The Washington herald., 1919-01-30
A DATE WITH THEDA.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.


to duindde away. We started to think
clearer.
Our talk wandered on to many
things. Miss Bara's occultism began
. 10 give here and there before
healthy humanism- We commenced
10 sense her real self. Somehow we
felt that she had done her duty bt
her press agents and was becoming
the real Theda Bars-
But she did tell US how she sends
. contributions to a little church in
the mountains OF North Carolina
when she desires something very
particularly. And it always comes,
Sometimes, however, she changes
her mind after the contribution IS
sent and it's awkward how the
thing materializes anyway.
We noted the address of the
church carefully.
The evening darkness gathered. But
the Jap did not appear TO switch on
the electric lights. and we sat in the
dusk Miss Bara began to show n
genuine sense Of humor. We pushed
tered couch and began to be really i'm
terested
''Did you see me as Cleopatra in
auired the vampire de luxe.
II certainly did" was our enthu-
siastiC confession.
Al which Miss Bara laughed. 81
liked that best of all my screen roles.
Rut do you know what my Jap said Of
ruea You fat en- the screen, Miss
Bara not a bit fat off" l think the
hoy was disappointed
And the Jap is hOnorably correct
ct least about the off-the-screen part
snd minus the disappointment. Miss
BaFa isn't the statuesque person you
r1tsht expect She is of average
height and quite. quite slender. And
geuuinely Eirlish.
Critirisn-that is, unkind criticism
hurts Miss Bara very much. She told
Us so. Some critic had just intimated
that her Salome was a feshlv concep'
tfon and not the mental lady who
must have upset the Biblical court.
Il ask you" demanded Miss Bara
plairtiyely. how can l portray men,
tai Salome? Can l show my mind
working for the camera? VIII l have
subtitles tell my brainy sayings? Or
win I go through the dance OF the
seven wells with a finger thoughtfully
pressed to my forehead?"
And then Miss Bara told US a secret.
She is going to appear on the stage
soon. 1t is her dearest desire. The
right play hasn't come along yet, but
when her present screen contract has
expired. she will turn to the footlights
with something big and mystic and
upvampirish.
Other things she told US, too. She
loves New Orleans most OF all the
places she has visited The atmos-
phere and romance OF the old city ap-
peal to her. She hates the lurid titles
they give her pictures. She thinks IT
rather mean to intimate that she looks
that way on the screen because she
IS near-siEhted.
She laughs At hcr vampire fame anC
doesn't take it seriously Indeed. sht
Is a young woman who thinks anC
has 2 sense Of humor.
Let US confess that Miss Bara in,
tarested US tremendously. We doubt
Of course. that she actually takes hel
press-agent oCCultism too seriously
Yet there is a vein of the mystic ir
her. But we arc thoroughly sure o.
her healthy, alert mind For beneath
the incense and the perfumes and tail
of peacock feathers and the scienc,
of numbers is a very nkeable-and-
vtvid-young person.
Just before We left Miss Bara hand
ed US little Egyptian scara6 to ex
anime. Suddenly she glanced at tn,
palm OF our left hand.
''Whoopsi" she exclaimed. What z
love line And then she began tc
tell US all sorts OF things about our
selves. most of them startlingly true
This Is your interview" we remind
ed. hastily Withdrawing our telltal,
palm.
You ought to take that to a goot
palmist. I never saw"
But we departed. The eleyator-eir
gszed at US all the way to the ground
hoor with steely eye. In the lowe,
reception hail three others considered
US with odd but unmistakable interest
Hastily slipping on our gloves-tc
cover further palm revelations-wt
hurried into the night.
Even outside. queer, faint flashes oi
incense still clung to US.