The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-07

Of the first night Of The Sui
= tana," and every member OF the
Lester Comic Opera Company from
Lester himself down 10 the ward
robe womans son, who would nave
had to work II his mother lost her
place, was sick with anxiety.
There is perhaps only one other
place as feyerish as il is behind the
scenes on the first night OF comic
opera, and that is newspaper once
on the last night OF Presidential
Campaign. when the returns are being
flashed on the canvas outside. and
the mob Is bowling. and the editor
in-ch!ef Is expecting TO go TO the
Court OF st. James If the election
comes his way.
Such nights as these try mems
souls; but Van Bibber passed the
stage-door man with as calmly polite
a nod as though the piece had been
running a hundred nights. and the
manager was thinking up souvenirs
for the one hundred and fiftieth, anu
the prima donna had. as usual, began
10 hint for new set OF costumes
The stage-door keeper hesitated and
was lost, and Van Bibber stepped into
the unsurpassed excitement OF the
place with a pleased sniff at the
familiar smell Of paint and burning
gas.
Van Bibber lodged two stage
hands who were steering scene at
him, stepped over the carpet as 1t
unrolled, and brushed through
group OF anxious. whispering chorus
people into the quiet or the star 5
dressing-room.
The star saw him In the long mir
ror before which he sat. while MS
dresser tugged at his boots. and
threw up his hands desperately.
well" he cried. in mock resigna-
ton, ARE We In it or are we not:
Are they in their seats still or have
they fed"
How are You. john" said Van
Bibber to the dresser. "Oh, It's
very well. l wouldn't nave
come around If il wasn't. II the rest
OF il is as good as the first act, you
needn't worry"
Van Bibber's unchallenged free-
dom behind the scenes had been
plexity to the members OF the Lester
Comic Opera Company. He had maze
his first appearance there during one
hot night Of the long run OF the pre-
vious summer. and had continued 10
be an almost nightly visitor for sew
eral weeks. At first it was supposed
TINT he was backing the piece, that
he was the Angel" as those weak
and wealthy individuals are caileo
who allow themselves to be led into
supplying the finances for theatrical
experiments. But as he never peered
through the curtain-ho to count the
house, nor made frequent trips TO the
front Of il to look at the box sheet
Snbut was, on the contrary, just as I'M
ksturbed on a rainy night as on those
;hen the standing room only sign
blocked the front entrance. TINS sup
position was discarded as untenaole.
Nor did he show the least interest
in the prima donna, or in any or the
other pretty women of the company;
he did not know them, nor did he
make any effort TO know them. anu
il was not until they inquired con-
corning him outside OF the theatre
that they learned what a figure in the
society life Of the city he really was.
He spent most OF his time IN Lester 5
tlressing-room smoking. listening 10
the "reminiscences Of Testers dresser
when Lester was on the stage; ana
this seclusion and his clerical attire
Of evening dress led the seconf
comedian to call him Testers father
.cnnfessor. and TO suggest that ne
came 10 the theatre only 10 take the
star to task for his sins. Ana In
his the second comedian was I'M
knowingly not so very far wrong.
Lester, the comedian. and young Van
Bibber had known each iother at the
university. when Testers voice ana
gift CT mimicry had made him the
lender in the college theatricals; anu
later, when he had gone upon the
stage. and had been cut off by his
family even after he had become
famous. or or account OF It, van
Bibber had gone to visit him, anu
found him as simple and sincere AMI
hoyish as he had been in the days or
his Hasty-Pudd1ng successes.
The second act was on. and Lester
came off the stage and ran to the
dressing-room and beckoned vio-
lently. Come here" he said; you
ought 10 SEE this; the children are
doing their turn. You want to near
them. They're great.
Van Bibber put his cigar into a
tumbler and stepped out into the
wings. They were crowded on both
sides of the stage with members OF
The company: the girls were tiptoe-
ing. with their hands on the Shout
ders OF the men. and making futile
little leaps into the air TO get pet
ter view. and Otherc were resting on
one knee that those behlno might
zee over their shoulders. There were
over a dozen children before the foot
lights, with the prima donna IN inc
centre. She was singing the verses
of a song. and they were following
her movements. and Joining In the
chorus with high piping voices. They
seemed entirely too much at nome
and too self-conScious TO please van
Rfbber; but there was one exception.
The one exception was the smallest
~ them. a very, very little girl, with
long auburn hair and black eyes:
such a very little girl that every one
In the house looked at her first. and
then looked at no one else. She was
apparently as unconcerned to all
about her, excepting tho pretty prima
donna, as though she were by piano
at home practiclus a singing lesson.
She seemed to think II was some new
sort OF a game. When the prima
donna raised her arms, the child
raised hers; when the prima donna