The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-07-31


me th@t I could have sworn trembled.
] had gone = see Henry MIIer's new
Riding lady for a ch8t for the week.
and found her at home" But an
went in there was an atmosphere Of
what was it? Il seemed to me that
Miss Busley's his blue eyes sparkled
nervously, tina. She voice that babe me
a seat was a little GREATNESS. Ger
tainly she welcomed oddly the artists
suggestion cuat she go across the street
TO pose for him at the Columbia's stage
door. ] couldn't make it out. Could I
have?-I -rapjdly recalled what I had
written ene night before Of the little
lady" delightfully."- natural ..girlish."
arch. all the pretty things that Miss
Busley's Peggy in Mice and Men" is.
What did she expect? perchance com
parisons with Penhardt or Duse? Nay.
taat small, modest creature. Perhaps
she was just "nachally''' afraid OF news
paper folk BIT I wondered as I told
her would wait there in her room IN
I'D after the posing.
II was not a the St SHrancis within
a. stones thrOw-yours, not nine-of
The Columbia, is "a unpretentious
place. where you stay If you wish to
save your heels during your engage
ment at the theater. Miss Busley does
though, Door thing. there's little to
save with her. We sea the small, pink
things, you remember, in Mice and
Men" But this place is not exactly
nomelike. In fact. from the fatty cusn-
ioneS velvet chairs 10 the unpictured
Valla TO the squat. brazen, glazing
white pitchers IN which were heaped
Miss Busley's coral tributes' Of the
night before, II was hopelessly hoteIly
There was a manuscript Of Mice and
Men" on the table. There was-lovsly!
"a horseshoe, carefully upturned, rest
ing against o=e Of tho -Etruscan
pitchers. And, as 1 1--we, never a morn
r. ing paper 20 re seem
Miss Busley looked better when she
came back, though she shivered as she
sat down. Such sim LITTLE creature, I :
thought as she fitted herself into the
big chair.
Isn't II very cold here7" she asked
me, her big eyes shining confdingiy
into mine. We've just been scorching :.
in Ner York Oh. yes; know I should
have brought heavier clothes. Every
body told me 10. But when the Their
mometer . at 90 degrees in New
Eor.-"
~On. don't say Sc are not like New
York. can stand anything else" I
plead.
Miss Busley laughed then; showing
the whitest Of teeth. But. her little An
gers were twisting and uutwisting in a
fashion that certainly indicated nerves.
she, however, said Cozily: Perhaps I
feel the cold because I'm thin
You are thin" politely agree.
can you tell me what TO do for it?'
"I2"
You're fatkar than Tae-"
Matted mike
Rather be thin. Oh" she laughed,
they all set fat but me. Even Mar
garet Anglin-oh. it's immensely be-
coming 10 her" she sR3t in at my i'm
aeined disapproval.
And Margaret Anglin is 'getting-no,
cali it not fat-stout.o I echoed unbe-
lovingly. "Nev1-rei"
Miss RUsley smiled and nodded. It's
true Did I imagine then, or was
the troubled look coming back? The
little actress adds with apparent eff
fort: Miss Angliu is 10 star this sea
son. you know. Isn't she very clever?
She has a German play, believe, The
Etfslal Feminine il has been very
successful on the Continent, ] hear
There was no doubt # il. Something
was the matter. Miss Bustey's cheeks
were getting redder and redder Her
little feet were distressfully tapping the
floor Her under lip vas bitteni Her
Shot. lers QUivered cenvHlsively. Then
as her slim hand shot up TO one Of
Them. she cried-between laughing and
crying.
on, can't help j-','
Don't mind me- laughed, suddenly
iuumined.
The young woman pinche7 her shout
der in ecstatic relief as shs whispered,
scattering capitals and italics all over
The shop. The wretch has been biting
me ever since you came! Isn't it per-
feetly horrid2 How can you ever. get
used 10 theml
Truthlessly then I boasted: They
don't bite us. Only Ner- Workers"
But let's talk about mice noys, and
men. I invite.
s. "Do you like the playa. she asked me
Tnkud Miss p icy had tried TO say
didn't that morning.
Not much I admit I think. how
ever. thst cast differently il would
please better. But things happen so
obviously in IT, A5u ..an't get away
IRON the wheels. and the atmosphere
is so uncertainties. and little but
powdered wig 10 suggest 1T after the
hlst act Sull. that's partly the fault
Of the acting"
The playWright's. too Miss Basley
contended- do you remember. for ex-
ample, where Roger Goodlake. when
Embury asks him 10 question the
foundlings, replies: No, it's none Of
my funeral In 1857"
And think again Of the unpardon-
able caddishness Of the hero-throwinc
away Mrs. Goodlakes . tier" add.
why couldn't be have dropped It? And