The Washington herald., 1916-12-13

One afternoon when 1 was in Pauline
Fredericks' dressing-room at the Famous
Players Studio, We were looking over an
album of old pictures. How interesting
it was-the photographs of stage stars in
their youth and at the height of their
success!
One photograph in particular e1-
claimed over. 1t was the most oeautltul
face that have ever seen. Closing my
eyes. I remembered having been intro
duced to the young girl when l was play
ing in THE Warrens of Virginia.
Isn't she Miss So-and-So?" I asked
eagerly, the little leading woman VINO
starred for Mr.. Belasco about ten years
ago?"
Pauline Fredericks nodded, and as she
gazed at the picture. 1 saw there was
look of regret and pity in her eyes.
"Do you know what has become OF
herr" 1 asked. And again she nodded.
1T is a very unhappy story" she re-
piled, but wish you would use 1t In one
of your little articles. Perhaps even one
girl might read 1t and remember the les
son."
1 promised her. and this is the story
she told me:
There was probably no girl who had a
more brilliant future than Catherine. She
came from a very fine Southern family.
Her youth had been most guarded, ana
she secureed a position on the stage
through the influence Of several we'll
established families. 1 know the Barry
mores admired her and gave her the rare
opportunity Of playing small parts with
them until she had reached such heights
that she was capable of starring by her
self.
"She was a very rosy-cheeked. bright
eyed young girl, who had never been
seriously Ill in her life. The only thing
that ever seemed to trouble her were
intermittent attacks of insomnia Spe-
cialists said that she had brought the
trouble upon herself by eating late sup
pers after the theater and prescribed
diet for her. But after few days she
grew tired of it and skunk into her old
habits again.
There were endless weeks of sleep
less nights. Confiding her distress to q
member Of her company, the woman sug-
gested. Why don't you try mild sleep
ing POWDER
az hadn't thought of it, the young
actress replied. But that evening, re-
turning home from the theater, she stop
ped in a drug store and bought a widely
advertised powder which had also been
recommended by the older woman. The
effect was instantaneous. She slept
soundly through most of the night.
but InlS ueSlreQ result only IdSNeu tOA
a week; then the effect of one power be-
gan wearing of. Consequently, she
doubled the dose Another week passed;
she tripled the dose, and so on, until she
was finally taking eight and ten powers
an evening.
Then she searched for a stronger drug
and finally this lost its effect. Maddened
by the desire for these narcotics, she
went to any length in hopes Of obtaining
them. One evening, just for gossip. a
friend of hers told the story Of another
actress whom they both knew slightly.
Going into her room unawares, I
discovered her in the act of hiding a
hypodermic in a little ebony box be-
hind her mirror.'<
For days and nights the thought
of this hypodermic needle haunted
the young girl, while. to our sur
prise, We noticed her cultivating the
acquaintance of this woman who was
entirely out of her class. Later We
discovered the woman had initiated
Catherine into the vice of using the
needle.
'As the months dragged slowly
by. we were horrined to note the