The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-08-24
PROVES IT'S MAGIC BY SEQUEL
TO ROMANCE OF VILLA HOLT WAKEFIELD
BY DOLLY DALRYMPLn

mark that Mrs. VILLA Holt Wakefield
made to me in al started to say, little
impromptu'-talk l had with her during
, her visit here within the past few days
when she was choosing her gowns. heI
stage settings and other accessorie.
for the premiere of this seasons vaude
Vile act which she will present in Wash.
ington on August 80; but couldn't with
impunity say little" for there isn't any
thing little about Mrs. Wakefield.
in the first place, she has a big brain;
she is woman of big physique; she Is
a woman of big talents, and best of all,
she is a woman of big heart and a big
philosophy concerning life.
The beauty of this meaning gets into
ones bones even before the brain is
aroused to action or the appreciation Is
riveted upon the wit and all-round un-
Outstanding of this noted artist, and one
| feels that the clock is making swift
progress, clicking away much of her val
liable time and that perhaps after all,
a mere newspaper person" shouldn't
| try to write down this woman-worth--
while in limited Interview
One thing is certain, if Villa Holt
make listening as fine an art as she has
made her remarkable pianism and her
beautiful vocality; and that's why I say.
a little talk" with her is a strange kind
| Of torture.
And she is as delightful to look at as
she is to 'listen to-
| A profile counts--doesnt IL?
And poise7
9And earnest blue-gray eyes?
| And spirit that laughs with. not at.
| the world?
| Villa Holt Wakefield may know she is
very real sort of person, but she
doesn't everlastingly fuss with her halo,
or build a line of defenses around her
aura, but is always deliciously human.
sympathetic, understandable" Just u
charming southern woman from Geor-
gia valley, with charming southern
sweetness and voice both gentle and
we'll modulated, with total disregard for
"g's'' and "d's'' as all charming southern
voices have
mo, l am not going to give up my
stage career at once after my wedding IN
September" she said In reply to my ques-
ton as to how her stage career would be
affected by her marriage. Primarily, I
am business woman. You see, have
been on the stage for eight years, arrang-
ing, managing and planning, and pre-
senting my act In vaudeville and 1t isn't
easy for a woman to pull up stakes all
at once and live her life differently. My
future husband realizes this-he under
stands how am situated, and he doesn't
demand anything unreasonable. We
thrashed that all out years ago, and In
days to come we shall each shape our
life so as to build a home-which is after
all the great thing for men and women
to possess the one place where happiness
has its big change" 4
Years ago,"I asked reverting to her
remark, What does that mean?"
It's very pretty romance" Mrs.
Wakefield said sweetly. "Shall tell you?
1t began out in California just after the
earthquakes; not that this seismic disaster
brought 1t about, but it happened any
way, just at that time. I suggested after
the show one evening to a number of
girls that I'd be hostess at an after-the-
theatre supper II they'd promise faith
fully not to flirt and securing the PROM
ice of each and all, I was as good asl
my word and we went to one OF the
new places which had been improvised
after the big fire. At a table not far
away sat two men-the one of them after
ward I learned, was the secretary to the
Austrian consul, and the other? Well,
he was very handsome and very fascinat-
Ing, and I noticed that he kept looking
at our table very intently. I was dressed
very plainly in black skirt and white
shirt waist-and with total lack of con-
ceit imagined the good looking man was
trying to flirt with some of the girls In
my party but later the joke was turned
on me and they leased me numerically
about the promise I had exacted from
them and then turned tables and became |
the central figure in what turned out to |
be real romance"
An xuo
every time l would look up, I would |
see this handsome man looking at me- |
and raising his glass-all of which |
ignored. but he was quite determined and !
the next day when ! appeared at the
matinee the first person l saw was my
new found friend of the night before &C.
cupying box nearest the stage. 1t was
easy for Him through the secretary Of
the Austrian legation, to meet me, which |
he did and in telling me of 1t later, he'll
said that the secretary-the friend of
Kings and Queens, and potentates and
diplomats had declared the evening be-
fore that 1 couldn't be much of a lady, |
because I ate with my fingers. Il had
eaten sandwich in that crude manner
1t seems and was severely criticized by
the secretary
Any way, the romance progressed
quickly. and proposal of marriage was
soon forthcoming, but said no emphat- |
aSuAy ioscu the stdSe duO WASH VIII
Ing to give it up. That ended it, for the |
time being. and for several years Moth |
ing more was heard of the romance.
Finally, two years ago in New York my |
name In big electric lights, the headliner |
of the Palace bill that week, attracted |
the attention of stranger who had but |
that morning stepped from one of the big
ocean liners on to the pier and made his |
way to his hotel after long trip through |
Russia, Poland, Norway, Sweden, and |
back again. In his pretty foreign way, |
for he is a native Austrian you must |
know, he told me afterward that he sat |
alone In his apartment at the hotel smok- |
ing one cigar after another, and wonder |
ing If he should look me up again, and |
If, after all, he loved me as much as he
ever did. He said after deep thought on |
the subject: Yes; I will go and see her |
for a moment; kiss the tips of her fingers |
and say, adieu. So, true to his word, lust |
as l was about to go on at the matinee
the next day his card was sent to me- AS
l stepped out upon the stage saw him |
standing In the doorway and somkthing-l
l don't know what psychological influence |
said to me: You will marry that man. |
And sure enough in a very few days we
were engaged and now he Is living in Biz |
at the home of his mother In Ensley. |
The host received his guests on the lawn, |
which was festooned and lighted with |
Japanese lanterns and tables were placed |
on the porches for games and contests. |
At the close of the evening light refresh |
ments were served to % guests