The Argosy, January 1906 — page 104: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Wa Be hehe Hy 236 as for her histrionic triumphs, I have it on the most reliable authority that her manager has to train her for every part like a parrot. Every tone she uses, every gesture she makes, every pose she as- sumes has to be drilled and rehearsed into her over and over again. “No, Helen, don’t dream that if she were not a popular actress—made so by judicious booming—F'red Saxby or any other man would ever give her a second look. It 1s simply because they think they are doing something ‘ Bohemian,’ associating with genius, as it were, that they seek her out.” Helen had no answer to make to this assertion ; and shortly afterward the two girls retired. But, although her companion almost immediately dropped off to sleep, Miss Brown lay awake a long time turning over and over in her mind the expla- nation propounded by her friend for the recent defection of the man whom she had come to regard as in a sense her own particular cavalier. Fred Saxby ‘had been her champion and her knight almost since the time of “their schooldays. No actual engagement existed between them ; yet there had been almost a tacit understanding that some day they were to be married. She could not disguise from herself, however, that of late there had seemed a perceptible falling off im his allegiance. He did not come to the house so often, and when he did come, he appeared moody, preoccupied, and distraught. Moreover, from various sources it had reached her ears that he was paying ardent court at the shrine of the reign- ing theatrical success, Miss Lora Tre- mont, leading lady of the Bromwell & Brueton stock company. At first Helen had simply laughed at such reports; but to-night, when: after a very brief and ceremonious eall he had left with an extremely flimsy ex- euse, his actions had seemed to confirm the story which Gertie Allen had brought her that Miss Tremont was entertaining that evening with an after-theater sup- per party, and that Saxby was to be the guest of honor. It must be so, then, that he was vastly taken with this queen of sock and buskin; but, such being the case, Helen THE ARGOSY. could not credit her friend’s diagnosis of the character of the attraction. True, she herself, from one cause ‘or another, had never seen Miss Tremont either on or off the stage; but it did not seem to her possible that Fred Saxby’s fastidious faney could have been en- snared by a woman so utterly lacking in all attributes of charm. There must be some subtle witchery about this actress, she concluded, which had evaded the vision of her chum, but “which Saxby had been able to see, and to which he had surrendered. And with the jealousy aroused which lurks at the bottom of every woman’s soul, she re- solved to study the other woman, and whatever the potent force of her attrac- tiveness might be, to adapt it to her own personality. Thus would she win her errant swain back to his fealty. Full of this project, she lost no time in putting it into effect. The next day happened to be a mat- inée at the Arbor Theater, where Miss Tremont was playing in “ Love’s Comedy,” and after her lunch Helen duly repaired thither, having first rid herself of the company of Miss Allen on the specious excuse that she had a head- ache, and wanted to walk it off on a soli- tary stroll. She was able to secure a seat only very far back; but later she had occasion to regard this as an extremely fortunate mischance, for just before the curtain rang up, red Saxby sauntered in and took a chair in one of the forward pro- scenium boxes. From her position in the shadow of the balcony, she could see him, and with her glasses note every expression which erossed his face, while at the same time herself remaining reasonably secure from recognition at his hands. She fervently thanked her lucky stars for this, as she noted that during the first part of the act Saxby’s attention was directed far more to the audience than to.the play. It was evidently an old story with him, for he deliberately turned his shoulder upon the opening scenes and amused himself by idly sean- ning the faces of the spectators. With the appearance of Miss Tremont, however, a change came into his bored (e(@) Ccomichoo