Part 40 (1/2)

And she did touch them. Each time that she went through the scene, and the b.u.t.terflies' wings vibrated as they bent forward, Tess' hands, which were out of sight of the audience, clutched at the other girls' sashes.

Tess was a st.u.r.dy girl for her age. Her hands at the waists of the two b.u.t.terflies steadied them as they posed on this day for the final rehearsal of the difficult tableau.

”That's it!” called out the manager. ”Now! Hold it! Lights!”

The glare of the spotlight shot down upon the grouped children from above the proscenium arch.

”Steady!” shouted the stage manager again, for the whole group behind the gauze drop seemed to be wavering.

”Hold that pose!” repeated the man, commandingly.

But it was not the children who moved. There was the creaking sound of parting timbers. Somebody from the back shouted a warning--but too late.

”Down! All of you down to the stage!”

Those on the lower steps of the scaffolding jumped. The stage hands ran in to catch the others; but the higher little girls could not leap without risking both life and limb!

A pandemonium of warning cries and shrieks of alarm followed. The scaffolding pulled apart slowly, falling forward through the drop which r.e.t.a.r.ded it at first, but finally tearing the drop from its fastenings in the flies.

Swiftwing, the hummingbird, did not add her little voice to the general uproar. She was safely held by the wire cable hooked to her belt at the back.

But the b.u.t.terflies were helpless. The men who tried to seize them from the rear could not do so at first because the scaffolding structure fell out upon the stage.

The Corner House girl, frightened as she was, miraculously preserved her presence of mind. As she had already done before during the rehearsals, she seized the sashes of her two smaller schoolmates at the first alarm.

Their feet slipped from the foothold, but Tess held them.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The scaffolding pulled apart slowly, falling forward through the drop. Page 238]

Neale had taught Tess, and even Dot, how to use their strength to better advantage than most little girls. Tess was sure of her own safety in this emergency, and she allowed her body to bend forward almost double, as the two frightened little b.u.t.terflies slipped from the falling scaffolding.

For a dreadful moment or two, their entire weight hung from Tess Kenway's clutching hands. Her shoulders felt as though they were being dislocated; but she gritted her teeth and held on.

And then two of the men caught the little, fluttering b.u.t.terflies by their ankles.

”Let 'em come!” yelled one of the men.

Tess loosed her grasp as the scaffolding crashed to the stage. The last to be lowered, Swiftwing came down, so frightened she could not think for a moment where she was.

”Oh, Tess, darling!” gasped Agnes.

”Sister's brave little girl!” murmured Ruth.

”I--I didn't spoil the tableau, did I?” Tess asked.

”Spoil it? My goodness, Tess Kenway,” shouted Neale O'Neil, who, likewise, had run to her, ”you made the biggest hit of the whole show!

If you could do that at every performance _The Carnation Countess_ would certain sure be a big success!”