Miss Posie Carrington began life in the small village of Cranberry Corners. Then her name was Posie Boggs. At the age of eighteen she left her native place and became an actress at a small theatre in a large city, and here she took the name of Carrington. Now Miss Carrington was at the height of her fame, the critics praised her highly, and in the coming season she was going to star in a new play about country life. Many young actors were eager to partner Miss Posie Carrington in the play, and among them was a clever young actor called Highsmith.
“My boy,” said Mr. Goldstein, the manager of the theatre, when the young man turned to him for advice, “take the part if you can get it. The trouble is Miss Carrington won’t listen to any of my suggestions. She has turned down a lot of the best imitators of a country fellow already, and she says she won’t set foot on the stage unless her partner is the best that can be found. She was brought up in a village, you know, she won’t be deceived when a Broadway fellow goes on the stage with a straw in his hair and calls himself a village boy. So, young man, if you want to play the part, you will have to convince Miss Carrington. Would you like to try?”
“I would with your permission,” answered the young man. “But I prefer to keep my plans secret for a while.”
The next day Highsmith took the train for Cranberry Corners. He stayed three days in that small and distant village. Having found out all he could about the Boggs and their neighbours, Highsmith returned to the city… .
Miss Posie Carrington used to spend her evenings at a small restaurant where actors gathered after evening performances.
One night when Miss Posie was enjoying a late supper in the company of her fellow-actors, a shy, awkward, young man entered the restaurant. It was clear that the lights and the people made him uncomfortable.
He looked around the place
and then seeing Miss Carrington, went to her table with a shining smile.
“How’re you, Miss Posie?” he said. “Don’t you remember me – Bill Summers – the Summerses that used to live next to your house? I think I’ve grown up since you left Cranberry Corners. They still remember you there. Eliza Perry told me to see you in the city while I was here. You know Eliza married Benny Stanfield… .”
“Ah, say” interrupted Miss Carrington brightly, “Eliza Perry is married.”
“Old Mrs. Blithers sold her place to Captain Spooner; the youngest Waters girl ran away with a music teacher.”
“Oh!” Miss Carrington cried out… “Now Bill, come over here and tell me some more.”
She took h’im to a vacant table in a corner.
“I don’t seem to remember any Bill Summers,’ she said thoughtfully, looking straight into the innocent blue eyes of the young man. But I know the Summerses, and your face seems familiar. There aren’t many changes in the old village, are there? Have you seen any of my people?
And then Highsmith decided to show Miss Posie his abilities as a tragic actor.
“Miss Posie,” said Bill Summers, “I was at your people’s house just two or three days ago. No, there aren’t many changes to speak of. And yet it doesn’t look the same place that it used to be.”
“How’s Ma?” asked Miss Carrington.
“She was sitting by the front door when I saw her last,” said Bill. “She’s older than she was, Miss Posie. But everything in the house looked just the same. Your Ma asked me to sit down.
“William’, said she. Posie went away down that road and something tells me she’ll come back that way again when she gets tired of the world and begins to think about her old mother.
(No Ratings Yet)