The San Francisco call., 1904-04-17

lNonS Mr. PlckWick.' etc, ETC. Miss
Dora de Felipe certainly promised
variety. Her face, the kitten face-I
had watched the "piquant triangle"
with its flashes OF sheer beauty. its
delicate, vivacious ugliness, through
Mr.. Pickwick' k''-insured the something
different.
I was, however. quite unprepared for
the fashion and degree Of Miss de
Felippe's difference. Imagine un-
earthing in the Tivoli soubrette a tiny
philosopher in petticoats. a pocket
femme savante, and If not the daugh-
ter OF hundred earls at least the
daughter OF a famous French man of
letters. and daughter-in-law Of the
Canon Of Peterborough CathedraI-who
fathered Stephen Phillips, who should
be, as he is not. poet laureate Of Eng
land.
But don't say that I told you this.
and the more that hope to tell YOU
Of the same sort. 1 think Miss de
Felipe would prefer to stand on her
own charming little feet She may
ike you 10 know. ] don't know. but
I'm sure she would rather that YOU
old not know that she liked you to
know The thing came up in one Of
those condolences. sudden and strange.
that often arise between the hour-old
acquaintances Of an interview. Nor
SO strange are they. The business Of
ones life is TO make ones self known
10 a few people. with a pitiful. hope
Jess. perverse stammer at best. from
the depths Of the souls eternal loneli-
ness. But one goes on just the same.
throwing out eager little tendrills Of
personality, in the hope that they viii
find somewhere. somehow. a kindred
leaf and perfume. Yet il was accident
perhaps prettily arranged accident
that revealed TO me Miss de Felippe's
relationship to Stephen Phillips and
the rest. But because she felt that TO
my kind of person the fact was in
teresting. Miss de Felipe told me all
e bout it, and you I betray confidence
Tor in the hope that It viii also inter
est YOU.
7 think we began by my asking the
little lady how TO spell her name. 1t
was IN her room at the hotel. stin
"hotelly." She confessed TO having felt
Ger lonely yet-AIiss de Felipe is only
r two-months-old Californian-to make
home Of it. She herself. with a rose
tucked in her black locks. and in a
a
little butterfly.
You are French I stated. rather
than asked. then. The fact is obvious.
Yes. Of course. But is il not strange
that some people say I only pretend to
be French?" Miss de Felipe pouted
But why? To be French does not
make one any more attractive-not"-
with alarmed humility-"that I mean
! ,T-
ann Semitic. i am not. 1 am just
French.
And Just French" was the little
shrug that accompanied the words.
L gave you a Paris Conservatoire
education ! said. You use your
hands like their students - very like
Mime. Pillar Norm, for example.
No. no." said Miss de Felipe "I
have never studied at the Conserva-
toire. nor''-she added wittily-"with
Madame Marchesi.'
Well everybody else has" I con-
soled.
Il am glad you think I resemble
Pillar Norm in any way" the little
lady reverted. 4 have seen, many
times her Madame Butterfly 1t is
very beautiful. thoroughly artistic"
surely?" / persist.
Madame Niardot-Garcia taught me
singing and Monsieur Bevignon stage
department" the little lady confirmed.
but no one-please-taught me how to
use my hands. I do not know how I
use them. They use themselves. please"
and the round arms and plump hands
came out OF the kimona in eloquent
illustration.
They are the kind Of hands made only
in France. So. for the matter Of that,
is mademOiselle's English, with its deli
cately precise pronunciation, it's fluent
voca bulary, its cameo like enunciation.
OF the kind made only in France. 1t i'm
PEELED me TO tell her that the perfection
of her English was what made the in
experienced doubt her French origin.
] also asked how she had obtained it.
My sister and had an English
governess when we were very small"
Miss de Felipe explained; then we
a great deal We came TO !
America many times before came to ,
live here. Papa came first on business !
connected with the Panama canal with
the corps of De Lesseps."
Aha" ] thought ] said: Then $
papa is not an actor?"
"Pard0n," The little lady with su- (
perb politeness here choked down a 1
giggle. Papa, Oh, no, This is papa" .
she ran, with the birdlike little trip
she has on the stage-to match her 1
birdie treble-to the mantelpiece. She r
with distinguished looking Q
gentleman Of a or thereabouts. :
Doesn't he look young?" she rippled. 1
I'm tremendously proud Of papa" q
And papa is as proud Of his daugh- [
ter2" 4
The small soubrette returned with c
a tiny moue: "Oh, no. Why should
he be? He says" she laughed, "he /
how he ever came to have .
such a pair Of mediocrities as myself s
and my sister in the family" r
"Oh, he doesi" ] returned. And !
what is papa?" T
It seems that papa is a writer Of ?
distinction. largely journalistic, but 2
,fbar.rfee ,di<ffuot1fShqd AZ Miss do