The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-08-03
CHAPTER XIX.
Is


iueFc iH Kaleidoscope cllafdcte
about the events Of the ten days d
so preceding the opening performanc,
Of most musical comedies which woult
make d sober chronicle OF them seen
Enthusiastically Incredible. This law OF
nature made no exception IN the case
Of 1.-THE Girl Upstairs" There were
rehearsals which ran so smoothly and
swiftly that they'd have done for per-
formances; there were others so alb
ominably bad that the bare idea OF
presenting the mess resulting from
six weeks toll, before the people who
had paid money to see IL. was night
mare.
or all the persons directly. or even
remotely, affected by this nerve-shat-
tering confusion, Rose was perhaps
the least perturbed. The only thing
TINT really mattered to her was the
successful execution of those twelve
costumes. The phantasmagoria at
North End hall was q regrettahle,
but necessary interruption of her
more important activities.
She wakened automatically at half
pnst seven and wns downtown by
half-past eight, to do whatever shop
ping the work Of the previous day re-
veaied the need OF.
At nine-thlrty--a unhearl-of hour
In the theater--the Waterman Mt IN,
Glahe let her In at tho stage door AMI
Rose had half an hour, before the ar
rival Of the wardrobe mistress an,
her assistant, for looking over tn
work done since she had left for re
hearsal the day before
She liked this quiet cavernous oil,
barn OF place down under the Glob,
stage: liked IL when she had 1t to her
self before the two sewing womeI
came and later. when. with couple
Of sheets spread out on the floor, she
cut and busted according TO her cam
brio patterns. keeping ahead of the
flying needles of the other two. After
her own little room. the mere spa.
ciousness of II seemed almost noble.
In keeping with the good luck which
had attended everything that hap
peued In connection with this first
venture OF hers, she was able to tell
Galbraith that both sets of cos
tunes We're finished and ready to try
on on the very day he announced that
the next rehearsal would be held ut
ten tomorrow at the Globe.
She persuaded the girls to wait I'M
IN all six were dressed In the after
noon frocks and until she herself had
had o chance 10 give each Of them a
dual inspection aud to make a few
Ia 81 attsa
they all trooped out on the stage and
stood In row, turned about, walked
here and there. In obedience TO Gal
braith's instructions shouted from the
back of the theater.
1t was dark out there and dlscon-
certingly silent The glow of two
cigars Indicated the presence of Gold
smith and Block In the middle of a lit
tie knot Of other spectators.
The only response Rose gothic
only index to the effect her labors
had produced was the tone of Gal
braith's voice. "Al right" he shouted.
Go and put on the others"
There was another silence after
they had filed out on the stage again,
tttA1 NhAN AtAAt III NAAG NAN@4tHE EnMtAn-
hollow. heart-eonstrieting silence,
almost literally slckening. But IL last
ed only moment. Then:
win you come down here, Miss
Danef' called Galbraith.
There WAS a slight, momentary, but
perfectly palpable shock accompany
ing these words--a shock felt by CIV.
erybody within the sound Of his voice
Because the director had not said
Anane, come down lere;' ne had said
"Win you come down here, Miss
Dance" And the thing amounted. Sc
rigid is the etiquette Of musical com.
edy, to an aceolade. The people on
the stage and in the wings didnt
know what she had done, nor in what
character she was about to appear
but they did know she was, from now
on, something besides a chorus girl.
Rose obediently crossed the runwa,
and walked up the aisle to where Gal
braith stood, with Goldsmith ant
Block, waiting for her. She was feel
ing little numb and empty.
Galbraith, as she came, held out .
hand to her. 81 congratulate Won
Miss Dane" he said. They're admir-
able. With all the rooney in the world