Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1911-06-01
Muriel Weston S
Awakening

{ biS bOA OI makeup WHICH Ddu DtSu
/ placed at her disposal
She took up a thick stick of cos
! metic and its sweet, unguent odor sent
( strange thrill through her; she in
/ hailed a long breath and seemed sud
( denly to be transported into another
world. With a sixth sense she seemed
/ TO feel herself in a mirrored costume
/ strewn dressing room OF a famous
I actress. A call boy was at her door
/ with an exquisite floral tribute. one
/ Of many already In the room.
How are you making out, Miss
| Weston"
! Muriel came quickly back to herself.
| II was the voice OF Eric Mason who
| had come out from Broadway triumphs
/ to help with the village benefit.
! I'm not making out" she opened
| the rude dressing room door that he
( might enter: I'VE have never used any
( thing but burnt cork and rouge and
! haven't the slightest idea where to put
all these things" She pointed woe
! fully 10 the big assortment.
III you will allow me"
oh, will you really be so kind as to
make up my face?" she asked eagerly.
Il do so want to look pretty-just
scores of my friends are going TO be
here tonight"
Pretty! Miss Weston, you are
most beautiful little creature as you
are"
Perhaps Eric Mason never acted bet
/ ter than he did that evening in the
country opera house when he por-
trayed the lover of Muriel Weston.
Had the girl gone through her part
Ike an autOmaton her audience would
have liked her none the less. AS 1t
was, she acted 1t with Indifferent tai
ent
II was toward the climax of their
scene that Mason felt himself being
carried along on a current of emo
ton. He knew that when the time
came for him to take the heroine In
HIS arms before the last curtain it
would be no mere acting on his part
He swung her around from the audi
ence and bent over her upturned face
until their lips met. The curtain OF
the little old theater refused its in.
Simultaneous drop and Eric was com
PEELED to hold the picture until he felt
Muriel tremble.
When the audience was at last hid
den Muriel, hot and breathless, broke
from him and ran into the wings, her
anger at so white a heat that II
seemed hours before she would come
before the curtain and acknowledge
the applause.
Muriel went home from the theater
without so much as a glance in his di-
rection and next morning he returned
TO the city knowing that he was leav-
ing behind him all that could ever
make life dear to him. He reasoned,
with his great love for her and felt
that he was doing the right thing in
leaving her among her own people.
A hundred times during the past
three years Mason had been on the
verge or throwing aside now bril-
liant career and seeking. in small vii
lage. the girl whom he had never for
gotten. but some hidden force held
him on the ascending path OF fame.
He was In his dressing room won
derfng n Leah Wood. his leading
woman. had recovered from the faint
ing spell which had almost stopped
the second act. There was only the
third and last act, yet 1t was a big one
and she had seemed scarcely able to
.srf. HnRs ~ IL
curtain rise and supposed Miss Wood
had recovered, She had two good
scenes before his entrance.
He sat up. listening. There was a
thunder OF applause which outshone
any she had ever hoped for. He be-
lieyed that he must look to his Iaurels
or his leading lady would have them
for her own. Or perhaps the audience
had recognized the fact that she was
working under a strain and was APP
pIauding her grit.
II was almost time for Mason's en-
trance and as he descended the wind
ing stairway to the wings, the voice
of hts heroine reached him. IL was
not the voice Of Leah Wood Then il
was that he heard one OF the stage
hands remark:
COLLAPSED in her dressing room and
they had to rush for her understudyl"
His entrance cue followed upon the
girl turning her back and 1t was to
vaguely familiar outline that he ad.
dressed his lines. She turned to face
him and Muriel Weston stood before
him. He did not miss q line, so trained
I'm his part was he. but through the
long, big act he had no conscious
knowledge of what he was doing.
They had no chance TO speak behind
the scenes When one was or the
other was on, but in a subtle way II
was given TO Mason's understanding
that this meeting had been one which
Muriel Weston had worked for with
indefatlgable bravery. That her goal
bad been this place at his side was a
startling fact.
Mutiel remained calm until she
found herself alone with Eric Mason
behind some protecting properties.