White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1937-12-16

leaned close, whispered:
"Quick! Where the light is! The
waiter! He's the man who ran
through my room!"
Behind the scenes in the Club
House theater, Brooke, as property
woman, checked her list for the last
time. Every article which the char
acters would need to take to the
stage was present and accounted
for. Almost time for the curtain.
If only her heart wouldn't pound
so. 1t shook her body. But hadn't
her body shaken with excitement
whenever she had seen Sam act? He
was coming. He was almost as
white as the shirt-front of his eve
ming clothes, his eyes were like
flames as he stopped beside her.
"Just had a cable from Mother
wishing me luck. It's zero hour,
Brooke. Locate the producer and
manager out front. Watch 'em. If
they go out after the first act and
don't come back, the plays washed
up; if they sit through the second,
it's got a chance; if they come
back for the third, boy!" He turned
to Jerry Field who was like stran-
ger in his makeup.
go on to that stage, Jerry, and
whang the ball.
Field nodded to Brooke before he
disappeared into the wings. Should
she wish Sam luck, his sister Won
dered? Better not. The hand which
gripped his blue-covered, dog-eared
script, lined and criss-crossed with
cuts and changes, was white-knuck-
led.
The stage was cleared. Lucette,
Daphne and Jerry Field went on
and took their places. Sam was in
the wings! Jed was at the switch
board! The curtain man was wait
ing for his signal! Sam raised his.
hand. The house dimmed. He wig
wagged with two fingers. Jed
brought up his lights. The orchestra
stopped playing. Another motion of
Sans hand and the curtain rose
slowly. Brooke's heart parked in
her throat, running on high.
Lucette waited for the greeting Of
applause to quiet before, without a
trace Of nervousness, she spoke her
first line. Sam nodded approval,
frowned as Daphne answered shak-
lily. Brooke couldn't see the stage,
but she could hear the voices. Jed
Stewart was red and perspiring un-
der the responsibility of getting the
actors on and off. Once as he
passed her he whispered:
Get peek at Mrs. Gregory out
front, third row, center. She's blaz-
ing with jools."
"Has the New York producer
Gomez"
He nodded. Second row, center.
Sleek blond fella, with a grand mar
celle." He caught Sans eyes glar-
ing at them and disappeared.
Every sentence moved the play
forward, unfalteringly. Jerry Field
had been on and off before Mark
Trent, in his blue lounge coat, APP
peared to make his first entrance.
AS he approached the wings, his
eyes, smiling, disconcertingly in
tent, met and held Brooke's and
set the blood tingling in her cheeks.
The rehearsal last night had been
so hectic he had had time only to
tell her that Jed Stewart had left
the Supper club to report about the
waiter to Inspector Harrison. In
the morning paper she had seen a
statement that the bandit in the
Hunt filling station case was being
trailed to Canada. OF course she
hoped that he would be caught, but
it was relief to know that he was
far away from what newspapers
would call the scene of his crime.
She could hear Mark Trent's
voice, family ironic. 1t was her
cue to start the phonograph which