The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-10-08
CHAPTER xl.
Behind the Curtain.

NVSAV eo ~
Behind the Curtain.
A the curtain fell q storm of ap-
plause had broken from the excited
audience, moved from stalls to gal.
lery by the scene just ended and the
intensity Of dramatic power revealed
aight had stepped into amazing sue
cess.
From beyond the proscenium the
Continuous applause came In deafen.
Ing waves. II the audience had been
pushed by two Of the lines spoken by
the actress-lines that seemed to have
no relation to the scene-they had at
least no suspicion that anything unre.
hearsed had occurred-was occurring
1t 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
u the applause that shook the house
That was personal triumph. Her
manner was wild-almost historical
Her eyes glittered feverishly.
Don't let that man escape-he ID
the murderer Of Philip Hume!" she
cried nercely. confronting the shrink
ING figure. Il know now how 1t came
to be your revolver that the police
eound-that revolver from which the
shot was fired; for It was your face
cav that night at the scene Of the
crime; 1t all comes back SO clearly to
me new! You murdered Philip
Hume!"
Bonholt Hume's condition was pitia.
Bile. He stood ashen-white. his knees
hardly supporting him-an over
whelming guilty fear written In every
tine OF his Quivering face.
At first NO one spoke, NO one inter.
tered: everyone was too much startled
By the strange scene to move or speak
tho 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 Strangw1ys; the little knot Of
onloOkers stood amazed and utterly
taken aback. staring at the two ng.
ures in this unrehearsed bit Of drama.
Strangways looked at the white.
haired. elderly man who stood there
with all the pleasant benevolent geni.
atty stripped from his face, quiverins
In abject terror. trying to speak. to
defend himself from these accuse.
lions, and finding no words or power
| to frame them. There was q rush OF
queer thoughts in Anthony's mind a.
he looked back in the light Of this
woman's norcely spoken accusations
II the man were not guilty. why did
| he meet This charge now ~ . guilty
man might have met It? Would Z
sell-possessed man Of the world like
Hume, II he were consciously limo
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 disorganised by
such q scene as this. He ran up ia
The trembling. excited woman.
''Hush!" he cried. insistently. This
% madness. You must calm and con
troll yourself. You must take your
call-cant you hear the audience!
You must take your call"
She caught ut his arm excitedly.
ITS true; before Heaven. It's true!
Il 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 Philip saw him there on
The night"
flush, hush! You must try to con
troll yourself. Miss Vanstone." he cried
soothingly. realizing that he had .
woman half beside herself with hys'
i 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
tsring incoherency and was interrupt
ing excitedly. Get that man away
Miss vanstone r. going to take her
call"
| Tho 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 0trangways said again to Olive
Who was trembling with excitement
sThereu be the deuce to pay II you
Aisappoint 'em. II this charge you
! make II wellgrounded. you need have
no fear that the man will escape Jus
tlca," he added. to humour her.
4 Bonholt Hume had walked unstead
lly to The managers room. supported
By the manager. He could not have
walked alone.
/; .Coae. make IN effort and pull your
! elf together: you've got plenty Of
D11ck.s urged Strangways again. you
eve Il 70 u Of us-you've made BID
hit. and you've got to show yourself
% IL audience. whether you feel al
- not The public's our master. you
know! Come. are you readyf" he add
q. With eentle llrmnesS