Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-10-20

WASH q girl IN Tue CHORUS as pIcty
as this prima donna! Lefty Lane
came on in 'Mandalay" in the first act
in the dress Of fashionable princess.
She was modish and worldly. For the
only time in the play she was modern
and conventional, and whatever breed
ing she might have been able to claim.
from whatever class she was born, az
she stood there in her beautiful gown
she was grace itself, and charm. She
was distinctly a star, and showed her
appreciation of her audiences admira-
ton.
At the end of the tenor solo
Princess 0ltary runs into the pavilion
and there changes her dress and ap
pears once more to dance before the
rajah and to prove herself the dancer
ne has known and loved In a cafe In
Paris. Lefty Lanes dress in his dance
was the classic ballet dancers, white
as the leaves Of a lily. She seemed to
swim and float; actually to be breathed
and exhaled from out her film gown;
and the only ray OF color in her cos
tune was her own golden hair, sur.
mounted by small coral-colored cap,
embroidered in pearls. The actress
bowed to the right and left, ran to the
right, ran to left; glanced toward the
Duchess of BreakWater's box; &C
knowledged the burst of applause; be-
gan to dance and finished her pas seul,
and with folded hands sang her song.
Her beautiful voice came out clear
as crystal water from a crystal rock,
and her words were Graded like
doves, like boats on the boundles
seas.
From midas coral strand. :"
But there was no hymn tune to this
song OF Lefty Lanes in "Mandalay!"
To the boy in the box, however. the
words, the tune, the droning of the
files on the window pane, the strong
odor Of the hymn books and panama
fans, came back, and the clear SUM-
light of Montana seemed to steal into
the Gaiety as Lefty Lane sang.
The Duchess Of Breakwater clapped
with frank enthusiasm, and said:
She is a perfect wonder, isn't sheN
Oh, she is too bewitching!"
And she turned for sympathy to her
friend, who stood behind her, his face
lllumined. He was amazed; his blue
eyes ablaze, his head bent forward
ne was staring, staring at the GaietH
curtain, gone down on the first act.
He laughed softly, and the duchesd
heard him say:
Good. Well, l should say she
was! She's girl from our town."
When the duchess tried to share her
enthusiasm with Dan he had disapI
peared. He left the box and with nd
difficulty made his way as far as thd
first wing.
Can you get me an entrance?" hd
asked man he had met once at Os1
dene, and who was evidently ad
habitue.
Il dare say. Rippin' show, isn't It'll
Dan put his hands on ducal shoul1
ders ani followed the nobleman'
through the labyrinth Of flies.
(which of 'em do you want to see,
old man." |
Dan, without replying, went forward
to small cluster Of lights in one of,
the wings. He went forward intuitive-
Iy, and his companion caught his arm:l
'Oh, | say, for Gods sake, don't 90 on
like this"
But without response Dan continued
his direction. A call page stood be
lore lie door, and Dan, on a card over
the entrance read miss Lane" The
smell of calcium and paint and per.
'ume and the auxiliary hung heavy Cd
the air The other man saw Dan
knock, knock again and then go in.
Unannounced Dan Blair opened the
door Of the dressing room of the
actress. Miss Lanes dressing-rooms
we're worth displaying to her intimatsi
friends. They were done with great
taste in coral tint. She might. have
been said TO be In coral cave under
he sea, as far as young Blair wasl
AS he came in he felt, hisl
ears deaden, and the smoke of ciga7
rettes grew so thick that he looked
rs through veil. The dancer wasl
in the center of the room,
inc hand on her hip, and in the other
hand a cigarette. Her short skirt
'tood out around her like a bell, and
'ver the bell fell a rain of pinkish
oral strands. She wore a thin slip,
rom which her neck and arms came
hining out, and her woman knelt at
Ter feet strapping on a little coral
hoe.
Blair shut the door behind him, and
.eean to realize how rude, how imper-
inent his entrance would be consid-
red. But he came boldly forward and
would have introduced himself as
Dan Blair from Blairtown," but Miss
.ane, who stood at the entrance
through the smoke, burst into laugh,
0 bright, so delightful, that he was
arried high up on the coral strands
D the very beach. She crossed her
'hite arms over her breast and leaned
onward as a saleswoman might lean
orward over a counter, and with her
eautifully trained voice, all sweetlyI
IN aclyod b;r,.