New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-07-18
CHAPTER x-Continued.

Miss Kemblr went forward Il
Daphne and took her hand and pette'
u and said: "Tm so glad to see you
You must meet my aunt. Mrs. Ninlng
She won't object to YOU playing hel
parts, I'm sure
Mrs. vinihg who had played al
manner - rales for half a century
and was now established as n famous
player Of hateful old grandes danes
spared Daphne her ready vinegar ar
chose to m7tAer her.
Mr.. Re!sn had come down from his
Office to make up his own mind. lie
smiled with a kind Of challenging cor
dality and murmured so nj little
business woman is going To open the
shop. Well, all you've got to do Is
10 deliver the goods and I'll buy 'em
mt your W price"
Patterson raped on the kitchen
fable that stood on the apron of the
stage under u naked bunch OF light
of glaring briliiance.
"Places. plense, for the entrance.
Ready? All right, Eldon :"
The noble matinee idol put his hat
on the table, walked on, sat down on
n divan composed of two broken
chairs and read an imaginary news-
paper.
Patterson said "Doorbell Buzz"
A well-dresSed young man, whom
Daphne recognized as the elderly but
Ter, walked across and opened nm
Imaginary door between two chairs.
1'hiS was the cue for Miss Kemble's
Famous "IIow do you dof"
Everybody waited aud watched for
the newcomer to make her debut In
the new world. Then was II silence.
Daphne stood with heels screwed to
the floor and tongue glued to the roof
OF her mouth.
"All right. Miss Kip" said Patterson
with ominous patience. "Come on,
come on, p~lease!"
Another silence, then Daphne
laughed and choked. "Tm awfully stu
pld. I've forgotten the line"
Patterson CRASHED his unlighted ci-
gar and growled: "Howjadol How
jado!"
"Oh. yes! Thank you. I'm 50
sorry :" said Daphne, and walked on
at the wrong side Of the chairs.
Everybody shuddered to realize that
she had entered through a solid wall.
This miracle was ignored, but there
was 10 Ignoring the peculiarly inelo-
quent note she struck when she bowed
10 the butler and stammered:
"IIow are your"
A sigh went through the vast pro
found and void of the empty theater.
Instinct told even the echoes that
Daphne did not belong and never could
belong. Patterson groaned, tragically.
Not 10 the butler, please Don't
say How ARE your to the butler.
Don't say How are your TO anybody.
please. Script says 1IowjadoY Say
'iIowiadoF' to Mr.. Eldon there. Say
'Howjado' 10 Mr.. Eldon there"
GLOW do you do?" said Daphne.
bowling to Eldon and speaking with u
soullrSsness of a squeezed doll.
Eldon rose. folded up his imaginary
paper. and came forward with a pity
ing desire to help her. He hoped that
the scared little Kip woman would win
through the same bitter trials to the
same perilous and always endangered
success. But he had a fear.
He delivered her his line with be-
~nevolent g~entleness. He waited. then
gave Der her line with exquisite tact.
She did not repeat II after him. lie
said TO her:
Don't be afraid you're all right"
He gave her the line again and she
rarroted IT after him. She leaped
then to a speech several minutes far
ther on. He drew her back to the cue:
Pardon me, but l think I have a line
before that"
The rehearsal Numbered on. II was
not D~aphue's fright that disturbed
the rest. II was her complete failure
TO suggest the character. or any char
acter.
But Patterson found nothing TO
amuse him. and Reben tasted that
dust and ashes of disappointment
with which theatrical anager are
so familiar when they bite on the
dead sea fruit of beauty without dra-
hatic talent.
Miss Kemble tried TO help. She
Asked Daphne to step aside and watch
while she went through the scene. But
she was 50 unnerved that she forgot
her own lines and had TO refer to the
manuscript. while Eldon waited in
hcute distress and Daphne. looking on.
bald: "Oh. I see. i think / understand
Ii now" Then she forgot il all again
at the repetition Somehow the re-
hearsal was worried through to the
end and Patterson dismissed the COM
pany with sarcastic thanks. Then he
went to Reben to demand a substi-
tste. IL