The San Francisco call., 1908-10-18

public as Millicent Travellian.
had true dramatic instincts
These st was the constant en-
deavor OF Mrs. Donovan to suppress. for
Mrs. Donovan had been reared among
the traditions Of Fourteenth street mel
odrama.
'-Mnly," she ordered sternly. you
sew-edr Remember the villain is
kidnapping you. You are scared stiff
-running-eallingf for help. Now. how
would you call for help?"
AIilly threw back her head till its
golden curls bobbed. oh Gee-e-e"
she shrieked with realism that
brought -Emeline. her stage sister. from
her room in the rear of the fat.
Mrs. Donovan turned red with an
noyance. None Of your tricks. or I'll
learn you with a stick"
NHly hung her head sullenly. 4 am
per-soo-edr' she said in savage mimicry
Of her aunt's tone.
There, now, you can do it when you
want to. 1 declare. you are the worst
child. You're just like your mother
was. and. heaven knows. nobody could
stand for her Now your next cue:
Curses on your"
Though / am but a child, yet ] defy
your shrilled Milly, hotly. hinging out
q meager arm in a heroic gesture
Providence had provided her with
r-a.er- v,,.1a .s. .y,r,,-o-- H., ,,1-,, % - - .
it with her whole soul
Good" said her tormentor Next
cue: Waters OF the bay close over
you. Milly was silent You may
rob me OF my life-ny soul you can not
XIII! Remorse shall hound you and I
VIII be revengedr' read Mrs. Donovan.
Give plenty Of r-r-r in revenge; So
'r-r-r-ce-vengor Now
Miily was lost in thought. Il hate
meller-drammer. she said at length.
Il don't see why Mr.. Carter wrote IT
that way. If that villain said he'd
tro' me in the bay I'd let out like this:
II you do that. you nasty slob. III
come back and ha'nt yer, see if
don't"
Mrs. Donovan administered a sharp
slap. You impudent little rat, What
do you think I'm here for-to hear
your opinions and waste my time? AS
If 1 hadn't enough to DO, and me trying
70 keep a roof over our heads and food
in our mouths by teaching you and
getting you on. where'd you be now
If il wasn't for me, you ungrateful
brat, Here, take that. and If you're
not letter perfect inside Of an hour
weu you'n see! EmeIine, EmeIine,
come here"
Iilly took the blue covered papers of
her part" and sullenly retired, her
heart aglow with hatred. Oh, if she
only had sOmebody-a real somebody!
Aunt Esther was a beast. There was
only the theater to love-the great,
dusty, drafty stage. that TO her was
father. mother. brother and sister.
Milly shut herself into the little
servants room at the end of the pass
age But she did not sit down to study.
Instead, she threw the manuscript upon
the tumbled. unmade cot and turned
toward the cracked mirror. The re-
Election that met her eyes was that
Of a frail, appealing child Of 8. MilIy
was u. but undersized and babyish of
face and voice. It was an asset in a
way; she could continue to play the
infant prodigy for many a long year.
But her soul rebelled. She longed to
be free. to be grown up and play the
adventures lady IN trailing red gar
ments, glittering diamonds and jeweled
daggers, but most of all she longed to
read her lines as she felt them. She
had once heard Miss Ostayge, the lead
ing lady. insist, to the author himself,
upon a change Of phrase: How in the
world do you expect me to say all
that as I'm being hurled from the light
house? Cut 1t down and cut it out, my
dear Alphonse. One good dollar and a
half shrek is all III do for you therer
It's a go. If you'll make 1t a two dollar
Shrek" the author had said