Show a I r ITI When the tho Auth entend at the i I close of ot the first fim act he found the Prima Donna alone Her costume w was ut I that oC or of or the Re She Sh and gave g e him her ber hand with lUb a arace trace race that was queenly quee Like a courier he be bont bent low over It barely touching 1 lug his s lips lp to one slender finger Then she sho ah laughed and anG said paid Perfect the tener ten r have dons dong it tetter Now Billy come como down I to the oarth what are you doing with I your royalties Permit me he said sal And taking from rom his hi pocket a little box of or plush I he be opened It and placed on the finger he be had kissed a gold ring set with an enamel heart framed in diamonds Oh Oli Billy Looking hastily b tUy around to lie be sure sura that they were not ob oh served rv d she ahe leaned forward and kissed Mm him on the lip Jl lightly so o as a not nit to do violence to her makeup There r r J it f II s fi 4 I c t S Billy BUly that is 11 ft vr r a successful author You Tou it itI itI I 1 so see sea the house bous packed to the doors nightly ng fly and the treasurer tr uror shows ate e ethe the box ox office e statements stat ments Then keep your premise name the happy day How would a week from Cram Wednes day do Darling Stop Not top too fast last It When hen I marry I shall sing or 01 not as the spirit moves mo s nf n royalties may ma have to suffice for ta two to o Now the question qu is 18 How many successful operas can you jou write per year ear You remember er you jou ou kept me waiting two days das for that extra lyric I But you are unfair he protested The piece was wall already successful rul and I your promise filled my mind I was thinking of or you not of or tawdry rhymes There was mischief in her eyes eos as she retorted ed And will you ou cease thinking of me when whan I am your wife sir sr Thinking of me will not keep the pot vot boiling She glanced at the rock crock and contin continued continued continued I 1 am dressed eed for the act I do not go on for fifteen min minutes minuteS minutes utes In that time if It I am to marry you a week from Wednesday you must prove rove your ability to support me see In Inthe inthe the style to which I have been accustomed tomed Tou You shall make mo me an im impromptu Impromptu impromptu lyric of two quatrains and two refrains Agreed he said Bald producing pencil and paper provided you OU furnish the first and alternate lines Oh but you pretend to be a poet while I 1 You tray may handicap me he said eagerly Ill rn furnish the rhymes and andou you 3 iu ou shall shaU be 00 the stakes in a battle ef or ofu u wita She S1 e seized the pencil and wrote With au autos auto tOIl flowers and diamonds i Oh you ou poor overconfident author doomed to die a bachelor His Ht reply was wail to write quickly He hurried and nd he harried her herTo herTo herTo To which she added with a smile of triumph But Dot she sho was wait more than sW et sixteen I r score exclaimed the author glee gleefully gleefully fully i and completed the first qua quatrain quatrain train And that Is IB why ho he married her Oh you cynic exclaimed the Prima Prim Donna besides it SI is e not nice nice What do you expect In fn fifteen min minutes minutes utes Shakespeare You Tou are right this is comic opera she said and by comic opera we must live llva the first refrain retrain But you had tub tIft advantage a vantage of or the last word Now you ou shall begin Agreed he replied with suspicious celerity and wrote Ha He harried her herShe She And man married led her herKe Ke And aided al ed and abetted abe ted her herShe She SheIle He scolded her He And molded her W tit it a minute said the Prima Donna Donn with pencil poised abetted her abetted her Time he exclaimed excl med Sun Stilt she hesitated He sel seized ed the pen pencil pencil pen cil and completed the Ule refrain And frequently regretted her You beast she pouted But you have had the advantage of a cynical mans standpoint Now I have you For an instant her ber fair fall brow con contained contained contained three perpendicular corrugations thins In answer to the call boys yarning the baritone In powdered the contralto with towering chignon and ud patches and the principal comedian with a pepper box nose passed hurriedly through the room to the stage Ten minutes said the author The Prima Donna wrote With fears arid a d smites smiles and ana a sweet swee t concern He quickly She petted coaxed en enraptured enraptured enraptured him She with faltering pencil His soul Invited with her sighs He with a flourish And that Is how she ahe captured him Wretch You are not fair This time J I shall begin the refrain myself She hesitated You are sparring for Cor w wind ind he said In n prize ring argot It is against the ules rules of or the game game Look to your our laurels Mr Poet Now for Cor the refrain Her pencil flew fiew over the paper She Enraptured him He And captured him Just a minute she pleaded Comis Com Is Opera pera authors with domestic responsibilities have no time for re reElection Election he said sternly Time But you tyrant trant I almost have it itI ItI itI I have it quite he said and tak taking takIng ing her hand with the pencil in it wrote Then forthwith she diminished him Then doubted him Oh she said accusingly so you cheat It your our turn It was my turn he insisted Am I to sacrifice my m turn simply because Iam I Iam am amiable enough to play pia your hand ham for you Oh Ob very el well sir this Is easy She And nd flouted him He And ultimately finished him Is that a prophecy she demand demanded ed od warningly No ND he answered it Is comic op opera opera era It is proof that the pot will con continue continue continue to boll boil after a week from Wednesday i You win she said and arid gave him I I her hand The call boy b 0 y thrust a head he d Into the room Your cue oue ue Miss bliss Sylvestre Copyright 1001 by W TV R Hearst |