Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1918-12-20
SturnpS and
-Sturnps
GN<D
BY ARCEEY CAMERON NEW
Copyright. 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate)

Syndicate.)
Jean Ward, dragging two tired and
listless legs up the narrow iron stair
case, passed down the tier of dress
ing rooms, hot as Jail in the sultry
August air, and, with a 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, noisy chorus
greeted her from the adjoining room.
Thanks FIR tn breeze, kid" shrilled
one voice, whom Jean recognized as
Flo barrett, of the Dancing Darretts,
a fellow act on the Olympia bill. BE
in's we hogged tn only room with
window, guess y don't mind leaving
this door open, do W" Fl0'S head
appeared in the doorway between the
two rooms, and with it a cloud of
cigarette smoke. Jean Shuddered
slightly, and shook her head No use
being angry, she thought. After all,
rooms. 1t was none too cool in her
own, opening as it did on the narrow
back alley, with a fifty-foot well be-
yond.
"Oh, no, I don't mind" she an
swered liStlesSly, then drew deep
breath of the thick, tobacco-laden air.
"Only-pleaSe--dOn't smoke. It's hot
enough already"
''Di mi p 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 discontinued
reverie.
What was the matter with Bart
Fendall, her dancing partner? 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 a 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 own 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 fawning
around her 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 angrily added to
herself.
She raised herself to her feet and
stared in the mirror. Her face was
red from the heat her eyes trifle
bleary-something fell on the dress
ing table before her, and she picked
it up gingerly and stared at it wrath
fully, then flung it 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."
'In that case" came the answer,
with Flos 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 little of it's amber fluid on
the pink perfumed brim. Jean took
the bottle of liquor and hurled it re-
Sentfully out of the window, then
turned and slammed shut the connect
ing door and pushed her trunk against
1t. She hurried into her stage cos
tune and went downstairs, her face
red with anger.
Meanwhile, in the back alley, Andy
Scobell, the Olympia's property man,
sprang up from his chair with a cry
and flung a lighted cigarette stump
from his trousers.
'What tn -" he yelled upward
at the window above, and counted its
relative position so as to place its oc-
cupant. Why, it's !"
"What's tn row, Andy?" chimed in
bass voice and Andy turned and
faced Bart Fendall.
"She's smokin'," gurgled Andy, hot
ly, gesticulating madly at the upper
window. "Y'r partner, and it's against
tn ru-"
A bottle fell between them, and
Bart, STOPPING. picked it up and shifted
in horror at the contents.
Its whisky" he muttered, dazedly,
and then turned Mortified glance
above him. "Jean!" he called, but no
head appeared at the window
'.She's, havin' party" growled
Andy. Zine lii country kid yre
with"
But Bart. entering the stage door in