The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1919-01-30

" AIISCs
Daphne rejoiced All luxury was
music to her. Fine clothes, fine foods
on fine dishes, fine horses, motors, fur
n%itures, fine everything, gave her an
eXaltation Of soul like the thrill Of q
religion.
New York was heaven on earth. The
streets were gold, the buildings of jas
per, and the people angels-good
angels or bad. as the case might be,
but still angels. She wanted to be an
angel.
Among the squads of men and wom-
en- camped about the little tables she
made out Sheila Kemble again, in q
knot of elderly women of manifest i'm
portance.
isn't that Sheila Kemblew Daphne
asked.
eyes, that's Sheila," said Duane, and
he waved to her and she to him. He
turned back to Daphne. lawfully nice
girl. Like to meet herr"
"I'm crazy to-"
I'D bring you together now, but
she's completely surrounded by
grandes dames."
He named the women, and Mrs. Kip
capped at them as If they were a group
Of Valkyrs in Valhnlla. 1t startled her
to see them paying such court to IN
actress. She said SC.
"All great successes love one an
other" Duane explained. "Those old
ladies were seniuses at getting born in
the best families, and Sheila has
earned her place. She looks a bit
like your daughter, don't you think?"
Mrs. Kip tilted her head and studied
Miss Kemble and nodded. She made
the important amendment. "She looks
like she used to look like Daphne"
"That's BETTER" said Tom Duane.
"Miss Kip might be her understudy."
"How much does an understudy
getT" said Daphne, abruptly.
II haven't the faintest idea !" Duane
exclaimed. "Not much, I imagine, ex-
cept an opportunity"
"Is it true that Miss Kcmble makes
so much?"
I'D like to trade incomes with her,
that's all. Her manager, Reben, was
telling me that she would clear fifty
thousand dollars this year."
Mrs. Kip was aghast. Daphne was
electrified. She surprised Duane with
another question: "You said Miss
Kemble was married?"
"Yes, and has children, and loves
her husband. But she couldn't stand
%idleness. She's just come back to the
stage after several years of rusting in
a small city,"
Daphne fired one more question
point-blank: "Do you think l could
succeed on the stage?"
"Why not" he answered. "You
have-wlth your mothers permission
great beauty and magnetism, n de-
lightful voice, and intelligence. Why
shouldn't you succeed? You would
probably have IL peck of trouble get
ting started, but Do you know
any managers?"
II met one"
swell, If you ever decide that you
want to try it, let me know, and 1 can
probably force somebody to give you
a job"
"Ill remember that" said Daphne,
darkly.
She said nothing more while the
luncheon ran it's course.
The women got rid of Tom Duane
gracefully-Leila asked him to put
them in Il taXicab, as they had still
much shopping to do. They rode to n
department store, and Leila started
another account. They rode back to
the apartment. There they found a
day letter from Daphne's father to her
mother.
Gas you see by papers big Cowper
firm failed today for ten million dol
lars this hits us hard you better come
home not buy anything more situation
well love. WESLEY"
Mrs. Kip dropped into a chair. The
shock was so great that it shook first
from her a groan of sympathy for. her
husband.
"Your poor father! And he's worked
so hard and been so careful"
Bayard came home late for dinner
and in a state of grave excitement.
The great Cowper wholesale establish
ment had fallen like a steeple, crush
ing many n house. Indirectly it had
ratified the windows of Bayard's firm ;
had stopped the banks from granting
an important loan. Bayard spent a
bad day downtown. The news of his
fathers distress was a heavy blow. But
he tried to dispense encouragement to
the three women who could not quite
realize what all the excitement was
about, or why the disaster of a big
Il chain of wholesale stores would be Of
any particular Importance to them.
Bayard was just saying: II tell you,
Leila honey, 1 was the wise boy when
1 grabbed you, for now I've got you,
and l need you. Thank the Lord I'm
not loaded up with debt. I've kept
nlo,. nc @Iok