The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-02-14

Virtue, buckingham objected, IS
not visible"
Like beauty, it dwells in the be-
holders eye. That's why you've never
seen it, Bucks"
To the Dukes playhouse in Lin
coins Inn Fields his disgruntled grace
suffered himself, in the end, to be
conducted. He went to scott. He re,
mained to worship. You already know
having overheard the garrulous Mr..
Pepys-how from his box, addressing
his companion in particular and the
whole house in general, the ducal au-
thor loudly announced that he would
give his muse no rest until he should
have produced a play with part
worthy of the superb talents of Miss
F'arquharson.
His words were reported to her.
They bore with them certain fiat
terry to which it was impossible that
she should be impervious.
1t prepared her for the ducal visit
to the green room, which followed
presently. She was presented by Mr..
Etheredge with whom she was already
acquainted, and she stood -shyly be-
fore the tall. supremely elegant duke,
under the gaze of his bold eyes.
In his golden periwig he looked at
this date not a year more than thirty,
despite the hard life he had lived
from boyhood. In shape and carriage
he was Of an extraordinary grace that
drew all eyes upon him. Yet at sight,
instinctively, Miss Farquharson dis
liked him. Reason and ambition ar
gued her out of that instructive
shrinking. Here was one whose ap-
proval carried weight and would set
the seal upon her fame, one whose
good graces could maintain her firmly
on the eminence to which she had
so laboriously climbed.
His grace bowed, low, the eurls of
his wig swinging forward like the
ears of a water-spaniel.
Madam he said, IT would con
graduate You were I not more con.
cerned to congratulate myself for hav-
ing witnessed your performance, and
still more Lord Orrery, your present
author. Him not only congratulate
ton, which I shall not conquer until
l have written you a part at least az
great as his Katherine You smile?"
1t is for qualification at your
grace's promise
L wonder. now, said he, his eyes
narrowing, his lips smiling a little.
Il wonder is that the truth, or is it
that you think 1 boosted? that such
an achievement is not within my com
pass? I'll confess frankly that until
L saw you it was not. But you have
made It so, my dear"
If I have done that, I shall. indeed.
have deserved we'll of my audience. .
she answered, but lightly, laughing a
little, as if to discount the high-fiown
compliment.
"As well, I trust, as 1 shall have
deserved Of you," said he.
The author must always deserve
the best of his puppets"
Deserve, aye. But how rarely does
he get his desertsl'
Surely you, Bucks. have little rea.
son to complain" gibed Etheredge.
In my case, now, it is entirely diff
ferent."
1T is, George-entirely, his grace
agreed, resenting the interruption.
You are the rarity. You have al
ways found better than you deserved.
[ have never found it until this mo-
ment." And his eyes upon Miss Far
quharson gave point to his meaning.
When at length they left her, her
sense Of eXaltation was all gone She
could not have told you why, but the
Duke Of Buckingham approval up
lifted no longer. Almost did she wish
that she might have gone without it.
And when Betterton came smiling
good-naturedly, to offer his congratu-
lations upon this conquest, he found
her bemused and troubled
Bemused, too, did Etheredge find
the Duke as they drove back together
20 Wallingford House.
Almost, I think" said he, smiling,
that already you find my despised
prescription to your taste Persevered
with it may even restore you your
lost youth.
What 1 ask myself" said Buck
ingham, ''is why you should have pre-
scribed her for me instead of for your
self"
Il am like that" said Etheredge-
the embodiment of self-sacrifice Be.
sides. she will have none of me
though l am ten years younger than
you are, fully as handsome and. al
most as INSCRIPTIONS. The girls a
prude, and I never learnt the way to
handle prudes. Faith. it's an educa-
ton in itself"
rs it?". said Buckingham. 81 must
undertake it, then
And undertake 1t he did with all
the zest of one who loved learning
and the study of unusual subjects
Daily now he was to be seen in a
box al the theater in Lincoln,s Inn
Fields, and daily he sent her. in token
Of his respectful homage, gifts of flow
ers and comfits. He would have added
jewels, but that wiser Etheredge re-
strained him.
NE brusquez pas raffaire,'' was the
Younger mans advice. You'll scare
her by precipitancy, and so spoil all.
Such a conquest as this requires in
finite patience"
His grace suffered himself to be adj
vised. and set a restraint upon his
ardour. using the greatest circum-
spection in the visits which he paid
her almost daily after the perform
ance. He confined the expressions of
admiration to her histrionic art, and,
ie re touched upon her personal beauty
and grace, it was ever in association
with her playing. so that its consider
alton seemed justified by the part that
he told her he was conceiving for her.