The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-29
WITH THE
LITTLE MAUDE ADAMS
BY ETHEL ARMIES.

! slant travel you know, but I don't mind
| it-not a bit. Then l always leave the
theatre directly after"
"Of course" [ assented.
And come right straight to the hotel
! and rest, for you know the role is diff
cult and / must have sleep. And | do
sleep, sleep like a top, and so am fresh
in the morning again and b. night
she blew whiff from her cigarette. I
can-conquer the world" She tossed her
head with a mock melo-dramatic air and
| laughed at gay little actress laugh that
rippled uneasily over the sea of clothes
+, in that ROOM
1 struggled not to appear blatant, for
the thing was at my heart, and looked
her square in the eyes.
Laugh or no laugh" l said ut Is
conquered You have done 1t you know
And I led the talk without more ado
somewhere back to her child's home, and
her first experiences and her first desires.
Did | hope to get the psychologist Yes,
hope against hope-doubtless l did.
convinced myself 1t was there, only that
! should have to grub right hard to get
it. Thus l absorbed greedlly every de-
tail even getting her to describe her
home in Salt Lake City, so she said 1t
was and had heard-and her early years
Was I fishing minnows for my whales?
Alasl 1t seemed so. Plainly either |
myself or all the world-was topsy turvy
I though the world. But on second
thought remembered the rule concern
ing matorities. Doubtless then 1t was l.
could not recognize divine fire when
1t Law burning under my very nose. No,
it must be the world was wrong. The
matter was plain. Solely and simply for
| advertising purposes Maude Adams had
i L. - tartr
Here she was-all there was to her-the
real Maude Adams And now she was
talking about automobiles, and now she
switched Off to gowns, and every other
word was slang. l could stand 1t no
more
after ALL cried, you are-you must
be what YOU are on the stage. And
want to tell you this, that the American
women are proud of the work you do.
They are proud of-of-what you stand
for-on the stage" / added, land | only
want to tell you so again-for you must
know"
She turned suddenly white. and looked
scared.
..Why-why-who do you take me for?"
she gasped.
A horror grappled me. A presentiment.
! "You are-you are-aren't you, Miss
Adams-Maude Adams?'
"Maude Adamse' There was little
feminine shrek. "Maude Adams! Maude
Adamsi Maude Adams
The cloud was rent in lightnings.
.rWhy-why-how you ever come to
think was Maude Adams-Naude
Adams?"
A rising choking sensation the
throat head, heart of me. 1 went faint
for the gump I was.
why" I stammered, IL telephon-
ed nm. here to ask il Miss Adams were
stopping at this hotel and the clerk said
yes"
.Of course he did--thats my name
Alice Adams with the Runaway Wife,
down at the Bijou-I've been here all the
week.
"And-and--I had never seen her-just
pictures" I stumbled on, and you look
9mething like some of the pictures
Ind"
People have said we looked alike. In
the company they call me sometimes The
little Maude Adams, not the Big Maude
Adams you know-and then only in fun
and we both came from the same part
of the country and we are about the
same age and the same size. but Lordyl
| Nobody outside ever took me for her.
Mercy-on-me-no l should smile"
And there was nothing left for me
but to dwndle away-and dwindle-cer-
tainly did.