The circle banner., 1917-08-10


two weeks" he said presently, looking
away from her when he began to talk
"and l couldn't take anyone into tht
chorus now whom I'd have to teacf
the rudiments of dancing to. That:
why a test was necessary. Also,
couldn't take anybody who had come
down here-for lark
With that, Rose understood the
whole thing. John Galbraith had clas
sifed her, or thought she had, as 6
well-bred young girl who, in moment
of pique or mischief, had decided il
would be fun to go on the stage. The
test he had applied wasn't, from that
point of view, unnecessarily cruel. The
| girl he had taken her for would, on be.
ing ordered to repeat the grotesque bit
of vulgarity of his, have drawn her
| dignity about her like a cloak and
gone back in a chasteneG spirit to the
| world where she belonged.
A gorgeous apparition came sweep
ing by them just now, on line from
the dressing room to the door-a fig
ure that, with regal deliberation, was
closing blue broadcloth coat, trimmed
with sable, over an authentic Callot
frock. The georgette hat on top of
Michigan avenue shop. 1t had found
its proper buyer-fulfilled it's destiny.
"Oh, Grant," said John Galbraith.
The queenly creature stopped short
and Rose recognized her with a jump
as the sulky chorus girl.
Galbraith walked over to her. 'I
sha'n't need you any more. Grant"
He spoke in quiet, impersonal sort
of way, but his voice had, as always,
a good deal of carrying power. "It's
hardly worth your while trying to
work, suppose, when you're as pros
porous as this. And it isn't worth my
while to have you soldering. You
needn't report again."
He nodded, not unamiably, and
turned away. She glared after him
and called out in a hoarse, throaty
voice, "Thank my stars don't have to
work for you."'
He'd come back to Rose again by
this time, and she saw him smile.
"When you do it," he said over his
shoulder, 'thank them for me too."
Then to Rose: "She's a valuable girl
I'm giving you her place because she
won't get down to business. I'd rather
have a green recruit who will. The
next rehearsal is at quarter to eight
tonight. Give your name and address
to Mr.. Quan before you go. By the
way, what is your manner"
"Rose Stanton" she said. "But
:" She had to follow him a
step or two because he had already |
turned away. "But may 1 give some |
other name than that to Mr.. Quan?"
He frowned a little obviously and |
asked her how old she was. And |
even when she told him twenty-five,
be didn't look altogether reassured.
'That's the truth, is it? I mean,
there's nobody who can come down
here about three days before we open
and call me a kidnaper, and lead
you away by the carr"
"No." said Rose gravely, 'there's no
)ne who'll 90 tnat.
every WELL" he said. "Tell Quan
my name you like"
The name she did tell him was Doris
Dane.
At the appointed time for rehearsal
the was on hand. She was one of the
irst Of the chorus to reach the hall,
md she had nearly finished putting on
Ter working clothes before the rest of
hem came pelting in. But she didn't
,et out quickly enough to miss the SEN
alton that was exciting them all-the
ews that Grant had been dropped. A !
ew were indignant; the rest merely
urious. |;
Before she had been working fifteen {
linutes, she had forgotten all about I
rant. She'd even forgotten her reso- '
1tion not to let John Galbraith re- i
lember she was recruit. (
She didn't know she was tired, pant g
lg, wet all over with sweat. She Il
admit done anything so physically ex- il
citing as this for over year. But b
he had the Illusion that she wasn't t
Ding anything now; that she was
lst a passive, plastic thing tossed, c
ung, swirled about by the driving t
over OF the directors will. e
She realized, when the rehearsal was Ii
yer, that It had gone well and that it h
,uldn't have gone so II her own part b
i'd been done badly. But she didn't
nderstand the look which he sent p
ter her as she walked off-she didn't 1t