Show rn Short Story tor of tb t Day BEFORE THE GALE BY COLIN S. S COLLINS COLLINS COLLIS Copyright 1 1502 2 by b the S. S S S. S McClure Company In Iii his fury Jur Bert Moore 1 called the wrath of ot h heaven aen down upon the the Dramatic society which tone atone seemed re responsible responsible responsible re- re for the misery which had overtaken overtaken over over- ve-r- ve taken him and when he ho had exhausted I his sUpply of anathemas he burled buried his face race in his hands and reviewed the whole wretched business Bess Aln AInsworth worth and he had been engaged engaged en- en for fora 1 a year when the Dramatic so society society society so- so was formed and the pretty little cottage which was to be their home was almost paid for when torna or Alone in New York was produced at the opera house a large cultured and appreciative e audience I as the Weekly Clarion described it Bt Bess's ss's vivacity and melodious voice oice together with a faint trace of ot natural dramatic ability had fairly captured tho the house Again quoting the Weekly Clarion The Therole Therole Therole role of ot Lorna Lorn a could not be improved upon Its interpretation by Bernhardt was a surprise even ta to her most ardent admirers The Tho sensation by his sweetheart sweet heart tined filled Berts Bert's mind with uneasiness and stifled stilled his hia pride in in her accomplish accomplish- ments It filled the mind of T T. T Haworth Burnside with new schemes and ambi ambi- T T. Haworth BUrnsides BUrnside's card In the dramatic papers announced that he was wasat wasat wasat at liberty They did not add that the company with which he had opened the season eason had stranded at Morgan the couty county county coun coun- ty seat twenty miles from BEa Those se of Its members who had the hire fire lareto to Chicago counted themselves blessed and start started d at once for the midwest ha ha ha- von ven Those who lacked the price Burnside Burnside Burn- Burn side aide ng amo-ng them fell back upon their I wits and wrote to their nearest friends for tor assistance It WI was vas just at this time that the Bea- Bea Dramatic society had determined deter mined to Lo produce Lorna with well feigned reluctance agreed to postpone hl his l engagement ment with a Chicago stock company to tn coach ih th amateur The Thespians plans of Bacon Tills would pa pay pa his board a few weeks and thou then per pel haps something better might turn lurn up The Inspiration came with Bess Ama Alna- worth worth's success He again postponed his start for ic Chicago and cultivated I te teh the h ac acquaintance ac- ac a of his star a and her e unsophisticated n aunt He fascinated c e em them h with his experiences ces on l the I road and n his acquaintance I with t I great men and n women of m his profession S and kept Bess s well vell e io supPlied supplied sup sup- plied with dramatic publications He lIe coached h her r so bO assiduously that she had no time for fat walks through the autumn woods with Bert or for long talks In the front room with its embroidered tidies and wax WIX Crul She lost Interest in the pile of hous household hold linen which had been slowly ga gathering for a year and when Bert Berr talked about the little cottage she replied with quotations from Shake Shake- speare In the lie meantime Burnside had written to th the tho manager of oC a lL repertory company c headed toward Morgan as follows 11 you 1 0 can make room In your company company com corn pany for a good gold light comedian an I can fill the bill f for r you OU You know me mc The girl Is a darned pretty amateur t abit but i improving VI rJ gri 1 tg d l r coaching u she's got a tidy bit bitof of tf money which would come in handy If It we WI struck hard line lines up up In Wisconsin Let mo mr h har haar ar from you And from the manager came this Never mind if she Is a n bit gawky gawk If tr Rh slip abc has th the dough Gre Grey has been pla playIng play play- ing light com comedies for me but a as hes he's hc hitting the pipe again Ill I'll gi j him two weeks weeks' notice an and ani you y-ou and the girl join us u. at I L Morgan We e play there one night the lith Burnside naturally did not read the lettel letten letter let let- ten tel to Pass lie He told lold her that thaI he had an 01 opening in view for her holding off the truth until tutu the when hf hp laid lair the proposition before h her r. r or Of co course If she were wele g on the stage she must do It ItIn ItIn itin In the most romantic romant c fashion CashIon She should run away and the papers would ring with her stor story It was the he only way They left the next morning Bess sobbing sobbing sobbing sob sob- bing and laughing together at the last moment on her aunts aunt's shoulder and leavIng leaving leav leav- ing log an hysterical message for Bert When she was famous was sas famous he should come to her herin herin in New Y York York Paris Paris rl perhaps perhaps and and they I would be married I and live happy ever after Bert listened to the message grimly grim grim- ly iy said some Bomo bitter things to the now no thoroughly frightened aunt and stormed back to his stuffy tuff shop Of one thins thing he was convinced convinced convinced-Bess Bess cared nothing for the crafty Burnside And with Burnside It was Bess and her money as a bait half for tor the mana manager cr Bert knew this som somehow how though he ho had never neer neverseen seen e n a line of the correspondence between Burnside and the r. manager His little sweethearts sweetheart's head was turned but her heart was loyal 1081 to him And having thus settled the question In his own mind Bert was quick to act at Trains to Morgan r Just one n a day a and hl 4 the runaways n ow had boarded e that h t Livery t V rig A fierce s storm orm had arisen the first of the year an and the phlegmatic proprietor proprietor pro pro- pricier of the Palace stables refused to rent a team Good horseflesh was not to tobe tobe tobe be risked In the face of such a storm Bert was desperate He rushed up the street and the keen wind from the east struck him full In the Ue face With it came ame an Idea he idea he would skate up the river I to Morgan The furl furious us eastern gale would fairly carry him to his beloved Three 6 hours later a strange e tl figure ure swathed II In a fur coat edged edg-ed with small Icicles and hung with sleet staggered Int Into the Ashland hotel at Morgan Is Miss Is Bess AInsworth stopping here came to the clerk derk in gasping tones The astonished man nodded |