Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-02-23
Muriel Weston S
Awakening

On the night of the amateur per-
formance In the village opera house
Muriel Weston looked helplessly at the
big box Of makeup which had been
placed at her disposal
She took up q 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 sixth sense she seemed
to feel herself in a mirrored, costume
strewn dressing room of a famous
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
1t 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 to the big assortment.
IF 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"
f,yf -
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
like an automaton her audience would
have liked her none the less AS it
was, she acted 1t with indifferent tai
ent.
1t was toward the climax of their
scene that Mason felt himself being
carried along on current of emo
ton He knew that when the time
came for him to take the heroine in
his arms before the last curtain 1t
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 it's in
stantaneous 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 1t
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
hundred times during the past
three years Mason had been on the
verge of throwing aside a now bril-
liant career and seeking, In a 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
dering If 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
drag through her part. He heard the
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-
lieved that he must look to his laurels
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 ap-
plauding 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 his heroine reached him Ii was
not the voice Of Leah Wood. Then II
was that he heard one OF the stage
hands remark:
Collapsed in her dressing room and
they had to rush for her uudorstudy!"
His entrance cue followed upon the
girl turning her back and 1t was to a
vaguely familiar outline that he ad.
dressed his lines She turned 10 face
him and Muriel Weston stood before
him. He did not miss line, so trained
in his part was he. but through the
long. big act he had no conscious
knowledge of what he was doing.
They had no chance 20 speak behind
the scenes. When one was of the
other was on. but In a subtle way Il
was given to Mason's understanding
that this meeting had been one which !
Muriel Weston had worked for with
indefatlgahle bravery, That her goal
had been this place Mt HIS side was a
startling fact