The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-28
EVENING STORY
Romancing Ronald.
Archey Cameron New.)

This stock company is crampin' /
my STYLE" complained Charlie Zepp, !
the prolific press agent of the Olym-
pia, to Hazel Dwyer. the heavy wo-
man OF the company, as seated in Il
box, they watched the morning re- !
hearsal Same old stuff-day in AMI
day out. Give me vaudeville any day.
Why, there amt been a new stunt :
pulled off here for a MONTH" (
Sure there is" answered Miss
Dwyer,, sweetly, but it takes brains
to find it, And unmindful of the
spluttering protest that rose to his ,
lips, she added, scornfully. who's !
standing the gaff, anyway? You've !
got it soft. Charlie Here We are. !
studying one piece. rehearsing anoth-
er and playing a third" She gave !
him a sly wink out of the corner of |
her eyes, and went on, Ronald Can /
noles hardly gets any time to carry on |
his lecture work"
Zepp bounded out of his chair and |
faced her -excitedly.
Whats 'is.'' he demanded, all alert. !
Lecture work? Where? When?
What dye known"
Miss Dwyer regarded him calmly.
with twinkle of amusement in her
eyes.
How'd you enjoy your vacation.
Charlie?" she asked, laughing in his
face.
.''Ah. cut it out" he snarled,' irnpa
| tiently. I've been on the job. But
how long has this been goin' on?''
You're right nice when you're So
ber," she told him, and inwardly re-
joiced at his scowl. so I'll tip you
off. Old man Forrest introduced him
to a goodlooking girl who's teaching
at a girls school Then Forrest, with
an eye on the boX-office, tips her off
that Cannoles only plays juvenile for
| the love of it-that he's a regular bug
on Shakespeare
"Helpr interrupted Zepp. Shakes
| peare? Shades of Budweiser!"
! so the girl coaXed him out to the
seminary" continued Miss Dwyer. dis
regarding the interruption. "Ronnie
wasn't very keen for it, but she turned
| on all the horsepower in those beauti-
full brown lamps O hers, and Ronnie
weakens. He went out to the school
and gave 'em an earful about Romeo
and Juliet and Macbeth, on two sue
ceeding Fridays, and Saturday matt
nees looked like a Selective draft of
I sixteen-year-old sudae slippers had
i highbrow teacher isn't above taking a
box with her family, just to get a
closeup of him; then they yanked
him back to family dinner He's due
for Hamlet next Friday afternoon
! "Oh, boy!" gurgled Zepp ecstatic-
ally.
Local Observation-Disclosures treat
| heart stuff-al1 that! Gosh. whot
! spread-half a column or more" He
! shut his eyes in dreamy perspective
for an instant, then grabbed his hat.
I "Jes' watch me. I'm going to roma nee
/ Ronald up to his ears
AS he started out of the box on the
! run she called him back. 'See here
don't say l told you
mo need he replied soothingly.
Little Bright Eyes, which is me, sees
! everything. Yea bo,' and he was
gone.
Forrest was leaving his office the
following Saturday afternoon, when
an irate figure, brandishinE a news
paper. doomed up in the doorway.
Who wrote this?" demanded
Ronald Cannoles, heatedly. for it was
he.
WHAT queried Forrest, innocent
ly; and laying aside his hat. he
reached for the paper and his specs
That" And Cannoles pointed
Here. wait a minute till l read it,
admonished Forrest, and he scanned
the offensive article, his delight in
creasing with every line. and he
I turned the paper back to Ronald with
a smile from ear to ear. Some little
write-up, Ronald. Charlie Zepps a
bear"
Some little nothing shot back
Ronald 'Its-common. IT'S got me
in devil of a hole I'm ruined-near
me-ruined' And he groaned dis
mally.
Whats the kick ?" asked Forrest
calmly
Tine whole things a kick" snapped
Ronald, hotly. Right where 1 live
See here, it says, Following his most
interesting lecture. Mr.. Cannoles dined
at the home of one of the fair mem
bers of the faculty. It is rumored that
another alliance has been forged By
efo >
Cupid, bah. I'm going to beat Charlie
Zepp to a jelly
'What-for giving you the best
boost in years."
Hes killed me dead" answered
Ronald, and he groaned again. Look.
This stuff might go all right with the
rabble, but Miss Walters's set is diff
ferent- She's a lady, and this is an
insult to her. I hurried out of my
makeup and joined her in the box
| right after the matinee and she gave
me the coolest stare I've ever got. /
tried to explain that I knew nothing
about it, but it was no go. 1t hurts
I tell you
Why" queried Forrest innocently.
You've got the notoriety now. What
do you care ?"
, That's just it," cut in Ronald. 81
do care. Confound it. man-I-like
Miss Walters"
. OH whistled Forrest. in amaze
, ment. $50 that's the lay? Well,
what's the harm. them"
2 Just this" explained Ronald. i'm
patiently. ''Nothfng's settIed-yet.
You can't rush a matter ike that. In
the first place I've got to overcome
, her antipathy to stage folk. She's a
bug about ia mily-so's her folks And
now this comes along and breaks me
right up
| Don't say that protested the
: manager, and he laid kindly hand on
, the young mans shoulder Il know
the folks just leave it to me. I'll
fix il up"
After a few minutes Ronald left the
office and Forrest got busy. He
: phoned nearby restaurant, and three
: minutes later he had laid the case
fore Charlie Zepp.
, But ! was dom my best" whined
Charlie. "How'd I know he had a
t mash on herr What am to do?'