New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-06-29

didn't know.
She was n pale-haired girl, whom
Rose thought she had heard addressed
us Larson.
Rose made n surprising discover.
when, with a friendly pat on the soft
beside her, for an invitation to 81
down, the girl began answering he
question. She was a real beauty. Onl!
you had to look twice at her to per
ceive that this was so; and what sh'
lacked "a just the unanalyZable quail
ity that makes one look twice.
II don't know what you should wor
ry about any of that stuff for" she
said. "How you sing or what you sing
don't make much difference"
Rose admitted that 1t didn't seen
to. But you see,' she said (sht
hadn't had Il human soul to talk tt
for more than a week, and she had t.
make Il friend of somebody, "you SET
I've just got to keep this job. And
if every little helps, as they say, per
haps that would"
The girl looked ut her oddly, almost
SlISpiciouSly, as If for a moment She
doubted whether Rose had spoken IN
good faith. you've got as good
chance of losing your job" she said
"us Galbruith has of losing his. Dave
tells me Galbraith's going to put you
with us in the SeXtette."
Dave was the thick pianist, whom
Rose had found in the highest degree
obnoxious. His announcement was en-
titled to consideration, even though ii
couldn't be banked upon. There were
three mediums and three big girls in
the seXtette (Edna Larson was One of
the mediums, and so needn't fear re-
placement by Rose, who was a big
girl). Besides appearing in two num-
bers as a background to M of the
principals, they had one all to them
selves, a fact which constituted them
II sort of super-ch0rus.
But the intimation that Rose was to
be promoted to this select inner cir
Gle, didn't, as it first came to her,
give her any pleasure. Somehow, as
Larson told her about it, she could
fairly see the knowing, greasy grin
that would have been Dawes comment
on this prophecy. And, in the same
flash, she interpreted the Larson girls
look, half incredulous, half satirical.
II haven't heard anything about be-
ing put in the seXtette," she said quick
ly, "and don't believe l will be-"
swell, l don't know why not" There
was Il new warmth in the mediums
voice. Rose had won a victory here,
and she knew it. you've got the
looks and the shape; you can dance
better than any of the big girls, or us
mediums, either. And if he doesn't
put that big Benedict lemon into the
back line where she belongs, and give
you her place in the seXtette, it will be
because he's afraid of her drag"
Rose forebOre to inquire into the
nature of the Benedict girls drag.
Whatever it may, have been, John
Galbraith was evidently not afraid of
it, because as he dismissed that very
rehearsal, calling the rest Of the
chorus for twelve the following norm
ing, and the SeXtette for eleven, he
told Rose to report at the earlier hour.
The chorus was probably unanimous,
in its view of this promotion. When
Grant came back and ate her humble
pie in vain, and later, when Benedict
was RELOCATED to a place in the back
line, the natural explanation was that
Galbraith was crazy about the new
girl. The only way she had Of refut-
ing the assumption would be by max
ing good so intensely that they'd
be compelled to see that her promo
ton had been inevitable.
1t wa in this spirit, with blazing
cheeks and eyes, that she attacked
the next mornings rehearsal. At its
end Galbraith said to her: you're do
ing very well indeed, Dane. If c could
have caught you ten years ago l could
have made a dancer of you"
1t was a very real, unqualified COM
pliment, and as such Rose understood
it. Because, by Il dancer, he meant
very different from a pranc-
ing chorus girl. The others giggled
and exchanged glances with Dave at
the piano. They didn't understand.
To them, the compliment seemed to
have been delivered with the left
hand. And somehow, an amused rec
ignition of the fact that they didn't
understand, as well as of the fact that
she did. flashed across from John
Galbraith's eyes to hers.
The impetus and direction of Roses
career derived from two incidents
which might just as well not have
lappened-two of the f1ukiest of small
The first of these chances concerned
tself with Edna Larson and her bad
,Oice. 1t was a bad voice only when
the talked. When she sang it had a
gorgeous. thrilling ring. and volume
enough for four. Besides, she had an
nfallible ear and sang squarely in
1une. But when she spoke it sounded
ike someone who didn't know how,
rying TO play the slide trombone. she
vas simply deaf, it seemed, to the
,ubtleties of infection.
Daily. she reduced Galbraith to help
ess wrath. Evidently he didn't mean
O be a brute about it. He began ev.
ry one of his tussles to improve her
of a line with a gentleness
hat would have done credit to a kim
But after three attempts,
ach more ominously gentle than the
asst, his temper would suddenly fly all
o pieces.
The girl, queerly, didn't seem to