The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-11-23
CHAPTER xI-continued.

y
the future now that the great purpose
OF his life had failed. Holliwell's Goo
of comfort and forgiveness forsool
him. What did he want with a Goo
when that one comrade of his lonely
| young, human life was out there los
by his own crueltyl Perhaps she wa:
dead. Perhaps the wound had killed
her. For all these years she might
have been lying dead somewhere ir
the snow, under the sky. Sharp pc
RODS Of pain followed dull periods OF
stupor. Row 1t was night again and
a recollection Of Jasper's theater ticket
had dragged him to vague purpose
He wanted to see again that woman
who had so vivified his memory of
Joan. 1t would be hateful to see her
again, but he wanted the pain. He
dressed and groomed himself care
fully. Then, feeling little faint, he
went out into the gathering, glaring
night
Pierre's experience of theater-going
was exceedingly small. He had never
been In so large a playhouse as this
one of Morena's; he had never seen
so large and well-dressed an audience !;
never heard a full and well-trained or
chestra. In spite of himself, he began
to be distracted, excited, stirred.
When the curtain rose on the beauti-
full tropical scene, the lush island. the
turquoise sea, the realistic strip of
golden sand, Pierre gave an audible
oath of admiration and surprise The
people about him began to be amused
by the excitement Of this handsome,
haggard young man. so graceful and
intense, so different with his hardness
and leanness, the brilliance Of his eyes,
the BROWNIES of his skin. His clothes
were good enough, but they fitted him
with an odd air of disguise. An expert
enced eye would inevitably have seen
the appropriateness OF flannel shirt,
gay silk neck-handkerchlef, boots, spurs
and chaparreras. Pierre was entirely
unaware of being interesting or differ
ent. At that moment, caught up in
the action of the play. he was as out
side of himself as a child
The palms of stage-land stirred, the
ferns swayed between their tall, vivid
greenness came Joan with her tread
and grace and watchful eyes of Loop
with flowers: these and her makeup
and her tbinness disguised her com
pletely from Pierre, but again his
heart came to his throat and, when
she put her hands up to her mouth
and called, his pulses gave a leap. He
shut his eyes. He remembered q voice
calling him in to supper. "Pi-erre
Pi-erre" He could sniff the smoke of
his cabin fire. He opened his eyes.
OF course she wasn't Joan, this
gaunt creature. Besides, his
wife could never have done what this
woman was doing. Why, Joan
couldn't talk like this, she couldn't act
to save her soul She was as simple
as a child, and shy, with the unself-
conscious shyness of wild things To
be sure, this 'actress-lady" was max
Ing believe she was a wild thing, and |
she was doing it almighty well, but |
Joan had been the reality, and grave |
and still, part of his own big, grave |
country, not fierce, man.
1evouring animal of the tropics. Pierre |
lived in the play with all but one frag- |
nent Of his brain, and that remem-
1ered Joan. 1t hurt IKE a hot coal,
out he deliberately ignored the pain
If 1t.
He followed the action breathlessly, |
,rx1o,,1o1 NTH oonfo ~; ono <arxor c,,r-
rid himself of tears, and
when, in the last scene, the angry, jeal-
,us woman sprang upon her tanner, he
nuttered, "Serve you right, you coy
tie 70 with an oath Of the cow-camp
hat made one of his neighbors jump
md throttle a startled laugh.
The curtain fell, and while the ap-
,lause rose and died down and rose
gain, and the people called for Jane
yesti Jane Westi" the stage-direc-
or, plump little Jew, came out be-
ind the footlights and held up his
and. There was a gradual silence.
II want to make an interesting an
he said; ''the author of
The Leopardess' has hitherto main
aimed his anonymity. but tonight
ave permission to give you his name.
lie Is in the theater tonight The
anne is already familiar to you as
nat Of the author of popular novel,
rhe Canyon: Prosper Gael"
There was a stir OF interest, gen.
raj searching of the house. clapping,
ries of 'AuthorI Authorl" and in a
wv moments Prosper Gael left his
Ok and appeared beside the director
answer to the calls. He was en-
rely self-possessed, looked even
tile bored. but he was very white.
e stood there bowling q graceful and
.tractive figure, and he was about to {
sgin a speech when he was interrupt
! by renewed calling for Jane
est !" The audience wanted to see
% star and the author side by side.
erre Joined In the clamor
After little pause Jane West came 4
If from the opposite wing, walking &
Dwly, dressed In her green gown, O
wells on her neck and in her hair.
he did not look toward the audi T