Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-05-31
CHAPTER II.

CHAP Elk III.
Mr.. Campbell Pope was cynic. He
had cultivated a superb contempt for
those beliefs which other people cher
ish. Most men attain success through
love Of their work; Mr.. Pope had be-
come an eminent critic because of his
hatred for the drama and all things
dramatic. Nor was he any more enaml
ored Of journalism, being in truth BY
nature bucolic, but after trying many
occupations and failing in all of them
he had returned to his desk after each
excursion into other fields. First-night
audiences knew him now, and had
come to look for his thin, sharp feat
lures. His shapeless, wrinkled suitJ
that resembled sleeping bag; his FAM
mel shirt, always tielesS and frequently
colIarless,. were considered attributes
of genius; and, finding New York to be
amazingly gullible, he took a certain
delight in accentuating his eccentrfci-
ties. At especially prominent pre-
mieres he affected sweater underT
meath his coat, but that was his nearest
approach to formal evening dress.
none.
Owing to the dearth of new producs
lions this summer, Pope had UNDER
taken a series of magazine articles de-
Scriptive of the reigning theatrical
beauties. and, while he detested womT
al 10 inf fsu tncz
of Broadway in particular, he had
forced himself to write the common
laudatory stuff which the public de-
handed Only once had he given free
rein to his inclinations and written
with a poisoned pen. Tonight, how
ever, as he entered the stage door OF
Bergman's Circuit theater, it was with
a different intent.
Regain, the stage-door tender, better
known since his vaudeville days as
'sThe Judge" answered his greeting
with a lugubrious shake of bald head.
"I'm a sick man, Mr.. Pope. Same
old trouble"
'M-m-m. Kidneys, isn't it,"
"No. Rheumatism. I'm a beehive
swarmin' with pains" The Judge
leaned forward, and strong odor of
whisky enveloped the cellar. Gould
you slip me four bits for some lini-
ment?'
The critic smiled. There's dollar,
Regan. Try Scotch for a change. It's
better for you than these cheap blends.
10 oT.I 1oC
you'll ignite"
The Judge laughed wheezingly. 81
do take drop now and then. See
here, you know all the managers, Mr..
Pope. Can't you find job for Lottie
Devine?'
''Lottie Devine. Why, she's your
wife, isn't she? She's trifle old, I'm
afraid"
"Huh! She wigs up a lot better'n
some of the squads in this troupe. Be.
lieve me, she'd fit any chorus"
"Why don't you ask Bergman"
Mr.. Regain shook his hairless head.
Hes dippy on types This shows
full of 'em; real blondes, real brunettes,
lies, blushers, shrinkers, laughers, and
sadlings. He won't stand for makeup;
he wants 'em with the dew on. They've
got to look natural for Bergman. That's
some of 'em now He nodded toward
group of young, fresh-cheeked girls
who had entered the stage door and
were hurrying down the hall.
eve come to interview one of Berg
mans types that new beauty, Miss
knight. Is she here yet?"
'sSure; her and the back-drop, too.
She carries the old woman for seen
cry" Mr.. Regain took the callers card
and shuf1ed away, leaving Pope to
watch the stream of performers as
they entered and made for their quar-
tiers. There We're many women in the
number, and all OF them were pretty.
Most Of them were overdressed in the
extremes of fashion; few quietly
CARRIED ladies and gentlemen entered
the lower dressing rooms reserved for
the principals.
Meanwhile he exchanged greetings
with the star-a clear-eyed man with
the face of a scholar and the limbs of
an athlete The latter had studied for
the law; he had the drollest legs in the
business. and his salary exceeded that
of Supreme court justice. They were
talking when Mr.. Regain returned to
tell the interviewer that he would be
received.
Pope followed to the next floor and
entered brightly lighted, overheated
dressing room, where Lorelei and her
mother were waiting. 1t was glar-
Ing, stuffy cubbyhole ventilated by