Show II E JANE DUKE I A ASt Story or of the Stage g gt e t II ft By MARION HILL Author of The Twine Tine etc f I 1 What ever tt Yr or made mad her adopt the stage ata for a profession murmured Y MUM Mis Nance Xan Delancey with a supercilious r sigh less leas in the tone of one ope a W g a question than hinting at a disparage disparagement t la ment as if t the poor stage with a cap capital capital ital S vaa taa very much a sufferer by bythe bythe bythe the recruit Moreover she ahe was waa w talkIng talk talkIng Ing ins to Can tarlton arlton ton the good juvenile man I D who had thus far proved impervious tu to t her frankly offered op opportunities for flirtation and she want wanted wanted ed M to find out nut what might or might not i be his predilections In another quarter Whom hom do yon mean by her sug SUI suggested he with baffling amiability Dont you ou know Im Fm sure it might r be interesting to here her explain Oh OhI I II It MI Miss Duk Duke Come ome here a minute As All the genuinely young youns yoU 1 3 and laughing Jane J lle drew obligingly near nr Mies II Nam Nance put on the arch 1 little stare that is 18 s recommended by j beauty cult to eradicate wrinkles 1 She always secretly dreaded a daylight comparison with Janes Jnes smooth fair fairness J newt ness Nane Nano had mounted unwillingly t I i but inevitably into the thirties that r perilous platform where a leading wo woo woman woof woman f man if she be Iud luel y may pane as u a 1 girl for at least leant ten years y or may wretchedly topple into the class clau of ot otI I old bid women worren and stay there thare Nance Nana 1 i was a courageously holding on by the balustrades She was fascinatingly pretty pret pretty pretty J ty by night but went veiled by day What seems seem to be the difficulty S here her cried out Jane JaDe flashing an un untroubled untroubled troubled glance glan from one to the other oUter W Miss Delancey wanta to know kaow why you iu went on the stage said let Carlton y with a II masterly shift of ot 1 H i Nance nodded a charming acceptance She was willing pilling to take even responsibility r from Carlton tarlton If II she could got get nothing else el ely Why y did you AOU dear she queried sweetly Yet t T 1 can ean make a good guess Tt It was waa Art for tor truths sake lIke Not ot much it denied Jane JaDe coolly It was W Plug Plu for fOT I Dough Doupe oi gha Sai Sake Carlton appreciatively but Sane Xane looked aggrieved It is Ie jut just that t tort ort of talk which In Injures injures injures jures the profession We e should strive to have hae our speech uphold the dignity of the stage she said in passing to it might be mentioned that speech wa was the only mews means left leet to Mies It Us Delancey for the upholding pur par purpose pose late We w have hate to sacrifice our per personal personal prejudices es Our own awn names name na must musti i ro 0 If they the are not sufficiently pretty You Tou my o dear ar v would have hac done wen well to tn change our Ipa on me mee extremely enle nely ug one OM for foi H R name more sweetly Uy counting a Think I c demanded Jane I 1 sat At up several K irai ral nights to Invent It Where Wheres It chipped hipped T TOh Oh It it jM assumed I never would i have bare dreamed if iC iCor it Nor or I agreed Jane heartily that why wh i lifted It t down don for f mine IDe nut why wh Jane Janea a Why not ant Its nut neat and aM brief Has no cr lR lip out ont And Daze t ake U Is i Immense it h hints hint of or wealth Ith Mid and lid pros prosperity a and II with Kith a coronet or two j thrown in Ini InI I i Ms Mft May I T ask as what is our Tell real name namer I von may m y tried cordial t i Jar Jan Ja vou h efing no further f I 1 It What I f if It pursued Nance angry I but undeterred T df dt Der DerI Tev I re reOh I Oh wh why b you keep k it so 10 on the 1 hill bills Ills Nance yet y t sadly ay ae till It if Ite Iti I the e f oversight ht h It er adequately queered i i t i Ja Jan es career rp forever J U Tt had too ins songy a sound too ton I 1 for me f r rI Ironed honed his hi face r i Into t June Jane had bad not a at spark ar ti rf nr une in her Mr competition t t t I Rhe was a lu lust iut It t DP luCy y gabbier il I a oo eo chI hc h n s as s 1 joyous nu no Oct fiat let of sheer hi 11 exhilaration she ahe too every e ry fence the Fhe he tame came a m too ter to X lP nc ws 11 not without tactics tactic She and said calmly What at a funny tunny woman you are at r f Janes diminutive youth Carlton oh red t gravely Have Flate H you OU reached a sufficient stage since to earn the tilt honorable title of woman I Y dont hind Tind woman said saM Jane never nonplussed Id much sooner be bf a II young Toun woman than an old girl rl This Nance refused to bear hear bearDo i Do you ou know where is I she e e asked aked of Carlton tarlton was wa the thi manager 1 Sorry but T 1 an Idea ob oh observed i f served Carlton Carllon with Ith regretful re eyed frankness it is muck much better to be beJ J without ideas than to furnish Informs information i tion Uon that a man who IB is being Ing asked j by b one woman Is assiduously a ly paying Ing attention to another was waa I a charming chorus girl Carlton Carl Carlton Carlton ton well ell knew It but among professionals professionals it Is the very bulwark or of friend friendship ship not to know what hat your neighbor k is le up towell to toWell toWell Well Ill try to find him I want to speak to him hint about my dressing room f t She turned and left them Walks alks as if It she ahe had money mOT she ahe murmured murm Carlton watching the retreat Dresses like It It too She y must rost cost Mr fr Nance a pretty petty extra H penny 9 Mr Nance NaMe said WI Jane JaRt darkly T hIa la Ice she a married woman She was waa yesterday said Id Carl war warily ar lil f fly ily I dont know about today It test last long il I Oh from one minute to the next conceded Carl Cart generously she not got t t It 4 scattered all aU 1 ever over the United States State 4 And Anel yet she keeps keep kee angling for a aman aJ j J I j i man right rt ht straight along cried Jane 1 Indignantly adding with the stern stem out outspokenness of raw youth and if i c after alter you too as hard bard as she ahe can go I Pleased by a vibrating resentment r in I f her fr tr fresh eh h voice nice Carlton Canton nevertheless 1 appeared to hug hu her allegation to heart MarL heartIs Is she he asked happily Wont 1 11 It te tP t Jolly lolly when hen she be gets geta me s When accused used Jane J JJ If It he h amended am graciously J Ive rv hung tu around this beck back door all Im going to ter announced Jane Jam JaneThe S The entire company arrived in town A but hot an hour ago al o had paid their corn com compulsory pul visit to the theatre had ex examined p I the dressing rooms assigned tr to them and were PI lingering for possible t f managerial directions or for probable t j mall n L i mallAnd And Ind nd I Y agreed Carlton tarlton c t rAt et g a ai f l i bark back to the hotel hot Chum thum ii ih t kins h J her arm firm irm he b shook hook an emphatic emu hati at st the surroundings and anda asked i t a J f your bearings bearing Or will wr WI find 1 v J i to tonight t L l i night ten unites minutes in before ui ur cue ue I 3 J wandering downtown around Hound the post postoffice i 3 office or the Jail hunting for the stage 1 t entrance Eli I Oh th that t tray when 1 I was new ex explained X Xi l i Jar ei easily ily The Th statement j t was wall evident lv V t try ry I y ve g gained ne l nr 01 n tI sixth tense now not that nine h in iri U t Jj t 1 dt by bv which I n ft ItH e r straight trai ht to t 0 y r back door u on arriving iI II nt st a town without asking a question i r too Do you 01 know kno how I do io It I 1 1 at ih theatre bv by b our lien I live iii down wn n the he nearest alei ale i J 3 I r rr around f th ooh i n 1 n ath th r a g aCc ger Cc tc t 1 i t ti ti i t i 1 j That Tha c t irro a r ff l t tS S 1 iI c t i f c And ADd were due doe to hunt It again apin in than two hours houn so wed better batter choke cooke down some ome supper The 7 walked to the hotel Kind Ind of clean little tittle town it r asked Jane Jalle giving It a polite petite but brief glance the name of it ft What hat If Allentown heard hard you Oh Ok Allentown Dont you ever eyer know where you ou are Never What the use W blow blew m kt mone I one morning and out the tit next nuL Why bother Do you know what hat we play to tonight tonight night sarcastically asked Carlton Sort of though weve played it only three months Honor H nor bright pm fm m aw awfully tun fully glad I began my troy career In the le Ie legitimate legitimate Shake peares a ed education d I dont do a thing but but make makeup up for tor a page palle and lid stand like a stiff ft be beside beside beside side throne but Just Jut hoar hear hearing healIng ing the beautiful speeches uplifts me Carlton put out a level evel hand band and measured her height YuIl Y II stand con uplifting till still he commented Shak es stuffed cram hiD fun of at things t I always alway thought were w e In JM tre Bible BiMe mused mud Jane JaM Do you U say ear 1 everything that ce ceI I n r into your head had pleaded Carlton with patient sadness No said Jane pointedly or you ou ba b half so ao friendly This Th parts us ua said Carlton firmly firmly and they the sought their respective rooms roams When Jane reached the theatre theotre that night she was wan as usual ten minutes late but also as usual She merely dabbed on her makeup a 8 trifle more carelessly ca ly than was Its due and Jumped j into her doublet and hose more hastily arriving at the tho wings very much lovelier and long Ions before the others oth others others ers who M had been there on time She had all the maddening aplomb which is I the curse of the novice and did not acknowledge e to a nerve servo in her body Her colleagues colleague truer artists as they appeared from their dressing creasing rooms were In a state of ot nervousness s border bordering ing In i ng upon panic Jane grinned at them serenely yet she admittedly envied I Ithem them and was waa aware aware that not till tm the same sale Dale Ille fright should descend de upon u n herself her h ell would she be the artist of her ambition strikingly handsome in his hie kingly guise was on the verge of ridic ridiculousness ridiculousness constantly primping his lips smoothing his hit curls cone adjusting his er ermine ermine ermine mine and smiling his radiant property smile at nothing He was an Israel young New Yorker with plenty of money and plenty of brains brins too but none for Shakespeare as often happens hap happens pens pent and he was confiding to his troupe that he lie landed intended In next season to star In an eccentric part better suited to the that Is fa pow he put It IL ItHe it itHe He held audibly to the opinion that he be was the best beet be t Shakespearean actor of ot today have hae an opportunity to show your talents in fn another direction he heId said Id You too Muse Miss Duke Ive cast you for tor a dandy dand part small but fat And youil have a chance to study me meIn meIn mein In a new neww role Youve never seen me medo medo medo do have you Yes I ha contradicted Jane Ive seen your Our Macbeth The palsied silence which fell tell was fortunately fortunate for Jane broken by the sudden udden music of or the orchestra which like a magicians charm transformed them immediately Into dwellers of ot the past pant Even Sven Jane sobered and strove to remember a few fe bits of business she was wu to forget torget till seeing Stud helm from his hie kingly throne glare at ather ather ather her herBut But no matter how good her re resolve reo resolve solve circumstances generally generall found her in disgrace dl gra As tonight In the throw throne scene CeDe at the very Tel psychological moment of the stagy pause and silence with which prefaced his most moat tiling telling speech the awe was vas rent and scattered by a smothered tackle cackle of ill m placed mirth from Jane of course Pipe the throne thron she whispered nudging nud ln the earl ear next her The earl looked and guffawed A prince and a afew afew afew few leaser laser nobles did the same Upon the gilded rungs run of ot the royal seat some domestic dome Uc stagehand who evidently behind the some scenes had hung hun a pair of modern modem and bargain red socks to dry dr Two for five hissed ed Jane Jam sending off the few who had so far tar behaved themselves Thundering from his hla eminence Stud helm soon had control of ot the scene again apin Jana judged edged it 11 pretty prett good policy to td temporarily disappear when the drop fell had a quick change to slake and dared not take the time to hunt her irr When he was safely s Cely 1 Im m 1010 ea IH in the tb current of the second ond act Jane Jam came out of retreat and amiably ambled among her Iter friend trind She had the social and could not be crushed for long at a time tim 1 n is going gong now she shea a ked l insinuating herself Into a con cont j i t n between and Nance I and ana seating herself boyishly on a con convenient convenient bier Nance Nanct was a all perilously beautiful o nights night tarlton had excusable t admira admiration tin tion in 1 ik b fine F fy eyes o T 1 i try ry fp fin iI 11 i i ar i Sio Kali glancing i mg IT at hr 1 sadly it must be he shocking to have to wear so 80 immodest t a garb arb Immodest t queried Jane tilting up her tiny feet teet to eye her ber boyish slimness f toe to sash However if It f my m contour offends yow yon continued Jane kindly Ill cover it She took the white pall pan from the bier in reality an n ample linen Hoen sheet and draped It around her like a ghostly cloak Gabbling she waa was still sitting this way when hurriedly sought her He was waa harmlessly full of trou trouble trouble trouble ble of the present ure ent not the past We are shorthanded for tor guests in inthe Inthe inthe the audience chamber Miss IbiS Duke he said Id and I 1 want you to go on to till flU fillup up lip p No 0 ejust just walk up and down d wn at the beck bade with the others Go Goas Gou Goas as u you OU are he ordered referring to the tile fact fad that she ehe need nM l not dress sas as a woman but could keep on Oft her pages suit sulL Just Jest aa u I am gasped Jane em emphasising ng the sheet at bI bg extending It IL Just as you are I said It was his I testy teaty rejoinder He had bad seen but the doublet anti and hose All right said Jane resignedly e pear s a h rum so go from start tart to I finish h I She therefore convulsed an audience and petrified pet riffed a stage by stalking pen pensively pensively ively s up and down a ducal audience chamber among brocaded nobles clad cladin eladin cladin in the eye simplicity of a pal palpable palpable palpable pable sheet Coming off so 80 innocent was her con conscience conscience science s that She never so much as dodged when the thi furious hurled himself at her What do you mean you by wear wearing wearing ing this thin confounded thing he demand demanded ed tweaking it from her shoulders Jane promptly ceased from being a hireling and she flashed him such a alook alook alook look of ot regal womanhood that he tar tardily tardily dily city regained his manners Dont you dare swear at me mel she ahe menaced passionately pas nor touch me ever Her little fingers clung unconsciously unconsciously unconsciously around her pages dagger quite as if it she were ready to put It t into him I only did what you told me and if its wrong wr ng its you ubo are to blame and I 1 who ought to be swear swearing swearing ing ingAll All the listeners held their breath at this tirade for tor was king off oft and on His glare changed to grudging admiration By Jove youre fresh freeh arent you he demanded And you dont like them that way do you asked Jane who WM had swiftly recovered her nonchalance She cast coat casta coata a flickering glance in the |