The Daily Alaska empire., 1931-07-02

CelVe my cue to SAll anu WOulu oJcp
 from the stage into the wings. You
 and l, Tony, have played many
 scenes together on this stage. We
 have presented in our acting com edy and tragedy, with sometimes
 little of the melodramatic.
 "'Our more perfect scenes have
 been those which we have played
 with my little Pierre They will not ring the curtain down when I speak my exit line and leave the stage, Tony And the play will go on. dear, on and on and on. You a% my little Pierre will continue in the scenes together following my exit, and off-stage you will see me standing in the wings watching you. Your exit cue will come next, Tony, and then you and I together will watch Pierre"
 When it was all over and Anto- nio sought to comfort little Pierre with the beautiful philosophy which the boys mother had given him, the child actor said bravely, I"I know, Father Tony, mother eX- plained it all to me before she made her exit. I am an actor, too, so I understand"
 Harriet had made Antonio the legal guardian of her son and ex- ecutor of her will She left in trust a small sum, which by careful econ omy she had saved, to be given to Pierre when he reached the age of 20 in order that he might have funds for his training in the the ater.
 Little Pierre wanted to live with Tony, but certain of the villagers raised such a protest that Antonio feared they would have him de- clared by the court morally unfit to act as the boys guardian When he recalls this the old actor laughs and says, T was lucky they did not burn me at the stake" So a home l for Pierre was found with a child less couple whose religion Orchard Hill approved.
 And now that the actress mother is gone" said Orchard Hill tri- umphantly, and that horrid actor, Antonio Latour, has found that he cannot dD what he pleases with her son, Pierre Donovan will have a chance"
 Old Tony chuckles, There was, unanimously voted the most dis reputable character Orchard Hill had ever produced-their perennial prize exhibit to prove the terrible effect of evil living-and I might have reminded them that I had been raised exactly as they pro- 1 posed to raise Pierre. But I did not And the poor fools never knew how fervently I thanked God that Pierre could have such a good home. The couple was a kindly pair who had always wanted chill dren. The man was generous pro- wider and his wife a most excellent cook As for my unholy influence, I was confident that Pierre and I could manage somehow" But the actress mother had im- pressed herself too strongly upon the sensitive nature of her son for the years to efface her image. To Pierre and his Father Tony her presence continued as if, indeed, she were-in her own words standing in the wings. Increasing ly dear to Pierre was his Father Tony; increasingly dear to the old actor was the son of the woman he had loved.
 Many wonderful hours did An tonic spend with Harriet's boy in that little hillside retreat behind the willows in the pasture and many times in that sacred place did they speak of the things deep in their hearts: of Pierre's mother and her dreams for him, of his training for the stage, and of the future which was to place his name among the truly great actors of his gen. eration.
 1 Old Tony says. He was a hand some youngster, tall and strong. With his abundant physique, health l and energy, he loved life as he loved the theatre. To him, life was a glorious play and every person an interesting character acting a part.
 He never wavered in his pur- pose to become a great actor and hoarded his small savings to add to the fund his mother had left in trust for his education for t h e stapan