The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-19
EVENING STORY
A Wonderful W ife.
BY r. RAY BAKER.


Gary Hazard, dramatic critic of the
Morning STAR scowled into the
cloud of tobacco smoke for which his
long curve-stemmed pipe was respon-
sible
NO use" he sighed as he tore
sheet from his typewriter and cast it
into the waste basket. II simply can't
make that girl out a good vaudevillist.
She's wonderful to look at, but when
they put her on the vaudeville stage
they spoiled a good wife"
His face took on little smile as he
sat there at his desk in the editorial
room He was in a hurry to finish
his criticism, or rather the printers
We're in a hurry to get it so they could
close up the theatrical page But
somehow he just couldn't seem to go
on with his work.
All about him was noise. Type
writer's We'd with telegraph instru-
ments in a contest of sound, and every
now and then the linotypes would chip
in with their musical tinkle-tinkle
whenever some one opened the door
to the composing room.
The city editor was roaring into
telephone. repeating for the fifth time
the words: Il didn't get that last
name; will you please spell it?" The
state editor was bowling into another
editors were arguing rather loudly
over the size of a head for the League
of Nations story
In the midst of this apparent con-
fusion Gary sat at his machine and
dreamed about the girl he had seen
an hour and Il half ago on the En-
press vaudeville stage.
Gary did not try to delude him
self. He realized he was In love with
the girl; had renounced possession of
his heart the moment she skipped
onto the stage, and the worse her act
deeply Gary became enmeshed in her
charms. The girl fitted the smental
picture of his ideal>in features, height,
gesture and voice. And yet her act
was absolutely impossible.
That was why Gary's hands lin
gered on the keys of his typewriter.
He could not bear to give his honest
opinion as to Mildred Harrison's act
Mildred Harrison in Whirlwind of
Song. Dance and Merriment." Twice
he started to write complime entary
words. and once he thought seriously
of emitting mention of her in his re-
view. but quickly changed his mind
when he realized the omission would
be more noticeable than a few words
of adverse criticism. AS to the com-
pliments that he wanted to write and
which he knew her act did not deserve
well, he simply couldn't write a lie.
He knew. and everybody else at the
theater that evening knew. that Mil
dred Harrison was a failure on the
vaudeville stage as was evidenced by
the tittering heard during the would
be serious m I'M ents of her program
and the silence or forced "haw, haw,
haw' when she endeavored to be
witty.
stage?" ne asked himself. Surely she
must have had big pull with the
powers that be-"
Well. it was inevitable He was paid
money to give his honest opinion as to
the acts on the bill : he owed it to
public to do just til. t. Besides, he
would be doing the girl favor by tell
ing her in print that she was a failure
behind the footlights. So finally he
wrote:
Miss Mildred Harrison is a very
attractive girl, with an enhancing per-
Sonality, but when it comes to vaude-
ville-Dear Miss Harrison. may it not
be suggested that you try some other
means of earning living? AS
Miss Harrison. you are not
well, you would make some young
man a wonderful wife"
Gary finished his criticism and
handed it to the city editor. thru
whose hands 1t must pass. Then he
went back to his machine.
I've killed that girl as far as her
stage career is concerned" he sighed.
Her job expires tomorrow morning
there's no doubt of that, because
vaudeville fans take the Star as their
Bible.
He inserted a sheet of paper in the
typewriter.
"And it also ends my job After
this I'm thru. People may think it's
fun slamming stage folk, but it. isn't.
It's better to be one
He wrote his Resignation to take
effect in two weeks. and went home
to bed. The next evening he went
to the office early and was greeted
by the managing editor. who in
formed him coldly that his resigna-
ton was to take immediate effect as