Show Christmas Play a aCY By CY y Ii Edelman THE T 7 HE town hall was wreathed with holly and mistletoe Bright red bells s hung from frum the old fashioned chandel er rs s Christmas candles sent th their jr soft glow into the night The whole place e cried cred out welcome to the crowd who thronged through the doors By eight o'clock every seat sent was occupied Small gossip and murmurs murmurs mur mur- murs of expectancy ran through the cro The little town was proud of the boy who was taking the leading leading lead lead- ing part in the play piny They had known Ted Rawlings all the their r lives Known him hun as an going easy-going lad interested in in to nothing nothings more than fishing fishing fish fish- ing and hunting around the country country coun coun- try tx and later r as 3 an nn astonishingly changed ambitious No one seemed to understand how the quick transition occurred All eyes turned to the stage as the heavy curtain rolled upward Three hundred pairs pairs' of eyes fastened themselves upon the moving speaking speak speak- jn in ing figures Ted wonderful young oung girls whispered breathlessly to each other Between acts thun- thun f Q w 1 r r. r I J f. f tx I rs rn Ted you ou were vcra perfectly wonderful wonder wonder- ful Sally V was s sain saying derous bursts of applause filled the f room Hands clapped with h m mence nce Small boys made their approval approval aph approval ap ap- known by shrill whistling Ted carried the audience with him every step of the way He seemed to enter to merge himself in the character he completely por por- His make believe was so intense in- in intense intense in in- tense in the last act that there was wasa a deep silence for a moment when the final curtain fell I FOR pOR OR the time it was was' no make make- 1 believe to Ted He was living again all the agony of parl of of oJ seeing Howard go away out a word He had been sure sure until her train pulled out that she Would o ld come and say how sorry she w Was s for the bitter reproachful words woods she r ld hurled at him Words that thai c had left their mark upon his soul soul- that had stung him into a mad ambitious ambitious ami am am- i desire to show her what he her 1 r could do He found no real satisfaction in inthe inthe the tumultuous applause that fol fol- lowed In this hour of his triumph his heart cried out for Sally If only she was here If only she had cared H He s scarcely arcely knew what he I was saying in answer to the lavish x congratulations i Suddenly small smail hands pressed x tightly around his arm and a are remembered re- re o voice spoke in his ear r Ted you were perfectly wonderful wonder- wonder ful Sally was saying wonderful k wonderful Im I'm so proud proud so so proud t of you J r But Sally 1 dont don't understand 1 I t. t thought you were in New York I was until last night Ive I've been keeping track of you I knew all ab about ut the play and and and-and and the way you have been working lately I J. J 1 wouldn't have missed this for anything anything anything any- any in he world thing the i But the things you said Sally They hurt they hurt they still do R I III w wanted them to hurt Ted 1 1 know know l I know it was cruel but there I i seemed no other way Someone had to give you the r right kind of pu pusH n nto to to get you going You know know- you were really lazy But now well r J youve you've really put on speed I Nothing like the speed Im I'm going going go go- ing to show in getting ready for a Christmas wedding Theres There's just two days left Weve We've got to make i ita it if t a really big event Lets Let's give out the announcement now while now while the r crowd is still in the ha hall 11 t J |