New-York tribune., 1918-01-20
Waiting for Fred Stone


Stone," interrupted his man from the
door.
"All right. Now, this photograph
on bucking bronco-learned rousb
riding in the West-born in Colorado
can do trick riding and fancy ropins
Will Rogers and / pr&ctised"-
"Mr. Stone!"
EVERY day. Yes, coming and
he was on the stage in two bounds.
"Will you watch from the first en-.
trance? Mr.. Stone has quick change
after this scene. If you'll wait mi
come back and take you TO his ROOM
The words were familiar bv now
Back to the wings we went. There
things were crowded and agitated The
girls restively pushed each other and
gigglcd, waiting impatiently for their
entrance cue ike high spirited horses
at the post. Some were beautiful. All
were pretty. A few had charm. What
pity they have necessity for speech!
Without it their power would be in.
calculable. A stage hand explained to
us what the drop" was about to do
He enjoyed the description, and 50 We
didn't have the heart to tell him il
wasn't news
Mr.. Stone concluded scene and dance
and raced for his room with heaving
chest. We waited, our interest in ice
vanishing. After little the vale.
brought summons.
The stars brow was freshly beaded,
but it cannot be denied that he was
willing. His costume was row uni
form with its comic possibilities real
lied. He produced another photo.
graph, in which it was observed that
five girls were hung about him, FROM
the shoulders down.
Here l hold weight of SIS pounds
he explained.
"You see, I always keep in condi-
tion. l began to do acrobatics when
l was ten years old. Later wet
with a circus as an acrobat. car
still cap over eight horses and
pyramid of FIVE men,
The valet came to the door ard
looked as if something were on bis
mind.
"How did you learn to skaterw
put in hurriedly.
"Well, l had thought burlesque %
Charlotte would take with the public
l put on football suit to practise IN,
padded everywhere. 1t was case Of
up and down with me. | fell nor
times those months learned than
professional skaters fall in fifteen
years"
The man in the doorway began to
wear q harried look and would no long
er be restrained by our forbidding eye
ITS time. My. Stone said be.
you haven't q hurrytess day, prs'
sume?' we inquired
"Yes-but l always spend it in the
country. Oh, will you go TO the fra
entrance and watch the show? ! havs
quick change after this number ane
then I'll have a moment
But it seemed scarcely worth while
Ihe pristine enthusiasm Of the evsn
ing had departed. We new that ms
entrance by heart. Also we mad learned
the run in the left stocking OF tSe
chorus girl with the blackesr hair, sns
three moles on the spinal column Q,
the cunningest coryphee. The brand o.
cigarettes favored by the stage hands
and when the war would be ovcr.
Regretfully we abandoned the idea Of
heart-to- heart talk with Fred Stope'
who is a dear and couldn't help 1t
he had no time. Crossing to the otns'
side of the stage on the way o''
front to watch him skate like Cnss'
lotte we passed fifty or so chorus
girls who hadn't been over in O."
hrst entrance. All stopped taInns
and fastened their gaze On our nsI
Some seemed puzzled; others ~er
plainly hurt. Back in the box we
moved 1t and studied it as 81 perfee"
'mpersonal problem. Nothing W
found that would explain. We w0''
rled during MIR. Stones skating scsn'
and through supper, concluding fns's
that If we liked that hat what msF
tered the contumeiy of the chorus!
SO the next morning we went o."
and bought new one, charging
to profit, however, because we n''