Explore "Red and Black" by Grece S. Richmond on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Tom Lockhart emerged from the stage dressing-room in the uniform of a French soldier, his face made up with paint and powder and crayon to indicate that he was in the final stages of suffering from gunshot wounds. His head was bandaged, his clothes were torn, but he gave the lie to these signs of disaster by dashing up the stairs and into the wings of the stage with the lusty action of perfect health and a great zest for his part.
Behind the big curtain he found all the actors in Cary's play assembled -- except one. The star -- everybody had taken to calling Fanny Fitch the star throughout the rehearsals -- was still missing, quite after the manner of stars. It was yet early, and the audience in front was but half assembled, but Cary had laid great stress upon everybody's being ready and in the wings before the curtain should rise. He had small faith in amateur call boys and prompters, and the action of the play was to take place so rapidly that nobody could be permitted to linger in a dressing-room once the piece was on.