Evening star., 1928-12-20
ONE MAN s
WIFE
BY
BARBARA
WEBB
Copyright, 1928. by Public Ledger

be able to put him out of her life,
and she may not. Don't forget that
she loves him with all the devotion of
singularly pure and warm-hearted
girl. He is the only man she has ever
known outside of her native village
friends and he appears very wonderful
to her"
IF she is the artist she will give
him up-without one regret" M. Ro-
manevski blew an imaginary piece of
thistle from his hand as he spoke.
"If she Is the artist she will feel more
deeply than the rest of u.s." Mrs. Og-
den corrected.
Perhaps you are right madame" :"
said the master with sigh.
The following day Yvonne had her
first rehearsal on the stage. It seemed
an immense affair to her, and the
black, empty auditorium beyond seemed
to yawn in her face indifferently. Her
first nervousness passed; she acquitted
herself well.
"Give me three minutes of music" :"
she said, land ! can dance and forget
all else"
Mr.. Drake said thoughtfully: 'Sup-
pose we darken both the stage and
the house completely for full minute;
there will be music as the lights are
going down. 1t will grow louder and
at the end of a full two minutes there
will be steady glow on the stage and
the music will have grown louder. That
gives you a full two minutes and
| half of music to start your dance"
They tried the plan. Yvonne liked
it. 81 will be already dancing when
the eyes of the audience catch me-"
she said
Exactly. Never think of your audi
| ence. Let them think of you," pro-
claimed M. Romanevski.
The matter of costumes interested
them all. Yvonne'S taste was found
to be perfect. She knew the effects she
wanted to obtain and worked for them
in every detail.
Her first dance was to be symbolic
of virgins greeting to the Spring.
For it she chose an all-white cos
tune. She would dance in bare feet.
f1llet of pond lilies.
1.-THE only dancer on Broadway who
hasn't bobbed her hair" Mr.. Drake
observed astutely and presently took the
public into his confidence. GTbat night
the theater-going public knew a new
dancer was to be seen at the opening
of Fast and Furious" the following
Monday, and that she was to be known
only as Mademoiselle, and that she
QanceQ WIN long nalT.
Yvonne planned fire dance for her
second number. A sheath of ScarleS silk
very Scant, very formf1tting, was made
for that. Ingenious lighting provided
tongues of flame to follow her about
the stage. To those who watched her
at the dress rehearsal throwing her
self paSSionately into her dance as
though she were an all-conSuming flame,
she seemed to be the very spirit Of fire.
For her third number, which would
come at the close of the second act,
she elected quaint, mincing old-fash-
ioned dance, In which she wore hoop
ed skirt that billowed and dipped as
she moved. There was something ro-
quiSh about this dance, and the con-
trast between her formal old-fashioned
costume and her quick steps was anus
ing.
"You See," Quoth M Romanevski, "she
has the sense of comedy, too. AL great
artists have"
Mrs. ogden had insisted on send
ing Lottie, the maid she had spoken of,
to Yvonne. At first Yvonne had pro-
tested, but when she found how we'll
Lottie fitted into her life she welconl-
ed her, and Lottie became an abject
slave to YvonIeis beauty. gE s
Life was very full, It seemed to
j
before her opening. So full that she
scarcely thought of Richard. There
were Lottie and Dicky at home. There
was the constant rehearsing, costume
selection, practice in makeup, to oc-
cupy her away from home. Yvonne
was too busy to suffer greatly in these
five days.
The evening before the opening she
was to spend quietly at home. Every
one wanted her to go to bed early
and to sleep long and soundly. After
Lottie had brushed her hair and laid
out her night things Yvonne clasped
her hands around her knees and sat
thinking.
Tomorrow night was the great night.
They believed In her so, these friends
She must not disappoint them. She
had no fear of that If only Richard
were to be there, watching her. How
she would dance for him!
At the thought of his name all her
old remorse swept over her. And when
she kneit to pray that night, it was
not for success In her debut but for
forgiveness for having ever diSobeyed
her husband.