The San Francisco call., 1908-10-18
The San Francisco Sunday Call
Call


Chinese fashion. The place was empty.
The hero set Milly down and the lady
in furs united her voluminous hat
strings and twisted back the yellow
hair from the child's flushed and swol-
len face.
.sWhy-why, it's MillicentT
Milly lifted fearful eyes and was
struck dumb with astonishment-
Don't you remember me?' said the
lady in furs- "Of course. you do It's
Miss Ostayge. Why, I've been your
mother and your grown up sister
dozens Of times" she laughed.
MilIy put out her hands. oh Miss
Ostayge. Miss Ostaygei I'm so gladi
Oh. I've had an awful time"-a sob
choked her.
The lovely lady patted her gently.
There. there Perry, wish you'd or
der some chop suey- She must eat
something and quiet down. Why. this
is the very child I've begged you to
take on-my little fellow player in the
melodrama days. It's perfectly ex-
traordinary. the whole 'thingl And It's
fate. I tell yOu-fate!"
The hero followed Miss Ostayge's
suggestion, and soon the soothing in
fuence of warm food brought Milly
to herself again.
she's a very pretty child" said the
hero in low voice. but I hardly
think
wait" said the lady MY. what a
state your hair is in. dearie, What IS
it?' Sheh lifted the heavy. matted
curis and turned pale. Blood she
cried Did that brute hurt your
Perry. look at THAR
The mans face darkened and he
struck the -inlaid table with his
cleuched fist The hound'' he ex-
claimed. "TIl follow this thing up 70
I fn xrOrT "a MIA or
it% i %''ss 70 nss.s'' you an" the p'AS '0'
MiIly twitched uneasily. 1T was
Aunt Esther. with a buckle on a, trunk
strap. Oh, please'-she dropped the
spoon she had been industriously ply
in please. please. don't-don't take
me home!"
Did your aunt-did Mrs. Donovan do
that?" demanded the lady. drawing
herself up like an outraged queen
What in the world were you do
mgr asked the hero. amazed. but
practical
II wouldn't learn the new part the
way she wanted me to-" walled Milly.
"Oh. Miss Ostayge. you know how silly
they make you do 1t; know you think
It's silly. ] heard you when you told
M-. Carter you wouldn't speak all that
when you was being fired or a roof;
you'd Just give him a dollar and
half shrek, you said"
Miss Ostayge's face dimpled suddenly.
You extraordinary child" she laughed.
Yes. do know, and it is silly. and 1t
Isn't art. and it isn't nature. and you
and / were the only ones down there
who knew 1T. Do you see that gentle
man there the one who saved you
just now? Well. he's a very great
playwright. and he has written a play
for me-indeed. that's why we happened
to be down here. There's a scene In
this quarter. and I wanted to see what
sort Of stage set 1t would make. and
that was very lucky, wasn't itT'
Milly gasped at the recollection OF
her recent danger.
Miss Ostayge laid a compelling hand
upon her companion's arm; his atten-
ton must not waver.
Now. in this plot there's q little
girl, and her mother is forced to go
away for a while and leave her with
an aunt who hates the little girls
mamma The aunt keeps saying nasty
things until at last the little girl turns
on her and says: Tt isn't true and you
shan't say It, I know my mamma will
come for me. and when she does I'm
going with her, and don't care where;
and love her and I hate you-therer
Now, Milly, think that speech over. and
say 1.-THE way you'd like to say II:
not Aunt Esther's way"
Milly's sensitive face paled with ex-
citement- She remembered Aunt
Esther's taunts and the multftude Of
her wrongs. Turning toward the au-
thor. she shot forth the lines with an
indignant vehemence that fairly
startled him. 1
There was a moments pause
What do you think now?" asked the
lady in a low voice.
He looked at her and nodded she's
everything you have said. The chiId's
a genius"
Can she have the part?" asked the
leading lady. eagerly.
''She surely can" said the author
Miss Ostayge clapped her hands
"Milly, my dear. you are graduated to
Broadway. And you'll not go back to
Mrs Donovan; you'n come with me.
ard If your aunt has anything to say
she'll say ii to the s. p. c. c."
Milly was overwhelmed. "Oh Miss
Ostayge," she papted. "and there'u be
never no more meller- -drammer, never
no morew
Lets hope so. at least" laughed the
lady
Millicent TraveIlian. the future
Broadway favOrite. sank into an unpfc-
turesque heap. Then she rallied.
With my life 7 win repay your she
sobbed- In spite OF herself the beau
tiful lady laughed. and Milly. enrap-
tured beyond speech. kissed the fuzzy
sleeves of fate's emissary.