Omaha daily bee., 1909-09-26

that she was not displeased with The idea.
IF I was sure Of getting one OF them
parts" she added, of course that would
make a heap Of difference, don't you know
The true theatrical artist in embryo was
speaking within her. Already she was spar
ring over a part.
IN tell you what I've done ] said. Il
told the stage manage your name was
Imogene Darcy; you hadn't had a great
deal OF experience. but 1 thought you would
make IA hit as a naiad on account OF your
voice and figure, for 1 hope hen give you
a song"
"ImoEene D'Arcv," she repeated thought
fully. throwing herself into a theatrical
pose. that sounds good to me OF course
It was all right for you to speak Of my
figger. but l amt travelin' over the rail-
roads on my shape. What I want is a
chauce to act"
Look here, Arabella," I said. assuming
d stern aspect, you certainly don't call II
acting TO ride across the arena on a broken
down COW pony and fire empty shells at a
miscellaneous assortment of tame Indians
and trained bank robbers, foodpads, or
whatever they may be-"
She stared at me in surprise.
"No-o-ope," she said, reflectively, may
be not"
and you're not going back on me after
I've used all my influence to get the Hip
podrome TO take you orr
She thought a moment before she re-
piled. Then she said: IF he'd let me be
one Of them what-you-call-'ems-?'
Maids"
I'd consider IT," she said. But keep Il
Under your bonnet scar-face Charlie that
plays the road agent-he used to be a
C~igarmaker in Mankato, Il~inois-has been
kinder maxim up to me, and he might get
gay"
"Ah, an affair of the heart" + ex-
claimed.
Affair nuthin',' she replied ~sullenly.
when you hear Arabella Bruce O'Connor
mlxin' up with a converted cigar artist,
you'll know she's got flies buzzln' in her
thlnkin' p%arlor."
I felt secretly panied at Arabella's in
decorous use of the English language, but
1 said nothing.
Il did hope when / was down there in
that sweatshop," she continued, medita-
lively, casting down her eyes in sheer mod
esty and poking her foot into the sand.
that you'd get me located with one OF
them big play managers. Oh" she hast
ened to add in another key intended to re-
lieve me of a painful embarrassment, mot
that I don't appreciate everything you're
dom for me. OF course, I'm only a stran-
ger to you, and I amt sayin' that you had
a right to put yourself out on account of
a strange lady. It's awfully nice Of you
to think O. me a-tall."
She gave me a benevolent look out of
her small blue eyes.
"Arabeiia," l said, after a little interval
Of embarrassed silence; I've only taken
stock Of what you told me about your voice,
Perhaps you can act and perhaps you
can't"
oh, punk she retorted quickly with a
naughty toss Of the head, 81 don't think
Anna Held or Lottis Faust has got the
edge on me-"
We'll" 1 fastened to interject, they
began at the foot of the ladder. Now, when
you nave given some proof of your ability
to act, you can always rely on me to use
what little influence ! have to advance
your interests
you certainly are good 10 me-" she ex-
claimed. ITS nice to have one gentleman
friend that's rilly sincere and interested in
your artistic career without want'n' a
mortgage on your life.'
I assured her had no Interior motives,
But hate to see you wasting your
talent on frontier herolnes when your forte
obviously is fairies I explained.
Eyes. that's So" she conceded, at do
seem more artistic, don't it? Oh, well, I
didn't want to take Maude Adams parts
right off the reel; 1 wouldn't a cared IL
I'd just played maids parts for a while.
But it is a heap more d'stangay, accordin'
to my notion, and people will think a
mighty sight more OF you"
In less than a week Miss o'Connor a
the pleasure of seeing the name Of Imo-
gene Darcy printed in the program op-
posite to that OF the second naiad.
We have 1t on the authority OF Ovid,
I believe, that Venus was born of the sea,
though 1t may have been Homer. The
opening night OF the Hippodrome wit
messed her rebirth. and If It was not pre-
cisely Venus OF the sea it was assuredly
Venus of the tank. In short, she created
a mild sensation, though she had nothing
to do out look lovely.
But even these nightly triumphs pres
emily palled on Arabella Bruce O'Connor,
and her ambition was not proof against
a tempting offer to appear in a musical
comedy on the Great White Way. A
Broadway manage who had been i'm
pressed with her statuesque form had pre-
vailed on her to appear as a show girl
in a dress with a long train and a very
low neck, and had promised to give her
some lines to speak.
You've been the best gentleman friend
I ever had, Mr.. Smythe," she said, when 1
mildly demonstrated with her on her
tickleness OF purpose, and what you say
cuts a heap Of ice with me. Tanks is
all right for sea lions and hlppo-what-
you-caIls-hem, You know what l mean.
But there's no use talkin', for a girl that
don't ever expect TO compete for the swim
min championship It's Just about as cosey
as a picnic IN an ice house. l told i'm"
she continued, referring to her new man
ager, that / wouldn't never think Of
lowerin' dignity TO be a broiler in the back
row. You know what I mean-that with
my blood and experience 1t was about time
TO pull off somethin'. He offered me
twenty a week, but l seq: Nay. nay,
Pauline; fifty or back TO the tank for mine,
and he. signed"
l congratulated Arabella on her rise and
cautioned her to be a good girl.
Arabella's debut on Broadway was an
event TO me II to no one else. waited her
appearance with nervous apprehension. II
was In the role OF one OF those conven-
tIonal dressmaker's models that came in
with the vogue OF "Florodora-" Arabella