The Press., 1910-12-28


 'efIis resolution was rather sudden" ]" said the professor, "and, frankly, 1t caused a little trouble, as we had un- dertaken to have Doumice come over and give the lectures, and Doumtce really was announced. Doumice him self wired us that there had been changes in slis program made neces- sary by family affairs and that he had persuaded Yavin to deliver the course for him and take up the work. Or course it is perfectly splendid.
 "And he is here in town?" asked Dora.
 "Yes: he is stopping at the hotel"
 She settled back in the cab. The first contented feeling that she had had since the announcement of the closing of the tour had come to her i'll the thought that at least in the com pany of Vavin she would gain the strength with which to meet the dreaded female relative
 vayin was out when they arrived at the sflotel.~ but they met at dinner, he siust. as blithesome and happy over the meeting as she was. He kissed her hand affectionately.
 4sNfv dear little Miss Dora" he said, eft ls SO nice to see you again.
 Her father had told her during the afternoon that Vavin had been much Interested in her experiment with the atage-in fact. he had written 10 nm most sorrowfully that his daughter was about to go on the stage and that he had been unable to control her. 1t was in reply to this letter that Vav1n I had accepted the invitation to visit I Fullerton and lecture in America.
 "You have had a jolly experience, l eElY' he said when they were seated "You have been all actress, eh?' Then, noticing that atzthrough her smiles there was a suggestion of tear, he patted 1 her hand and said:
 "It is very fine to be une actr1ce, ne ] c'est pas? Failure! What is thati ! A great experience. Had you succeed ed you would know little. You have failed; you are not forgotten" | Fullerton himself, however, did not seem to agree to the turn the con versation had taken, and during the rest of the dinner he carefully avoided allowing the subject to be brought up It apparently was a great humiliation for this man that first a wife and then a daughter should have gone into things that to his mind were not o1 the we'll ordered world.
 They passed the evening at the the ater. Vavin, much to his own amaze l ment, had found that he had an en gagement in the fiat vest" as he call ed it.
 q had expected" he explained tc Dora, 'that if I did any other lecturina than that which Professor Fullerton had asked me to do it would be q mat ter that I would think over. But be fore left Paris signed an agreement to lecture quite frequently. arrived today. I lecture tomorrow afternoon in Pittsburg, is 1t not? Wonderful country! should not have been sur prised at all, though I hardly contem plated such thing, believe me, had been met halfway on the ocean by g steamship full of people who wished to hear of the wondrous beauties o1 the French lecture, of the drama an( critique."
 During the entr'acte Dora caugh sight of Holcomb leaning over the raj at the rear of the orchestra gazinG steadily at her. She bowed to hin cordially. He seemed to hesitate, ant then she gave him further indications that she would be glad to see him. Ht came down to the box hesitatingly anG looking a trifle guilty. She was toC much pleased, however, to notice this though Vavin's sharp eye caught thu young mans embarrassment.
 ''MtSs Fullerton tells me that you arr also of the experiment" said Vavt politely.
 l "It had the ingredients of an expert ment, sir," replied Holcomb, "but hardly lasted long enough to be so de I nominated"
 ''You should be a good actor" saiC Vavin, looking at him and scrutinizinj his face carefully.
 "I should rather, sir, be a good au thor."
 "Ah, you write, then?'
 ''I had my first play accepted thi afternoon, sir," he said, looking a Dora, whose face flushed with pleas ure, for on the road he had told he of his ambitions, though he was hard - -