“For Heaven’s sake, do buck up!”
“Be careful there: the whole wing’s falling down.”
“That must be fixed to-morrow.”
“And what about this?”
“Hurry up, you fellows, for Heaven’s sake!”
Ting-a-ling. The first curtain signal goes. The stage becomes dark and silent. One hears a few final blows of the hammer, the moving of heavy furniture, and excited voices:
“Get out of the way.”
“Cut the lath off.”
“Leave it alone, and clear out.”
“Pull it on. But quickly.”
Ting-a-ling. The curtain rises as the last stage-hand slinks off; the lighted stage stands out clear from the darkness, and Clara, already on the stage, quickly makes the sign of the cross for luck. Her partner (over his forehead runs the sweat of excitement, but this is not visible to the audience) enters, and throws his hat on to a chair instead of on to
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