A Christmas Fairy Story

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVI, Issue 14, 7 April 1906, Page 14

A Christmas Fairy Story

By

Peggy Webling

THE ladies of the ballet trooped through the dingy swing door, under a tarnished yellow gas lamp, into the street. Cosmo l^eyton,lounging against the wall, noticed that every girl wore a eheap fur collar, a string of imitation pearls, or a bunch of violets. The ladies of the ballet smiled at Cosmo, for he was not only a handsome young man, but tin only son of the proprietor and manager of the small, prosperous, provincial theatre, where a “gorgeous, oldfashioned pantomime"* was in active prepara t ion. Cosmo was an observant young man, and 1 he girls impressed him even less favourably, giggling and (’battering in their everyday clothes, than they had done in their spangles and gauze at the dress rehear.-al. “Well, my boy, what do you think of the show?’’ asked Mr Leyton, the manager, who was hot, worried, and unshaven. His son. a successful touring actor, home for the Christinas holidays, was naturally regarded as a competent judge. “Oh, it’s all right. (Tad/’ answered Cosmo. “The girls won’t be hanged for their lieauty, will they?” "Oh, I don’t know—girls are all pretty much alike to the fellows in front when they’re togged out,” said Mr Leyton, cheerfully. Cosmo shrugged his shoulders, and idly watched the little crowd pushing through the stage door. He looked bored and felt melancholy. It was such a pitiful. anxious croSCfT; he thought so mean and sordid. Suddenly his lazy eyes opehed wide and the quick blood of youth leapt; into hi; Tate. He bent forwatT, surprised a a • ii i erested, looking after one of the girls. She was following a middl • -aged man—irnying after him like a dog at his master’s heels-—fastening •; shabby •black jacket as she ran. Her pale heavy yellow hair flew across her face, like a misty veil, as the swing door opened. She put up a hand to clear it away, hesitated a second as if she were vaguely conscious of somebody’s gaze, looked over -Iter shoulder, and met the eager eyiO’Wf the young man. She did not blirsh, but looked at him with a sweet, questioning expression, unspoilt by confusion or self-consciousness. *'V\ ho‘is that girl ?” exclaimed Cosmo, released from the .spell, as the door closed. “Little Gilmer.” answered his father, “a nice, quiet, little body. That’s her uncle she was with—Joe Gilmer—treats her somx'thing shocking. I’m told, but 1 don’t listen to gossip.” “She hies the saddest face I’ve ever seen," said Cosmo, strangely affected by that one swift glance. •‘•Kimugh to give you the hump, ain’t it ?”• observed his father. “What does she play in the pantomime?” asked Cosmo. “A fairy,” answered the manager. Tin long first night of the pantomime was over. The noisy laughter had died away: the flashing, lights had flickered into a single gas jet at one side of the stage; the marble pillars were changed to flapping strip-’ of canvas, and the magic forest was a wilderness of dry bram hes and coarsely daubed flowers. ’l’ln (dves and goblins, the clown and harlequin—uj| the spirits of pantomime — had vanished; but there was one fairy left. She was crouching in a dark corner at the back of the stage, hidden by a piece of scenery. The tinselled wand had fallen from her cold hand, her tulle skirts were crushed and dusty, she had twisted a bit of torn blue ribbon round her neck, and she rublxul her small weary feet, in their thin dancing shoes, one over the other to keep warm. Her Straight, yellow hair shadowed her pale

face, and her timid eyes stared helplessly into the empty theatre as she crept out of her hiding place. It was little Gilmer —Winnie Gilmer — the ill-used, orphan niece of old Joe Gilmer. With a wild, childish longing to escape from the wretched lodgings that were al! she know of home, to he free for a few hours from the ceaseless quarrelling ot her uncle and his shrewish wife, she had chosen to spend the night in the dreary theatre —cold, hungry, but. free from fear. As she walked, trembling ami glancing nervously over her shoulder, towards the row of footlights, there was a sudden sound at the end of the little passage leading from the stage to the door. It was the sound of a key in the lock, and it flashed into Winnie’s mind that her brutal uncle had discovered her hiding-place. She peered into the dark passage, and. as the figure of a man was silhouetted for a second against the grey background of the street, gave a frightened scream. The man started and dropped his key, a sudden gust of wind slammed tin door, and Winnie hoard him swear. It was not her uncle’s voice. She remained immovable, and after a tew seconds the man struck a match and stooped down to hunt for the key. He was not successful in his search. She heard him try the door, but he was unable to open it from the inside. He turned towards the stage. The one gas jet threw a gleam of light on the poor, frightened fairy. He gave a great start of surprise, and stared at her, open-mouth-ed. “Oh. Mr Leyton!” she Her low. thrilling voice strangely affected (’osmo Leyton—for it was the manager’s soil. He approached her rapidly. wit h heightened colour, and laid her h;vnd v Jightfly and hesitatingly, on her shoulder. “You poor little girl! You fairy, you fa ini flower! What are you doing here?” “I was afraid to go home/’ said Winnie Gilmer, looking trustfully into his face. “My uncle is so cruel —Im not a child any longer—l can’t bear it —- 1 wish 1 were dead! ’ She did not burst into tears, as Cosmo dreaded, but the tears slowly filled the eyes that were still looking into his. and hung on the lashes, while her parted lips trembled anti her forehead was drawn into troubled lines. Cosmo, checked his first impulse to take her in bis arms as ne realised that it was net trank, innocent nature, even moie than her youth, that made her confide in an absolute stranger. “Your uncle is cruel —Io you?’’ he asked. “Yes! they call him old Joe Gilmer. We used to play in the halls in his horrid sketches—l hate them—but he (ant get many dates now. When a man drinks—ok, if you knew what I've suffered—the fear—the shame —” • “Don't speak of it!” interrupted Cosnio, “don’t think of it. When !• saw you by chance going out of the theatre I knew that you were unhappy. I’ve, been watching you all the evening. You made me forget the paint and nonsense —all this,” he swept his-hand round the dreary stage, “for you are so artless, so graceful. fo pretty! I don't.’speak hastily, for I'm a very cool-headed, unsentimental fellow — he was 23 —“but the minute 1 saw you I felt that we should be friends, the dearest friends. Forgive me for saying this, but I can't express—” His earnest, gentle manner had acted l\l<( a (harm on the girl, as she looked into his flushed face with strange joy and wonder in his own, but at Ins last words her expression (hanged, and pT!p interrupted him in a frightened voice, pointing upwards. “f/ook at the smoke!” she cried. “Look! Look!” Cosmo spun round, and, following the line of her shaking finger, saw that a

grey curl of smoke was winding its way through the Happing pieces of scenery across the top of the stage. He eould not distinguish the exact place from whence it came, but he instantly knew “There’s something on tire in the Hies,’’ he said, instinctively throwing i steady arm round the girl, “I’ll go up and see what I can do. How lucky I tame baek to the theatre —it was the merest accident —you get away as quickly as you can and give the alarm at rhe lire station.’’ He stripped off his overcoat as he spoke and made Winnie Gilmer put it on, but it was not until she was nearly at the door that he remembered dropping the key. “You can’t get out!” he exclaimed, turning an agitated face up to the Hies, where the curl of grey smoke had grown more swift and thick. “.Stay where you are and hunt for the key, but I’m afraid it fell outside the door. Don’t be frightened. It’s all right!” He gave her his box., of matches, touched her hand, ’and rushed away. Winnie Gilmer hunted wildly for the key. listening all the time for Cosmo's voice. He had climbed the ladder on the prompt -side of the stage, leading to the narrow gallery from which the carpenters lowered the curtain and scene, cloths, and discovered at once that a tangle of ropes ami bits of old scenery were smouldering and smoking against the wall. He leapt for the half dozen buckets placed in the gallery, but only two of them were tilled. Dashing the water into the threatening- smoke, he saw that promptitude and a fair supply of water would save the situation. With the energy of youth 'and strength he climbecj down to,,the stage again, pushed Winnie Gilmer, out of the way, and tried to force, the, door. “Can’t we do anything? You’re wasting time!” cried the girl, for his efforts were useless. ‘"lf there were a,man in the flies to take the buckets as I pass ’em up, we could get it under in ten minutes,” he answered, kicking the door and shouting. “Where are the buckets?” asked Winnie. “Over yonder—they’re 'always tilled—the governor sees to it himself. What are you going to do?” he broke off, as she ran towards the front of the stage. Winnie Gilmer made no -answer, but she seized the rungs of the ladder with her strong little hands, and commenced to climb. "Come down! Come down!” cried Cosmo excitedly. “Fetch the water!’” she answered. Once again her voice thrilled and touched his heart, he was filled with confidence and hope, and—inexplicable as it seemed afterwards—absolute faith in her physical strength and endurance. ‘Cosmo Leyton had never worked in his life as he worked then, and as quickly as he passed the heavy buckets up the ladder, the girl poured their contents over .tire tire. She was unconscious of fatigue or fear in the intense excitement of the" minute. When her hands touched Cosmo he felt that they were burning hot, her eyes were wide -and bright, her pale yellow hair was swept away from her face, and her body bent and swayed like a strong reed in the wind. Again and again Cosmo raised his voice, shouting “Fire!” At last there was an answering shout. The door burst open, and half a dozen men rushed on to the stage. The smouldering fire had not burst into flame, but the puffs of smoke were still wreathing their way through the strips of hanging scenery. “You’re just in time!” cried Cosmo. In the work and confusion that followed, nobody thought of Winnie Gilmer. She. crept into a dark corner, and watched the men with listless eyes. Alt her energy had died away, and she, felt utterly weary. Big tears fell through the dirty, shaking little hands she pressed:) over her face. She was thinking of

her uncle, and started to her feet with 0 cry of fear when a hand was suddenly laid on her drooping head; but it was not Joe Gilmer who was bending over her. 1. “Brave girl! Little heroine!” said Cosmo Leyton softly, and he laid one end of her torn blue ribbon against his lips. “I must go home,” she said helplessly, dinging to his hand. “Say, good-byi to me —good-bye!” Cosmo did not say good-bye, for in the light of his sudden love he foresaw a time when that word would nevRC again be spoken between them. “To-morrow!” he whispered, “To-mor-row!”