The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-01-23

singing for all the melody she's worth.
the other dancing for all the grace that's
in her, and both, like Moulan and knight.
melted to their most strenuous work by
antagonism.
The contrast between a dance OF shep-
| herds In a calm forest glade and the
commotion of a crowd on a race course
doesn't unbalanee the show. for the turf
girls. with their smart gowns and know
ing airs. are as slightly as the others,
and the view of them as they watch
race that. presumably. is run on a track
circling back of the parquet-thus facing
the audience with their glasses following
the imaginary horses and their excite
ment rising TO a wild turbulence-is high
art in stage spectacle
A Drama Of Paris Underworld.
A drama of Paris below the pavement
is MY Girl" and by way OF a surprise
it teaches a lesson 10 American tourists.
The place is a cellar cafe where an Eng
lish lord. another gentleman. and two
ladies' go to see vicious diversions Of So
cial outcasts. They have a guide who
tells them that the men they find eating,
drinking, and singing at the tables are
outlaws TO whom the girls are sweet
hearts. It is a juxtaposition OF slum-
mers and scummers. A girl from the
street wants drink, but hasn't a coin.
and when the bartender would turn her
out my lord treats her, also the whole
assemblage that applauds him. Then
too, when he orders champagne for HIS
own party, and has to be content with
| bad brandy, he pays a wine price for the
worse than worthless beverage. He be-
| Genes a silly spender. But that's not
the lesson to tourists.
Gosseline comes down into the cellar
resort She is a rakish derelict on the
sea of vice French actress, Edna
Mellon, has been imported 10 make her
a lank. 1.-THE, serpentine siren, with arms
and shoulders cleaning white out OF
black gown. Her saucy head has short
yellow hair, and red peoples give another
dash OF color. The lord. old enough to
behave better. fiirts with her. She speaks
! in French-accented English. sings a song
in her native language. and he is be-
deviled. VIII she drink? He pays a
dozen prices for It. VIII she smoke? She
takes cigarette from him and keeps
the gold case. She sits coquettishly in
his lap and he makes a tryst with a
liberal payment on account. He becomes
a tipsy old fool But that's not the les
son.
The lords ladies are quicker than he
TO perceive that Gosseline has a jealous
lover. Frise. keen-eyed 10 her behavior
pale fellow who looks Ike a degenerate
student from the Latin Quarter-and she
goes nervously TO sit on the table where
he Tolls over his absinthe How interest
Ing! The lord struts up In his chair and
loftily pooh-poohs the ladies' fear that
he may get into danger All watch the
girl as she tries 10 pacify her lover, who
glowers sulIeniy. The lord again pays
wine rates for favored wood alcohol to
appease the lover. Yet that's not the
lesson.
Hypnotic Influence Again.
Sebert comes down into the under
ground place of revelFy. Galveston Syl-
vestre IS the actor brought here to per
senate Sebert, an example OF very sin
gular Partisan rufflanism-the physically
dominant man who possesses also a
hypnotic sort Of control over his girl and
makes her a pitiable slave to his mag
uetic power The guide explains that 10
my lords summers and bids them watch
and wait Sebert lives on the shame OF
Gosseline. What's she got for him? She
7 q, I'll.
doesn't please him. He orders her tosthe
street 10 get more. She says no one is
out in the storm that's raging. He
cEOkes and strikes her. slams her down
OF the table, and threatens still worse
abuse. My lord slips a f1ve-pOund note
into her hand for her master. However.
his absurd generosity is not the lesson.
You may have seen-and anyhow YOU
have read - my accounts OF Apache
dances. Here We have it deliberately.
The Modified Sebert takes the floor with
GCsseline for a waltz Now saws the
guide, you're going to see the real thing.
You're mighty lucky" The man first
takes the girls small face in his big
hands and kisses her mouth savagely;
whereat she seems to go under his hyp-
motto spell. and passively. obediently.
dazedly she circles around the room with
HIM. Then he lets her loose 10 his arms
length and jerks her back violently TO
his breast, drops her backward TIL her
head almost touches the floor, filings her
out till her feet are level with his shouI-
ders, and, finally, in bestial fury throws
her from him with such force that she
slides twenty feet on her face. She
crawls back and clings 10 him, not only
with her arms around his neck. but also
with her legs around his waist. Not
even the girls abnormal yield Of herself
TO Sebert, while she normally loves
Frise. is the lesson mentioned.
F'rise can't stand it. He goes into
combat with Sebert. Knives are their
weapons Frise falls. Gosseline throws
herself on his body. The guide tells the
lord and his companions to get away
before the police can nab them. They
fly in a panic. And the lesson 10 tour
lists? Oh, they don't get it. But the New
York audience does For as the curtain
goes down on this remarkable bour-Ione
play in vaudeville the cafes operators
from Gosseline to the bartender and Sc
bert to the guide. are dividing the cash
proceeds Of the fake tragedy.
FRANKLIN FYLEs.
AR asa EHH E n zMA