The Glasgow courier., 1916-04-14
The Strange
Case Of
Mary Page
Continued from page 1877

ed to run into jim Pollock"
"Where did you meet Mr.. P0ll0ckT
"Oh, he was on the job at the apart
ment when we got home. Playing the
humble but persistent swain-wanted
to lay his fortune at her feet and give
her a life: Of gilded ease. He pleaded
all that sort of soft-music stuff. and
told her she didn't realize how cruel
the world was to a girl (men always
say that and how she would suffer to
zee her mother growing old and lack
ing the comforts she could not earn
for her. Then he pulls out his wallet
and taps it saying; All that have Is
yours, Mary. even IL you don't marry
me- Business Of soft musicv'
Were you In the room while this
was going on?" ~..s
"No," she answered, winning gale
Of laughter from the courtroom, "but
you can't brush your teeth in New
York apartment without the people in
the next door fiat hearing you. and ev-
erything that Mary said or Jim Pol
lock said, might as we'll have been
shouted through .megaphone."
did Miss Page seem touched by Mr..
Pollock's ,offer!" said Iangdon. repress-
ing smile with difficulty.
mo, she stood up: to him spunkily
and told him fiat where he got off,
I'm going to get work. she said, but
even if | didn't my mother and would
never accept any help from you
have only one thing:to ask, and that is
that you leave here at once and do not
come again He came out in the hail
where l had the door.all nicely opened
for him. told him sweetly that I'd
opened 1t for him to get out but I'd
be shot before it ever opened to let him
in again. Il, ram back to the sitting
room. to find MARY in 4 dead faint. 1t
was such long time before she came
round and then she was so daZed and
terrified that we were all scared to
death, and swore solemn VOW then
and there that I'd be the busiest little
stage mother and chaperon and advice
giver to Mary that any girl ever had"
Her voice suddenly trembled. and the
quick tears filled her eyes as. turning
to Mary, she cried eagerly:
And. Mary. I've. kept my word
haven't l? Haven't II"
Mary nodded, smiling through her
own tears, and the spectators who
throughout the breezy testimony of the
young actress had been in gales Of
laughter. suddenly sObered. They saw
the brave heart under the butterfly ex-
terror. and realized the wisdom and the
goodness behind the vulgar words.
Langdon. seeing the judge frown at
this shattertng of legal precedent. ask
ed 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
Mary took to it like duck to water.
and made hit with the stage mana
ger before he'd got through calling the
rest OF us all the names IN his vocab-
ulary. So when it 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 after
wards
well. suppose you tell US what oc-
Cured on the day The Blue Feather.
opened"
"Oh. the day was the same as any
other opening day. We'd rehearsed
half the night and started In at eight
thirty In the morning. 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 l were mighty
gled to sliR 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-shoh; to 1t was round about sew
en- when we got on our lids and were
ready to beat 1t back. Just when we
were leaving. though. mother came
running in and said. 'Oh Mary. Philip
Langd0n Is here and he wants to see