Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-04-03
CHAPTER x-Continued.

i Miss Kemble went forward to
Daphne and took her hand and petted
xt and said: "Tm so glad to see you.
!You must meet my aunt, Mrs. Vining.
She won't object to your playing her
parts, I'm sure"
Mrs. Vining, who had played all
ananner of roles for half a century,
and was now established as a famous
player of hateful old grandes danes,
spared Daphne her ready vinegar and
chose to mother her.
Mr.. Reben had come down from his
office to make up his own mind. He
smiled with a kind of challenging cor
duality and murmured: $50 our little
Business oma is going to open the
shop. Well, all you've got to do is
TO deliver the goods and I'll buy 'em
at your own price"
Patterson raped on the kitchen
table that stood on the apron Of the
stage under a naked bunch of light
of glaring brilliance.
"Places, please, for the entrance,
Ready? All right, Eldon!"
The noble matinee idol put his hat
on the table, walked on, sat down on
q divan composed of two broken
chairs and read an imaginary news
paper.
Patterson said: HDoorbell! BuzZ-z.'
A well-dressed young man, whom
Daphne recognized as the elderly but.
der, walked across and opened an
Imaginary door between two chairs
This was the cue for Miss Kemble's
famous "How do you doT"
Everybody waited and watched fol
the newcomer to make her debut iI
the new world. Then was a silence
Daphne stood with heels screwed tt
fhe floor and tongue glued to the roo.
of her mouth.
~All right, Miss Kip" said Patterson
with ominous patience. "Come on
come on, pleased"
Another silence, then Daphne
laughed and choked. SIN awfully stu
pid. I've forgotten the line"
Patterson CRASHED his unlighted ci
a and growled: "Howjadol How
1ador
"Oh. yes! Thank you. I'm s.
sorry" said Daphne, and walled Of
at the wrong side of the chairs.
Everybody shuddered to realize tina
she had entered through a solid wal
This miracle was ignored, but Their
was no ignoring the peculiarly inelC
qpent note she struck when she bowe
TO the butler and stammered:
SLOW are youF"
A sigh went through the vast pre-
found and void of the empty theatel
Instinct told even the echoes tina
Daphne did not belong and never coul
belong. Patterson groaned, tragicall.
"Not to the butler, please! Don
say How are your to the butle
Don't say How are you?' to anybod,
please. Script says HowjadoY Sa
9H0wjadoY to Mr.. Eldon there. Sa
'Howjado' to MI. Eldon there"
"How do you do?" said Daphn
bowing to Eldon and speaking with
SOullessness of a squeezed doll.
Eldon rose, folded up his imaginal
paper. and came forward with a pit
ing desire to help her. He hoped thi
the scared little Kip uni would vi
through the same bitter trials to Il
same perilous and always endangert
success. But he had a fear.
He delivered her his line with b
nevolent gentleness. He waited, tn,
gave her her line with exquisite tai
She did not repeat it after him. I
said to her:
"Don't be afraid; you're all right
He gave her the line again and s
s1arroted it after him. She leap
then to a speech several minutes fl
Sher on. He drew her back to the Gu
Pardon me, but I think I have a Ii
before that"
The rehearsal Numbered on. 1t W
not Daphne's fright that disturb
the rest. 1t was her complete failu
to suggest the character, or any chi
acter.
But Patterson found nothing
ANUS him. ard Reben tasted ii
dust anu ashes OF disappolntme
with which theatrical managers 9
so familiar when they bite on {
Dead sea fruit Of beauty without d
anatie talent.