Putnam patriot., 1915-05-21

You must have started to dress as
soon's you come In last night never
slep' wink till just about half hour
ago. bet amt got more than eleven
minutes to dress in. Amt this
scorcher!"
When the train stopped at North
Bend. Emma McChesney, on her way
out, eollided with vision in a pongee
buster, rose-colored chiffon veil, cham
ois gloves, and plumed hat. Miss
Blanche LeHaye had made the most Of
her eleven minutes. Her baggage at
tended TO, Emma MeChesney climbed
into a hotel bus. It bore no other pas
sengers. From her corner in the vehicle
she could see the queen of hurlesque
standing in the center of the depot
platform, surrounded by her company.
It was a tawdry, miserable, almost
tragic group. the men understood. be-
diamonded. their skulls oddly shaped.
their clothes a satire on the fashions
for men. their chins unshaven. their
loose lips curved eontentedly over Gig
arettes; the women dreadfully unreal
with the pitiless light of the early
morning sun glaring down on their be-
dizened faces, their spotted, garish
cloths, their rundown heels, their
vivid wells, their matted hair. They
We're quarreling among themselves,
and a fame of hate for the moment
lighted up those dull, stupid, vicious
faces. Blanche LeHaye appeared to
be the center about which the strife
waged, for suddenly she flung through
the shrill group and walked swiftly
over to the bus and climbed into it
heavily. One of the women turned,
her face livid beneath the paint, to
scream great oath after her. The
bus driver climbed into his seat and
took up the reins. After a moments
indecision the little group ON the plat
form turned and trailed off down the
street. the women sagging under the
weight of their bags, the men, for the
most part, hurrying on ahead. When
the bus lurched past them the woman
who had screamed the oath after
Blanche LeHaye laughed shrilly and
made a face. like a naughty child,
.whereupon the others laughed in fall
setto chorus.
A touch of real color showed in
Blanche LeHaye's fiabby cheek. IN
show,m,. she snarled. "I'll shown |
amt no dead one yet. That huesy of
Zella Dacre thinkin' she can get my
part away from me when | amt
lookin'. | wised she was gettin' too
sweet to me the last week or so, the
lynn sneak I'll shown a leadiu' lady's
a leadin' lady. Let EN- go to their
hash hotels. I'm goin' to the real inn
In this town just to let 'em know that
| got my dignity to keep up, and that
l don't have to mix in with scum like
that. You see that there?" She point
ed at something in the street. Emma
McChesney turned to look. The cheap
Jack Bellies company glared at one
from the bill-boards.
That's our paper explained
Blanche LeT1aye. That's me. In the
center of the bunch. with the pink
reins in my hands. drivin' that fourth
let Dacre try to get it away from me,
that's all. I'll shown"
She sank back into her corner. Her
anger left her with the suddenness
characteristic of her type.
Amt this heat fierce?" she fretted.
Now, Emma MeChesney was broad
minded woman. The scars that she
had received in her ten years battle
with business reminded her to be ten
der at sight of the wounds of others.
But now, as she studied the woman
huddled there in the corner, she was
conscious of a shuddering disgust of
her-of the soiled blouse, of the cheap
finery, of the sunken places around the
jaw-bone, of the swollen places be-
meath the eyes, of the thin, carmined
lips, of the
Blanche LeHaye opened her eyes
suddenly and caught the look on Emma
McChesney's face. Caught it, and COM
pretended 1t. Her eyes narrowed, and
she laughed shortly.
ooh, dunno" drawled Blanche Lee
Haye. 81 wouldn't COS fairs that, kid.
Say, when | was your age / didn't plan
to be no bum burlesquer neither. l
was going to be an actress, with
farm on Long Island, like the rest of
'em. Every real actress has got
farm on Long Island. If it's only there
in the mind of the press agent. It's
kind of a religion with 'em. l was
goin to build a house on mine that
was goin' to be a cross between
California bungalow and the horticul-
tural building at the worlds fair. Say,
! amt the worst, kid. There's others
outside of my smear. understand, that
l wouldn't change places with"
A dozen apologies surged to Emma
McChesney's lips just as the driver
drew up at the curbing outside the
hotel and jumped down to open the
door She found herself hoping that
the hotel clerk would not class her
with her companion.
At II o'clock that morning Emma
McChesney unlocked her door and
walked down the red-carpeted hotel
corridor. She had had two hours of
restful sleep. She had bathed. and
breakfasted, and donned clean clothes.
She had brushed the cinders out of her
hair, and manicured. She felt as alert,
and cool and refreshed as she looked,
which speaks well for her comfort.
Hallway down the hall bedroom
door stood open. Emma McChesney
glanced in. What she saw made her
stop. The next moment she would