have
40 relation to the scene-they had at
least no suspicion that anything unre-
hearsed had occurred-waS occurring
at that moment-on the stage. Why
was not the curtain raised, that they
might give this actress an ovation?
On the stage Olive stood needless
Of the applause that shook the house.
That was a personal triumph. Her
manner was wild-almost hysterical.
Her eyes glittered feverishly.
Don't let that man escape-he is
the murderer of Philip Hume!" she
cried fiercely, confronting the shrink
ing figure. Il know now how it came
to be your revolver that the police
found-that revolver from which the
shot was fired; for it was your face |
saw that night at the scene Of the
crime; it all comes back so clearly to
me now, You murdered Philip
Hume!"
Bonholt Hume's condition was pitia-
BILE. He stood ashen-white, his knees
hardly supporting him-an over
u,boI,,o;pr o,,iI+1r foor ur;ttop in avprU
line of his quivering face.
At first no one spoke, no one inter
fered; everyone was too much startled
by the strange scene to move or speak
the carpenters hurrying on in their
felt slippers the moment the curtain
had fallen to change the scene, the
actor who had played the part of the
murdered lover, the manager, An
thony Strangways; the little knot OF
onlookers stood amazed and utterly
taken aback, staring at the two fig
ures in this unrehearsed bit of drama.
Strangways looked at the white
haired, elderly man who stood there
with all the pleasant benevolent gent
atty stripped from his face, quivering
in abject terror, trying to speak, to
defend himself from these accusa-
tions, and finding no words or power
to frame them. There was a rush of
queer thoughts in Anthony's mind as
he looked back in the light of this
woman's fiercely spoken accusations.
If thes man were not guilty, why did
he meet this charge now as a guilty
man might have met it? Would a
selI-possessed man of the world like
Hume, if he were consciously inno-
cent, meet such an accusation, start
ling and unexpected though it was, in
tongue-tied confusion and fear?
Then almost at once Strangways re-
covered from his bewilderment, was
The first to intervene. 1t was vital
above everything that this important
night should not be disorganized by
such a scene as this. He ran UP to
the trembling, excited woman.
"Hush!" he cried, insistently. This
is madness. You must calm and con-
troll yourself. You must take your
call-cant you hear the audience?
You must take your CALI
She caught at his arm eXcitedly
Its true; before Heaven, it's true.
1t was his revolver that killed Philip
the police know that, all Wildfell
knows that! He said it had been
stolen from him, but it was lie. He
murdered Phillip saw him there on
the night"
Hush, hush! You must try to con-
:rol yourself, Miss Vanstone," he cried
soothingly, realizing that he had a
woman half beside herself with hys-
terical excitement to deal with.
Leave me to manage this, Grafton"
he added hurriedly to the manager,
who had rushed up in state of splut-
tering incoherency and was interrupt
ing excitedly Get that man away
Mr.. Hume-let him go to your room.
Miss Vanstone is going to take her
call"
The clamor from behind the cur
tain was growing louder and more i'm
patient; the audience had no intention
Of being cheated out of having Olive
before the footlights.
you've got to take your CALL" An
thony Strangways said again to Olive,
who was trembling with excitement.
''Therell be the deuce to pay if you
disappoint 'em. If this charge you
make is well-grounded, yc-l need have
no fear that the man will escape JUS
tice," he added, to humour her
Bonholt Hume had walked INSTEAD
| lily to the managers room, supported
by the manager. He could not have
walked alone.
Come, make an effort and pull your
self together; you've got plenty of
pluck" urged Strangways again. you
owe it to all of us--you've made big
hit, and you've got to show yourself
to the audience, whether you feel fit
or not. The public's our master, you
know! Come, are you ready?" he add
| ed, with gentle firmness
She nodded, and he saw by the sud-
den CLEAN of resolution in her face
that his point was won.
She walked to the prompt side; he
held the heavy curtain back; she
passed into sight of the swaying,
cheering audience, and tumult of ap-
plause met her; she walked unsteadily
along the strip of stage in front OF
the curtain, bowed again-an6 then
as she passed out of sight, she reeied
and would have fallen, but Anthony
| Strangways was there to catch the
| fainting woman.
Il knew this would happen. I'm
only relieved that she took her call, .
| he said to the stage-manager. Her