The Press., 1919-03-20
Sturnps and -Stunnps
ByARcHEY CAMERON NEW

(Copyrtght, 1918, by Mcclure Newspapel Syndicate.)
 Jean Ward, dragging two tired ant listless legs up the narrow iron stair case, passed down the tier of dress ing rooms, hot as jail In the sultry August air, and, with 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, a noisy chorus greeted her from the adjoining room
 Thanks fir tn breeze, kid," shrilled one voice, whom Jean recognized as Flo Darrett, of the Dancing Darretts, fellow act on the Olympia bill. Be in's we hogged tn only room with 8 window, guess y don't mind leaving this door open, do "" Flo's head appeared in the doorway between the two rooms, and with 1t a 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. It was none too cool In her own, opening as 1t did on the narrow back alley, with a fifty-foot we'll be- yond.
 "Oh. no, I don't mind," she an- swered listlessly, then drew a deep breath of the thick, tobacco-laden air. "Only-please-don' smoke It's hot enough already"
 "Di mil" came the mocking re- SnnnSa Toon fnrpod tn 1rou, off her moist costume, and to escape the cloud of offensive smoke that came with 1t she drew her chair near the window and fell into a discontented reverie.
 What was the matter with Bart Kendall, - her dancing partner? she unused. 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 a va cation in July. It 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
 
 stuffy theater, with every woodsy back-drop every line of Down Home," the rural sketch that preceded them on the bill, fairly shrieking to them the call of the wild. And Bart had been growing so different of late-so silent. so unresponsiye, 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 comedienne on the bill. Bart had been fawning around her lot lately, was the next thought. How, won- dered Jean, could she keep that fresh 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 trifle | bleary-something fell on the dress Ing table before her, and she picked t up gingerly and stared at it wrath fully, then flung 1t out the window.
 "Please," she called to the Darretts, | n the next room, don't throw those lighted stumps in here. Something night catch fire"
 'In that case" came the answer, with FlO's cackling laugh, There's to put 1t out with" And lose to Jeans head, with catfish enom back of it, hurtled a small bot le, landing on her pink hat, and billing little of its amber fluid on he pink perfumed brim. Jean took he bottle of liuuOr and hurled if TO-