The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-12-30

as the Big Man, her actOr-manager
~ TN !; husband, decreed The part fitted
49, her like glove. And the Big Man
made her murder it
Once, he had taught her. In her ignorance she
had married him so that he might teach her Now
she had got beyond his teaching and he did nor
know it. In his vanity he thought he had ..1nade,
her. He lived, fattened that thrived on the
renected glory of her art, and ghouIlike on the
woman herself
There was no escape for her from his exactions
OF this piece. The author was abroad in ill
heaIth, so he could be present at rehearsals
borrower because this was his first play the Big
man took liberties with it as might a theatrical
celebrity.
Ihis one rehearsed his wife with the assdu-
lty OF an animal trainer. bullying her before the
whoie 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 seIf-sufi-
clency His face still showed signs of exaspera-
ton.
Rotten! Simply rotten - he threw at her strid-
ing up and down. Five years of drilling things
into you, and you're dense as when married
you. You queer the business you slur your lines
fou-you haven't an ounce of the real STUFF in YOU
Lon look at me with that martyred expression
IA ger rid of you if we didn't have to open on
new FEARS Eve. Now, look here, Wen go through
that business in Act II again, right here now until
you get II r1ght-my way-see? What's the cue?
can't ask you to sacrifice yourself. :, CHe
takes her IN MS armS). Come on 2"
Inc Big Mans temper smarting under
recent newspaper criticism in which it was sug-
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 dfsobeyed him
before. 1t nearly staggered him
I'm too tired tonight. Besides I don't agree
no cEr
was not the authors intention"
He took her by the wrist. "By gad you'll be
saying the play was written for you next!"
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 I tell you. If you're
tired, what about me?'
Rather than argue, she gave in 1t wasn't
worth it-arguing with man who could only rea-
son like woman. The worst of it was she could
lsee through him now. She knew he was Jealous
lShe knew he took perverse pleasure in trying
Ito queer her business" She was perfectly well
aware that could he have dispensed with her. he
would have done SO; only bOx-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 sufferngs Not
by mOrphia, drink, but by letters "A score of
them, written by her, sealed but not addressed
lay in a locked drawer of her escritore 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 love-letters she had written to a man.
She took up her pen now, striving for caImness
while writing to her Unknown:
"Oh, my DEAR I am so terribly sad and I am
so lonely that feel like little child crying in
the dark 1t can't go on. I can't bear it
much longer Sometimes in my agony have told
myself to do as 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 I
ever see your VIII you become real, my
ideal? Shall I never know what love is? For now
my heart is virgin.
Think of it. Half-of-Nfy Soul wherever you are
wife. And I have never known what it is
to love, except intangibly, love you. That is
my punishment for having married without re-
Election Beloved, was such child and thought
nothing mattered except my art
Sometimes when first began to write to you.
Unknown, used to ask myself what would hap
pen should ever meet you? know as know
still, that should recognize you and at once.
7 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 belongs to you, whoever and
wherever you 1 could not keep away If you
needed me- And religious woman.
"All this life I am living is wrong unnatural.
Surely it can't go on. I am twenty-six-oh, dear
est, only twenty-sx and there Is nothing left to
me but work. And in work I cannot forget
because 1t is emotional.
81 going to write a little prayer here have
prayed it waking and in my dreams. I send 1t
now the wings of my spirit, this petition Of
my soul, that somewhere and sometime I may see
you know you, If only once face in the
crowd"
She strung up and she covered pages. Civ
ing her emotions full play. To woman of acute
sensbility there is something very convincing in
the idea of a soulmats. 1t that Leading
Woman's consolation and her beacon of hope.
During the following weeks while the new play