Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-09-08


threw over all the stage, and the ere
scendo of the tragedy carried her into
a mood that barred out Ella, barred
out Clara, barred out Harry o
than any; but, unaccountably, Kerr
was still with her. He was there by
no will of hers, but by some essence
of his own, some quality that linked
him, as it linked her, to the passion.
ate subtleties of life. He seemed to
her the eager spirit that was prompt
ing and putting forward this comedy
and tragedy playing on before her.
She heard him reasserted, vigorous,
lawless, wandering in the voice of the
mimic strolling player, addressing his
mimic audience. The appeal OF the
tenor to the voiceless galleries, I'm
derneath this little play we show,
there is another play" seemed indeed
the very voice of Kerr repeating itself.
The lights went up with a spring. A
wave of motion fickered over the
house, the talking voices burst forth
all at once, and she saw him, really
saw him for the first time that even
ing, as in her fancy, part of the au-
dience; as in her fancy, neither ap-
plauding nor dissenting, yet with
what a difference! He leaned back in
L.. aI,es. ooJ 1oo.aJ hiI hnaa a 1iff1a
back, as if, for WEAKNESS, he wished
there were a rest behind it; and how
indifferently, how critically, how lev
ely he surveyed the f1uttered house
and the figures in the box beside him!
How foreign he appeared to the ardent
spirit who had dominated the dark;
how emptied of the heat of imagina'
ton, how worn, how dry; and even in
his salience, how singularly pathetic!
She felt a lump in her throat, an
ache of the c~ruelest disappointment
as though some masker, masking as
the fire of life, had suddenly removed
a the coverings of his face and showed
her the burnt-out bones beneath. Sht
, found herself" looking at him through
a mist of tears-there in the heart o
publicity, in the middle of the circl
a of velvet curtains!
He turned and saw her. She watch
ed a smile of the frankest pleasure
: rising, as 1t were, to the surface o
his weary preoccupation. Something
had delighted him. Why, it was he1
9 self-just her being there! And sh
could only helplessly blink at hin
= Was ever anything so stupid as to b
. caught in tears over nothing! II
= Strengthened and leaned forward.
Really" he said, you must re
. member that little man has only gon
- out for a glass of beer" =.
= So he thought it was the tenor VIII
had brought her to the point Of tear
: "Ah, why do you say that?" she pr
- tested.
- He continued to smile indulgentl
- upon her. would you really rattle
- believe it true?"
II don't know. But I wish yc
- hadn't thought Of the beer"
He brought the glace Of his monoc
- to bear full upon her. Why not?
:. Is all we make sure Of"
. ooh. If to be sure is all you want
~ she burst out; "but you don't mea
a it! Wouldn't you rather have som
llte thing beautiful you weren't sure c
- than something certain that didn
- matter?"
10 He nodded to this quite casually,
ST If it were an old acquaintance.
IN "Oh, yes; but the time comes rou1
when you want to be sure of som
thing. The sun never sets twice all
over Mont Pelee; but you can alwa.
as get the same brand of lager tod
ell that you had the week before"
a looked at her with a faint amusemel
"a "No, no! l won't believe you," S
US stoutly denied him. There is mo
* in life than you a touch. You
not like yourself to say there is no
He laughed, but rather shortly.
my dear child, forgive me; I'm sui
tonight. l feel, as / felt at Is, tn
the world has treated me badly. I
III lost my luck"
up I'm sorry" Her tone was swee'
re vague. What could be the matt
ne with him? Then, half timidly, S
ne rallied him. EFF you go on like tn
ac- l shall have to show you my tai
man"
'ox "Oh, have you indeed a talismar
up he humored her. And it was as if
till said: ooh, have you a doll?" He
not wen turn his head to look at h
IN She was chilled. She felt the dis
.ul- pointment, that his quick smile /
lightened, return upon her. She ha
ism ly noticed the rise of the curtain
the second little play, and the 81
yeW ing voices did not reach her W
ara any p~oignancy. She was vagu
the aware of movements in the box
ira. Harry's coming in, of Clara's lii
vas rustic making room for him, OF
shift of Elias chair away from
the business of listening, toward him,
las her husky whisper going on W
syl- some prolonged tale of dull escapa'
BILE but to Flora they all made only
use banal background for the brooding
the lence of her companion.