The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1910-12-15
CHAPTER XXI.
PIRATES.

FiNATES.
TOR an instant Val thought OF
nothing but the heavenly sur.
prise of seeing the girl he loved.
= A wild impulse rushed over him
to call her name. Lesley. Lesleyw and
spring from behind the curtain as IL
they two were alone together in
world OF their own. But after the first
luminous instant the JOY OF her pres
ence was biotfed out In darkness.
He remembered eyerything-remem
bered that he was Perceval Gordon.
an actor Of the submerged tenth, a
wretched. penniess transformer. who
for the moment came near TO being an
object OF charity.
When be had hidden Lesley goodby
be was splendid being who looked
down from his heights and. though
loving her. saw her impossible as a
wife. Their friendship had begun by
being somewhat Of copdescension on
bis part-from bis own point of view
at least-and she. half amused. half
angry. had seen that point of view
quite clearly. nor had she ever at
tempted TO change IL 10 the last.
At the thought that the curtain
would ring up and show him rs he
was now, TO the astonished eyes or
Lesley Dearmer. he could have run
away. out of the theater, anywhere
1t mattered not whereof only she
need not see him. need not know that
the magnificent Lord Loveland and
the miserable p. Gordon were one.
His blood surged up to his head,
throbbing in bis temples and tingling
In bis ears. but through the confusion
of his senses penetrated the knowledge
that he could not 60.
Let him suffer as he might and must
he couldn't desert these people whom
he had undertaken to help out Of the
trouble in which BY bis inexperience
he had landed them.
He was responsible for putting on
Lord Bob" AID his was the principal
part. Crudely as be knew that he
| played 1t. the performance could not
90 on without him. IL he refused to
act the curtain could not ring up. and
the money in the theater would have
to be refunded to the disappointed
audience.
Loveland felt that Il would have
been almos. easier to shoot himself
than to give the signal for the curtain
TO ring up. yet the moment came when
he could delay no longer. He was not
actor enough to forget In his acting
the world beyond the stage. He did
not lose his lines: but. conscious Of
Lesiey's eyes upon him. be felt as stifr
and as jerky in every movement as a
mechanical doll. The curtain went
down on the third act. and Loyeland
was making .bolt" for his dressing
room when one Of the stage hands In
tercepted him. holding out an envelope.
ITO the Manager Of the Company
Producing Lord Bob" was the adj
dress penciled IN an attractive hand
writing. which might be that OF man
or q woman.
On a sheet OF the Ashviile theater
paper were written the words. "A
friend and agent Of Sidney cremer win
be obliged by a few words with the
manager Of the company in the private
room Of the manager of the opera
house kindly lent for the occasion"
Loreiand read the communication
and handed II TO Ed Binney. who was
passing. Ed gave long. low whistle.
which set him coughing again and
said: .whewl This Il the last straw.
isn't It? Some ones put the author on
to us. you know we're pirates-regu.
lar play snatchers-don't your There's
big fine for the osTense."
TJoveland laughed. Il wish Mr.
Cremer JOY Of It,
.oh. that's al very well. but II he
cuts up rough be can make us lot Of
trouble. I'm afraid. though | don't
know much about such things. ! be.
lieve Jacobus was never caught But
we're copped this time sure enough. I
wouldn't 60 into the lions den II /
were you. Let the lion come TO us at
the hotel II he doesn't ilnd out before
hand TINT We wouldn't make q meal
worth eating"
Meanwhile. perhaps. he'll have the
police attach the luggage or some
thing" argued Loycland. "No: Ill 80
md face the music. Perhaps when
Crcmer's agent understands the Ok
we're In he'll let Us down easy"
well. maybe you're right" Binney
agreed. "But II seems a shame you
should have to stand up and be shot at
alone"
nyS;uniarily he put ont his hand.
but SHE seemed not 70 see the gesture.
and the hand dropped
u used the name. i-thought Il was
better. and Il really Is my namc.r be
went On. ''nne If my names"
"iau hare so many r
My SPONSORS In Baptism
THE newspapers accused you Of be.
ing your own sponsor
THE newspapers accused NET What
do you meant"
surely you know. ! told you I
should read about you. but expected
to read very different things. How