The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1919-04-17
Stunps and
-Sturnps
IN

By ARcHEYcA NEW

|
| Jean Ward. dragging two tired and
Hstless legs up the narrow iron stair
case, passed down the tier Of dress
ing rooms, hot as a jail In the sultry
| August air, and, with 4 sudden burst
Of energy, flung herself into the last
room In the tier and slammed the door.
| AS she kicked two damp slippers from
| her slender. tired feet, noisy chorus
| greeted her from the adjoining room.
Thanks f'r tn breeze, kid" shrilled
one voice, whom Jean recognized as
| Flo barrett, of the Dancing Llarretts.
fellow act on the Olympia bill. BE
ms we hogged tn only room with q
window, guess y don't mind leaving
this door open. do y" Flo's head
appeared in the doorway between the
two rooms, and with ii cloud OF
cigarette smoke. Jean shuddered
slightly. and shook her head No use
being angry, she thought. After all
perhaps it was hot in those inside
rooms. 1t was none too cool in her
own, opening as it did on the narrow
back alley, with fiftyfOot we'll be-
You'd.
"Oh. no, don't mind" she an
swered listlessIy, then drew deep
breath OF the thick. tobacco-laden air.
MISREPRESENTATION smoke. It's hot
enough already"
"Di mi :" came the hooking re-
Spouse, as Jean turned to draw of
her moist costume, and TO escape the
cloud of offensive smoke that came
with it she drew her chair near the
window and fell into a discontinued
reverie.
What was the matter with Bart
Fendall, her dancing partner? she
mused Why did he insist on her do
ing this three-a-day summer season?
She remembered his promise, before
they left Salisbury. to start on their
road to fame-he had promised va
cation in July 1t would be hot then,
he had told her, and they would need
a rest-back among the shady willows
away from the white lights-with
fresh country vegetables. pure cool
milk, and-here they tarried, In hot.
stuffy theater, with every woodsy
back-drop every line of Down Home"
the rural sketch that preceded them
on the bill, fairly shrieking 10 them
the call of the wild. And Bart had
been growing so different of late-so
silent, so unrespOnsive, so different
from the good old friend he had been
down home. Maybe, thought she, he
merely reflected her own mood. She
was feeling jaded. she WAS looking
sallow, in fact, so different from
Mabel Woods, the new coincidence on
the bill. Bart had been fawning
around her lot lately, was the next
discomforting thought. How, won
dered Jean, could she keep that fresh
appearance, that creamy white COM
plexion? Maybe that was why Bart
was hanging on-and keeping her
working, too, she angrily added TO
herself. .
She raised herself to her feet and
stared In the mirror. Her face was
red from the heat. her eyes a trihe
Disappointing fell on the dress
ing table before her, and she picked |
1t up gingerly and stared at 1t wrath |
fully, then flung 1t out the window.
please" she called to the Darretts, |
in the next room. don't throw those
lighted stumps In here. Something |
might catch fire."
In that case" came the answer,
with Flo's cackling laugh. here's t
something to put il out with" And
close to Jeans head. with catfish
venom back of 1t, hurtled small bot
tie, landing on her pink hat, and
splitting a little Of its amber fluid on
the pink perfumed brim. Jean took
the bottle Of liquor and hurled it re-
sentfulIy out of the window, then
turned and slammed shut the connect
Ing door and pushed her trunk against
It. She hurried into her stage cos
tune and went downstairs, her face
red with anger.
Scobell, the Olympia's property man.
sprang up from his chair with q cry
md flung a lighted cigarette stump
from his trousers.
what tn -" he yelled upward
It the window above. and counted its
relative position so as to place its Oe-
Why. it's -"
whats tn row, Andy?' chimed in
/ bass voice and Andy turned and
,nced Bart Fendall.
"She's smokin',' gurgled Andy. hot
" gesticulating madly at the upper
window. ''Y'r partner, and IFS against
h. ru-"
A bottle fell between them, and
Bart, STOPPING. picked 1t up and smiled
n horror at the contents.
-It's whisky,' he muttered, dazedly.
md then turned a horrifed glance
lbove him. "Jeani" he called, but no
lead appeared at the window.
ashes havin' a party" growled
INDY. Fine III country kid y're
WITH"
But Bart, entering the stage door In
sort Of stupor, missed Scobell's
hooking leer. Was this Jean. the
title. happy-hearted. pretty creature