Evening star., 1915-01-03

the Main Street hotel. and Monty. the
shoe clerk, is a bit nervous. anyhow.
Susie meets a lot Of travelling sales
men and knows Iife.' and Monty feels
he doesn't measure up very well to
'usie's standards.
1T is a one-night-stand company, and
lie leading man Is handsome some
oody with beautiful manners, search
ing eyes and hair a trifie gray at the
temples.
THE shoe clerk enjoys the play, likes
the looks of the leading woman. but
keeps it to himself. Susie, on the
other hand, goes into audible raptures
over the perfect nose, the deep-set
orbs. the glorious physique of the
"'Oh! Isn't he handsomer she raves
to Monty. Right there and then the
show is spoiled for Monty. The pangs
of jealousy assail him. The leading
man gets on his nerves. Not SO with
Susie. She pays slight attention to
the play itself, but gushes over the
hero. Women take things so per-
sonally. you Know.
When the curtain drops. Monty is
ready to send the leading man a
bouquet of poison ivy. After the show
they go. of course. to the Handy
Kitchen. the leading 'eatery' in all
small towns. Monty is again reminded
of the perfections of the leading man.
while he is paying the check Susie
searches her program to memorize the
name of her hero Monty nearly
chokes. He gurgles His fingers stutter
as he strips off the price of the meal.
He glares at his sweetheart. He makes
an inner vow-and another convert to
the musical comedy form of enter
tainment is made. Monty takes the
pledge against the drama"
Miss Valentine is sure this is tho
chief cause for bad road business.
IF ever 1 launch my own play" she
concluded, you can bank on my en-
gaginS only ordinary-looking men. I
shall have the fact featured that l am
the serious drama, and thus bring
back to it what has been stolen away
through the green streak of jealousy"
TREACHERoUS vERNACULAR.-1n
THE Prodigal Husband" Miss Martha
Hedeman is not called on to make her
first appearance until the story Of the
play is well under way. Since it is one
of Mr.. Drew's infiexible rules that all
players of his company should be in the
theater promptly before the rise of the
curtain, regardless Of the time when
they make their first entrance" Miss
Hedman has installed in her dressing
room a comfortable swim ging chair,
amply supplied with --umerous and
restful cushions.
Ensconced in this nest the actress
has been accustomed to remain curled
up until time for her appearance, read
ing. the newspapers from home-for
little Miss Hedman is all the way
from Stockholm. Sweden, and these
newspapers constitute generous
bundle, magazines, weeklies and dali
les. And, oh, the joy of devouring
them all one by one!
joy was turned to dismay, and some-
thing like frozen panic, when, with
Swedish newspapers in her lap, Swed-
ish magazines at her feet, and Swedish
weeklies littering her nest. she was
snatched sharply away from scenes
at home by a boy's-size voice crying
out, your entrance, Miss Hedman, and
you're later
Like shot, Miss Hedman dropped all
her newspapers and darted heaedlong
for the first entrance. In less than a
second she was on the stage.
1t was the scene where Simone greets,
with loving speech of girlish eXuber-
ance and enthusiasm, her father" as
to her since she, the daughter of his
housekeeper, was left in his hands
years before.
But instead of the usual pretty speech
written by the Messrs. Niccodemi and
Morton, what Mr.. Drew heard was
this:
"Polisen arresteraie i ger alvA per-
soper pa bekaunelsen af en- af u:sa alt
han var ledaren@
Then in a tone of horror, "My Eng
lish. It's all gomez
"Bur-r-r-r UNI" was Mr.. Drews re-
sponse, drowning not only Miss He'd
mans Swedish. but her nervous ejac-
ulation as well. 1T will come back"
1t was all over in less than ten Sec
onds.
I'm SO sorry" said Miss Hedman aft
erward. MY poor head was full Of
Swedish. I shall never read papers
from home between acts or while
waiting"