The midland journal., 1917-06-29

Il had no idea 1t worked so we'll.
Again Miss Demorest smiled crookedly.
mo wonder you didn't want to go to
the Waldorf with me; wonder you
consented to come here"
"Your advance work is great"
81 knew the public swallowed it, but
1 supposed the profession knew press
stuff when they saw 1t. I sang and
danced for ten years in this country
and never got better time than the
schuetzen parks and airdomes. 1 was
Agnes Smith then. Somehow I got the
price of a ticket to England, and I
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 1 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
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 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 a lot Of money for
him, but warned me that he had ex-
pensive tastes and I'd have to pay well
for the privilege He was right; did.
But here 1 am in electric lights on
Broadway while he is exercising a
wheeled chair at Atlantic City"
Hes your manager?"
Hes that very little thing. He Of
fered to make me star if I'd allow him
to hitch his chariot to neon share
of the gross. There was one trifing sac
rifice l had to make in the nature of
my personal reputation-so he told me.
He began y-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
nearly killed him, and he's never done
anything since. The king fable is a
joke on the other side, but New York
swallowed it clear up to the sinker,
and Aubrey gated the Palace Garden
management for a three years. con-
tract 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
he rents. I'm billed as the most no.
torious woman in America, and the
shred of reputation 1 have left
wouldn't make a necktie for a gnat
whereas in reality 1 love marshmal-
lows and tea much more than men,
But I'm a star, at the head of my own
company, and playing to sidewalk
prices. Do you think it was a 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 1 cry when 1 think
about it. I-cry a good DEAL" said
she. 81 didn't realize until too late
what it meant, but, you see, 1 was
tired of working, tired of ambition,
and l wanted to come home. Thank
God, have no people! l save all the
money l can, and when 1 get enough
of the moth-balls, dust her off tenderly,
and go to raising ducks"
"Ducks? What do you mean?'
"What 1 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 it 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
little pink rabbit. 1 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? III never rest until 1
have a 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
I could see it every morning when L,
wake up. Somehow l 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 it, 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 a smear of pow
dered sugar on her cheek.
"I'd love to-Tm simply bursting to