The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-10-01
CHAPTER xxx Continued.

u
CHAPTER x,<xlx Continued.
The sight of those faces-the faces
OF those come to sit in judgment on
her. for tonight was the first night Of
the play-made Olive feel suddenly in
tensely nervous. She wondered how
she would feel when she was on the
stage in the fierce glare of foot-lights
and battens. confronting that wave of
faces sweeping backwards and up
wards from the stalls to the gallery,
blurred and without individuality, but
each face that of Judge watching
her. weighing her performance for
the final verdict. She walked slowly
down to the wings. feeling that she
would give five years of her life for
her first lines to have been spoken.
1t was the day of Pride of Lies
race. Anthony Strangways had come
up from the race meeting to be pres.
ent at the production of the play. in
which he was financially interested,
feeling in the highest spirits at the
success of Lady Olive. Not until he
had reached town had he heard the
news of his cousin Ralph's sudden
death-had heard it with genuine
regret. The feelings of bitterness and
antagonism had been all on Ralph's
side.
Funny how he hated me because
of that Outstanding grievance of our
fathers before us-and I'm afraid he
must have died hating me still worse
II he had lived to hear that Pride o.
Life had been disqualified. and Lady.
Olive was given the race after ALL"
he said to himself
Lady Olives success seemed to An
thony Strangways like a lucky omen
for tonight's play. He wondered how
Olive Vanstone would acquit herself:
he believed that she had exceptional
talent, passion, and fire, and, above
all, the temperament inherited from
her Italian mother, that should carry
her through triumphantly, in spite of
her inexperience. Only she had not
been quite the same woman since that
interview with the rector of Wildfell.
He had noticed that.
why must the man come to unset
tie her?" he had said to himself irri-
tably, more than once.
Tonight, as she waited to go on,
the thought of that strange interview
with Stephen Ruthen in the managers
room of this theatre was back in
Olives mind. AS Strangways had no.
ticed, that interview had left it's eff
feet on her; she had been a different
woman since.
She had parted from Ruthen con-
vinced that his brain must have lost
fits balance. It seemed so impossible
that she could have forgotten it if, as
he asserted, she had really been pres
ent at the scene of the tragedy, had
bent over the figure Of the dead man
In the wild, white storm-the man
whom she had loved in spite of the
wrong he had done her. Surely such
a scene must have burnt itself inef-
faceably on her memory. And yet, his
words had haunted her.
There was one scene in this play
that struck her with strange signifi-
canoe in view of Stephens words.
This was the climax of the third act,
when, in the part she was playing,
coming to keep a tryst with a man
she still loved despite his faithless-
ness, she found him lying murdered.
1t was odd how every time she re.
hearsed that scene it had seemed in
some strange way Gi;:-,-,,,,Jy' familiar, al
most as though Stephens wild hallu-
Yet. how could she have lived through
such a scene as that on the night
Philip Hume died and have forgotten?
The first act was half over. In
few minutes the cue would come for
her to make her entrance. AS she
stood waiting, feeling horribly nerv-
Ons, Anthony Strangways came up to
her.
"Feeling a bit shaky? You'll be all
right once you're on the STAGE" he
said to her, encouragingly. You'll
find there's a stimulus in the mere
sight Of the foot-lights that will pull
you through"
Her cue came almost as ne was
speak'ng. Olive walked on to the
stage: he watched her pass into the
full glare of the lights, and for a mo-
mort he was afraid. she seemed so
Iona in finding her voice. Then she
-spote. and he gave breath of relief.
''s'>e''' CO." he said to himself.
Bo-''o,t I!urre had come up from
the race r,eeting with Strangways.
and was sting in front. He was in
tererted IN Owes debut. He had
rover spo1en to Olive Vanstone dur.
ing her STAY in Wildfell; indeed, he
see e5 to have rather avoided meet.
. ing her in the street when he saw her
coming: but he watched her now with
an interest that was hardy surprising
after that revelation concerning her
which Anthony strangways had made
to ti~ weeks ago.
Bonho't Hume knew nothing Of the
\ Nr:tten confession Ruthen had sent
i Ito the police that confession in
& which his name figured IN connection
~, Z. x,n,. l,,..,., M f,n AZ