The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-04-04

got the woman beside him and with
an unconscious eagerness leaned for
ward in his seat, his eyes strained to
catch the first sight of the diminu-
tive figure, third from the end-second
row.
The pretty conceit of the second act
was the appearance of the "Tiger-Lil-
les" The ballet. few minutes before
gowned in dainty white, now appeared
in flaming crimson, their heads crown
ed with scarlet and yellow caps, fash
ioned in the shape of lily. Then 1t
was that Travis knew the one whom
his eyes sought was indeed Cecile Ray
mond. The gorgeousness of her cos
tune only accentuated the pallor of
her cheeks, the feverish luster of her
large, brown eyes, the dead blackness
of her massed hair.
Cecile knew him. He read that in
the first glance. Despite stage de-
corum her eyes continually wandered
ly, rollicking dance mechanically, keep
ing time and step with the skill of
long habit. But the man, leaning for
ward in his seat, unconscious of the
stately girl at his side, of the multi
tude Of men and women about him.
knew intuitively that Cecile's thoughts
were with him. as his we're with her.
In his reverie fancy took him back
once more on a peaceful river in the
far-away country of his home-Cecile's
home. They were together, hardly
more than boy and girl, in canoe
drifting slowly down the stream. The
month was August. the sun a-glisten
on the swiftly flowing water of mid
channel, but they coasted along the
hanging trees. And there, at the edge
of the bushes, tall tiger-lilies grew,
their crimson coloring resplendent
against the background of green. To-
gether they had picked the lilies-to-
gether that summer afternoon of the
long ago. He wondered idly II the
girl on the stage remembered.
In the instant something happened.
The ballet had swung far to the left,
almost below his box. Suddenly Ce-
Giles white face grew even whittier, she
swayed and fell In little heap The
line of dancers swung around and
passed her, away to the senter of the
stage Too we'll trained were they to
allow even for an instant anything to
break the fiawless mechanism OF their
execution. Somebody from the wings
would drag out the girl who had
fallen; the play must go on.
But before a stage hand could reach
her Travis had climbed the railing OF
the box and leaped upon the stage.
Bending for an instant over the uncon-
scious girl, he quickly raised the slen-
der form and bore her in his arms
away from the glare of lights and the
blatant music to the quiet of dress
ing room-any dressing room, 1t did
not matter to the commanding young
man, whose face so set and stern made
men obey him.
"Cecile, Cecile," he whispered. my
dear little tiger-lily.
And the girl opening her eyes. smil-
ing wistfully, understood that he re-
ferred not to the tawdry splendor OF
her garb, but to the days. so many
weary weeks and months and years
before. when they had drifted together
on the quiet river and gathered the
Gorgeous lilies on it's banks.
Il was SO tired" she murmured.
"And now you've come. Ralph. and IL .
all right"
Starved herself. the poor little
thing" the motherly wardrobe wom-
an explained in a low voice. "She
wouldn't do like many of the girls"
the woman motioned toward the stage
from which waves of applause rolled
as the ballet scampered into the
wings. "She was paid only fifteen
week and had to provide her own
clothes. The chick hasn't had a square
meal In a month. No wonder she
tainted dead away"
1T was all mistake, Just misun-
derstanding." Travis said In low voice
and the woman nodded with compre-
hension. "But 1t will be ell right now.
just as she said" With the tender
ness of a woman the young man lifted
the slight form and carried her to a
couch.
Meanwhile in the theater Edgerton