Mexico Missouri message., 1911-01-26


critique"
During the entr'acte Dora caught
sight of Holcomb leaning over the rail
at the rear of the orchestra gazing
steadily at her. She bowed to him
cordially. lie seemed to hesitate and
then she gave him further indications
that she would be glad TO see him lie
came down to the box hesitatingly AMI
| looking a tri6e guilty. She was too
much pleased, however to notice this.
though vavin's sharp eye caught the
young mans embarrassment.
Miss Fullerton tells me that you are
also OF the experiment." said Vavin
politely.
| ut had the ingredients of an expert
ment sir" replied Holcomb. but II
hardly lasted long enough to he So de.
nominated"
"You should be n good actor" said
Vavin. looking Mt him and scrutnizing
his face carefully.
81 should rather, sir, be a good au.
thor"
"Ah, you write. them"
81 had my first play accepted this
afternoon. sir" he said, looking at
Dora. whose face flushed with pleas
ure, for on the road he had told her
OF his ambitions, though he was hard
ly hopeful concerning a play which
he had left In the hands of manager
before they left New York.
"The first play" unused Vavin. nod
ding approvingly-"that Is great
thing. 1t is like a first marriage or n
play a second time. I envy you"
Hoicomb laughed.
THAT is a very pleasant thing to
hear from your lips. NJ. Vavin." he
said. 81 have read everything OF yours
that has been published. should he
very happy II could think nj the end
of my life that my best work could
even be compared with your worst"
"You mean La Marriage de Nine
DaubignyT" suggested vavin, smiling
referring to q play that had been pro
duced several years back and that had
had VIGOROUSLY unsuccessful recep
ton.
mo, sir" said Holcomb. looking him
squarely in the eye; II mean lie Dame
Rouge"
THAT, my boy" said vavln. laying
his hand on his shoulder-"that was
3 good play. but 1t was written by a
sour heart"
Dora insisted that Holcomb should
see the rest of the play out with them.
an invitation that he accepted CRATE
fully, inasmuch as the manager OF the
theater, who had passed him in, had
not even done him the courtesy TO
give him a seat and had only admitted
him because be was anxious TO give
the house the appearance of being
full. In the course OF the following
act the young author seized the OPP
portunity to whisper to Dora that he
wanted to see her the next day and
tell her Of the gladstone news that he
had received on his arrival
Since the time when Willard Iol-
comb had first met Dora Fullerton on
the stage he had taken on n new and
greater purpose. He was admittedly
young man of great ability; but, az
one Of his friends had described him,
he was particularly disqualified for
success by n lack OF direction" He
had educated himself. had studied law
I'm Office and university and also some
medicine, had written an amusing book
on chess-a feat In itself-had served
In the army and been war CORE
spondent, had written musical criti
cism and now, at the age of thirty
three, was an actor with the very
strong conviction that, following the
example OF Aeschylus. Shakespeare
and Moliere, he could learn to write
a great play only by an acceptable
familiarity not alone with the pen, but
with the grease paint stick.
He had fallen early In his brief stage
career under the influence OF Ludlow
Holly Ludlow. "the best leading man
In America" and undoubtedly the most
brilliant conversationalist among stage
folk. What Holly said today was the
talk of the "town" tomorrow. Thus as
"the town" do actors describe the few
clubs. cafes or other rendezvous that
they hold particularly their own. Soon
er or later these epigrams or witticisms
would drift into print, and after awhile
any bright saying that seemed to lose
caste because of lack Of parentage was
credited to the man of easy tongue and
easier sense Of responsibility.
Unknown to Dora, Ludlow and Hol-
comb had had their first clash over
her. The former, who was really in
formed In certain lines OF psychology.
had playfully remarked that despite
Miss Fullerton's simplicity, sincerity
and righteousness - he also added
"greenness"-she simply moved by the
geological law that sent the best rep
resentatiye Of her species. the feline,
out into the social night. Hocomb,
younger man, usually laughed at Hol.
ly's CONSIDERATIONS Now he turned
sharply.
THE trouble with you, Ludlow" he
said, dropping the affectionate abbre-
Walton OF Holly, ais that you don't
realize that nature In that regard is
memorable, and the matter gets to the
fundamental question OF quality"
"As serious as that, rs it?" was Hol-
Iy's would be TESTING remark.
"As serious as that" replied Hol-
comb, and from that time OH they Jest
ed no more on that or any other sub
ject.
The day after their meeting at the
theater Miss Fullerton and MIR. Hol-
comb met at lunch as per agreement.