Show t 1 y t n c s rt EADY FINGERS HE audience never s saw w it all The rest THE J- J of La Belles Belle's act took place back back- stage Not even the stagehands noticed the fluttering little person who held Tony the Wonder Dog If Ir Prunella could h help lp it no audience would ever see her But La Belle had other plans That's why Prunella was here though she hated the stage the hungry audience audiences audiences audi audi- ence the glare of spotlights the blare of music every second of the cheap twelve minute te act All there was to the act out front was wasLa wasLa wasLa La Belle an timer old-timer and her performing perform perform- ing dog But a real performance was going on behind the wings For Prunella with Tony in her arms had raced off to the dark dressing room to lay layout out La Belles Belle's wedding gown Hurry up Lady Fingers taunted LaBelle La LaBelle Belle pushing open the door Behind the comedienne Prunella saw Svend the Swedish acrobat La Belles Belle's f latest catch They were being married 0 this very afternoon La Belle slipped into her wedding dress fuming as she did so Svend so-Svend Svend watching timorously Tony from his pillow watching watching watching watch watch- ing too but Prunella holding on the tightest with her anxious eyes A last touch of cheap perfume a dab of heavy powder from a huge puff that found its way back unabashed into La LaBelle's LaBelle's Belles Belle's stocking a fluff of hairpins and andLa andLa La a Belle was ready Dont mind me dearie deariel she remarked to Prunella her hand on the doorknob doorknob- and was gone I Prunella could hear her footsteps melt away Through the thin walls of the theatre theatre theatre the the- atre the mist of music and waves of ap applause applause applause ap- ap came up to her like a veil vell On and on spun the wheel of acts that never stopped shabby continuous third finish napping she told Tony Then well we'll go for a walk in the park For Fol how could Prunella guess what awaited her th there re L THE HE stuffy dressing room smelled I strongly of cheap sachet and rancid grease paint rhe The dust of afternoon threw a softness over all the ugliness of of it it over the st stained ined walls the cheap ragged ragged ragged rag rag- rag rag- ged pho photographs stuck up with pins the unframed mirror whose silver was thin thin- ning Prunella hated it She hated theatrical life Ufe She hated herself She was always either cither 12 or 18 years of age or not LaBelle's La LaBelle's Belles Belle's daughter at all depending Sometimes Sometimes Some Some- times she was La Belles Belle's baby sister for forto forto to a acknowledge knowledge a daughter of 18 was not only detrimental to ones one's stage career but also an item best withheld from prospective husbands La Belle had once tried to make an actress out of her She had bought a little costume all ribbons and frills taught her steps tried her out towns where anything and everything went But Prunella had burst into tears righton right on oil the stage and crabbed the act something something some ti thing ng fierce tierce as fierce as as La Belle described it to Tim Bryan her husband at the time After it was over Prunella had begged so hard to stay off that La Belle could do nothing with her The costume even now lay at the bottom of the trunk way J down at the bottom where La Belle when she went searching through I Ithe the clothes like a storm could not find it Prunella could see the trunk trunk from the high stool where she sat dreaming A As 5 s bark from Tony reminded her that it was time for his airing i HEY were in the park when U the e adventure adventure ad- ad THEY J- J venture happened Tony was first to see the string Come Com be a dear give it to me mel she pleaded knowing his fondness for string t Give me that bit of string do But Tony had a a. temperament like La Belles He did not believe in surrender I his He settled himself comfortably on hind legs The string began to disappear please I Please repeated Prunella breathlessly fully aware of the consequences consequences conse conse- quen es if the valuable Tony should be indisposed Wont barked Tony lony out of the side of his Ills mouth Wont He gave a deep swallow then hung his head dolefully Prunella crumpled down beside the choking dog Oh dear Oh dear dearl she cried wringing her hands Her mouth I quivered then tightened Tony was her baby after all the funny bad old fellow What was she to do A pair of brown shoes stopped right beside her Her eyes climbed along the path of brown trousers up up to the brown shoulders till un she found the strong brown face Hello I it greeted her wrong Tonys swallowed string again Two brown hands firm and capable pried open Tonys Tony's mouth long fingers lingers tweezer-like tweezer vanished downs down his throat and triumphantly drew forth the string There Therel he exclaimed as he held it up for inspection Would madam like to preserve the trophy And though his Ups lips were prepared for laughter as he spoke his voice remained exceedingly formal Prunella giggled and rose to her feet He He stood looking down at her taller than any of the men she h. h Lad d known When she became accustomed o 0 him he appeared to grow a little less tall all the time till his size was practically per- per perfect feet lect In the future when the dog swallows string he remarked casually Id suggest suggest suggest sug sug- gest fee feeding him pearls I Prunella gazed at him inquiringly Feeding g him pearls when he swallows string she queried in ire a a. charmingly naive voice come out strung be he nodded m smilingly Prunella laughed outright It was a a. pity she didn't laugh oftener she laughed so prettily thought Tony who sat there crestfallen and glum The man in brown was staring at her She was little and pale and looked a good deal like a delicate wild flower Her thin hands seemed almost transparent Her thin fingers hovered over everything without touching anything She walked on tiptoe as If she did not wish to disturb disturb dis- dis dISturb dis dIS- the world with the sound of at her footsteps They stopped every few steps to look at each other but never even so som m much ch as glanced at Tony Tony found it the longest walk he had ever taken with Prunella The others made it evident that the time had passed all too quickly They reached the park gateI gateI gate I guess Ill I'll have to run now said Prunella shyly Really r I dont don't know how to thank you I IBY By letting me call of course ourse I The brown eyes flashed expectantly Prunella shrank back Call Call where Surely not at the dingy boardinghouse boarding boardinghouse boardinghouse house nor at the theatre dressing room nor anywhere where La Belle would be sitting around in tight silk things from her toes to her hips laughing and unashamed unashamed unashamed un un- un- un ashamed as the men walked in and out Somehow this man was of a a. different world the sort she inhabited only in her dreams Im sorry she replied shyly The Thelong Thelong Thelong long lashes like a soft silk curtain over her lovely eyes said the rest But your name wont name wont won't you even tell me that that I iU cf breathlessly I just lust cant can't lashes fluttering Please understand Its It's just that I 1 cant can't And she touched his hand with her fingertips He captured the little fluttering tl things embraced them and gave them back re reluctantly re- re Oh well with a hurt look Im not the sort to insist But well we'll meet again Somehow I know we will I I- I and he dropped that sentence too There was a a. silence Prunella ru felt much much older than the young man She wanted to pull his head into her lap by his ears and rumple his hair into his eyes But she merely gave l him m a long long look Then Tony observed a a. breach of eti eti- quette The young man didn't so much muchas as say good-by good to Prunella not so much muchas as a good good-by He just stood there and stared EIGHT FORTY EIGHT ORTY-EIGHT hours sweet with dreams of squire square brown shoulders and strong fingers and a a. merry smile Then a rude a awakening wakening La Belle Belie collapsed at the finish of the afternoons afternoon's performance and had to be carried earned to her dressing room Svend the Swede was frightened and ran away so Prunella Prunell spread clothes out on the floor till one orie of the stagehands found a cot and brought it in The comedienne looked at the girl with fri frightened unsteady eyes Im pretty bad baa this time she moaned and pressed her hand to her heart What now thought Prunella Another Another Another An other attack Another She rummaged rummaged rummaged rum rum- maged through the trunk for the purple bottle of smelling salts the tte little bronze box with Its pin money o The manager puffing red-faced red filled 1 the doorway like a a. threat up Prunella n nodded in in in- inthe the direction of LaBelle La LaBelle LaBelle Belle anc am seized her green hat Im going for a doctor Be back in a min min- minute ute and she was off She remembered dimly a doctors doctor's sign at the other end of the park She had passed it it ft with Tony in tow pointing it out as a warning to tt tc him l m if ever he swallowed swallowed swallowed lowed string She reached the thc tall brownstone bro house ascender the steps step and rang the doctors doctor's bell The doctor was not in inthey they they told her but was expected shortly Ask him to call callI she requested firmly and wrote down where When she returned to the theatre she found the Hunky Dory Girls sitting atLa at atLa atLa La Belles Belle's bedside and the manager voiced loud d. d shouting at all of or them got to do it I l lie ln was arguing I got no other act to sub substitute this late latel The dogs dog's on the bills an all alII And he war wal ed up up and down up and down like like a wild man She cant can't whispered La Belle She gets g ts stage fright when whim she goes goes' ant Prunella stepped in between them she Please dont don't bother other her now begged What is it have to do It There was a world of meaning in his voice have to take the act on He pressed his fat lips lip together with an air o o finality Prunella stared If It you dont don't go on on Ill I'll cancel the rest of your engagement he threatened chewing viciously at the black blac stub of cigar which hung from a corner of his mouth Prunella read the answer in the begging begging begging beg beg- ging eyes that tha burned with hopes of what she still might be How could she go on Shed She'd only make mase a failure of t as as always She stared at La Belles Belle's gray face There was no up make-up on it ft now The lines of agony were written plainly all over It like ruts in a road where heavy wagons had passed Then something came and rubbed against her It was Tony She looked down at the friendly black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes the frantic little tail tall tapping like a drumbeat on the wooden floor Then she bent over and brought him up in her arms kissing him with quick little kisses Tony had decided for her Ill I'll go on ani she told the manager ina Ina in ina a weak voice flushed Sho flushed as she 10 met metLa metLa metLa La Belles Belle's grateful eyes Ill IU try my r Dame Fortune Smiles When f i Tony Introduces Prunella to Romance Romance f I A i j l I f iQ vJ y r fI Ii I ii 99 jj i PA A H f Y S i J. J f She couldn't just go on How she sIte hated it all I b best est She buried her face in the fluff bof of f the dogs dog's neck Tony was barking happily Prunella pulled out the dress a bouffant bouffant bouffant fant skirt and satin vest the costume she had worn in her disastrous stage debut years before She slipped the skirt skirt on over her pink silk bloomers It was very short It didn't meet at the back She had outgrown it Look the she whispered to La Belle BelIe The comedienne opened up her eyes and smiled faintly at the grotesque little figure RUNELLA knew there was no time for P PRUNELLA alterations It would have to do just justas as it was was all all but the belt The Tho belt was much too tight So she slipped It off opened a few ew stitches beneath the band and let out the material Then with a hairpin she threaded two yards of narrow narrow narrow nar nar- row ribbon through the band tying it at atthe atthe atthe the back with streamers and a a. bow The ribbon was all that held it together I IThe The call bell rang Prunella gave her costume a a. final fluff She felt hot and cold in turn She lifted Tony from his pillow patted l his s pink bow into place and pattered down the stairs The manager was waiting She slipped Tony into his outstretched hands Ill send bin hiir along I he lie said In a hoarse whisper Now go on like a brave girl You can do it His Ills nervous chewing chewing chew chew- ing lug on the dripping cigar stub denied Ins his s words The Hunky Dory Girls were just fin fin- finishing finishing up The orchestra was climbing the high notes to the loud crash of finale Prunella felt faint Her throat contracted contracted contracted con con- The palms of her hands grew moist and clammy She couldn't go on ani She just couldn't go on How she hated it all alII The orchestra played the opening notes of her act vamped once twice three times She didn't dare let a fourth vamp slip sUp by It made an audience restless to tobe tobe tobe be kept waiting Prunella took a deep breath and lurched forward out on the stage The cruel spotlight found her toyed with her heras heras heras as a a. wild beast might toy with its prey and finally enmeshed her In its glare She stood there staring The house re returned returned re- re turned the stare It saw a very small girl in a short bouffant skirt Thin silk-clad silk legs Bare Baro arms A pale startled face all eyes The costume she wore was very economical Upper part just a tiny vest armholes arn cut deeply Lower part a hint of skirt and little girl legs The girl herself w was s doing nothing Just standing there here and staring The house couldn't understand it It sat back with a this attitude PRUNELLA RUNELLA began to speak In a piping voice She had forgotten a all about tIE the songs which were part of the act Louder some one threw down from the gallery Behind the wings the manager swore loudly scowling down at the restless dog dogIn dogin dogin in his arms Tony was watching Prunella out of his sharp black eyes He realized in his dog mind that something had gone wrong r The orchestra went on playing softly but that only made matters worse Prunella Prunella Pru Pru- nella signaled distractedly for Tony Tony came out at a a trot the Wonder Dog do Tony can everything everything every every- thing but speak He can count numbers What number would yo you like When La Belle asked for numbers number the audience threw them down recklessly and Tony barked baked them back correctly But now one or two responded weakly were immediately squelched by the others and hung back like abashed children who had spoken out of their turn The stage was slipping beneath her Tony can dance she announced just justas as she had seen La Belle announce it What Wha would Tony like to dance fo for the ladles ladies and gentlemen Waltz Two-step Two Fox trot And as if Tony himself l had made the selection Prunella in a wl whisper whisper whis whis- per told the orchestra leader A waltz for Tony Professor Tony danced His waltzing brought a faint La Belle was not there to make it seem the most wonderful wonder wonder- ful feat on earth When Tony obliged with lith a a. two-step two the house muttered yawned Prunella smiled pitifully at Tony Poor dog it wasn't his fault Tony returned the smile brightly He did not associate Prunella with work Prunella was his playfellow Why was Prunella where La Belle should have been Perhaps Prunella was merely playing with him And so Tony became somewhat careless of his customary theatrical theatrical theatrical the the- form Prunella stepped in front of or Tony Tony will now trot fox she |