New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-12-24
"IXR EN3 z00Y ZNREA OHZ1x"

What the devil are YOU up TO? by thunder,
Ill make you pay for this
She was smiling, looking Into the black void
of the house. Her lips moved, %nswering him:
Yes. afterwards. l don't mind paying
then"
From that moment she took the play into her
hands and made 1t what 1t was meant to be. The
members of the company. inspired by er revolt.
and latent dislike Of the Big Man. supported her
Loyalty. With the vigOr of the big scene restored
to II the play took on q new and convincing as
pect. Even the impotence of the Big Man could
not arrest 1t progress. The inspiration Of the
Leading Woman carried 1t on the flood tide to
success. The emasculated first act was forgotten.
Finally, the curtain descended on a play made.
At the end, the call for the author grew vehe-
ment. The author was not In the house. Then
they called for the Leading Woman again, and she,
Front and then she trembled and grew weak,
because he looked straight back at her and smiled.
The Big Man made her pay when they got home
that night. Exactly how does not matter. This
is a civilized world. but the veneer of civilization
lies very thin on natures such as his.
She sat up all night writing to the Unknown
whom she had seen at last. Bodily pain and men
tai anguish were forgotten |. the ecstacy that
drove her pen over the paper.
II have seen you! l knew you'll My heart has
shaken hands with you and oh If you would
call to me, how gladly would l come"
" HtAt tfeiilng II Ileuutu u Nus " III
to play. She really was. But the Big Man
laughed. She had reverted to the original script.
She would play Il so every night. . . and pay
for It after.
The Man In Front was there.
He was there the next night.
And each night the Big Man made her pay
SO terribly that the last shred Of her allegiance
to him slipped from her.
On the third night, at the end Of the perform
ance. as she was preparing to go home, the tele-
phone bell In her PRESSING room rang. She picked
up the receiver.
ayes? I'm the leading woman. a..
To whom am | speaklngT"
"The author of the piece" was the answer she
received promptly.
She grew faint at the sound of the voice.
81 want to thank you for what you have done
for my play. The papers are full of you. I
wasn't able to be present, although seats were
sent. I was there in spirit, l think. . 1t meant
so much to me-"
A voice within her asked a question. "what
seat-dld they give youf"
.The middle Of the front row ,of the stalls.
Number ten"
Her voice grew staccato. You weren't theref
You sent no substitute?'
"No. / can't even drive round and thank you.
The doctor won't let me out"
Words dried In her throat. She got then. out
harshly.
small 1 come 10 your -. Inc auuress! Wnen
will /? Now"
Before she left the theater. she questioned the
man in the box office.
Number ten, front row of the stalls. Who had
ity'
Nobody, madame. 1t was reserved for the
author"
"Did you let anybody else have It in his alb
senceY'
mo. madame. 1t has been empty each night"
The cab stopped at the hotel. She got out. The
elevator took her to an upper floor. Al the
door to a room she dismissed the bellboy.
Alone In the long corridor she paused for a
moment, her knuckles poised over the door panel.
What was the opening Of that door going to mean
to her the shutting of anotheri She knocked
softly. There was no answer. She went in, clos
ing the door quietly behind her. her eyes going
instantly to the still figure In the armchair.
1t was the man she had seen in the theater-
in the seat that had been empty all along. Walt
ing for her, convalescent after a long illness, he
had fallen asleep.
Standing there, her eyes took their oil Of him.
him while he was unconscious of her presence.
Her eyes loved him.
The room was untidy. inhospltable as a hotel
apartment always is. 1t needed a woman's touch.
There was a writing-table by his side with pa
pers on 1t and a woman's photograph hers,
The CRATE was full of ashes, the fire low. Silent
ly she stepped across the room and knelt by the
CRATE.
The man. reused out of a ftful slumber, awoke
to see the woman tidying up his hearth.
And thus, early in the year. a new happiness
was dawning.