The evening world., 1905-11-27
Grace Elliston as Shirley Rossmore in 1.-THE
Lion and the Mouse" is Realistic in Her
Interview with the Oil King
pY RUTH EARLh

when Grace nIlisncn interview 10
mund Bresss IN "Ths rAou and n
Mouse" 10 Ia with tables turned rhsr
is on record no meeting Of q profe'
slonel or ssmi-professionh oharaots
that offers such p4quanoy Of ntuatio
ana conversation as that rattlins seen
where Shirley Rossmors, writer, call
on the multi-miiionairs IN his sanotur
saucporum 'Tby request"
Therein LES the condition thst .
cOmpletsly ditnmendAtes this encounter
When the average woman interyiswe
wants an interview she has DO Aak 20
H. Deeply a. Shirley Rossmors asked
for chance 10 talk with John Ryder
the Rockefeller OF drama. she was aoi'
10 create conditions that prompted IN
richest man on earth 70 DO the asking
This clever girl, daughter Of q judge
tho ruined Victim OF the Ryder mschins
under a pen name writes an Ida Tar
bellion novel, ''The Human ootopuA''
which 20 exeltes the curiosity OF the
money king that, 70 discover the sources
T. " her information, he succeeds AiteI
repealed requests and pretended ds,
murrers on her part In getuns neg "
call at his home ,.
Therefore when Misc Dl-iston, look.
ing Ike a pretty girl In rose eolorsd
taNor-made dress and with q plumed
hat % match, appears before the great
nnancler In his Inner private library
she holds the reins OF uae situation
quite in her own small hands.
II Is for this reason that the realism
OF tho second act Of this truly American
Drama cannot DO Judged directly from
the plane Of more Ordinary Interviews.
. 1o train OF circumstances that made
81 possible for the plucly young woman
10 conde5cend 10 make q visit she cad
been yearnlng for during six long
weeks, sustained her IN her high-hand-
cd treatment Of the richest man in the
world. II was intended. OF course, that
her fearless frankness, coupled with
her youth, beauty and charming per
sonslity, should ingratiate the girl into
the hOlty-tolty gentlenan's affections,
break down his prejudices 10 MS sons
marrying her, and save her father
from disgrace and ultimate death, And
90 II all came about
But from the professional viewpoint
NJ a woman who has been there her-
self the girl seefns, by a dearth OF
cajolery and an overdnSe OF oandor, 30
almost tI'ifle WITH her chances
Il would be hypercritcsl 10 say that
Mrs Elllston overdoes the part Just
here. But since n "a true that s1ch q
sensation can be expertenced by q
cruclally interested observeress thens
must be some ground for II
Sails Close 10 tho Wind.
W WINE lss The success: success q such q ms.tins
whether The ~ poSs 4 teigpsd rTe 'I or % patu.
ran wpt6 whiSS the tntsrviswer 4
It does seem that conf.
dence that deigns quite a. much a.
Shirley's and that soorns nattsTy q
calling pretty close 70 the wind.
But tins Is worse than splitting hairs
WHAT'S the use Of perfect realism
when It's better comedy without7
And one h very prone to forget that
the gtrl Is moi. there 70 set copy for
a new story, but At the cypress wihh
q the richest busiest most-sought-
after man In America VINO wants to
hnd out from that selt-poised young per-
story already written.
He doesn't, OF oourvsi Bhs fogls him
tells him shs Ina gined ne whole thing,
and knew nothing at all about Ryder's
private history AZ II she weren't en-
gagged 70 Ryder, H. who had told her
ALL
And % adroitly, wtthai. does sfas BON.
bard him with blunt answers, tsmoered
with girlish charm that he before whom
men and women are wont to quail, ac-
STs to~ more, Before this dsiishttul
meeting Ia brought TO q close Shirley
the daughter Of Ryder's iite
enemy-though OF COURSE he didn't
dream .so-AAd agreed 10 bs npurished
es Viper IN his bosom. Which 10 10
say she accepted his terms 10 take up
residence In his housshold' and compile
the story Of hts Efs Rather a ooup
detat for one girl s.ngle-hAndedi
The rest is plsin saii2g more Or ieEs.
certain cert, p9:7ts n whiol i was delight;
iuly typical OF the iemininely conducted
There was ths Gnaxsment OF Ryder
O. her more than passabls appearance
Miss Elhston bore this with appropriate
emussement II seems 10 be the aciept-
ell theory OF the genius 10 he inter
viewed that mo species 70 Interview ~
OF the other sex must be gawky
frump on the shady side OF slxty. The
proper thing 10 dQ when this Idea Is
amused 2 Ia Miss rlnston.
Then there was that other tsndsnov
that me clnss 10 be interviewed u al.
oicted to-rhe willingness 10 talk Abou,
the lnteryiewer. II was very swee,iy
and tactfully that Miss Elliston remind.
eA Mr. Ryder that he couidn't havs
asked her there that sns might talk
about herself
Wyhereunon quoth he, ip substance
who told YOU about meT
''No one" quoth she.
We'll, you say here Brodarsck oNe
was the human o,topuS) loved A "A in
Neunout Now that never was in
"wsll why mightnt any man DO
Ehe sameH'
Then you 70 on 10 say married
o girl with money instead"
1Why, az men Of your stamp marry
win money!" said
ard here you say, There wac only
one tiing Broderlck teared-desth,'
Now I never told q living soul that"
Her Quick Retort.
"Well, thst would be the only thing
p man who worshipped money would
fear II would be The only thing that
could saperate him from his god"
Thus the young lady convinced Ryder
thar hsr books character was nOt
d-lwp from any living prototype, ana
1h1t II should appear 80 was the merest
for Rr5derick was only her
pen portrait OF the generic Croesus
Aud u was cleverly done.
but mere were lib,le conversational
fits that this determined Young person
delivered from tine TO time with
stEight-fron-the shoulder manner that