The Raymer enterprise., 1920-12-23
@1eMAN IN FRQNT
I-so %.
Slhs A1niqer BarclaA =

husband. decreed The part lifted
lSa0s0j her like glove. And the Big Man
made her murder Il
onee be had taught her. In her ignorance she
had married him 20 that be might teach her. Now
ene had tot beyond his teaching and he did not
know It In his vanity he thought he had "made"
ner. He lived fattened on that, thrivsd on the
reflected glory Of her art, and shoul-like on the
woman herself,
There was no escape for her from his exactions
o. this piece. The author was abroad. In III.
osaith % he could not be present at rehearsals.
aoreover. because this was his nrst play. the Big
nan took liberties with It a. might q theatrical
celebrity
This one rehearsed his wife with the sssidu.
ny OF an animal trainer. bullying her before the
whole company until they Uttered and then grew
shent with sympathy.
The Big Man came into the room noisily, He
was always caiied the Big Man. The name fitted
nim. He was big in physique and In self.sufa.
eiency. His face still showed signs Of exaspea.
tjon.
Rotten Simply rotten !" he threw at her. str,d.
ns up and down. Five years Of drilling things
INTO you, and you're as dense az when ! married
you 1ou queer the business you aur your lines
1oo-you haven't an ounce Of the real stun In you
Don't look at me with that martyred expression
New Years Eve. Now. look here, wen 70 through
that business in Act II agnn. right here, now, until
you get rght-my way-see7 What's the cuei
can't ask you to sacrifice yourself =, (He
takes her In his arms) Come onr"
Inc big Mans temper was smarting under
recent newspaper criticism In which II was sug
sested 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 onl" he repeated
"No"
He stared at her. She had never disobeyed him
before. 1t nearly staggered him.
I'm too tired tonight. Besides, l don't apree
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 was written for you nextl"
It had beel. 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. II you're
tired what about mel"
Rather than argue. she gave In. 1t wasn't
worth it-argulng with man who could only rea.
con like woman. The worst Of It was, she could
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 boI-ofice 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 sufferings Not
by morphla, or drink, but by letters score Of
them, written by her, sealed but not addressed
lay In locked drawer Of her escritoire She did
not even know the man 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 l0ve-letters she had ever written to a man.
She took up her pen now. striving for calmness
while writing to her Unknown:
"Oh, my dear. am so terribly sad, and I nm
20 lonely that feel like little child crying In
the dark II can't go on. I can't bear II
much longer. Sometimes In my agony I have told
myself to do ns 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 your VIII you ever become real my
ideal, Shall never know what love Isl For now
my heart Is virgin.
nm a wife. And have never known what II Is
to love, except intanglbly, as love you. That is
my punishment for having married without re.
hection Beloved, was such child and thought
nothing mattered except my art.
Sometimes when first began to write to you,
Unknown, I used to ask myself what would hap.
pen should ever meet you? l know, as know
still, that l should recognize you, and at once
used to think Of myself as ever bent to the Big
Mans will But know now 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 II you
needed me. And am a religious woman.
"All this life l am living Is wrong. unnatural
Surely II can't 60 on am twenty.six-oh, dear.
est. only twenty-sx and there Is nothing left to
me but work. /. And In work cannot forget
because II Is emotional.
Il 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 ace
you know you, X only once i. face In the
crowd"
She was strung up and she covered pages, CIV.
lns her emotions full play. TO a woman Of acute
uenshNlity there ID something very convincing In
the iLea Of O soulmate. II was that Leading
woman's consolation and her beacon Of hope.
During the following weeks while the new play