The Salamander

f hammers, the hoarse shouts into the rafters, the green-and-gold filmy sheen of the scenery, the groups in costume, chattering in the wings, the busy black-hatted, coatless

t decided. To have been certain of succeeding would have seemed to her the fullest of life; but she was not so blinded b

nly a great red eye above, ghostly draperies in the galleries, and in the mysterious catacombs below a vague flitting figure stumbling to a seat

d succession that blinded the eyes. Baum was cursing the scene-shifters, clamoring for more verdure. Trimble, the stage-manager, was in the center of the stage, rearranging a scene with the soubrette and the heavy comic. In the house itself, back of the orchestra, in the dim lobby with its dungeon reflections from the street

! Not t

e, two-one,

tch

I go

at an ic

left, I

to explore the obscurities. Above the orchestra, Felix Brangstar, his head crowned with a slouch hat, stripped to shirt and crossed p

ites. Damn you, will you thr

skipping about the heavy comic, coquetting and dodging unde

way! Mor

iney he

e's B

that tab

n your b

hen the ch

cut out.

t curtai

o! God! Carey, do you

true operetta of the sort that ten years from now will take its just place as a work of art, no longer subject to the mutilati

w she perceived nothing but the flash of a diamond stick-pin and the white sheen of his collar, while an odo

u h

ls under which he was known from one end of the Rialto to the other. He took a seat back of her, leaning

know-really knows a bit about singing as well as dancing. If they'd put it on as it is now, it would go big-by jove, it would be a re

tage-box?" said

ee their money flowing in a gutter. Never mind! they'll get a bit more cheery when T. B. begins his popularizing. It'

sat motionless, three black, ill-smelling cigars on parade, three enormous bodies, tortured by tight collars, tight vests, tight chairs, each derby set over one e

d his exposition after a prepar

"ever entice them into it? They say they're back of the firm for a third in everything! I'd give a good de

der legs, Baum moving indifferently in the confusion, giving ideas for the readjustment of the ravine and the bridge, O'Reilly darkening the blue lights to try the effect of dawn, despite the complaints of the dressmaker, who was defend

illy, for a rehearsal on lights. Ring down your curtain.

ge for firs

ker went hurriedly over the footlights, via a box; the curtain slowly settled; Brangstar climb

. Pete, bring it on slow this ti

r union, unruffled, neither to be coa

I ge

the first act. No stops!" said

egs and short arms, with the sense of brute power in the blocked head sunk in the shoulder

he said, per

o, Bl

take her hand in his enveloping grasp. "Who's that with you-the judge? Oh, Sander

oft black, broad-brimmed hat with a nervous revolving motion, sauntered on, impatient at the scraping of the vio

seat. "You know, I turn up everywhere. I'm one of those

have the power to make themselves feared: the politician in office; the representative

ing to him directly, haunted by the malice in his eyes wh

id I te

uld not misu

ttempt to see her face. "But-are you stron

sso

Sass

us, forced to accompany her to the stage

ready had her confidence, that she could talk freel

"It is not the clever man that is difficult to m

day-to warn me?" she

id, shaking his head. "You are unusual.

o be behind

ore

me," she said pensively. "Have

es

ed up, s

ha

; some time when w

instinct of making women believe they were pursuing him. She was silent

n bring back some sandwiches and cold chicken for the prima donna." But, in her mind, she was

mself for the overture, that was being announced

way in front of them, ears pricked fo

, was a fantastic romance of Hungary, strangely endowed with an intelligible plot, and this fresh presentation of wild dancing m

ols or sudden languorous calms. All the instincts that yesterday, in the change of the year, had vibrated to melancholy, now suddenly seemed to awake with the sufficiency of the instant. A fig for the future! She had a need of the present, of the day, of the hour, gloriously, deliciously stirre

obation; she moved a little way from the

tz again," said B

ignal. The motif occurred in the middle of the overture, directly a

f-we don't want it! End with that waltz. Fake it. Play it once pianissimo, fiddles; second time lou

opportunity to emerge, to do the true, the big thing, raised his fists in horror. He had either to burst into tears or swear. Swear he did, damning Blainey, Lipsw

her admiring his manner. Brangstar was a valuable ma

hat you can get under the skin of your audience! We'll soak that waltz at 'em until every mother's son of them goes

lman began to warm up and to slap one another with delight, while from the recess

ti-tu

ti-t

tum-

ndicated the box, where joy now reigned, purse

t forward into the first, arranged for the comics to give a light twist to it in the second,

e stopped the pr

pretty! Never

some gag

it-rus

something

et your chorus in

s enough a

ic wants

trike for the

. Brangstar went out to a saloon, strewing curses; Guntz, Borgfeldt and Keppelman fol

ow do you like

efore me I'd send yo

mned. I'm here to make money-yes, as every one else is, in this town! I know what the public

hispered to him that Sada

kicking about? She gets twenty weeks, whether we smash or not. I say, Judge, go and jolly h

mself further, he led the

mmitted in the name of the box-office, and too keen not to credit Blainey's logic. The fat idol-like figures of Guntz, Borgfeldt and Keppelman were realities, too; she would have to deal with that type, too-many of that type-if she chose to continue. And she had remained in long periods of absorption, scarcely heari

sorder possible. Blainey swept aside a litter of papers, and sank into a

d to a seat

he solid head, the sharp pointed nose with large nostrils, the wide mouth of a great fish, the shaggy brows and eyes of the fighter, the thin gray cockatoo rise of h

s, news from productions scattered over

up with Roderigo S

ho

gesture of intimacy, and was arranging her hair

ders

y. The answer saved the actor an engagement. With Blaine

," he persisted, a note of jeal

, you mean!" she sa

is meaning, bu

to tell you mu

uch, B

Sassoon wi

innocence, but bowing down with a sneaking admiration to the woman who played the game and won out, not for a moment did he doubt that she was of

and he gave vent to a long whistl

doing, Blainey,

temptuous abruptness of his gestures

t?" he said, his eyes narrowing covetously.

etty soon

not

her head

oon-to

into a drawer an

is? I'm keepin

ened h

r m

swore appreciatively-"it's all in a scene, a trick;

said, laughin

third ye

I'm no fool. I'm not

" he said, slapping the table.

ainey?" she said, l

" he said abruptly. "I'm interested in you, kid-pa

d to understa

g up with sentiment, for scenes of virtue triumphant, virtue resisting, virtue rewarded, genuinely moved him-on the stage: "End of second act, the girl learns she's an intruder-not Lady Marjorie, heiress to millions, but a waif, s

ians in first act. That's hers; in that great gorgeous palace-think of it-all that is hers-all she's a right to. Runs back, grabs it, hugs it to her breast, and goes out! What a chance! T

at this other side in him, not yet comp

ages. She listened without hearing, attracted and repulsed, tu

d a girl around to you for

id, with a snap. "Trim 'em, but don'

ou some one who can act-Winona Horning, and a beauty! She was going to take a part in one of Zeller's productio

t take it

me in a good stock company first. Look out, Blainey," she

lents, unfolding to her the methods he would employ. She kept her eyes on his, but she did not hear

e where the feet must tread. Not that a career was within her serious intentions. She retreated from coarseness, drawing her delicate skirts about her; ye

ver? Would it be worth while? An

sofa buttons. Her reverie centered on those buttons, counting them, running them up and down; and a curious idea

ofa buttons, offended her horribly-more than other possibilities which did not stare her in the

so so

over that double line