Year: 1878

,
sprightlv, and exceedingly attractive.
secretly determined to act it at any
cost, and try to win back the favor Of
the public which / had lost.


Between the young man and myself
there had sprung up sort of liking,
and / do not doubt that, had matters
been left to grow, we would have mar
ried each other in short time; but no
such happiness was to be my fate. /
expressed great delight at the part he
had written for me, and he went away
full of gratitude to me and faith in
himself.


The next night 1 saw him at the
theater. His eyes were riveted upon
the splendid face of Marie Chabot.
trembled, and my jealousy famed out
anew. / went home after the perform
ance. He followed me and came into
my parlor and sat down awkwardly and
hesitated. / saw at glance that it was
as [ feared. He now wanted my rival
to take the part he had written for me ;
but / laughed with him and pretended
that l suspected nothing. rehearsed
few lines which / had already learned,
and sang the best song in the play, and
hoped thus to persuade him to let me
have the part in quiet; but did not
move him; the memory of her bright
eye and gay bearing was deep with him.
He said


"Katie, 1 must succeed in life.
want reputation as writer, and
want money to live, and if heaven has
bestowed upon me any talent for play
writing, or any dramatic skill, it would
be wrong for me not to employ all the
means to make success certain


eyes" answered l, with parched lips,
tsI think so, too."


"Marie Chabot is very beautiful"


eyes," said /.


-"And she is great favorite."


nodded. l could not speak. I felt
my hope slipping away from me, and a
troop of bitter thoughts thronged into
my soul. and / dare say Hooked wicked
and revengeful.


"Then," said he, with strong effort
to be frank, katie, do you think it
possible that she might be trife more
lucky with that part infmy play than
you would be?"


1t was kind of him to put it SO.
was actually little grateful to him for
speaking 50 kindly even while he dis
appointed me so. l attempted to be
generous. / told him with all the
courage l could muster that Marie
should have my part with pleasure, and
that I hoped she would do famously.
He seized my hand with delight and
then hurried away, while l ran into my
little bedroom trembling from head to
foot, pale as a ghost and filled to the
very top with the most violent envy and
rage.


did not sleep. My father was little
uneasy in his bed, so went and sat by
him with the light turned down, and
stayed there. almost without moving,
the livelong night. / was busy making
a devil of myself. I made an awful
resolve, and, spurred on by my jealousy
l never finched from it, but on the con-
trary set about perfecting my plan SO
that it might amount to certainty.
A week passed by. My friends play
was quickly accepted by the manager,
and all the company were set to work
to commit their various parts; of course
Marie had the leading role and 1 had the
second female part. 1t took month to
paint the brilliant scenes, and the whole
available force was urged and driven to
complete the task.


Meanwhile, not only taught myself
my own part, but Marie's also. I was
pleasant to everybody, and smiled as
quickly as ever did but underneath
was a tigress. / only waited my oppor
tunity. / bitterly hated Marie's lovely
face, and | meant that an apparent acci
dent should destroy it.


As the scenes approached completion
and as one rehearsal after another tool
place / watched for my chance. I be
held what | hoped for. Directly oyel
the center of the stage there was sus
pended limelight SO placed that il
wauld throw a glow upon whatever was
beneath it. In the third scene of the
first act Marie would be obliged to TAXI
this position. The material which
burns in those lamps produces a ferct
fame, and it sticks to whatever i
touches, and is not easily extinguishet
until it is burned out. It is plain wha
1 intended to do. The lamp must b,
made to fail upon Marie. 1 don't know
whittier was crazy or not. My thought
were regular, and it was only thei
frightful direction which was irregular
| l was always calm and cool. neve
ragged or lost myself.


The night of the first Performance
quickly approached; even then / wa
easy in manner and very cordial to al
those about me. myself assembled tn
complicated machinery of the scenes
and with a pocket-knife unscrewed tn
lamp from its fastenings. A stronI
shake of the woodwork from bel6t
would bring it down in an instant.


An immense audience assembled. Tn
theater was filled from top to bottom
and Marie was full of life and energy
Shall l ever forget the tremendous shou
which rose from all those throats as sh
bounded upon the stage looking grace
full and beautiful as an angel. I though
they would never cease their cheers an
their shouts of delight.


| When / entered, which | did with a,
the grace and, ease that l ever die
there was such vast difference. Her


and there patter of gloved hands, no
and then a murmur of welcome, bu
alas! no triumph was there for me, an


my heart swelled until 1 feared it woul
burst, and it was torture to smile, for


must smile through it ALL Oh, no


bitter L was; how hated the peop
and Marie!
/ Hooked swiftly upward at the horri
, lamp, and hid myself away in Il
shadow and glared out upon the stag
, The gay music Knocked me, the quic
t and brilliant dancing seemed to haul
me, and the merry laughter from IL
3 front nearly drove me wild. Twice 81
/ ran beneath the light, and twice 1 raise


my clinched hands to strike the WOO
: work, but she fled too quickly, and
Y waited.


| The play went on to the third seen
l The audience was wrought up to hil
e pitch of excitement, and it seem,
a ready to rush upon the stage and be
t off Marie as they would a goodies
}. Every face was flushed, every body W
l eager.


o The instant approached. 1 becar
il cold from head to foot; perspirati
e covered me, and my mouth became dl