Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-02
Mary Page
By Frederick Lewis, Author of
What Happened to Mary"
Pictures by
ESSanay

everything that Mary said or Dave Fol-
lock said might as well have been shouted
through a megaphone."
"Did Miss PAGE seem touched by Mr..
Pollocks Offer" said Langdou. repress-
ing smile with difficulty.
NO, she stood up to him spunkly
and told him flat where he got Off.
I'm going to get work, she said. but
even il didn't my mother and l would
never accept any help from you. | have
only one thing 70 ask, and that Is that
YOU leave here at once and do not come
again I can't promise not to see you,
Mary he said; I must and will Wen,
at least won't speak to YOU she said
defiantly; and with that he swung about
and came out in the han where | had
the door all nicely opened for him.
told him sweetly that Id opened It for
him to get out, but Id be shot before Il
ever opened to let him in again. lie glared
at me, but he didn't say anything. and
as soon as he was out OF sight | ran
back to the sitting room to find Mary
in a dead faint. IL was such a long time
before she came round, and then she
was so dazed and terrified that we were
all scared TO death. and ! swore a solemn
vow then and there that I'd he the
busiest little stage mother and chaperon
and advice giver to Mary that any girl
ever had"
Her voice, which in spite OF the care
less slang. had a vibrant sweetness that
carried conviction. suddenly trembied
and the quick tears filled her eyes as,
turning TO Mary, she cried eagerly:
And, Mary, I've kept my word,
haven't I? Haven't II"
Mary nodded. smiling through her own
tears and the spectators who through
out the breezy testimony OF the young
actress had been in gaies of laughter
suddenly sobered. They saw the brave
heart under the butterfly exterior. and
realized the wisdom and the goodness
behind the vulgar words.
But Bangdon. seeing the judge frown
at this shattering OF legal precedent,
asked his next question quickly:
you and Miss PAGE did secure posi-
tions in the same company, did you
not?"
"Oh, yes, in The Blue Feather You
see. I'd made up my mind that il was
both of us or none. but we didn't have
any trouble, because Nnllt L q nhu lHp
experience Mary had the looks. so We
were booked up for rehearsals in week
or so. Mary took to il like a duck TO
water and made a hit with the stage
manager before he'd got through calling
the rest OF us all the names of his vo-
cabulary. So when II came to one bit
where the fat tenor had to choose a
girl out of the chorus to sing an encore
with him Mary got the chance, and made
good, too. But that was afterwards"
"well, suppose you tell us what oc-
Cured on the day the Blue Feather
opened"
"Oh, the day was the same az my
other opening day. we'd rehearsed half
the night and started in at $3.50 IN the
morning. Somebody had sent a set OF
scenery that was backwards and the
leads had to learn their business all
over again, and the hats for the chorus
turned up the wrong celor. The stage
manager had a Crouch and the orchestra
got ali mixed up on the encores. and we
were all tired to death and wished we
were dead. It's always like that a few
hours before the overture on an open
ing night, so Mary and were mighty
glad to slip out home and rest an hour
before going back to make up. We didn't
dare stay long. though, for being late
is the worst sin in the box at show
shop. so 1t was round about when
VIC got on our lids and were ready to
beat It back. Just when We were leaving,
though, mother came running in and
said. oh, Mary, Philip Landdon IL here
and he wants 70 see you Just a minute
before you leave At that Mary lights
all the lamps in her eyes. and went into
the sitting room with me a close second.
TO Be Continued Tomorrow)