Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-03-13

70 nave.
Daphne rejoiced. All luxury was
music to her. Fine clothes, fine foods
on fine dishes, fine horses. motors, fur
~nltures. fine everything, gave her an
exaltation of soul like the thrill Of q
religion.
New York was heaven on earth. The
streets were gold, the buildings Of jas
per, and the people angels-good
angels or bad, as the case might be,
but still angels. She wanted to be an
angel.
Among the squads of men and WON
IN camped about the little tables she
made out Sheila KembIe again, in q
knot Of elderly women of manifest i'm
portance.
isn't that Sheila Kemble?" Daphne
asked.
"Yes, that's Sheila," said Duane, and
he waved to her and she to him. He
turned back to Daphne. lawfully nice
girl. Like to meet her?"
"Tm crazy to-"
"I'd bring you together now, but
she's completely surrounded by
grandeS dames."
he named the women, and Mrs. Kip
gaped at them as if they were a group
of Valkyrs in Valhalla. 1t startled her
to e them paying such court to an
actress. She said so.
"All great successes love one an
other" Duane explained. ''Those old
ladies We're geniuses at getting born in
the best families, and Sheila has
earned her place. She looks a bit
like your daughter, don't you think?"
Mrs. Kip tilted her head and studied
Miss Kemble and nodded. She made
the important amendment. "She looks
like she used to look like Daphne"
"That's BETTER" said Tom Duane.
Miss Kip might be her un~derstudy."
slow much does an understudy
get| said Daphne, abruptly.
II haven't the faintest idea !" Duane
exclaimed. "Not much, / imagine, ex-
cept an opportunity"
Els it true that Miss Kemhle makes
so much?"
I'D like to trade incomes with her,
that's all. Her manager, Reben, was
telling me that she would clear fifty
thousand dollars this year."
Mrs. Kip was aghast. Daphne was
electrified. She surprised Duane with
another question: "You said Miss
Kemble was married?"
"Yes, and has children, and loves
her husband. But she couldn't stand
idleness. She's just come back to the
stage after several years of rusting in
a small city"
Daphne fired n more question
point-blank: "Do you think / could
succeed on the stage?"
"Why not?" he answered. "You
have-with your mothers permission
great beauty and magnetism, a de-
lightful voice, and intelligence. Why
shouldn't you succeed? You would
probably have a peck of trouble get.
ting started, but Do you know
any managers?"
Il never met one"
"Well, if You ever decide that you
want to try 1t, let ME know, and I can
probably force somebody to give you
a job"
It'll remember that" said Daphne,
darkly.
She said nothing more while the
luncheon ran it's course.
The women got rid of Tom Duane
gracefully-Leila asked him to put
them in a taxicab, as they had still
much shopping to do. They rode to a
department store, and Leila started
another account. They rode back to
the apartment. There they found q
day letter from Daphne's father to her
mother.
"As you e by papers big Cowper
firm failed today for ten million dol
lars this hits us hard you better come
home not buy anything more situation
serious but hope for best don't worry
we'll love. WESLEY"
Mrs. Kip dropped into a chair. The
shock was so great that 1t shook first
from her a groan of sympathy for her
husband.
Your poor father ! And he's worked
so hard and been so careful"
Bayard came home late for dinner
and in a state of grave excitement.
The great Cowper wholesale establish
ment had fallen like a steeple, crush
ing many a house. Indirectly 1t had
ratified the windows of Bayard's firm;
had stopped the banks from granting
an important loan. Bayard spent q
bad day downtown. The news Of his
fathers distress was a heavy blow. But
he tried to dispense encouragement to
the three women who could not quite
realize what all the excitement was
about, or why the disaster Of a big
chain Of wholesale stores would be of
any particular importance to them.
Bayard vas just saying: II tell you,
Leila honey, / was the wise boy when
| grabbed you, for now I've got you,
and l need you. Thank the Lord I'm
not loaded up with debt. I've kept
clear of that"