Evening star., 1919-08-24

so AOA SoAcs auO PAuuc0 uAAty AbtSA0
bonnet draped with a long brown
veil on top of a wonderful pile Of
cinnamon brown hair. Not that she's
any front row charmer. Her face is
too long and thin for that and her
mouth cut too generous. But you cap
tell by one glance from them big
darks eyes that she's a live wire.
"Eh?" says /. turnin' back to Mar
tina.
"Oh. I don't know" groans Mar.
tina. BUT she-she is the image Of
Roland Deems and she is looking at.
me as if
Next thing We knew she was doing
more than look. She has whistled to
the red-capped porter. who is strug-
Gin along with black patent leath-
er suit case the size Of young trunk,
and has stopped in front Of Martha.
Excuse me IL I'm playing the.
wrong hunch." says she. but aren't
you Aunt Martha?"
II suppose / am" says Martha
gaspy. THAT is. II you are Doris /.
Deems"
Some guess" says the young lady.
But what happened to the mari
golds?"
expect that should have been my
cue to fade away and let this FAM
Iy reunion take it's course. But Mar
tina still has grip on my coat sleeve
and otherwise indicates that she
wants me to stick around. So I'm in
troouced to Doris and we all trails
into the waiting room and camps
down on some seats Meanwhile Doris
proceeds to spill the lively chatter.
you're regular auntie, I'll say"
she goes on. ito take me in this way
Decide you are. Why, when your let
ter came ! was plum stranded. Fact.
High and dry in a third floor back
with no job. no friends. and a check
book ] didn't dare look in the face.
Uh-huh! Almost up against the sob
stun. First time in my young career.
too. But the minute I'd read your
note. full Of sympathy and heart
throbs, I says to myself. Doris, darl-
ing, itS you for the big hopr So
cashed in at the bank. played most
OF what they showed through the
window on yard of eastbound trans
portation, and here I am"
Yes, my dear. here-here you are.
says Martha. 1t comes out weak and
draggy. though.
why all the wild enthuiasm?" asks
Doris. Didn't you mean it,?
of course" says Martha, but L
Tell me, child, how old are your,
Nearly twenty. auntie dear" saws
Doris. fhaf
stranded nieces?"
All Martha could explain was that
she'd missed her count by a few
years.
think l get YOU" says Doris.
You were expecting something young
ana tender. SQUAD understudy. Too
oad. But it's almost an even split.
auntie; for will say wasn't looking
Tor you to show so many silver
strands. Does school teaching do
that? Are you still at it?'
Martha pleads guilty on both counts.
But how have you been living.
Doris?" she asks. You spoke of being
without work. What kind of work?..
"Me?' says Doris. why, I went
into the great California industry. of
course. The movies"
l thought for minute there that
Martha was goin' to slump onto the
floor. Anyway. it was one grand little
jolt she gets, but she recoyers enough
to ask trembly: "You-you don't mean
that you have been IA moving pic
ture actress? =.
Have been is right" says Doris. .
i've had two years of it. and I know
when I've got enough. OF course.
when 1 started in as mob extra at
five a day figured 1t would take me
only about six months to be running .
neck and neck with Pauline Frederick
and Nazimova. But 1t didn't work out
that way. The directors admitted I
had the bean and the pep, all right, ,
and some Of 'em thought my figure
might pass, but none Of 'em would
stand for my face i'm close up. Not
never. And it's the only face I've got .
In my outfit. auntie dear. SO the near
est l ever came to start part was
when they'd let me wear her clothes
and be thrown off the sinking steamer
just after the explosion. or lugged
down ladder out Of the burning
mansion. You know? Stuff that the .
headliners baked at. And say, after
that last trick Of mine in the hospital