The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-11-15
Chapter Al BEHIND THE SCENES


 BEHIND THE SCENES
 Opening night for The Knave of Jazz!"
 The state of tension in the audi ence was as nothing compared with that which had prevailed behind the scenes since early afternoon. Hopes and emotions ran riot Chor- us girls flustered and giggled over their makeup; and producer bus tied hither and thither; all and srindry dead sure the show would be flop.
 Ray moved about like an auto maton, his face white, his eyes giassy, not hearing even the en- couragement of Pete Anheim. Rita had been apportioned lit tie cupboard of dressing room all to herself. Red and white Ameri- can Beauty roses stood in a long pitcher on the floor. Across one corner of the room was faded Japanese screen.
 Behind this sat Barbara-Barbara in such high state of nervous ten sion that she kept locking and un- locking her fingers necessarily. Rita powdering her long slim arms be- fore the mirror, alone seemed calm. Now, bending near the mirror, she threw out over her shoulder: "Do you think you've got the steps down pat?'
 "Yes But really, Rita, l don't think we had better go through with it. Don't you think the whole ideas rather crazy?"
 Sure it's crazy. But if 1t were not for the crazy things of life we'd all commit suicide. Say, while you're dancing don't forget to keep your hands going at the same time as your feet. You've simply got to put the New Yorker across, Bar bara."
 Barbara swallowed twice, chewing the paint from her underlip.
 T know. You're all sorts of a sport to have given me this chance Rita. But do you honestly think it will do me any good?"
 You mean with Ray?"
 Barbara nodded.
 Sure! Do you think I woulc have gone to the bother of coaching you if hadn't? I tell you, you've got to do something drastic to show him that you are now one of us.'
 Barbaras rueful smile was b. way of confirmation. Rita, as sht turned her attention to her hair mentally reviewed the scheme sh' had put in motion for the recon citation of Ray and his wife.
 As to marrying Ray herself-tha dream had foundered the momen She had identified Barbara as thu sad-eyed, wistful little girl she hat so often seen sitting alone i'll tn booth at the club. That proved without question that the girl wa still in love with Ray. Also, tha she regretted the impending al vorce. From that moment to thi it had never occurred to Rita t take her own happiness at Bar baras expense.
 'fThe very fact that she should b the means of bringing them to gether was comic in itself. Regard ing the scheme she had devised fo furthering this end Barbara ha been right in denoting it as crazy Too, it was theatrical in the ex treme. But Rita, trained to tn stage; saw everything in terms ( the theatrical.
 Ray had always made a poir of stressing the unsympathetic atti tude his wife had adopted toward his work.
 Chiefly with the idea of over coming this had Rita planned tn whole thing. Towards the end Che last act she was to introduce new dance, the New Yorker Dun inx this number Ray was to ste on4o the stage playing his saxc pl1one. Rita's idea was that Bai sara, instead of herself, should tak l.er place on the opening night an eo through the dance. This shoul eve Ray sufficient proof that Bal b4ra's snobbish ideas had change