The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-12-29

The nan ithout moving. picked M
q small red cap With single plume.
from the sofa AZ his side. In another
second Lefty Lane had placed 1t on.
her head oflyellow hair. real yellow
hair and not a doubt of It, like sun
Shine-not the color one gets from in.
side bottles, Her arms, her hands
flashed with rings. priceless finishes,
and the little spears pricked Dan like
sharp needles.
Its the incest ever!H she was say
ing. How on earth did you get in
here. though? Have you bought the
Gaiety thcater? I'm the most exclu-
siye girl or the stage, Who let you
In7t
Her accent was English, and even
that put her from him, AS he looked
ut her he couldn't understand how he
had ever recognized her. III he had.
waited for another act he wouldn't
have believed the likeness real. The
girl he remembered had both softened
and hardened; the rounded features
were gone, but all the angles were
gone as we'll. Her eyes We're as gray
as the seas: she was painted and her
lids were darkened. Seen close, she
was not 50 divine as on the stage.
but there was stlll a more thrilling
charm about the fact that she was
real.
ITO think OF any one from Montana
being here tonight! Staying very long
MI. Blair?H Between each sentence
she directed Higgins. who was getting
her into her bodice. rAnd how do
you like "Mandalay?" Isn't st great?r
She addressed herself to Dan, but
she smiled on both the men with ex.
treme brilliance.
"You bet your life" he responded
Il should think II was great
Poniotowsky rose ~indolently. He.
had not looked toward the new.
conner, but had. on The other hand, fol.
lowed every detail Of Miss Lanes
dressing.
Better take your scarf. Lefty.
Hand 1t to Miss Lane" he directed
Higgins. ut is SO damned draftyt in
these beastly wings"
He drew his watch out, gathered up
his long coat, flung II over his arm
and picked up his opera hat which.
lay folded on Lefty, Lanes dressing
table.
The call page for the third time
summoned Miss Lane, Miss
Lane" and she took the scarf Hig-
gins handed her and ran 1t through
her hands, still beaming on Dan.
Come in to see me at the Savoy on
any day. at two-thlrty except on mat
inee days"
Put on your scarf" Poniotowsky.
taking 1t from her hands. laid 1t across
her white shoulders, and she passed
out between the two men, light as a
bird, smiling, nodding, followed by the
prince and the boy from Montana. The
crowds began to fill the lately empty
wings-dancers, chorus girls with
their rustling gowns. Lefty Lane said,
TO Dan:
Guess you'll like my solo in this
act all right-it's the best thing in
Mandalay.' Now go along, and clap
me hard
1t gave him a new pleasure, for she
had spoken TO him In real American
fashion with the swift mimicry tia
showed her talent. Dan went slowly
back TO his party. As he took his
seatsby the duchess she said TO him:
"You went in to see Lefty Lane. Do
you know her?"
Know herr" And as Dan answered.
the sound of his own voice was queer
to him, and his face flushed hotly.
Lord, yes. She used to be in the
drug store In Blalrtown. Sold soda.
water to me when we were both kids.
Whoever would hive thought that she
had that in her?r He nodded toward
the stage, for Lefty Lane had come
on. She sang in our church. too, but
not for long"
who was with her in her dressing.
room?" the duchess. asked. Blair
didn't answer. He was looking at
Lefty Lane. She had come to dance
for the raiah, and in her arms she
held four white doves; each dove had
a coral thread around Its throat. It
was q number that made her famnus.