The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1915-10-07


their intimates speak as of immortals
To Collassos studio Samson was
called one night by telephone He
had sometimes gone there before to
sit for an hour, chiefly as listener,
while the man from Sorrento bewailed
iate With his co,erie. and denounced
all forms OF government over insip,d
Chianti
But tonight he entered the door TO
find himself in the midst or gay and
bcisterous party. The room was al.
ready thickly legged with smoke, and
dozen men and women singing
snatclea Of current airs were inter
ssting themselves over chahng dish.
The crowd was typical 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 a 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 inn
portantly:
Make yourself agreeable to Farbish.
He is received in the most exclusive
society, and is n connoisseur of art.
Ii he takes fancy to you, he will
put you up Ct the best clubs | think
shall sell him landscape"
The girl was talking rapidly ard
loudly She had at once taken tho
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,
Farblsh, 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, were all those of the man who has
overstudied his part. They were too
perfect. too obviously rehearsed
through years of social climbing, but
that was n defect Samson was not
yet prepared to recognize.
Someone had naively complmente6
Miss Starr on the leopard-skin cloak
she had just thrown from her shapely
shoulders, and she turned promptly
and vivaciously TO the flatterer
1T is nice, isn't it?" she prattled
1T may look little up-stage for girl
who hasn't got line to read into
the piece, but these days one must
get the spotlight, or be a dead one.
1t reminds me of a little run.in had
with Graddy-he's our stage-director,
you know" She paused, awaiting the
invitation to proceed, and. having re-
ceived it, 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 II rather
gets my goat to figure out how, on
q 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 off with the eager little
expression Of awaiting applause, and,
hu al ad
was afraid that wasn't going to get a
laugh, after ALL
! She glanced inquiringly at Samson.
who had not smiled, and who stood
looking puzzled.
"A penny for your thoughts. Mr..
South, from down South" she chal-
lenged.
Il guess I'm sort of like Mr.. Grad
dX," said the boy, slowly Il was just
wondering how you do do it,
He spoke with perfect seriousness,
and, after a moment, the girl broke
into prolonged peal Of laughter.
"Oh, you are delicioust she ex-
claimed. IF / could do the ingenue
like that, believe me, Id make some
hit" She came over, and, laying a
hand on each of the boys shoulders
kissed him lightly on the cheek.
That's for droll boy" she said.
That's the best line I've heard pulled
lately"
Farbish was smiling in quiet amuse-
ment. He tapped the mountaineer on
the shoulder.
"Ive heard George Lescott speak of
you he said, genially. I've rather a
fancy for being among the discover
ers OF men of talent We must see
more of each other"
Samson left the party early, and
with a sense of disgust
Several days later. Samson was
alone in Lescott's studio. 1t was near
ing twilight, and he had laid aside q
volume Of De Maupassant, whose SIM
pie power had beguiled him The door
opened and he saw the figure of a
woman on the threshold The boy
rose somewhat shyly from his seat,
and stood looking at her She was as
richly dressed as Miss Starr had been,
but there was the same difference as
between the colors Of the sunset sky
and the exaggerated daUb3 OF Collas-
sos landscape She stood at the door
moment, and then came forward
with her hand outstretched
This is Mr.. South, isn't it?" she
asked, with a frank friendliness in
her voice.