The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-10-12

eyes were fixed upon certain
shadowy corner Of the wings. Over
wrought as she had seemed, with the
emotional excitement of her long
speech, there was now a new and curl
GUS expression upon her face. She was
looking at tall, hesitating figure that
stood just off the stage. She forgot the
hung upon her words. Her feet no
longer trod the dusty boards of the
theater. She was almost painfully
conscious of the perfume of apple bios
som.
"Youi" she exclaimed, stretching out
her hands. "Why do you not come and
speak to me? / am here!"
John came out upon the stage. The
! French dramatist, with his hands be-
hind his back, made swift mental notes
of an interesting situation. He saw
the coming of a man who stood like a
giant among them, sunburnt, buoyant
with health, his eyes bright with the
wonder of his unexpected surround
ings; man in whose presence every
one else seemed to represent an effete
and pallid type of humanity.
Those first few sentences, spoken in
the midst of q curious little crowd of
strangers, seemed to John, when he
thought of his long waiting, almost pit
eousIy inadequate. Louise, recogniz-
ing the difficulty of the situation, swift
ly recovered her cOmposure. She was
both tactful and gracious.
"Mr. Faraday," she said appealingly,
"Mr. Strangewey comes from the coun-
try-he is, in fact, the most complete
countryman I have ever met in my
life. He comes from Cumberland, and
he once-well, very nearly saved my
life. He knows nothing about the
aters, and he hasn't the least idea of
the Importance of a rehearsal. You
won't mind if we put him somewhere
out of the way till we have finished,
will you?"
"After such an Introduction" Fara-
day said in tone of resignation, "N1r.
Strangewey would be welcome at any
time"
"There's a dear man,! Louise ex-
claimed. "Let me introduce him quick
ly. Mr.. John Strangewey-Mr Miles
,Faraday, M. Graillot, Miss Sophy Ge-
rard, my particular little friend. The
prince of Seyre you already know, al
though you may not recognize him try
ing to balance himself on that absurd
STOOL"
John bowed in various directions,
and Faraday, taking him good-natured
ly by the arm, led him to garden seat
at the back of the stage.
"ThereI" he said. "You are one Of
the most privileged persons in London.
You shall hear the finish of our re-
hearsal. There isn't a press man in
London I'd have near the place."
Twenty-four hours away from his
silent hills, John looked out with puz-
zled eyes from his dusty seat among |
ropes and pulleys and leaning frag |
ments of scenery. What he saw and |
heard seemed to him, for the most |
part, a meaningless tangle of gestures |
and phrases. The men and women in
fashionable clothes, moving about be-
fore that gloomy space of empty audi
forum, looked more like marionettes |
than creatures of flesh and blood,
drawn this way and that at the bidding
of the stout, masterful Frenchman,
who was continually muttering excla-
nations and banging the manuscript |
upon his hand. It seemed like a dream
picture, with unreal men and women
moving about aimlessly, saying strange
words.
Then there came a moment which
brought a Jingle into his blood, which
plunged his senses into hot confusion.
He rose to his feet. 1t was a play
which they were rehearsing, of course
It was a damnable thing to see Louise
-aken into that cold and obviously
Unreal embrace, but it was only play.
It was part of her work.
John resumed his seat and folded
IN imaginary curtain, and the rehear-
al was over. They were all crowded Z
ogether, talking, in the center of the
tage. The prince, who had stepped
cross the footlights, made his way to
where John was sitting.
$50 you have deserted Cumberland
or timer" he courteously inquired.
81 came up last night" John replied
sLondon, at this season of the year."
he prince observed, sis scarcely at its a
est"
John smiled.
81 am afraid" he said, "that I am Il
OF critical. 1t is eight years since / s
ras here last. have not been out of {
during the whole of that a
me-"
The prince, after a moments incred- a
lous stare, laughed softly to him. c
elf. t
"You are a very wonderful person, Il
[r. Strangewey," he declared. II have Il
card of your good fortune. IT 1 can "
e Of any service to you during your a
.ay in town." he added politely, Y
please command me-" u
"You are very kind" John replied
II
Torisa broke away from the LITTLE b.