Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-09
CHAPTER XIV.
The Japanese Play.

at high pressure. New YORK was d
it's gayest, and the little affair Al
Comscot was apparently soon forgot
ten by every one except few Of the
principals who were closely concern
ed in it.
The raid on Ting's place had re-
vealed nothing; the European clothes
that unassuming dealer presumably
had worn at the station and later
could not be found. Caglioni, who
could have brought evidence against
the Oriental, had vanished, no one
knew where, leaving a very unsatis'
factory message behind him for Sil
Archibald's puzzled scrutiny.
That last gentleman and Mr.. Boil
ger found themselves at an absolute
standstill. Since the afternoon in Sill
Archibald's rooms at the Waldorf
Mr.. Goldberg had developed bad case
of what the Englishman, in poker
parlance designated, "frigid eXtrem-
ities;" he seemed reconciled, nay
rather anxious, to let the matter drop
Sir Archibald, secretly enraged, fold
ed his arms, concealed his disgust, and
looked around for a new secretary
He found one, a nice little man, with
innocuous face, and no past.
With the opening of the season, the
usual number of charitable occasions
were, of course, in evidence, and OF
these, none was looked forward tc
with more interest than the oriental
evening planned to take place at the
spacious town house of Mr.. Gordon
Wood, especially as it was known
that Mr.. Chatfield Bruce had consent
ed to appear in a little Japanese play
That young mans histrionic ability
was conceded to be of high order;
people said he would have made 8
character actor of much distinction
had he adopted the stage as a profes-
sion, so great was his charm of man.
ner and personal repose. He was al
least the star of all the amateurs the
city could boast of.
The night of the entertainment Mr.
Woods house presented a scene oi
animation. The large concert room Of
the mansion had been transformed in
to a fair imitation of a Japanese thea
ter; the characters in the play made
their entrances and exits in far-east-
ern style along the flower walk lead
ing to the stage.
The audience assembled, for the
most part, in the little squares divid-
ed off for them in the orchestra; al
the back of the room were half dozer
improvised boxes. AS a concession tc
civilized occidental muscles that re-
fuse to adapt themselves to the post
ure of Buddha, low chairs had beer
placed in the squares. The effect was
rather incongruous, but no one criti'
cized; comfort had to be considered
There were few effective flower "ar.
rangements;" not many.
These Chatfield Bruce, now waiting
for his cue in the mems greenroom
tentatively, in the least critically, re-
garded as he peered through an open
ing out into the theater. On the stage
a trio of genuine acrobats, paid per-
formers from the land of the chrysan'
themums, were entertaining the audi
ence with juggling; between hangings
of antique priest-robes, could be seer
the people assembled in the cause o.
charity. They accepted diminutivt
tea-cups of hot saki or tea; few
of the men endeavored to make use
of the tiny Japanese pipes, with more
or less success and good-natureC
comment.
All seemed to enjoy the novelty o
the entertainment; Bruce listened t.
the sounds of merriment. He wa!
alone in the greenroom. Those of tn,
men who later had parts" to fill nov
mingled with the people, as did th'
Japanese princesses and geisha girls
who afterward were to appear in th'
play. These last, laughing and gay
moved about among the guests, ac
cording to the fashion on such occa
sions: among them the young maj
saw Miss Marjorie Wood
With eyes very brilliant under TIT
black lashes, and cheeks deeply tinted
she paused here, to chat; there, t
join in the laughter. She appeared
the young hostess, par excellence
gracious and beautiful in her clingint
oriental robe of some silken, lustrou'
material violet and blue in tone.
Rruce's gaze followed her. He no.
ted with what pride she held her head
the exquisite distinction that charac
terized her every movement. Th'
watchers lids lowered very slightly
as an artists may, when suddcnl!
confronted by something ineXpressi
bly, lovely in nature. A bit that ap
peals to all that is poetic, dreamy il
him, that he looks at as through sill
very, hazy medium! Because, per
haps it is set so far away from him
vision.
Bruce turned. But the violet AM
blue tints of May time continued t
play in his fancy; to dispel them, h
reached for his part" from a dival
and started to study it.
we'll! The mocking thought insnuatet
itself in his brain. So well, it had no
been necessary for him to attend re
hearsals; never mind about him, h
had written the ladies of the commit
tee: let them just arrange all the res
of the business" the other details q
the playlet, and he promised to fit in
without the slightest friction. AS hi
role constituted practically the entir
one-act little piece, they could no
very we'll demur; especially as he ha'
informed them that otherwise n
would find it absolutely impossible t
proceed with his part in the perform
ance at all.
So the chorus was drilled and tn
supcrnumeraries. and Mr.. Bruce. ito,
busy, no doubt, to attend rehearsals.
i'm the general verdict of all the ladies
save Miss Wood, was suffered to hav
his wav The vOung girl appealed L