The Twin City star., 1918-10-12


ence was with her from the start. and
anybody who ever had 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 it by rendering song that she had
stumbled on by accident in a music
store in the West. It was not popu-
lar song; she had never heard of it be-
fore, but 1t had seemed to fit the one
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 vexatiOus 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 it!
The lights went out and the spotlight
found her, but she stood in trance.
She opened her mouth, but no sound
came forth-for the simple reason that
every word and note of that very nec-
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 disconcert-
ed her that she was unable to appre-
hend 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
Frickles," she told herself. "This il
terrible!"
She shifted her weight from her
right to her left foot, as perspiration
streaked canal through her artificial
complexion. She had stood in that one
pose at least a week-so it seemed
when it suddenly dawned on her that
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." So.
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 bit" scored an
other success. ..
After the show there was little
party in nearby cafe. The partici.
pants were Maybelle st. Glare and
Philip Warner. On her bosom she
wore 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 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 spoon in his coffee and
slipped testify.
"Tve changed my mind, too," he an
| nOunced. I'm in favor Of giving wom-
en- the vote or anything else they
want"
She laughed, hesitated somewhat
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 re-
turned to you two years ago."
| He nearly choked on the hot coffee,
but he managed to swallow it, and
reached into 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 a finger which It
had graced once before.
snow, will you explain how you hap.
pened to be acquainted with the words
of Where the Cotton Grows?" she
asked, "and how you knew needed
that song to make my act GOT"
He signaled the waiter to bring the
check.
| Certainly" he replied amiably.
'"The program told me you were sup.
posed to sing that song, although II
didn't inform me that Maybelle st.
Glare was Mabel Glare. knew the
words Of the piece because I 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.'"
| Startling Has Multiplied.