Throne, and the Scaffold_, with Miss Larue, of course, in
the part of the ambitious and ill-fated Catharine. Preparations
were on foot for a production which would be splendidly elaborate
as to scenery and effects, and absolutely accurate as to detail. For
instance, the costume which Henry VIII had worn at the time of
his marriage with Catharine Howard was copied exactly, down to
the minute question of the gaudy stitchery on the backs of the
gloves and the toes of the shoes; and permission had been obtained
to make the mimic betrothal ring which the stage "Henry" was to
press upon the finger of the stage "Catharine" an exact replica
of the real one, as preserved among the nation's historic jewels.
Not to be outdone in this matter of accuracy, Miss Larue naturally
aimed to have the dresses and the trinkets she wore as nearly like
those of the original Catharine as it was possible to obtain. As her
position in the world of art was now so eminent and had brought her
into close touch with the elect, it was not difficult for the lady
to borrow dresses, and even jewels, of the exact period from the
heirlooms treasured by members of the nobility, that these might be
copied in mimic gems for her by the well-known theatrical and show
supply company of Henry Trent & Son, Soho.

To this firm, which was in full charge of the preparation of dresses,
properties, and accessories for the great production, was also
entrusted the making of a "cast" of Miss Larue's features and the
manufacture therefrom of a wax head with which it was at first
proposed to lend a touch of startling realism to the final scene of
the execution of Catharine on Tower Hill, but which was subsequently
abandoned after the first night as being unnecessarily gruesome
and repulsive.

It was during the course of the final rehearsals for this astonishing
production, and when the army of supers who had long been drilling
for it at other hours was brought for the first time into contact
with the "principals," that Miss Larue was horrified to discover
among the members of that "army" her dissolute brother, "Jimmy
the Shifter."

For years--out of sheer sympathy for the wife who clung to him to
the last, and the young son who was growing up to be a fine fellow
despite the evil stock from which he had sprung--Miss Larue had
continuously supplied this worthless brother with money enough to
keep him, with the strict proviso that he was never to come near
any theatre whe