Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-20

on her face. She did not look her twenty years
or was it only nineteen? After all, she only
child. On wholly unprecedented impulse he put
out his big hand and laid it on hers. "Don'tr' he
said The girl began to sob violently
Not knowing what to say in such a 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 handkerchief
from somewhere in her clothes and wiped her eyes.
Excuse me-" she said smiling little, for being
such goose; but m tired and nervous tonight,
and that stage-door episode upset me-"
You goose, said Cotton-"not for blub-
berng, though.
"Whv?" she asked
See here" he said, facing her, I'm going to
talk to you good and plain Perhaps it amt any
of my business but like your father, and l like
you. You're the only girl, except my sister Ann,
and she's more'n half boy, ever did like. You've
got no business on the stage. 1t amt the place for
you or anyone of your kind You don't have to
your living, you haven't got that as an
excuse and you haven't got Bessie Sheldons talent.
you can't urge that
How do you know I HAVEN'T" said she, with
some pque.
Il know by what people tell me who've 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. Actings her destiny; she's got to do
it just as | have to play tennis-I know how she
feels. But you never will be top-notcher. Boiling
and Pond and all that crowd who know about such
things say So They say you'll make, maybe,
pretty musical-comedy soubrette, but that's ali.
Musical comedy amt a very good business at best.
you ought to know by this time and to be
soubrette is not very high ideal. dare say there
are hundred shOp-girls in Boston now who cherish
it, with as bright chance of making good you
have, too. The game you re playing amt worth
the candle. The size of it is YOU got stagestrucl<
and went off the handle. That's blunt talk; but
you know it's true"
The girl did not answer for a moment. Then she
said earnestly No, l don't know that it's true.
I admit | was stage-struck as you and everybody
else call it; | admit | can't act Bessie can, You
needn't have told me that 50 brutaly Perhaps
all can do is just sing little and look pretty and
pleasant and make people glad to see me. I'm
sorry | can't do more; but at least you-they-
might let me do that much. | want to do some
thing, be somebody, as much as | can m sick
of mOping around Cambridge, amounting to nothing
at all listening to dull old professors discuss with
daddie at dinner the strata of the Paleozoc age
sitting through symphonies in Saunders Theater
where the air is atroCious because if a window is
opened the breeze blows on Professor Prices bald
head and going to class days that all alike except
once in seven years it rains, and-and seeing Yale
always beat You row, and play football and
tennis and do things. Don't you suppose a girl
ever wants to do things, too? l did what l could,
that's all
She was near to angry tears at the close, and her
whimsical description of life in Cambridge was
delivered with a seriousness that broke down Cot
heart! he said but I like you"
Th-thank you sir she answered a smile
struggling to break through a half-choked sob and
finally succeeding.
That's better" said he smiling back And
now we'll talk this calmly. You want to do
bridge. So you off and get into tights in a
chorus
4 didn't" said she, blushing holly.
Didn't run away?" he blandlv asked.
No, you brutel"
All but you Il have to sooner or later he went
on. They all do. Your ambitions all right and
SOS your spunk But you went at it wrong. | saw
your leading lady getting into coach tonight
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