Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-03-16
Muriel Weston $,
Awakening


Torrance in the village opera house
Muriel Weston looked helplessly at the
big box of makeup which had been
placed at her disposal.
She took up a thick stick of cos
metic and its sweet, unguent odor sent
strange thrill through her. she in
hailed a long breath and seemed sud-
denly to be transported into another
world. With a sixth sense she seemed
to feel herself in mirrored costume
strewn dressing room of a famous
actress. A call boy was at her door
with an exquisite floral tribute, one
of many already in the room.
"How are you making out, Miss
Weston?"
Muriel came quickly back to herself.
1t was the voice of Eric Mason who
had come out from Broadway triumphs
to help with the village benefit.
I'm not making out" she opened
the rude dressing room door that he
might enter; I'VE have never used any
thing but burnt cork and rouge and
haven't the slightest idea where to put
all these things" She pointed woe
| fully to the big assortment.
eff you will allow me-
| "Oh, will you really be so kind as to
make up my face?" she asked eagerly.
Il do so want to look pretty-just
| scores of my friends are going to be
here tonight" Il.
| Pretty! Miss Weston, you are
most beautiful little creature as you
| are" &
Perhaps Eric Mason never acted bet
ter than he did that evening in the
| country opera house when he por-
trayed the lover of Muriel Weston.
Had the girl gone through her part
like an automaton her audience would
have liked her none the less. AS it
was, she acted it with Indifferent tai
ent
It was toward the climax of their
scene that Mason felt himself being
carried along on a current of emo
ton. He knew that when the time
came for him to take the heroine in
his arms before the last curtain 1t
would be no mere acting on his part.
He swung her around from the audi
| ence and bent over her upturned face
| until their lips met. The curtain sof
the little old theater refused it's in
Simultaneous drop and Eric was COM
PEELED to hold the picture until he felt
Muriel tremble.
When the audience was at last hid
den Muriel, hot and GREATNESS, broke
from him and ran into the wings, her
anger at so white a heat that it
seemed hours before she would come
before the curtain and acknowledge
the applause.
Muriel went home from the theater
/ without SO much as a glance in his di.
rection and next morning he returned
to the city knowing that he was leav-
ing behind him all that could ever
make life dear to him. He reasoned,
with his great love for her and felt
that he was doing the right thing in
leaving her among her own people.
A hundred times during the past
three years Mason had been on the
verge of throwing aside now bril-
liant career and seeking in small vii
lage. the girl whom he had never for
gotten, but some hidden force held
him on the ascending path of fame
He was in his dressing room won
dering. If Leah Wood, his leading
woman, had recovered from the faint
ing spell which had almost stopped
the second act. There was only the
third and last act, yet 1t was big one
and she had seemed scarcely able to
drag through her part. He heard the
curtain rise and supposed Miss Wood
had recovered. She had two good
scenes before his entrance.
He sat up, listening. There was a
thunder of applause which outshone
any she had ever hoped for He be-
lieved that he must look to his laurels
or his leading lady would have them
for her own. Or perhaps the audience
had recognized the fact that she was
| working under strain and was an.
plauding her grit.
1t was almost time for Mason's en-.
trance and as he descended the wind
ing stairway to the wings, the voice
of his heroine reached him. It was
not the voice of Leah Wood Then It
was that he heard one of the stage
hands remark:
Collapsed in her dressing room and
they had to rush for her understudy!"
His entrance cue followed upon the
girl turning her back and it was to a
vaguely familiar outline that he adj
dressed his lines. She turned to face
him and Muriel Weston stood before
him. He did not miss line, SO trained
in his part was he, but through the
long, big act he had no conscious
knowledge of what he was doing.
They had no chance to speak behind
the scenes. When one was off the
other was on. but in subtle way Il
was given to Mason's understanding
that this meeting had been one which
Muriel Weston had worked for with
indefatigable bravery. That her goal
had been this place at his side was a
startling fact.
Muriel remained calm until she