Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-03-30

shrift. He rose with the others, how
ever. and a few moments later the
company was struggling in a process.
sion to the theater.
But. after all. it was not a theater,
and even courtesy gave it no more
high sounding name than "hall." 1t
stood at the end Of Main street, it's
brick front wall plastered with Won
derful colored posters representing the
most sensational scenes in 1.-The human
flowers repertory. 10 reach the stage
1t was necessary to mount a long,
mud caked staircase and to pass
through the auditorium. AS for dress
ing rooms, they did not exist. for it
had been a second thought Of some
light minded town council to turn the
a into a place where theatrical rep
reservations might lawfully be pro-
duced, but q space on either side of
the stage had been curtained off with
sheets, shawls and squares Of canvas.
ingeniously coaxed to hold together.
These screens reached unevenly from
twenty-four to twelve inches of the
floor. and at worst an actor in dress
ing himself could be seen no higher
than the knees unless. perhaps, a too
bright light behind the partition might
reveal his whole person en- silhouette.
Loveland was anxious to talk with
the star about her old friend-if not
love-Bill Willing, and he had hoped
on starting to walk by her side. But
Miss Moon. seeing his desire, had in
stantly frustrated it by calling him and
beginning to talk of the part he was
about to %rehearse. AS old Dave Dread
nought he was supposed to curse her
with menaces, and he felt that it
would not be difficult to do so realis-
t1cally ven in the character Of Love-
land, but he contrived to listen po-
litely. if coldly, to the story of her first
marriage at the early age Of fifteen.
"I'm 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 comment than an absentmind-
ed us it possible?"
On the stage he received the short
manuscript part of Dave Dreadnought
and was allowed to glance it over
while the scene of his dying curse"
was being set. He vas too %ineXperi-
enced to remember what in gay, anna
teur days he had learned of stage di-
rnatinnS on1 Ionnh1- yvoc irclipnl to
be sarcastic at his expense, but both
Miss Moon and Miss de Lisle, as we'll
as Ed Binney, befriended him. He
was called upon also to rehearse the
ball scene, where he walked on'~ as
a young man Of fashion and had the
privilege of dancing with Miss Moon
before d%windling. in the last act, to a
mere dead hand. All the business"
had to be repeated again and again
until at last he was confident and the
stage manager almost hopeful.
At 6 o'clock Il meal, which called it
self supper. was ready, and, having
bolted a 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 not rise until half
past T.. But this was Saturday night,
and the town was eager for it's enter
tainment. At least a score Of persons
were seated in the dismal auditorium,
m%unching apples and candy and crack
ing peanuts. when 1.-The human flower"
and her company filed in.
A few little boys on the cheap
benches at the back whistled, clapped
their hands, stamped on the floor and
made "catcalls" as a greeting to the
players. But those saluted took nc no.
tice and scurried by like hunted
things. Miss St. Clare fastened to her
seat at the piano, near which an elder
ly quadroon had already begun to tune
a fiddle, and melancholy Mr.. Winter
remained at the door to help the ticket
seller until it should be time for him
to make up" as the heroine's million
aire parent.
The gentlemen Of the company
cleveland had already learned that