The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-01-15

Of her little-tried h1Str1on1c powers.
She felt that she could endow 1t
with life and semblance; and, above
all, she understood the character OF
the girl she intended to represent.
Such stage intercourse as she had
with Charlie gave her no trouble.
He was, indeed, supposed to be her
, lover; but of an old standing in love,
and therefore less embarrassing;
while the difficulties that lay in Win
Yards path, of a cross and under
current stream of passion, flowing
into and discoloring with it's villainy
the purer and colder river of mild
affection, required a tact and dra-
matte delicacy which Lena knew him
to possess.
The first rehearsal bid fair to real
lie the misgivings Of the elder ladies,
so intensely ridiculous was 1t after
the preliminary nervousness had
quite worn off. This was the result
of deliberate plan on the part of
the stage-manager. whose experience
taught him that rehearsals beginning g
with laughter usually finish up with
| successful acting. VINEYARD and
Lena were not in the first scene, and
Charles Mistley's part was too unim-
portant to have effect on it; and
! Mrs. Wright, who was prompting,
| had but little work to do. The Sec
ond scene began in the same manner.
''Win, this will never do" whis-
/ orIi Ir
! board-school EXAMINATION than any
thing else. We must wake them up
somehow"
Winyard obeyed his brothers in
structions, and on receiving his cue,
| introduced two new elements into
/ the performance and
earnest acting, which. can be COM
! bined with great facility.
In the midst of all the laughter,
| the idea suddenly came to Winyard
, that 1t would be worthy triumph
tc quell the merriment, supplement-
ing it with the opposite emotion,
which is so near at hand.
In a whisper he said to Lena:
Nov we will show them what we
can dol" leaving her to understand
it as she could.
But soon she did understand, and
aided him beyond his expectations.
The difficult scene appeared to pass
away as If it were portion of their
real and earnest Iives-for life is as
real and earnest to the merriest of us
as 1t is to those who pull long faces
and suffer from dyspepsia. By the
sheer force of his dramatic power he
carried her away, and brought for
ward the talent of expressing pathos
which he had detected when she had
sung unwittingly to him. For the
moment she was no longer happy
Lena Wright-for assuredly nothing
| could whisper of sorrow in her young
| life-but the heart-broken girl, part
! Ing from her lover forever; and he,
| VINEYARD Mistley, acted the part as
If he knew too well the pain and
anguish he depicted so cleverly.
First the laughter died away, then
| vanished the last smile, as these two
searched deeper and deeper into
/ every human heart for the emotions
| which cannot fail to be hidden some
where there. 1t was almost an in
| spiration, and quite passing stroke
of genius. No word of forethought
had passed between them, and yet no
mistake could be detected-the art,
II art there were, was so well hidden,
so craftily covered, that none could
| determine where it lay.
The spectators were hushed into
silent wonder. With the majority of
them, however, it was merely a piece
! Of clever acting - an exhibition Of
! dramatic talent such as lies in the
| power of most of US, though the de-
mand for it may never come. But
! to two of them it was something
more. The prompter drew in a long
deep breath, and glanced nervously
toward the stage-manager. Of course
1t was acting-mere acting-but Mrs
| Wright did not like it. Such acting,
such rehearsals were dangerous, and
| why had that gray, drawn look come
over Charles Mistley's calm face?
! When 1t was over there was a mo-
! mentary silence, as If each person
| present were waiting for some one
else to speak. Winyard busted some
imaginary specks Of carpet from his
| knees, as If family prayers had just
been offered up, and proceeded to
! move the furniture and rearrange
the improvised stage. This he did
quietly and mechanically, which
! served very well to ease the breaking
of that silence, and to allow Lena
time to come back to Workaday
| speech and thought.
''Well done?" said the colonc'
softly; and Charlie suddenly clap1ed
| his strong hands together, and spoke
a little rapidly.
"Splendid" he said. Splendid!
| Everybody is all that a managei
| could desire. We will bring down
! the house with applause, l am GER
! tain. l am very much obliged to
every one for the intelligence and
! diligence with which they have
studied their respective partsi'
When at length the two brothers
| were left alone to smoke last pipe
| before going to bed, they sat Tor
some time without speaking. They
| had never been SO much together.
these two, and perhaps it was owing
| to this that they were somewhat dill
! ferent from other brothers in their
mutual love. Mutual respect had an
| important place in the love they bore
| toward each other, and, as a rule,
| brotherly affection is without it..
| Charlie knew that his younger
| brother was cleverer, quicker and in
! every way more, brilliant than him
! self, and he was content that 1t
| should be so. Indeed, he was
| proud of it-proud to be the brother