The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1920-12-24

II
III nv i husband decreed. The part fitted
C..O...)f 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 not
know it. In his vanity he thought he had made"
Eer. He lived, fattened that, thrived on the
reflected glory of her art, and ghouke on the
woman herself.
There escape for her from his exactions
OF this piece. The author abroad, in Ill
health so be could not be present at rehearsas.
Moreover because this his first play, the Big
Man took liberties with 1t as might a theatrical
celebrity
This one rehearsed his wife with the assidu-
fly of an animal trainer. bullying her before the
whole company until they Uttered and then grew
silent with sympathy
The Big Nan came into the room noisy. He
was always called the Big Man The name fitted
him. He was big in physique and in self-suffi-
cheney. His face still showed signs of exaspera-
tisM.
"Rotten Simply rotten :" he threw at her. strid
ing up and down. Five years of drilling things
into you, and you're dense when married
you You queer the business, You slur your lines
You-you haven't &c of the real stuff in you
Dont look with hat martyred expresson
I'd get rid of you if 5e didn't have to open
New Years Eve. Noy look here we'll go through
that business in Ac III again, right here, now until
you get it right-,fly way-see? What's the cue?
can't ask yousto sacrifice yourself Gle
The Big Mans temper was smarting under a
recent newspaper criticism In which it was sug-
gested that in his next production he should give
prenIer place to his wife He specially resented
the aivice because the writer hinted that the
BiyMan, dramatically speaking. did not count.
~Come on!' he repeated.
F"No"
= He sfare.c-aSher She had never disobeyed him
h0fore. ~ nessyly staggered i.ia-
Y "rm too tired tonight. Besides. Il don't agree
that the scene shouldlbe played your way. That
not the authors Intention
He took her by the wrist by gad you'll be
saying the play written for you next p
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 Lending Woman did not know this.
Neither did the Big Man. .
"YOuve 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 man who could only
son like woman. The worst of 1t was. she could
through him She knew he Jealous.
She knew he took perverse pleasure in trying
to queer her business" She was perfectly well
aware that could he have dispensed with her, he
would have done only boxoffce receipts had
been 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 suferings Not
by morphia drink but by letters. score of
them, written by her, sealed but not addressed,
lay In q locked drawer or ner eScrlt0lre. Sne du
not know the man who In them, she in
yoked. Her eyes had never him. To write
thus of those queer feminine impulses
that who suffer give way to in order to
their hearts from breaking. They were the
only love-etters she had ever written to man.
She took up her pen now, striving for calmness
while writing to her Unknown:
"Oh, my dear, I terribly sad, and em
sc lonely that feel like littu child crying in
the dark . 1t can't go can't bear 1t
,ox-
myself to do other women do to be worldly.
venal, to laugh and console myself with the first
likely who comes my way. Pride stops me-
and my deep regard for you Unknown Shall
ever you? VIII you ever become real, my
ideal? Shall never know what love is? For now
my heart is virgin.
Think of 1t, Half-o NJ Soul wherever you are !
am wife. And 1 have never known what it is
to love- except ntangibly as 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? 1 know, know
still that 1 should recognize you, and at once.
+ used to think of myself as. ever bent to the Big
dams will. But I know that this would not
be right He has long forfeited my loyalty. All
that is best in belongs to you whoever and
wherever you are. 1 could not keep away If you
needed me. And l am a religious woman.
"All this life 1 living is wrong, unnatural.
Surely 1t can't go on. am twenty-six-oh, dear
est only twenty-sx and there is nothing left to
but work And In work cannot forget
because 1t is emotional.
81 am going to write little prayer here. have
prayed 1t waking and in my dreams 1 send 1t
now on the wings of my spirit, this petition of
my SOUL that somewhere and sometime may see
you know you if only once face in the
krowd."
She was strung up and she covered pages, CIV
ing her emotions full play. To woman of acute
eensbility there is something very convincing IN
the Idea of soulmate. 1t was that Leading
SToman's consolation and her beacon of hope.
During the following weeks while the new play