The Raymer enterprise., 1917-08-16
|sAlDoWOFGEOReEDIRD
BY JANE OSBORN.


desk In the little room next to the d.
rector's office OF the Star Motion Pic
ture company had signed the name
"Georgie Bird" so very much oftener
than she had Ann Evans that she
sometimes was half convinced that she
was George Bird--a sort OF shadow
or second nature OF George Bird-and
that Ann Evans had been lost In the
scufile. And 1t had been scuiiie
for Ann. She had come to the
city with asperations and here she was,
at twenty-five, still pounding the type
writer-working for SIS week as
George Birds letter answerer. You
couldn't have called her Georges sec
retary. for she seldom saw the radiant
George and almost never talked to
her. George, you know, was ut the
height Of her stardom.
OF course. among those who admired
the brilliant little actress there were
always many who wrote, and to an
swer these letters with heart-to-hcart
enthusiasm was the best sort OF adyer.
tisement for Georgie. That Is why 1t
was worth while to pay Ann SIS a
week.
II know you girls that work In the
movies have real hard life,' wrote
one sultor. "It's a hard life for any
woman to lead. and II there aren't any
city fellows willing to step In and help
you out and give you home, why just
let me tell you there is one out here
In the wilds that will. I've made quite
pile-at mines and cattle and one
thing or another. | guess It's close to
100000. And just the sort Of girl
I'm looking for Is a nice little home
body like you without any lugs or
style or smart manners. I got your
address from the man that runs our
movie place out here. He said to send
the letter to the boss Of your concern
and he guessed maybe you'd get 1t.
Just let me know and I'll take the next
train East. An old pal of mine that
made good out here is in your burg
and he'll vouch for me. Wen look
him up first thing l get there"
Ann reread the letter carefully, and
spent five minutes staring ut the face
of the photograph that came with 1t.
"Perhaps he has got the right Idea"
she suggested to herself. perhaps
Georgie would be much better of"
Ann knew that most Of the men who
knew the real George would have
been quite incapable of opening their
hearts to her, just in Difference to her
superior bank roll and oyertowering
success. First Ann wrote the letter
that was to be sent very much like
all the other rejection letters; and
then-and that was where she was
wasting time-she wrote the sort Of
letter that George might have written
Just for fun" as she told herself
And In that letter Ann who was beaten
down and stined. Ann. the country girl,
sick to death Of the city, discouraged
and disappointed, wrote from her own
heart. For the first time In working
hours In months she forgot George
and remembered Ann.
II was not till a week later that Ann
discovered what she had really done.
The manager strutted In. "lIow many
proposals In the last two weeks, since
the last reel has been runnlngr he
asked. He had come to take the mum.
ber Of these declarations as an index
Of the heart appeal that George was
making. Mechanically Ann put her
hand to the pigeonhole marked PRO
posals" and counted them. "Thlrty.
nine." she answered, and her eyes
caught sight Of something that made
her blanch.
Ann looked at the calendar that
hung over her desk. Yes, It was the
10th. The wrong letter-the Goth
the Central station-at @ AS when the
western express came in. The words
OF the letter she had written and had
sent by mistake came to her. A dozen
wild schemes went through her mind.
She might-of course 1t was out Of the
question but the thought presented It.
self-she might ask George Bird to
keep the promise she had made for
her. For after all the stranger was
good to look at, unspoiled by the city.
Unobseryed by the manager she locked
her desk and hurried to the boarding
house. With what simple finesy she
had she arrayed herself. Then she
hurried from the boarding house.
She stood at the gate where those
who meet friends from the West watch
and peer expes;antly every night at
0:z6 as the Western express sdraws
near. "Shall or shan. IT. she was
dabatlng. "Of course, he wiz know at
! fi1nce and then I'll have to explain
!. Perhaps he wop't come" And then
- did Come through the gate, and shp
TT hersslf almost totter as he stepped
.Quitkiy toward her and the big, boy,
: tsh man was shaking hands with her
telling her that he would have
y uays her anywhere -Only you are
Ellsworth times sweeter thna the or
q person. FOL sid with the sincerity and
% divorce Eos II q man who does not
era~'e lei nice Of fiattery.
eav afraid" Ann be.