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command to enter she did so； with something of a
tired flutter； and dropped a heavy hand…bag on the
floor。 Upon my word； it was Rosalie； in a loose；
travel…stained automobileless coat； closely tied brown
veil with yard…long； flying ends； gray walking…suit and
tan oxfords with lavender overgaiters。
When she threw off her veil and hat； you saw a
pretty enough face； now flushed and disturbed by
some unusual emotion； and restless； large eyes with
discontent marring their brightness。 A heavy pile
of dull auburn hair； hastily put up； was escaping in
crinkly； waving strands and curling； small locks from
the confining combs and pins。
The meeting of the two was not marked by the
effusion vocal； gymnastical； osculatory and catecheti…
cal that distinguishes the greetings of their unpro…
fessional sisters in society。 There was a brief clinch；
two simultaneous labial dabs and they stood on the
same footing of the old days。 Very much like the
short salutations of soldiers or of travellers in for…
eign wilds are the welcomes between the strollers at
the corners of their crisscross roads。
〃I've got the hall…room two flights up above
yours；〃 said Rosalie； 〃but I came straight to see you
before going up。 I didn't know you were here till
they told me。〃
〃I've been in since the last of April；〃 said Lyn…
nette。 〃And I'm going on the road with a 'Fatal
Inheritance' company。 We open next week in Eliz…
abeth。 I thought you'd quit the stage； Lee。 Tell
me about yourself。〃
Rosalie settled herself with a skilful wriggle on
the top of Miss D'Armande's wardrobe trunk； and
leaned her head against the papered wall。 From
long habit； thus can peripatetic leading ladies
and their sisters make themselves as comfort。
able as though the deepest armchairs embraced them。
〃I'm going to tell you； Lynn；〃 she said； with a
strangely sardonic and yet carelessly resigned look
on her youthful face。 〃And then to…morrow I'll
strike the old Broadway trail again； and wear some
more paint off the chairs in the agents' offices。 If
anybody had told me any time in the last three months
up to four o'clock this afternoon that I'd ever listen
to that 'Leave…your…name…and…address' rot of the
booking bunch again； I'd have given 'em the real Mrs。
Fiske laugh。 Loan me a handkerchief； Lynn。 Gee！
but those Long Island trains are fierce。 I've got
enough soft…coal cinders on my face to go on and play
Topsy without using the cork。 And； speaking of
corks got anything to drink； Lynn？〃
Miss D'Armande opened a door of the wash…stand
and took out a bottle。
〃There's nearly a pint of Manhattan。 There's a
cluster of carnations in the drinking glass； but 〃
〃Oh； pass the bottle。 Save the glass for com…
pany。 Thanks！ That hits the spot。 The same to
you。 My first drink in three months！〃
〃Yes； Lynn； I quit the stage at the end of last
season。 I quit it because I was sick of the life。 And
especially because my heart and soul were sick of men
of the kind of men we stage people have to be up
against。 You know what the game is to us it's a
fight against 'em all the way down the line from the
manager who wants us to try his new motor…car to the
bill…posters who want to call us by our front names。
〃And the men we have to meet after the show are
the worst of all。 The stage…door kind； and the man…
ager's friends who take us to supper and show their
diamonds and talk about seeing 'Dan' and 'Dave'
and 'Charlie' for us。 They're beasts； and I hate 'em。
〃I tell you； Lynn； it's the girls like us on the stage
that ought to be pitied。 It's girls from good homes
that are honestly ambitious and work hard to rise in
the profession； but never do get there。 You bear a
lot of sympathy sloshed around on chorus girls and
their fifteen dollars a week。 Piffle！ There ain't a
sorrow in the chorus that a lobster cannot heal。
〃If there's any tears to shed； let 'em fall for the
actress that gets a salary of from thirty to forty…five
dollars a week for taking a leading part in a bum
show。 She knows she'll never do any better； but she
hangs on for years； hoping for the 'chance I that
never comes。
〃And the fool plays we have to work in！ Having
another girl roll you around the stage by the hind legs
in a 'Wheelbarrow Chorus' in a musical comedy is
dignified drama compared with the idiotic things I've
had to do in the thirty…centers。
〃But what I hated most was the men the men
leering and blathering at you across tables； trying
to buy you with Wurzburger or Extra Dry； accord…
ing to their estimate of your price。 And the men in
the audiences； clapping； yelling； snarling； crowding；
writhing； gloating like a lot of wild beasts； with
their eyes fixed on you； ready to eat you up if you
come in reach of their claws。 Oh； how I hate 'em！
〃Well； I'm not telling you much about myself； am
I； Lynn ？
〃I had two hundred dollars saved up； and I cut
the stage the first of the summer。 I went over on
Long Island and found the sweetest little village that
ever was； called Soundport； right on the water。 I was
going to spend the summer there； and study up on
elocution； and try to get a class in the fall。 There
was an old widow lady with a cottage near the beach
who sometimes rented a room or two just for com…
pany； and she took me in。 She had another boarder；
too the Reverend Arthur Lyle。
〃Yes； he was the head…liner。 You're on； Lynn。
I'll tell you all of it in a minute。 It's only a one…act
play。
〃The first time he walked on； Lynn； I felt myself
going； the first lines he spoke； he had me。 He was
different from the men in audiences。 He was tall and
slim； and you never heard him come in the room； but
you felt him。 He had a face like a picture of a knight
like one of that Round Table bunch and a voice
like a 'cello solo。 And his manners！
〃Lynn； if you'd take John Drew in his best draw…
ing…room scene and compare the two； you'd have John
arrested for disturbing the peace。
〃I'll spare you the particulars； but in less than a
month Arthur and I were engaged。 He preached at a
little one…night stand of a Methodist church。 There
was to be a parsonage the size of a lunch…wagon； and
hens and honeysuckles when we were married。 Ar…
thur used to preach to me a good deal about Heaven；
but be never could get my mind quite off those honey…
suckles and hens。
〃No； I didn't tell him I'd been on the stage。 I
hated the business and all that went with it； I'd
cut it out forever； and I didn't see any use of stirring
things up。 I was a good girl； and I didn't have any…
thing to confess； except being an elocutionist； and
that was about all the strain my conscience would
stand。
〃Oh； I tell you； Lynn； I was happy。 I sang in
the choir and attended the sewing society； and re…
cited that 'Annie Laurie' thing with the whistling
stunt in it； '