Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-10-16

the duuieDce was IN an eXpeCtant
mood. The orchestra rendered a dash
ing, soul-thriiling selection. ara when
the crescendo had reached its climax
the girl who had carved career trip
ped daintily out on the stage and
bowed and blew kisses in response 10
the generous applause.
She was feeling esre Tally full of the
artistic spirit this evening; possibly
because she was paying her first pro-
fessional visit to her home state and
some one from up home" might be
an observer of her effort. The audi
ence was with her from the start, and
anybody who ever bad doubted her vo-
cal or terpsichorean ability would have
been forced to amend his opinion upon
witnessing her Offering that evening.
Near the close of the act was when
she always made the big hit" She
did 1t by rendering song that she had
| stumbled on by accident in a music
store In the West. 1t was not a popu-
lar song; she had never heard OF 1t be-
| fore, but 1t had seemed tn fit the enc
void in her repertoire, so she had an
nexed 1t. Shortly after that she got
recognition on the big time" circuits
| and she had been told her landing"
there was due largely to that one Sc
| lection.
| The orchestra became silent and the
audience hushed as she stepped close
to the footlights and waited for dark
ness and the spotlight. Evidently there
was misunderstanding at the switch
board, for there was a vexatlous delay
about darkening the house 1t was only
moment that she stood waiting, but
| that moment was enough for her gaze
| to meet that of the trombone player
and that settled I'll
The lights went out and the spotlight
| found her, but she stood In trance.
| She opened her mouth, hut no sound
came forth-for the simple reason that
every word and note of that very nee
essary song had fled from her brain
when she recognized that face in the
| orchestra.
She concentrated with all her will,
but those eyes in the pit, which she
could not see but could feel piercing
her through and through so dlsconcert-
ed her that she was unable to appre-
bend the elusive words and notes.
Horrors she thought. What If some
one from home were witness of her
plight A woman Uttered foolishly and
a mans guffaw followed.
Sounds like JEFF Sullivan and Kittie
Erickles." she told herself. "This is
terriblel"
She shifted her weight from her
right to her left foot. as Precipitation
streaked canal through her artificial
complexion. She had stood ia that one
pose at least a week-so it seemed
when 1t suddenly dawned on her that
a whisper was floating up from the or
chestra pit. A husky voice was re-
peating over and over:
Back on the old plantation lives a
white-haired negro man."
Maybelle st. Glare suddenly came to
herself. Those were the first words Of
her song. Her mind pounced upon
them and with them the tune. She
smiled and opened her mouth once
more, and her great hit" scored an
other success. b
After the show there was a little
party in a nearby cafe. The particl-
pants were Maybelle st. Glare and
Philip Warner On her bosom she
wore a bouquet of red roses which he
had sent an usher to get when he re-
ceived the note telling him she wished
TO see him and thank" him.
AS she nibbled a chicken sandwich
she remarked casually:
do you know. Philip, I've changed
my mind about woman suffrage.
agree with you that woman's place is
in the home I've carved my career,
but I'm sick and tired of it ALL"
He dipped a spoon In his coffee and
slipped testify.
I've changed my mind, too" he an
nOunced. I'm in favor of giving wom-
en- the vote or anything else they
want"
She laughed, hesltated somewrgt
confusedly and held a menu card be-
fore her eyes.
IF that's the case" she said simply.
you'll give me back that ring 1 re-
turned to you two years ago"
He nearly choked on the hot coffee,
but he managed to swallow it, and
reached into a vest pocket.
I've always kept it with me-" he de-
.clared.
In defiance of curious eyes at near
by tables she allowed him to reach
across and place the thin gold, dia-
mond-set band on finger which 1t
had graced once before.
'Now, will you explain how you hap
pened to be acquainted with the words
Of where the Cotton Growsf" she
asked, "and how you knew needed
that song to make my act goT
He sgnaled the waiter to bring the
check
Certainly" he replied amlably.
'"rhe program told me you were sup
posed to sing that song, although 1t
didn't inform me that Maybelle st.
Glare was Mabel Glare. l knew the
words of the piece because l wrote
them-and the music, too. If you'll
dig up your copy you'll see printed on
1t, Words and Music by PHILIPPE de
Warnaire."
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ever done before. Let us all speed up,