The Washington herald., 1916-07-08

10 sat dIOunu lHc uihhSi
- table and asked. What shall
we do to amuse ourselves this
EVENING""
Which do you prefer to do-to
laugh or to cry? one OF them
| queried.
We looked around the table at
the happy smiling faces.
ut doesn't appear that any of us
is in mood to weep tonight, so
let us forswear the drama and con-
centrate upon the comedy" l sug-
gested.
IF you want to see real COM
edy," Elsie Janis remarked, "let us
/ all go over and laugh with Douglas
Fairbanks in Reggie Mixes In l
have heard that he is at his best"
The Cynic remarked he had never
laughed even at Charlie Chaplin's feet.
81 miss the comedy of the subtle
lines" he insisted. "No screened
comedian can wiring a laugh from
me"
So half in our own interest and
half in the interest we took in
proving to the Cynic how utterly
wrong he was, we strolled over to
the Rialto theater to mix in with
Reggie.
OF course. there is going to be
an aftermath to the story, and so il
ends that it was the Cynic who
laughed the heartiest of all, while
pleasant surprise took us quite
off our feet as we turned away
| from the theater. 1t was Douglas
Fairbanks himself. just returned
from California.
What attracted our attention to
him was the remarks passed by a
group OF people who were pushing
their way past US. A voice said,
SSH! Loci at that man over
there in the corner! Surely it isn't
| Douglas Fairbanksw
Douglas Fairbanks! | should
say not" replied one of the ladies.
That fellows as black as an In
dian-why for lands sakes! l do
believe he is an Indian|
mo, HGi he hs isnt ti" Eyes, he fss is Rs No. sSo
he isn't" came the volley from the
crowd that was cycling him curious
ly, with more stress laid upon the
mo, he isn't's" than upon the Eyes,
he is's"-until he smiled-and no
one ever has had or could ever have
just such a smile as Douglas Fair
| banks.
He laughed when we told him
that the surging mob had taken him
for an Indian, and Dragged about
this coat OF tan he had acquired in
! California, telling us enthusiastically
that he had just come from Gods
own country, where he had lived
in the out Of doors like a real West
ern cowboy.
OF course we asked him, as this
was one of our first opportunities,
how he was enjoying his experience
in pictures.
81 never was happier in my life"
came his reply. "The only thing
about them is that | hate to cali
them work. enjoy every minute
OF my busy days"
This summer he expects to re-
main in New York. living at Larch-
mont, where he has bought a yacht
large enough to hold nine guests
The first time met Mr.. Fair
banks was at Elsie Janis beauti-
full country home. And this athletic
gentleman, about ten minutes after
/ arrived, proposed long walk
through the woods to stimulate the
guests of the house party.
Both Elsie Janis and I tried to be
very polite, but we looked at each
other out of the corners of our
eyes. for behold we were both wear
ing new and extravagant white kid
shoes.
"Hmpf! said Douglas Fair
banks. women are just about as
companionable as a pipe without
any tobacco in it."
OF course this remark rather
piqued us, so without even glancing
down at our shoes, which were
destined to be ruined, we assured
him in one breath we were quite
equal to any athletic feat he would
propose. He not only proposed but
he disposed of us with equal alacri-