Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-22
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Il don't mind!" she said family
The meal was ordered, and the two began to talk
like old friends They studied each other Jimmie's
eyes softened as they rested on the light tendrils Of
hair floating around the Girls delicate little pae face
She was not pretty, but she was dainty and fresh and
would make corking ingenue, he decided
What's Jour manner" he asked with comfortable
frankness after bite
"Mouse-I mean Musetta Mallneern
Mouse!" he laughed galy. That's ever so much
nicer than Musetta. So they call you Mouse?"
She nodded smiling shyly
'T never saw whyi" she volunteered
"Oh, ye gods! Didn't you? Why. becanse vor,r.
little and soft and gentle, and-and-" his voice
dropped litt1e--"sweet Jimmie had 1vav ruitb
women for all his boyishness and lankiness.
"But I've quite bad temper" said Mouse. serious,v
"Well dare say some mice have" he retortsd
with another ringing laugh 81 can Just see you as
little mouse, slipping out in the cande-ligh and nib
bling at the bread and cheese Or
"oh, don't! cried Mouse with breaking voice.
Don't! It's just what used to do-at honne,.
"Child-child!" he said, very low "I didn't--oh.
didn't mean to hurt you, Are you so homesick?o
"only just now and then," said Mouse gulping sal
lantly
why don't you go back?" asked Jimmie gravelv.
"Because-because-I said wouldn't" said Mo,sa
II quarreled wth--with my stepmother. andr said
I'd not go back, and won't"
What brave little mouse 1t is" said tbe nm,
softly, "all by itself in a world of hungry cats,D
He was silent moment; then he said: .swhat made
you choose the stage?"
NJ
quickly.
All my life I've wanted to be near something that
was bright and beautiful We lived in an ugly house
in an ugly village, and the very days were ugly. ton
My happiest time when crept down at midnight
to nibble things that found in the pantry and ice
tox, and dream over what was left of the fire. It
seemed to me sometimes as though must run away
to where there was some beauty. Don't YOU know
what mean? I was starved for just colors and
sounds and things like that IL can't explain She
fell silent.
II think understand" said the man. very sen,,v
Poor little Mousei
/"And by degrees" she went on, 'T grew to think
that in the theatre could find what wanted Oh.
not to be great actress-just part of the whole
but in a place where there were lights, and pretty
wallpaper So when the break came-I-I chose-tbe
STAGE
Poor, poor little Mouse" said the man, again Ita
like Cinderella"
Only" said the Hopeful Girl, with little SMILE
attacking her tough roast beef I'm going to no ball.
1--we no glass slippers to leave behind me- that the
Prince may know again"
who knows?' said Jimmie Sears, softly. Some
glass slippers are hard to see. And there are all
kinds Of balls"
When they had finished their meal they went out
gaily together 1t was after five, too late to go to
any other managers agents. and they parted at the
street corner saying goodby rather sadly, not being
old enough to know how small the world really is.
Now it SO happened that the very next morning
Mouse Mallinger got an engagement. 1t was only to
walk on extra, but it suficed to paint streaks
of pink in her pathway. But the rose-color not
all enfolding, however. She was wishing there were
still such things as glass slippers by which one might
come to ones own again.
In the wings that night, waiting for her first en-
trance, Mouse felt frightened and alone She was
arrayed in Oriental Dress and her makeup put on
by the wardrobe woman had rendered her unrecog-
nzable, to her eyes, in the cracked mirror
in the general dressng-room. The shadows ana
lights and minor music confused her brain A tall
her leaned weary against pile OF scenery.
He was made up swarthily, and his strange siiken
garments hid all the lines of his figure.
Group there at the sde you new extras calied tne
stage manager in a hoarse whisper. And Mouse ana
the tall man found themselves shoulder to snouioer
at the entrance. She looked up, and ne down. ana
light bright steel flashed between their eyes.
The swarthy man smiled eagerly, and the little ORR
entail woman felt her eyes fill UP with glad tears