The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-25
EVENING STORY
Temperament and Ted.
BY VINCENT C. PERRY.

lot" as the big film studio was
called, admitted it; every Aim fan in
America proclaimed it from the
''housetops" 1t wasn't just Ted's act
ing that was the cause of all the won
derment at the Merlight--it was Ted's
defiance of temperament.
Why. actors and actresses who were
not half so famous as Ted Leonard
were allowed to have their days and
even weeks of temperament filings,
but Ted worked right thru without
one in two years. and he worked twice
as strenuously as any Of the other
actors, at that.
Ted wasn't one of the bold men"
type of film actors, either-he was
typical matinee idol in everything but
disposition and nerve control.
Director Bob Lasbrook was the only
one who didn't comment much on
Ted's wonderful fortitude. Lasbrook
had been in the film business since its
infancy and before that he had had
long stage experiepce. He is going
TO come down with a crash one of
himself one day. Il never saw a man
with the true dramatic spirit who
didn't have the temperament bug, too,
and Ted sure has the dramatic spirit
and then some. When the crash does
come, look Quit"
The crash did come. 1t was all be-
cause of the new leading lady. From
the day of his first early success Ted
had been starred alone, but now for
some unexplained reason the directors
of the company decided upon CO.
star for him-a famous stage actress
who was to make her film debut.
Ted knew what most of the stage
actresses who sought the movies were
like. He had seen them come up one
axr In 1af n
tours and fives, They didn't take.
The movies were meant for young ac-
tresses, not for made-up has-beens.
The camera brought out the lines and
crowsfeet the footlights and grease
paint hid! No stage actress was go
ing to be exploited on his fame, no
stree!
The calm of the old director had more
to do with Ted's final breaking up of
temper than anything else. After Ted
had Waxed hot, shaken his fist and
resorted to mild profanity old Bob just
shook his head. Ted left that night
for parts unknown. ITO blazes with
my contract" Ted had flung back at
the business manager of the company
as he sailed thru the office, head held
high. Marie Sivelle can star alone.
hope her face breaks the camera"
He closed the door without noticing
that the business manager had been
talking to some one very small and
sweet, some one who had risen and
who was blushing profusely.
The temperamental crash, as old
Bob would have called it. had a firm
grip on Ted for three days. At the
end of the third day he began to
think reasonably. 1t all came from
not taking a vacation for so long, he
told himself. The country was the
place for him-the country he had
of fAu re- hofn lou
changed it would be now.
But the country was not much
changed. he found. There was a feel
ing of qualification in bringing his
roadster to a halt in front of the little
schoolhouSe where he had learned his
A B C's. That sentimentDwas not the
one that had brought him there first,
tho. The pleasant memory of the little
teacher who had taught there the last
year he had been in the village had
never really left him but now it had
come back with great force. He had
thought then that their friendship
would have developed to something
more than memories, but for some
unexplained reason it didn't. 1t was
all his fault, the fault of his success.
he told himself >reproachfully.- Would
she remember? Would she look the
same?
Wonder of wonders, she had not
changed a bit. The school door had
opened and she was coming down the
path to the road. Ted was out of the
meet her. Did she remember? The
glad little cry of recognition and the
eyes filled with tears of joy said more
than all the words in the world. He
almost had her in his arms when he
remembered
1t was a wonderful week that fol-
lowed. Just the sort of week that was
needed to restore Ted's nerves. With
the return of all his practical judg-
ment, Ted began to analyze his feel
ings. He loved this little teacher. this
little Nora Givens. She was the sweet
est little woman in the world and he
was going to make her his wife, he
told himself
Just as he had made firm this re-
solve bomb was hurled onto his
plans.
IT felt sure that some day YOU would
come back-a successful business man.
I knew you would lose all those fool
ish old ideas about the stage and art
and such like" Nora told him as they
drove along a particularly inviting
stretch OF country road.
would it make any difference IL I
still had those ideas-couldn't you
love me?" he asked as he nervously
reached out for her hand.
ut wouldn't be practical to love
man with unsettled ideas, like your
her hand from reach.
Il understand" Ted mumbled. That
settled it in his mind. Nora shared
the narrow thoughts of many other
country people-stage and movie folk
were all bad in her estimation-she
could not realize that some OF the fin
est men and women IN the world were
| engaged in the theatrical profession.
What did IL matter after that?
There was only one place where Ted
belonged and he went back to it-back
to the Merlight studio. Let them
bring on their co-stars. let them ex-
plot has-beens under his fame. What
did it matter? What did fame or sue
cess mean when the woman he loved
could never be his2
Bob Lasbrook could not understand
this morbid change in Ted. Tempera-
mental attacks did not usually leave
after effects like that. He wondered,
too, when Ted raised no further OBJ
A To-