Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1918-12-20
Stur1pS and
Sturnps
@0
EyARcHEYcA MERoNNRw
I, 1918, by Mcclure NeWsps
Syndieate.)

Syndtcate)
Jean Ward, dragging two tired ant
listIess legs up the narrow iron stair
case, passed down the tier Of dress
ing rooms, hot as a Jail in the sultrS
August air, and, with sudden burst
Of energy, flung herself into the last
room In the tier and slammed the door
AS she kicked two damp slippers from
her slender, tired feet, a noisy chorus
greeted her from the adjoining room
Thanks f'r tn breeze, kid" shrilled
one voice, whom Jean recognized as
Flo barrett, of the Dancing Darretts,
a fellow act on the Olympia bill. "Be-
ms we hogged tn only room with a
window, guess y don't mind leaving
this door open, do y'p Flo's head
appeared In the doorway between the
two rooms, and with 1t cloud Of
cigarette smoke. Jean shuddered
slightly, and shook her head. No use
being angry, she thought. After all,
perhaps 1t was hot In those inside
rooms. It was none too cool in her
own, opening as 1t did on the narrow
back alley, with tifty-foot well be-
yond.
"Oh. no, / don't mind" she an
swered listlessly, then drew a deep
breath Of the thick, tobacco-laden air.
"Only-please- smoke. It's hot
enough already"
''Dl mir came the mocking re-
spouse, as Jean turned to draw OFF
her moist costume, and to escape the
cloud of offensive smoke that came
with it she drew her chair near the
window and fell into a disconnected
reverIe.
What was the matter with Bart
Fendall, her dancing partnerl she
unused. Why did he insist on her do
Ing this three-a-day summer season.
She remembered his promise, before
they left Salisbury, to start on their
road to fame-he had promised va
cation In July. 1t would be hot then,
he had told her, and they would need
a rest-back among the shady willows
away from the white lights-with
fresh country vegetables, pure cool
milk, and-here they tarried, In hot,
stuffy theater, with every woOdsy
back-drop every line Of down Home"
the rural sketch that preceded them
on the bill, fairly shrieking to them
the call Of the wild. And Bart had
been growing so different Of late-so
silent, so unresponsive, so different
from the good old friend he had been
down home. Maybe, thought she, he
merely reflected her cwn mood. She
was feeling Jaded, she was looking
sallow, In fact, so different from
Mabel Woods, the new Coincidence on
the bill. Bart had been fawnlng
around her a lot lately, was the next
discomforting thought. How, Won
dered Jean, could she keep that fresh
appearance, that creamy white com
plexion? Maybe that was why Bart
was hanging on-and keeping her
working. too, she angrlly added to
herself.
She raised herself to her feet and
stared In the mirror. Her face was
red from the heat, her eyes trifie
bleary fell on the dress
ing table before her, and she picked
1t up gingerly and stared at 1t wrath
fully, then flung 1t out the window.
please" she called to the Darretts,
in the next room, "don't throw those
lighted stumps in here. Something
might catch fire."
I'm that case" came the answer,
with Flo's cackling laugh, here's
something to put it out with" And
close to jeans head, with catfish
venom back Of it, hurtled small bot
tie, landing on her pink hat, and
splitting a little of its amber fluid on
the pink perfumed brlnl. Jean took
the bottle of liquor and hurled it re-
out of the window, then
turned and slammed shut the connect
ng door and pushed her trunk against
t. She hurried into her stage cos
tune and went downstairs, her face
ed with anger.
Meanwhile, in the back alley Andy
ScobeIl, the O1ympia's property man,
'prang up from his chair with a cry
md flung a lighted cigarette stump
rom his trousers.
"What tn -" he yelled upward
It the window above, and counted its
'elative position so as to place its oc-
.upant. Why, it's ="
whats tn row, Andy?" chimed In
bass voice and Andy turned and
aced Bart Fendall.
"She's smokin',' gurgled Andy, hot
v, gesticulatlng madly at the upper
window. "Y'r partner, and it's against
h. rll--"
A bottle fell between them, and
Bart, STOPPING, picked it up and shifted
n horror at the contents.
'Tt's whisky" he muttered, dazedly, |
md then turned a Mortified glance
bove him. "Jean!" he called, but no !
lead appeared at the window.
"She's havin' a party" growled
indy. "Fine III country kid y're