The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-13
Eoening Story
Hamlet and the Lady.
BY MARY MORRISON.

No one would have recognized Iris
Ybarra, the most famous vampire in
moviedom, in sthe smart little figure
that sauntered into Central park that
bright fall afternoon. Clad in dark
i blue suit. of simple cut, a. bunch of
fragrant violets pinned at her belt,
she looked like sweet sixteen persona
fied--a figure of Spring" that had
/ lost her way on the yearly calendar,
arriving in our autumnal world too
late for practical use.
Iris sat down on a bench in the
warm sunlight and smiled at the
babies in their carriages. Every baby
smiled back at Iris But finally they
all went home-and then Iris's at
tention centered itself on the tragic
face of a man seated on the adjoining
with their smiles. All the afternoon
he had been sitting there. cycling 9.
coin held listlessly in his hand. and at
! this moment, with defiant toss of his
head, he was Tipping it into the air.
/ He leaned forward to see how it fell.
Tails Iris heard him mutter.
| 'tI'll make it two out of three"
! He tossed again. Before he could
! pick up the silver piece Iris was at
/ his elbow. her face all Duckered up
with friendly concern.
"Oh, don't decide it that way" she
/. cried. The man looked up in amaze
ment, but she rushed on impetuously.
/ her hand on his arm-"Of course, /
| do not know what your trouble at, but
[ know you are planning something
| desperate. Don't decide it by the toss
of a coin. 1t seems too-well-too
ungodly. if you will forgive the term"
The man gave a bitter little laugh
] lt'ssaH right for you to talk that way,
| lady. But what do you know about
real ungodliness-or real trouble, for
that matter? You have probably
never been closer to it than disap-
pointment in your new winter hat or
the Inconvenience of having your
| motor break down at the wrong time.
1 guess you have never had to do a
| thing you didn't want to do in your
/ whole life.'
Iris could have told him to the con-
! trary, but she let it pass. us it
/ money you need?" she asked
Bless your dear little heart, no."
| answered the man. 81 make money
| enough at the damned thing. But
what is it to you, if may ask? Is it
your business in life to go around
rescuing poor desperadoec from them
! selves?"
"well-er-hardIy." said Iris. But
you see, today I'm not working
I'm afraid do not get you" he
answered.
'Do you ever go to the movies? -,
The man nodded. well, that's my
business in life"-and she smiled at
I've probably seen you then" he
returned. You do some sort of
Mary Pickford stunt, I'll wager. You
look the part, all right. Congratula-
| tionsi"
Don't bother with concentrations"
said Iris. I'm no Mary Pickford. I'm
Iris Ybarra, the vampire. Oh, why
she cried passionately, why did you
remind me OF it today. when I was
out on a holiday, pretending I had
never spent hour upon hour wrecking
a home and spelling one mans life
after another's? I did so want to be
a nice little woman's- s-place-is-in-the-
! home-sort of person this afternoon"
4 Good Lord" exclaimed the man.
| isn't that funnyl" and he went off
into peals of laughter.
/ tWell, I'm glad you think it is such
a joke" snapped Iris. You look al
most human when you laugh. When
saw you flipping that coiT around
you looked like a tragic muse-for all
the world like Hamlet, the melancholy
Dane. and"
The man stopped laughing abruptly.
Say that gain." he cried. Hamlet,
if it were only true!"
| Iris was too amazed to reply and
4 he went on-"Listen. Miss Vampire.
and I'll tell you something 1 have new
er told anybody else. All my life it
has been my ambition to play Ham
let-it's almost an obsession, 1 want
to so much"
"Who are you?" asked Iris.
81 am Cyril Smith, the leading man
of the Gaiety Girls. and 1 make my
living by jokes. Jokes-how 1 hate
them, I was tossing that coin to see
whether 1 should sign contract for
this winter and live thru those songs
and dances and jokes again.
you seem to want to solve my
problems, SO I'll leave it to you instead
of the coin. To sign or not to sign,
that Is the question:"
:, Iris considered, and then-"Well, I
signed my contract for vamping yes
terday-and jokes are not patch on
home wreckins."
"Ail right, lady" said he, Jokes it
is.''
Iris Ybarra and Cyril Smith looked
at each other in the deepening
shadows of Central park. Across the
Mall big hotel doomed up inviting
ly, its hundreds of windows aglow,
shining down on them like hundreds
of friendly little stars. sudden idea
flashed into Cyril Smiths mind.
Il say. do you like tea?" he asked.
81 do" answered the vampire, en-
phatically. "altho the public likes to
, think of me imbibing highballs by the
/ dozen"
Across the tea table, half an n our
later, Cyril Smith bad another idea
Life was moving fast for the ma.iree
iGol.
He kept it to himself for a few
: E4:nutes while the orchestra PLAYED
, thu soft strains of La Boheme" and
! their tea cups were exchanged fCr
raspberry colored ices. Then he bui 81
forth
s"Don,t think I'm crazy, lady" said
Cyril Smith. "J.ut, are you marriei ''
Iris shook her head negatively.
We'll -er- have you anything
. against getting nlarried?" he 'ontia-
ued.
"a vampires place is in the home,
! she answered demurely..
MY home?" he asked
This time Iris Ybarra gave her head
! decided nod in the right directI IN
1 ! Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
e Newspaper Syndicate.)
Observation-Disclosures