The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1915-03-12

Tony Couasso wss an italian illus
traitor who lodged and painted In
studio-apartments In Washington
Square, South. His companions we're
various, numbering among them a
group Of those pygmy celebrities Of
whom one has never heard until by
chance he meets them, and OF whom
their intimates speak as OF immortals.
To Collasso's studio Samson was
called n night by telephone, He
had sometimes gone there before 10
sit for an hour. chiefly as a listener,
while the man from Sorrento bewailed
fate with his c%oterle, and denounced
all forms Of government over insipid
Chianti.
But tonight he entered the door to
find himself in the midst OF a gay and
boisterous party. The room was al
ready thiokly logged with smoke, and
a dozen men and women, singing
snatohes OF current airs. we're inter
esting themselves over a chatting dish.
The crowd was typical. A few very
minor writer's and artists. a model or
two, and several women who had
thinking parts in current Broadway
productions.
At eleven O'Clock the guests Of honor
arrived In a taxicab. They we're Mr..
William Farbish and Miss Winifred
Starr. Having come, as they explained,
direct from the theater where Miss
Starr danced In the first row, they
were In evening dress. Samson men
tally acknowledged, though with in.
stinctlve disfavor for the pair. that
both were, In a way, handsome. Col
lasso drew him aside to whisper i'm
portantly:
Make yourself agreeable to Farbish.
He is received In the most exclusive
society, and is a connoisseur Of art.
If he takes a fancy to you, he will
put you up 4 the best clubs. think
shall sell him a landscape"
The girl was talking rapidly and
loudly. She had at once taken the
center Of the room, and her laughter
rang in free and egotistical peals
above the other voices.
Come. said the host, Il shall pre-
sent you"
The boy shook hands, gazing with
his usual directness into the show
girls large and deeply-penciled eyes.
Earblsh, standing at one side with
his hands in his pockets, looked on
with an air Of slightly bored detach.
ment.
His dress, his m%annerisms, his bear.
ing, we're all those OF the man who has
o%verstudied his part. They we're too
perfect, too obviously ~rehearsed
through years Of social climbing, but
that was a defect Samson was not
yet prepared to recognize.
Someone had naively complimented
Miss Starr ON the leopard-skin cloak
she had just thrown from her shapely
shoulders, and she turned promptly
and vivaciously to the hatterer,
1T Is nice, isn't it?" she prattled,
1t may look a little up-stage for a girl
who hasn't got a line TO read into
the piece, but these days one must
get the spotlight, or be a dead one,
Il reminds me OF a little run.in | had
with Graddy-he'a u stage-director,
Nhh hAbMs oht HAhntht ahulAAAb AAt
invitation to proceed, and, having re-
ceived 1t, went gayly forward, Il was
ten minutes late, one day, for rehears.
al. and Grady came up with that sar-
castle manner Of his, and said: Miss
Starr, | don't doubt you are a perfect
ly nice girl, and all that, but 1t rather
gets my goat to figure out how, on
a salary of fifteen dollars a week,
you come to rehearsals in a million
dollars worth OF clothes, riding In a
limousine-and ten minutes late!'"
She broke OF with the eager little
expression OF awaiting applause, and,
having been satisfied, she added: Il
was afraid that wasn't going to get a
laugh, after ALL
She glanced inquiringly Il Samson.
who had not smiled, and who stood
looking puzzled.
"A penny for your thoughts. Mr..
South, from down South she chal'
lenged,
% guess I'm sort OF like Mr.. Grad.
dy," said the boy, slowly. Il was just
wondering how you do do Il.
He spoke with perfect seriousness
and, after a moment, the girl broke
into prolonged peal Of laughter.
oh. you are deliciousl' she ex
claimed II ! could do the ingenue
like that, believe me, Id make some
hit" She came over. and. laying q
hand on each Of the boys shoulders
kissed him lightly on the cheek
That's for a droll boy!" she said
That's the best line I've heard pulled
) lately"
+. Farbish wal smiling In quiet amuse
ment. He tapped the mountaineer OF
the shoulder.
I've heard George Lescott speak o
you" he said. genially. i've rather 1
3 fancy for being among the discover
r ers Of men Of talent. We must SCI
, more OF each other"
Samson left the party early. an,