The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-15
THE MOL-GOBBIN-By Marion Hill

sock you another already she said even ly, in her voice of music, In the middle of broken speech the rest of us sat stiff with apprehension. But Kelly. who was big man, fat and fair | in more ways than one, solved the situa- ton by going off into a howl of compre- bending laughter. He made apology to
 Brenda, and soon glasses weresup and
 we Were drinking healths to each other. And, now, Morris, talk business" said
 Kelly. The supper was over, and we left them there to their dates and figures; and the result of the talk was that we crossed over to Troy in two weeks time and opened to the best houses Of the season.
 I Now, with one manager In love with 1 her future and the other in love with
 her beauty and both striving valantly to l lift her to success, any other but Brenda ;, Swenson could have had the time of her l life. True, she expressed appreciation of ] the new move, but solely because the the atre happened to be on the same block with a delicatessen store, the keeper of which. a sallow and sorrowful youth named Otto, who had groveled at her rect
 in Schenectady and brought tribute of
 wienerwurst, but only once week when he could get away. was now able to feed
 her nightly and yet not neglect his busi-
 ness. He gave her stuff enough for all
 of us, and we got 1t.
 l .'Keep him for steady Brenda" we encouraged with full mouths Hes the best ever"
 1 You think that?' she derideo. 'Wny' the face of him is like 1 Like the pale, sweet moon," threw in
 one.
 1 Like an apple of gold in meshes of sill
 yer" threw in another.
 r Like a star-lit pool,' cooed a third. 1 "So?" murmured Brenda, weakened by our praise q was near to saying it diff 1 ferent; l was near to say like a squash
 pie with a poor cook on.'
 "Thatll do, too,' we acceded thought l fully.
 Are the chumps worrying you, Miss Swenson?" asked Kelly, coming up. Say
 the word and they'll get the hook" And
 he drew away to talk over great part 1 he was going to give her He was a queer chap. and lovablc. | though inclined to be a dictatorial man. i aPer, to men; the women, if they were
 nice and had hair enough, could twist 1 hIm around their fingers. He would
 make love, too, by the double handful. | though happily and contentcdly married.
 And his interested belief in Brenda s possibilities was as loyal as Studheim S. Together they took a tremendous risk .41. .l r.s.f h faf i'm i DC rtant part. Not that it was long, for it was very short, but the greatest inter- est of the story eentereq around it, and it i held out an opportunity to make real | hit, which minor roles seldom do. The part was Vesta. in the good old 1 Western melodrama of "Eldocado Pete" 1 anc portrayed the character of an un-
 sophisticated girl unconscously in love 1 with the gentemanly villain who has no setuples about playing upon the senti- ] ment to secure his own freedom when in a tight place. Eldorado Pete fans the fancy to a flame, escapes by her aid, and leaves her-forever as the audience knows -at the moment when she awakens to comprehension of the fact that she loves During rehearsals all went well up to ! tho point where Vesta makes her psyeho- | logical discovery Brenda's icicled un- 1 emotion was no bar to the progress of | the situation, easily passing fer maidenly aloofness and indeed, adding a charm 1 to the characterization; but, for the ono , brief moment when she held the stage l alone, and was to show by action rather | than speech that she realized her love for the unprincipled Pete, it was fatally un- 1 ft Desparingly. Studheim and Kelly | worked oyer by tuins the one 1.-the and , passionate as a black puma, his eyes 1 flashing, hls face intense; the other, pa- ticnt and bull-like, relying on weight | rather than agility; and between them 1 the unmoved tractably-inclined snow l goddess, who rather pitied them for their | wastefnl persistence.
 Brenda. try to follow me- implored 1 Studheim for the thousandth time Here's the scene. You are in your own , room alone"
 1 q ann
 l You have had Pete concealed there, to | save him, and, though you know he is | worthless, you have just aided him to es- 1 cape.'
 | q have"
 | 'sYou are good girl"
 | Am I%' Brenda cheered under the rare l tribute of praise.
 Tn the playl in the play!-you are a | geod girl----'
 q am"
 And you are greatly worried to know