Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-12-24


mad married him so that he might teach her. Now
she had got beyond his teaching, and he did not
know 1t. In his vanity he thought he had "nade"
ner. he lived, fattened on that thrived on the
reflected glory Of her art, and ghoul-like on the
woman herself
There was no escape for her from his exactions
OF this piece. The author was abroad In ILL.,
health SO he could not be present at rehearsals
Moreover, because this was his first play the Big
Man took liberties with 1t as might theatrical
celebrity
This one rehearsed his wife with the assldu-
lty OF an animal trainer, bullying her before the
whole company until they Uttered and then grew
silent with sympathy.
The Big Man came into the room noIsily He
was always called the Big Man. The name fitted
MIN. He was big in physique and In selfsufa-
cheney. His face still showed signs of exaspera-
tion.
Rotten Simply rotten /" he threw at her. strid-
Ing up and down. "Five years Of drilling things
into you, and you're as dense as when / married
you. You queer the business, you slur your lines
fou-you haven't an ounce Of the real stun in YOU
Don't look at me with that martyred expression
ia get rid of you If we didn't have TO open on
New Years Eve. Now, look here wen 90 through
that business in Act IL again, right here now until
you get 1t right-my way-see2 What's the cue?
can't ask you to sacrifice yourself :. CIe
taxes her In his arms). Come on
me Big Mans temper was smartlng under
recent newspaper criticism In which Ii was suC-
gested that in his next production he should give
premier place to his wife. He specially resented
the advice, because the writer limited that the
Big Man, dramatically speaking, did not count
Come on" he repeated
mo"
He stared at her She had never dlsobeyed him
l.before. 1t nearly staggered him.
I'm too tired tonight. Besides don't ngree
that the scene should be played your way That
was not the authors intention"
| He took her by the wrist. "By CAD you'll be
saying the play written for You nextl'
1t had been. The author had seen her on the
| stage once. He had purposely written his play
round her, because her personality had impressed
HIM The Leading Woman did not know this
Neither did the Big Man.
you've got to do what tell you If you're
tired, what about me?
| Rather than argue, she gave In 1t wasn't
worth it-arguing with a man who could only rea-
son like woman. The worst Of 1t was. she could
see through him now. She knew he was Jealous
She knew he took a perverse pleasure In trying
to queer her business" She was perfectly well
aware that could he have dispensed with her. he
would have done so only box-of1ee receipts had
been so good since he had starred her. After he had
| gone, the Leading Woman turned the key in The
lock- There was always one way by which she
could secure oblivion of her mental sufferngs Not
by morphia, or drink, but by letters A score OF
them, written by her. sealed but not addressed,
lay in a. locked drawer Of her escritoire She did
not even know the who, in Them she in
voked. Her eyes had never seen him. To write
thus was one of those queer feminine Impulses
that women who suffer give way to In order to
save their hearts from breaking. They were the
only loveletters she had ever written TO a man.
She took up her pen now striving for calmRess
while writing to her Unknown:
"0h my dear, terribly sad. and l EN-
so lonely that feel like a little child crying In
the dark It can't go can't bear It
much longer. Sometimes in my agony have told
myself to do other women do, to be worldly
venal TO laugh and console myself with the first
likely man who comes my way. Pride stops me-
and my deep regard for you Unknown. Shall
ever see you? VIII You ever become real, my
ideal? Shall never know what love Isl For now
my heart Is virgin.
think of 1t, Half-of-My-S wherever you are
| I am wife. And have never known what II is
to love. except ntangibly. as / love you. That Is
my punishment for having married without re-
Election. Beloved, / was such a child. and thought
nothing mattered except my art.
Sometimes, when first began to write to YOU
Unknown, l used to ask myself what would hap
pen should ever meet your / know, as know
stn that I should recognize you, and at once
/ used to think Of myself ever bent to the Big
Mans WILL But | know that this would not
be right He has so long forfeited my loyalty All
that Is best in me belongs to you. whoever and
wherever you are. could not keep away If you
needed me. And am religious woman
"AIl this life sm living is wrong unnatural.
Surely 1t can't go On. am twenty-six-oh dear
est, only twenty-sIx and there 10 nothing left 20
me but work -. And IN work I cannot forget
because it is emotional. :.
7 am going to write little prayer here. have
prayed II waking and in my dreams. ] send II
now on the wings OF my spirit, this petition Of
my SOUL that somewhere and sometime may see
you. know you. II only once . face IN the
crowd"
She was strung up and she covered pages, CIV
| Ing her emotions full play. TO woman Of acute
sensibility there Is something very convincing In
the idea AZ a soulmate. Il was that Leading
Foman's consolation and her beacon OF hope.
During the following weeks while the new play