Evening star., 1911-08-12

of the part he was about to rehearse. AS
old Dave Dreadnought he was supposed
that it would not be difficult to do so
realistically. even in the character OF
Loveland: but he contrived to listen po-
litely. if coldly. to the story OF her first
not quite sixteen years older than my
eldest son, who is over twenty now" she
said, and did not look pleased when the
juvenile lead found no more tactful COM
ment than an absent-ninded rs tt pos
siblec"
On the stage he received the short MS
part of Dave Dreadnought, which Mr..
Jacobus had not after all been able to
unearth before. and was allowed to glance
it over while the scene OF his dying
curse" was being set. He was too mex
perienced to remember what in gay, anna
teur days he had learned Of stage direc-
tions, and Jacobus was inclined to be sar-
castle at his expense; but both Miss Moop
and Miss de Lisle. as well as Ed Binney.
befriended him. whispering hurriedly what
down center up left" take the
stage or wait on the prompt side"
meant; and thanks to their good nature
he got on reasonably well. He was called
upon. also. to rehearse the ball scene.
of fashion, and had the privilege of dane
ing with Miss Moon before dwindling, in
the last act. to mere dead hand. All
the business" had to be repeated again
ara again, until at last lie was COllIlOeHI
and the stage manager almost hopeful.
It was o'clock by the time Jacobus
snapped. irritably: you'll have to do.
anyhow. but as afternoon tea was not
custom in the Human Flower company.
they missed little by absence from the
hotel. Still. Loveland had found no chance
for private word with Lille, who re-
maired ignorant OF his acquaintance with
Bill Willing.
At 6 o'clock a meal. which called itself
1A I,o Al q
cold edition OF dinner, eked out with
timed peaches and cups Of tea, actors
and actresses marched forth in a body
to begin the evenings work.
The curtain did rot rise until half past
seven. but this was Saturday night and
| the town was eager for it's entertainment.
The young girls and their escorts liked
nothing better than to see the "show men
and women walk past them UP the hall.
on the way to that thrilling region known
score of persons were seated in the dis
NAL auditorium, munching apples or
candy and cracking pearuts, when the
Human Flower and her company filed In.
A few little boys on the cheap benches
at the back whistled, clappei their hands.
stamped on the floor and made cat calls
as a greeting to the players. but those
saluted took no notice and scurried by
like hunted things. Miss ST. Claire has
tened to her seat al the piano, near which
Ill eIuci ~ 4ucuIcOH iidu eduS Oc6 ui
to tune a fiddle. and melancholy Mr.. Win
ter remained at the door to help the
ticket seller until it should be time for
him to make up" as the heroines mil
lionaire parent.
The gentlemen of the company Love-
land had already learned that they never
spoke Of each other as mere ''men",
dressed behind one partition, the ladies
behind another, ard the crowding could
scarcely have been worse in the black
hole of Calcutta. Nevertheless. every one
was more or less good natured. Co.'S
tunes Of sort and odds and ends of
grease paints were offered to Love.and,
who. to his own surprise, was shakin
and perspiring oddly with stage fright.
What rot! he roughly scolded himself.
''As if an audience in tenth-rate coun-
try village mattered, What do | care
whether or not know my part or what
they think of me?'
But the queer fact remained that he did
care and his heart thumped faster than
it had thumped when he was reused one
dark night to fight his first battle. AS
he saw what personable-lOoking men his
companions became after manipulating a
few bits of grease paint, putting on wigs
and carefully kept stage costumes. he be-
gan in spite of himself to take this queer
theatrical engagement Of his more seri-
ously. He wanted to act well: he wanted
to please Lille de Lisle and to satisfy Ed
Kinney, who was wishing him luck: he
wanted to make a good impression on the
pretty bright-eyed country girls who had
stared at him with interest as he passed
through the auditorium.
CTo be continued tomorrow