New-York tribune., 1906-05-20

or was it onlv nneteen9 After all, she was ouIv a
child. On wholly unPremeditated impulse he put
out his big hand and laid it on hers Dom he
said. The girl began to sob violently
Not knowing what to say IN such situation. Cot
ton said nothing a cry will do her good the little
fool" he thought Still they might have been
whittier to her and not cut her off altogether She's
too decent to live in that bum hotel" And he
patted her hand.
The girl fshed a tiny parody of a handkerchief
from somewhere in her clothes and wiped her eyes
Excuse me- she said smiling little for being
such goose; but I'm tired and nervous t9night
and that stage-door episode upset me
You goose, SAID Cotton not Tor blub-
bering. though"
''Why?" she asked.
"See here" he said, facing her, I'm going to
talk to YOU good and plain Perhaps IT amt anv
of my business, but like your father, and | Ike
you. You're the only girl, except my sister Ann
and she's moren half boy, | ever did like You've
got no business the stage 1t ain the place for
YOU or anyone of Your kind. You don have to
earn your living, so YOU haven't got that as an
excuse; and you haven got Bessie Shedons talent
How do you know 1 haven't" said She, with
Il know by what people tell me whove seen both
of YOU act" he answered. I've seen the Shell
don girl myself, and know she'll be a top-notcher
some day. Actng's her destiny, she's got 10 do
it just as | have to play tennis know how she
feels But YOU never will be a tOp-nOtCher. Boiling
and Pond and all that crowd who know about such
things say They say you'll make maybe, a
pretty musical-cOmedy sOubrette, but that's all
MUSICAL comedy Very SOO0 business at best
you ought to know by this time, and TO be
SOubrette is a high ideal. | dare Sav there
a hundred ShOp-giTlS IN Boston now who cherish
it. with as bright chance of making good as YOU
have, too. The game you're playing amt worth
the candle. The size of it IS YOU got stage-struck
and went off the handle. That's blunt talk; but
you know it true"
The girl did not answer for a moment. Then she
said earnestly: No, l don't know that its true
| admit l Stage-StruCk, YOU and everybody
else call it; admit l can't act as Bessie can You
needn't have told me that so bTutallv. Perhaps
all do IS Just sing little and look pretty and
pleasant and make people glad to see me I'm
sorry l can't do more; but at least yOu-they-
might let me do that much. want 70 do some
thing, be somebody, as much as | can. m sick
at all listening to dull old professors discuss with
dadd1e at dinner the strata OF the PaleoZoc age, or
sitting through symphonies IN Saunders Iheater
where the air IS atrOCIOuS because II a window IS
opened the breeze blows on Professor Prices bald
head, and going to class days that are all alike except
once in seven years 1t rains, and-and seeing ale
always beat You row, and play foot bail and
tennis and do things. Don't YOU suppose giTl
ever wants to do things, too? l did vines could,
that's all
She was near to angry tears at the close, and her
whimsical description of life IN Cambridge
delivered with a seriousness that broke down Cot
tons gravity. He laughed aloud. Bless my
heartl" he said, but l like YOU.
"Th-thank YOU, sir she answered, j smile
struggling to break through half-choked 81. and
finally succeeding.
That's better" said he smiling back And
We'll talk this over calmly. Nou want .o do
something, be somebody. You re sick o. -aTl-
bridge. So you off and get into ts n a
chorus
Il didn't" said she, blushing hotly
"Dldn I run away he bandly asked
No, YOU brute!'
''Ah, but you'll have to sooner or later e11
They all do X0r ar1bItiOrlf ALI