Meade County news., 1916-11-30

mo wonder you didn't want to go to
the Waldorf with me; wonder you
consented to come here"
'Your advance work is great"
II knew the public swallowed it; but
1 supposed the profession knew press
stuff when they saw it. I sang and
danced for ten years in this country
and never got better time than the
schuetzen parks and airdomes. l was
Agnes Smith then. Somehow got the
price Of ticket to England, and l
pulled the airdome stuff that had
scored in Little Rock and Michigan
City, and 1t got by somehow. My
mother was Canuck, so knew some
French, and eventually reached the
continent. There 1 met the Old Nick
You may think, the devil is what he
looks like on the ham cans; but, in
reality he's little, fat, bald man with
a tenor voice, and he eats cloves. His
name is Aubrey Lane. He was in
Paris selling patent garters at the time.
He saw me work at cabaret and told
me l was good, but not good enough,
I'd known that for years, so he didn't
hurt my feelings. He confessed that
he was tired of working and intended
to have me make lot of money for
him, but warned me that he had ex-
penslve tastes and I'd have to pay weN
for the privilege. He was right; did.
But here l am in electric lights on
Broadway while he is exercising a
wheeled chair at Atlantic City,"
"He's your manager~
Hes that very little thing. He of,
fered to make me star II I'd allow him
to hitch his chariot to neon a share
of the gross. There was one trifling sac
rifice l had to make in the nature of
my personal reputation-so he told me.
He began by tying can to the Agnes
Smith, and handed me 'Adoree Demo
rest instead; then he went to work.
He really did work, too, although it
anything since. The king fable is a
joke on the other side, but New York
swallowed 1t clear up to the sinker,
and Aubrey gated the Palace Garden
management for a three years. con-
t:Act. OF course, my advertised sal
ary is phony, just like the rubies and
the wrecked throne and that gilded
bandwagon with the poodles and the
stuffed supers on the box. Aubrey
owns them all except the rubies, which
Fhe rents. I'm billed as the most no
torious woman In America, and. the
shred of reputation have left
wouldn't make a necktie for a gnat,
whereas in reality love marshmal-
lows and tea much more than men
But I'm star, at the head of my own
company, and playing to sidewalk
prices. Do you think it was good
bargain?"
Lorelei had listened with breathless
interest. Now she burst out impul-
sively:
''You poor dear"
Miss Smith smiled, but her eyes
were tragic.
Sometimes cry when think
about it. I-cry good DEAL" said
she. II didn't realize until too late
what 1t meant but, you see, was
tired of working, tired Of ambition,
and l wanted to come home. Thank
God, have no people! save all the
money can, and when get enough
I'm going to take Agnes Smith out
Of the moth-balls, dust her off tenderly,
and go to raising ducks"
"Ducks? What do you meanT'
"What l say. That has always been
my ambition"
"Why not quit now?"
"What's the use? I'm half way
through the swamp; the mud is as deep
behind as 1t is in front. But I'm
deathly afraid all the time I'll be
found out-Pd-rather be notorious
than ridiculous. OF course, Aubrey
sees to that"
"Are you fond Of him?
Adoree turned up her nose. Hes
a little pink rabbit. I don't like any
man, and 1 never have. There's only
one I'd really care to meet; his name
is Campbell Pope"
''The critic. He is nice"
"The beast. Did you read what he
said about me? I'll never rest until 1
have lock of his hair that I've
plucked myself. I'd love to have his
whole scalp-with, say, one ear at
tached-hanging on my bureau where
l could see 1t every morning when I
wake up. Somehow 1 don't seem to
mind the press stuff that Aubrey puts
out, but Pope-actually believes what
he wrote. And other people will be-
lieve 1t, too. I-I-Gosh! I'm going
; to cry again."
: Lorelei nodded in perfect sympathy:
she did not laugh. 81 haven't any girl
chum; let's be friends" said She
Adoree had been nibbling at marsh,
mallows. as she talked; as she wiped
} her eyes now she left smear of pow
J dered sugar on her cheek.
"Id love to-Pm simply bursting to
contlde In somebody-but we couldn't
go around together"
"Why? 1 don't care what people
think"
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