The Washington herald., 1912-01-03
r, JuLIA cHANDLER MANI.

When he extended his hand in greeting
to me yesterday, far from the footlights
Of the Columbia Theater, about the only
thing that Julian EltinGe brought with
him Of ''The Fascinating Widow was her
smile, which. being also the Elt.nge smile.
he can hardly Irid himself OF when he
lays aside all the fascinating feminine
regalia with which he has coaxed the
theatergoing public into declaring him
one Of the most beautiful women on the
American stage.
How do you do il Mr. Eltnge2'' was
the first question ! asked him. for. be-
ing a woman, and in close enough range
TO measure with my eye all the thirty
eight inches of waist measure. with
which nature has endowed him, l natu-
rally wanted TO know.
l told him qaIte frankly, tOO that there
were hundreds of women readers of The
Herald's Page for Every Woman, who
were inclined to stoutness to such an
extent that they would just like to know
how II Is that he comes out in the first
act Of The Facinating Widow" play
ing this week at the Columbia, an athe-
letic sort of chap, making no bones Of
his generous proportions, while in the
second act he Is transformed into
girl, minus nearly a half yard of waist
measure, possessing a grace and charm
that would make the prettiest debutsnte
in Washington jealous.
There to Get at Secret.
Now. then, am here as a repre-
sentative Of the readers of The WASH
ington Herald's Page for Every Woman
to extract from you the secret of your
off-aEain on-again flesh method. Why.
man, such a secret should be worth mil
lions to you for with it a woman might
change her figure to suit every fast feet
ing fashion," concluded, enthusiastically.
Mr.. Eltinge winked wickedly and made
a tour of the room to be very sure that
no one was hid behind portieres or furni-
ture to hear his revelation. Then he came
back, and in a stage whisper exploded
his theory
"A pair Of corsets and a strong mans
arm" he said.
But a half-yard is some reduction" I
reminded, increduously.
Il know it." replied Mr.. EItinge, with
a torturous expression
How He Becomes n Woman.
1T costs me all but the breath Of life
20 be a woman" he went on. First of
a. comes the shaving. 1 have a beard
that has a perfect genius for growing,
and 1t wouldn't do for The Fascinating
Widow to have new-mowed whiskers
showing through her complexion. So frst
comes the shave. Then get into my
bathrobe and pile on the cold cream.
layers and layers of it, as a foundation.
you know. Then comes the rouge by the
wholesale, and oodles and oodles Of pow
der. I paint out my eyebrows with white
paint, and over this draw the narrow
black lines seen by my audience. 1 coat
my eyelashes with cold cream, then bead
them with black paint, which sticks bet
ter on cold cream than on the lashes. 1
make myself Cupid's bow mouth, pink
the tips Of my ears, and fasten on my
earrings with a screw clamp.
Next, my shoulders and arms are
coated with liquid powder. and then am
ready for the flesh reducing operation.
First comes the corset, which my Japan
ese valet laces after the fashion Of a
cowboy cinching a pack pony"
Here Mr.. Eltinge stopped and filled his
lungs with precious oxygen while he had
the chance.
The Secret DIvuIEcd.
You mean 70 say that you just simply
have yourself laced down nearly a half
yard, and that you can come on the
boards with the grace of a sylph, the
rhythm Of the dance in your step. and
song on your hps?"
Mr. Eltinge ginked sIyly.
1 mad asked a foolish question, for
hadn't 1 seen him doing these very things
as THE Fascinating Widow" at the Co
lunbis Theater only the night before?
The tights follow the lacing," he went
on; then the black stockings which 1
wear with the bride costume; next comes
the gown in which / first make my ap-
pearance as The Fascinating Widow
and, lastly, the wig and hat, which are
made in one. and the trick is turned"
Were It not for Mr.. Eltinge's appear
ance in the first and last acts in mascu-