The Dolores star., 1919-07-11
CHAPTER x-Continued.

CHAPTER x-Continued.
-
Miss Kemble went forward to
Daphne and took her hand and petted
Il and said: "Pm so glad to see you.
Tou must meet my aunt, Mrs. Vining.
She won't object to your playing her
parts, I'm sure"
Mrs. Vining, who had played all
manner 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
,hoSe to mother her.
Mr.. Reben had come down from his
office to make up his own mind. He
smiled with kind of challenging cor
ilality and murmured: $50 our little
business woman is going to open the
shop. Well, all you've got to do is
10 deliver the goods and I'll buy 'em
at your own price"
Patterson raped on the kitchen
-able that stood on the apron of the
stage under naked bunch of light
of glaring brilliance.
"Places, please, for the entrance.
Ready? All right Eldon,'
The noble matinee idol put his hat
sn the table, walked on, sat down on
divan composed of two broken
chairs and read an imaginary news
paper.
Patterson said: "Doorbell! Buzz-z."
A well-dressed young man. whom
Daphne recognized as the elderly but
Ter. walked across and opened an
imaginary door between two chairs.
This was the cue for Miss Kemble's
famous "How do you do?"
Everybody waited and watched for
the newcomer to make her debut In
he new world. Then was a silence
Daphne stood with heels screwed to
the floor and tongue glued to the roof
If her mouth.
"All right. Miss Kip" said Patterson
With ominous patience. "Come on,
come on, pleasew
Another silence, then Daphne
laughed and choked. "Tm awfully stu
o!d. I've forgotten the line"
Patterson CRASHED his unlighted ci-
gar and growled: "HowjadoI How
jado!"
L u
sorry!" said Daphne, and walked on
at the wrong side of the chairs.
Everybody shuddered to realize that
she had entered through a solid wall.
This miracle was ignored, but there
vas no ignoring the peculiarly inelo-
luent note she struck when she bowed
TO the butler and stammered:
"How are your
A sigh went through the vast pro-
found and void Of the empty theater
instinct told even the echoes that
Daphne did not belong and never could
belong. Patterson groaned, tragically.
Not to the butler, please! Don't
say How are your to the butler.
Don't say How are your to anybody,
please. Script says Howjado?' Say
HowjadoY to Mr.. Eldon there. Say
Howjado' to Mr.. Eldon there"
"How do you do?" said Daphne
bowling to Eldon and speaking with a
soullessness of squeezed doll.
Eldon rose, folded up his imaginary
paper, and came forward with a pity.
ing desire to help her. He hoped that
the scared little Kip woman would win
through the same bitter trials to the
same perilous and always endangered
success. But he had a fear.
He delivered her his line with be.
aevolent gentleness. He waited, then
gave her her line with exquisite tact
She did not repeat it after him. He
said to her:
"Don't be afraid; you're all right
He gave her the line again and she
parroted it after him. She leaped
then to a speech several minutes far.
ther on. He drew her back to the cue
"Pardon me, but think have line
before that"
The rehearsal blundered on. It was
not Daphne's fright that disturbed
the rest. 1t was her complete failure
to suggest the character. or any char
acter.
But Patterson found nothing te
anuse him, eEd Reben tasted tina,
dust and ashes Of disappointment,
with which theatrical managers an
90 familiar when they bite on the
Dead sea fruit Of beauty without dra
matte talent