Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-22
THE BITTERNESS OF SWEETS
Bv
BY RUPERT HUGHES

her parents had had another argument
The hatron had left another dent in the
wall and its nose was covered with
plaster A neighbor informed Silver that
her father and mother had left the house
Tor a ride in the picnic wagon the city
Kept at their disposal Tho neighbor
guessed that they would doubtless get
the Island for another thirty" So silver
did not leave the three dollars, but merely
a little note.
dear ma ! been fired at the store
but got another Jobe in Nu Jearsie
will rite soon your loveing doughtre.
Then she sped to the theatre and asked
for Mr.. Bruni She was referred to the
stage door. This was too glorious. She
found Mr.. Bruni and he led her up an iron
stairway to n tenement Of drcssing-rooms
and introduced her to his flock. The
swallows sat about in their feathers and
their unmitigated makeup. Some were
mending their plumage, one was reading
n book, one was sewing at chld's
clothing, and one was industriously mas
ticatng gum.
At Mr.. Brunis request the gum-chewer,
who was about to leave the troupe, per-
mtted Silver to try on her costume. An
extra pair of tights was found and Mr..
Bruni withdrew while Silver made the
change behind n chair.
with her arms bare and her shanks in
hose a world too wide she was un-
imaEinably thin She was such a pauper
In flesh that Mr.. Bruni, recalled to in
spect her, felt sorry for her. He rebuked
with n glare the ridicule in the eyes Of
the other swallows, and told Silver that
she looked very nice. He wondered what
the gallery boys would say of his sixth
swallow, and he dreaded the comments
Of the house-innuagCrs; but he was still
more afraid of rejecting this pitiful little
soul that had paid such reverence to him
and hs achievement.
When she doffed her splendor silver
was permitted to sit in the wings and
watch the swallows do their supper-turn
to an almost empty house. 1t astounded
her to see the mechanism at work and TO
realize that the lightly fitting swallows
were raised and lowered on wires and
pulley controlled by STAGE hands In over
nlls Such romance In front of the scene,
such realism back of III But she was be-
witiched at the miracle of 1t all Yes
tiddy cash-goil; to-morra boid!"
She slept that night in the deserted fat
and the next morning she was awake at
the first streak of soiled daybreak that
pierced the dirty window. She leaped
from her slumbcr and pirouetted and
danced, took flying leaps from the edge
of the bed and from the table, and prac-
tlced aviation till the neighbors thought
her father and mother must have escaped
from the law and resumed their debates.
Silver heated as much water as the
clothes boiler would hold and bathed in
Il, and made the neatest toilet she could.
She borrowed an old telescope bag from
n wealthy ncighbor and packed what lit
tie wardrobe she possessed
She reached the theatre before the night
watchman was awake. The hours she
must survive before Mr.. Bruni arrived
seemed uncomfortable. That little mouse,
forgotten in her excitement, began 10
gnaw at her stomach, and she realized
that she had no breakfast.
She went to the nearest of Childs'
lunchrooms and tried to look profess
sionai. She wondered what lady actors
"ct in rcstrunts" She ordered n break
fast of such variety and substance that
the waiter grinned as he punched hole
after. hole in her ticket and finally com
mented:
Say. klddo. are you just eatin' your
last Thanksgiving dinner or are you doin
this on a bet?"
"Ah, go on, you big stff. or I'll bounce
one of these cups off your bean"
He knew those cups and he went.
But when Silver came to pay for the
! feast she trembled, not with repletion
/ but with terror, at the inroad on her
funds. The theatrical life was "norful
expensuv thing"
She hastened back to the theatre and
wheedled the stage door man into ad-
mittlng her to the dressing-room so that
| she might be ready when Mr.. Bruni came.
| She flung off her scant and material rags
| and donned her ethereal pinions; also
| her terrifying pink tights When Mr.
| Bruni finally arrived and knocked at the
| door she felt gusts OF fright sweeping