Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-05-07

Tony Collasso was an Italian illus
traitor who lodged and painted in
studio-apartments in Washington
Square, South. His companions were
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 Coliasso's studio Samson was
called one night by telephone. He
had sometimes gone there before to
sit for an hour, chiefly as a listener,
while the man from Sorrento bewailed
fate with his coterie, 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 thickly logged with smoke, and
a dozen men and women, singing
snatches of current airs, were inter-
esting themselves over a chatting dish.
The crowd was typical. A few very
minor writer's and artists, model or
two, and several women who had
thinking parts in current Broadway
productions.
AT eleven o'clock the guests of honor
arrived in taxicab. They were 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
stinctive disfavor for the pair, that
both were, in 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 connoisseur of art.
If he takes fancy to you, he will
put you up It the best clubs. | think
l 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
Farbish, standing at one side with
his hands in his pockets, looked on
with an air of slightly bored detach.
ment.
His dress, his mannerisms, his bear
ing, we're all those of the man who has
overstudied his part. They were toe
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 en- the leopard-skin cloak
she had just thrown from her shapely
shoulders, and she turned promptly
and vivacously to the flatterer.
1t is nice, isn't it," she prattled
1T may look little up-stage for cir
who hasn't got a line to read into
the piece, but these days one mus
get the spotlight, or be a dead one
1t reminds me of little run-in haG
with Graddy-he's our stage-director
you know" She paused, awaiting the
| invitation to proceed, and, having re
ceived 1t, went gayly forward. II wat
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 it rather
gets my goat to figure out how, OF
salary Of fifteen dollars a week
you come to rehearsals in million
dollars worth of clothes, riding in, ;
limousine-and ten minutes late!'
She broke off with the eager little
expression of awaiting applause, and
having been satisfied, she added: "
was afraid that wasn't going to get
laugh, after all"
She glanced inquiringly at Samson
who had not smiled, and who stooC
looking puzzled.
"A penny for your thoughts, Mr.
South, from down South" she cha
lenged
~ guess I'm sort of like Mr.. Grad
dy," said the boy, slowly. 81 was JUS
wondering how you do do it,
He spoke with perfect seriousness
and, after a moment, the girl brok
into prolonged peal of laughter.
"Oh, you are delicious!" she ex
claimed. IF | could do the ingenu
like that, believe me, I'd make SOM
hit" She came over, and, laying
hand on each of the boys shoulder
kissed him lightly on the cheek
That's for a droll boy!" she said
That's the best line I've heard pulle,
lately"
Farbish was 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
fancy for being among the discover
ers of men of talent. We must SCI
more Of eacu other"
Samson left the party early, ant
y,.tN 1, ,f Il