Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1912-02-22
Copyright, 1910, by The Bobbs- Merrill Coz
CHAPTER WI.
At the Stage Entrance.

was not occupied until after the first
act and then the son of his friend
came in alone and sat far back out OF
sight of any eyes but the keenest,
and those eyes were Ruggles'. Lefty
Lane, delicious, fantastic, languishing,
sana to Dan; that was evident to Rug
giles. He was a large man and filled
his stall comfortably. He sat through
the performance peacefully, his hands
in his pockets, his big face thought
full, his shirt front ruffled. To look at
him, one must have wondered why he
haG come to "Mandalay." He scarce
ly lost any of the threads of his own
reflections, though when Miss Lane in
response to a call from the house,
sang her cradle song three times, he
seemed moved. The tones of her pure
voice, the cradling in her arms of an
imaginary child, her apparent dove
like purity, her grace and sweetness,
and her cooling, gentle tone, to judge
by the softening Of the Westerner's
face, touched very much the big fell
low who listened like a child. At the
across his eyes, but the tears, or
rather moisture, that rose there was
not all due to Miss Lanes song, for
Ruggles was extremely warm.
He could see that in his box the
boy sat transfXed and absorbed. Dan
went out in the second entr'acte and
was absent when the curtain went
down. Ruggles, as well, left before
the performance was over, to make
his way outside the theater to the
stage exit, where there was already
gathered a little group, looked after
by a couple of policemen. Close to
the curb a cleaning motor waited, the
foOtman at its door. Ruggles but
toned his coat up to his chin and took
his place close to the door, over which
the electric light showed the words
Stage Entrance" A poor woman ell
bowed him, her shabby hat adorned
by scraggly plume, gray shawl
wrapped round her shoulders. A girl
or two, who might have been flower
sellers in Piccadilly in the daytime,
couple Of tOughs, a handful of other
Migrants smelling of gin, a decent
man in working Clothes a child in his
arms, formed the human hedge Lefty
Lane was to pass betWeen-a singular
group of people to spend an hour
hanging about the streets at the exit
OF theater we'll toward midnight. So
the naive Ruggles thought, and better
understood the appearance of the
young fellows in evening clothes who
lowered on the extreme edge of the
little crowd. Dan, however, was not
of these.
Look sharp, Cissy," the working
man spoke to his child, holding her
we'll up. when she comes hout she'll
pass close to yer, and you sing bout,
God bless yer
Yes, Dad, will" shrilled the child.
The woman in the gray shawl drew
it close about her. Jaw she's a true
Idly, all right, amt she? l expect
you've had some kindness off her as
well?"
The man nodded over the childs
shoulder. used to be a scene shifter,
and Miss Lane found out about my lit
tie girl last year-n0t this lass, not
Cissy, Cissy's siSter-and she sent 'er
to a place where it costs the eyes out
of yer head. She's gettin' well fast,
and we, none of us, las seen her or
spoken tc Miss Lane. She doesn't
know our names"
And the woman answered: "She
does a lot like that. She's got heart
bigger'n her little body"
And a big, boy in the front row said
back to the others: We'll, she makes
mint of money"
And the woman who had spoken be-
)re said: "She gives it nearly all
the poor"
}uggles was evidently on the poor
of the waiting crowd; the hand
f riffraff around him with its
1 of dirt and gin. A better look
t collected opposite and there
CLEAN of white shirt fronts.
there she comes" the father
frst. "Sing out, Cissy."
opened and a figure quick
I'M it, like a white rose
the foggy darkness. 1t
q few steps to the
'ouble row of spec
ak entirely COW
head was hid
and she almost
her motor, be-
bless you'll
Lane"-"God