Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-25

and I'll just say that If there are any
more idiots In our family they sit at
the head and foot of the table at meal
times!"
WHEN THE CURTAIN ROSE.
BY VIRGINIA BLAIR.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter
airy Press.)
It seemed to John Austin that he
was In Fairyland. 1t was his first
glimpse Of that glittering world of
which he had heard 80 much All his
life he had lived among the pines, far
back in a sandy country. This morning
he had come to the city and had sought
the theater Even before the curtain
was up he realized that the beauty of
the place was beyond his widest
dreams. At last he was going to see
the things that were worth while.
He read over the names on the pro-
gram idly. He knew nothing Of vaude-
vile, but there seemed much OF prom.
Use in the headliners.
When the curtain rose, therefore.
he gave little gasp Of rapture. The
stage was bower of beauty; there
were roses everywhere. And into this
bower of beauty came the strolling
players The man carried violin and
the woman tambourine There was
and the red in the woman's cheeks
was not that of nature.
They sang and played and danced.
and the audience applauded highly.
There was a touch of gypsy wildness
about the girl that caught the fancy OF
the people. John applauded with the
rest, but in the back Of his mind was
a question which took away from the
the complete abandon Of the moment.
where have l seen her before?"
The band played faster and the
music became wilder. Up and down
the stage went the little scarlet fig
ures. The man with the violin was in
the background. All at once the bow,
crashed against the strings harshly.
as without sound the girl threw up
her hands and fell to the floor.
The curtain went down, the lights
flared up. team of jugglers took the
front of the stage and everything
went on as before. But John Austin
saw nothing. for he was saying over
and over to himself, TITS Mary"
They had been to school together,
he and Mary Morrison. She had been
a wild little thing in those days, the
daughter of parents who lived in a
shanty in the pine forest She had
known all about the birds and the bees
and the butterflies. She had taken
him to the places where the wild
flowers blossomed earliest, and to-
gether they had waded in little brown
streams and caught minnows in quiet
pools.
She had been wonderful little
admiration of his strength and her de-
pendence upon his pure affection.
When they had grown older, he had
gone to college, and she had drifted to
one of the large towns. He had heard
that her parents were dead, and that
she was alone.
And now he had found her in fairy
land, and she was i'll, and there was
no one but that strange scarlet violin
player to take care of her. He felt that
he, must see her and find out what
had happened.
John waited at the stage door and
presently a hack drove up-a shabby
affair drawn by dilapidated horse.
Supported by two stage hands Mary
came out, transformed by large coat
and shabby hat into very differen.
creature from the one who. with red
cheeks and in scarlet satin, had
danced among the roses. With her
was somewhat stouter woman whose
face seemed vaguely familiar. In mo-
ment it came to John where he had
seen her. She was the violin player Of
the team. Her masculine garments had
been disguise, and now when her
short-haired wig was of she showed
gray locks.
Half afraid to approach them, John
at last summoned up his courage.
Mary" he said.
The pale little girl looked at him.
"You." she gasped, why John
Austin!"
LET me go home with you" he
begged. ''I saw you fall and was
worried about you"
She introduced him to her com
panion and explained as they rode
away together, that Maggie Trevor
days Of struggle.
DlQ you ike our STUNT! she
asked John.
His eyes sparkled. ut was fairy
land. have never seen anything like
1t. have never seen anything but
sand and pines"
"Oh," she threw out her arms in
gesture of longing. how should
love to see the sand and pines. l hate
the city, John Austin"
Would you like to go back?" he
asked eagerly.
"How could I go? There is nothing
back there for me. earn my living
by my dancing"