Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-07-25
The room rang with an encore, then

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 The room rang with an encore, then came shriek of command. ''Dance!" shouted the group of students in cor ner.
 "Oh!" cried Dorcas piteously. "oh! how can they do it?'
 The musicians huddled themselves and their instruments closer together, indifferently as If it were part of every nights program. The Eganist struck few bars of some tinkling thing in a musical comedy, then the singer be- gan to sway her huge body. There was no space for her feet to move. She sang to the accompaniment, but the physical effort made her wheeze The orchestra dashed into tripping chorus, and the enthusiasm of the guests waxed high. Cheers were inter- mingled with laughter and screams of derision.
 "Oh!" cried Dorcas. "oh! the shame Of it."
 The singer sank in g chair exhaust ed, then she rose and pushed her way down from the balcony. Dorcas watched her with pitiful gaze. Per- spiration was washing white streaks through the patches of rouge on her cheeks.
 'sWho is the woman?" she asked.
 Twenty i've years ago her name was famous, from one end of Italy to the other. When she went to Genoa to fill an engagement the whole town turned out to meet her, the shops closed. and 1t, was public holiday. The people pelted her with flowers and screamed themselves hoarse in a welcome. She was the star of the Bellini in Naples. She sang in Paris and London. She came here. grew sick and could not i'll her engage 1qents; A manager went back on her, she lost what money she had. friends deserted her, she came down to this.'s ..i ,l 'oh. the poor soul!" Dorcas' voice was whisper. .f,
 '.HerS was an unusual case" said Merry. s6he Is only fiftysthree now. 50 I've heard It makes you realizes into what a short bit of our lives fame Is crowded-if fame comes to us, The ,has-beens in our profession are an army, . pitiful army. Unless one has ia home and some one in it to cherish and love. the lonely days Of old age are" Andrew laughed cheerlessly. '~Well. Fnever thinkof them" ,s
 He stretched oY his hand to inter- icept boy who wandered between the tables with "a 5tray full of crimson roses. He iaidsA bunch of them before Dorcas. She buried her face in the cQoh petals.
 .5hall we go" asked Merry.
 As they pushed their way through the maze of crowded tables they passed i woman who sat dining alone. She wore an orange velvet gown. and shabby lace scarf covered her naked shoulders. 'Dorcas paused for a mo ment, laid her hand upon the woman's arm, and spoke few words in Italian. The singer looked up and put grimy, 1fng.bedixened hand upon the girls fingers. Merry stood watching them The woman looked very old and faded under the white glare of the cleo. tricity. but her face grew eager and tremulous while she poured out her soul in her own language. Dorcas took one rose from the cluster in her arms and laid the rest of the fragrant blos- eoms beside the singers plate.
 "YouI forgive me for parting with your fowers?" she whispered as she rejoined Merry.
 I'm glad you did 1t. Once upon . time stage bouquets were a worn-out sensation for that woman: today I guess she is showered with roses about once in blue moon"
 Dprcas paused near the door to nod good-by to the singer. who sat gazing after them with her chin buried in the