The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-11-20

e'udpO We mdO0 0er TOO Te0Il0-
, tic."
"Perhaps you have. Did you model
her from a country girl?"
Yes. | came into the country espe-
cially to find her"
Il know country people. They have
nothing in common with city people.
DO you suppose they can feed hogs
and milk COWS and be neat and clean?
Not much. You must either dress up
your dairymaid and put gloves On her
hands or leave her out. don't propose
to marry a girl who hasn't anything
better to wear than a calico dress"
"Billy's right" said the manager
You can't put that girl on the stage
as she is You must either make her
up as the audience iMagines her or
make a lady Of her in the third act
Either way will do"
Haven't characters in IA play any
will as to what they will do?" asked
Susan demurely. Does the playwright
control us entirely|
Judging from this rehearsal" re-
piled Jernegan, the characters run the
playwright. I've been working for
three months on this play. When /
got my scenario completed ! thought
/ had an easy Job in putting in the
dialogue. And l had. But now it's
all finished | find that the motif is
wrong. | undertook to make the hero
inc happy after all her marital trou
bles. and, behold. she calls the fellow
| intended to solace her a prig! I've
got a real country girl on the stage,
and I've got to take her out and put
in a a figure. And now. after hav
ing supposed my work finished. my
characters are clamoring to have their
own way as to what they shall do"
This is all wrong" said the man
ager. You people go on with the re
hearsal and stop your grumbling Re
member that you're to please the pub
lie, not yourselves. Proceed"
The rehearsal commenced. but it was
evident from the first that the chara"
tiers didn't jibe. The heroine was con
scious of the fact that she was as
much at fault in the matter of her mar.
ital troubles as her husband. She III
derstOod him and could have got on
with him very well had it not been for
the interference Of the author between
her and him And. as for the hero. he
was a mans man and not Il wOman'S
man at all Her feelings being for her
husband and not for his rival. she
made Il botch of it.
AS for Susan. the dairymaid. not.
outstanding her calico dress and COW
hide shoes, there was something about
her that was pleasing. Before the re
hearSal was half finished the few
words she spoke eel straight to the
hearts of those who heard them.
Il didn't realize what | was doing
said the playwright. when | drew her
| thought | was putting all the merit
into the heroine"
Billy Muzzle turned out to be excel
len and was the life of the play. At
first he made Il pretense of his devotion
to Susan. laughing at her in his sleeve,
but she bore this SO patiently and
showed so deep a love for him that She
won him in Il scene in the third act.
But nothing could save ii play where
in the principal characters were antag
! OniStic to their lines .Jernegan was
convinced that his hero was what the
heroine had called him-a prig The
heroine vas well enough. but she was
trying to act contrary to her nature
As to the husband. who was intended
to take the place of the villain. Jernr
gan wondered how he could have In
tended t. make the man contemplate
He was winning his wife in spite OF
the authors attempt to make him re
pet her When the rehearsal came to
the climax III the third act she took
the bit in her teeth n defied the au
thor by throwing herself into her nus
bands arms and asking his forgive
ness.
.Jernegan at this point came back to
his real surroundings. Susan was the
only character left. and she was in
the flesh.
Where Am |? What's the matter!'
Il think you must have tainted. sir"
How long have l been here"
Only q few minutes. saw you
fall | was in that yard over there
feeding the chickens. Let me help you
to walk there. ri give you a glass of
milk"
Jernegan arose with her assistance
and staggered 10 the house. The milk
she gave him seemed like lifebloOd
poured into him
We'll have dinner soon" said the
girl. who noticed that Jernegan was
famished. and | think you'll be bet
ter for eating something. We're 60
ing to have fried chicken"
.Jernegnn's mouth watered. The din
ner hour was IL O'Clock. but the girl.
noticing J%ernegan's hungry look. bur.
ried it's cooking and got it ready half
an hour earlier When Jernegan had
partaken OF Il good meal he was a
changed man. He pretended that he
was weaker than he was that be might
stay awhile with Susan. as he persist
ed in calling her. though her name was
Eunice.