The Taney County republican., 1919-07-03
Sturnps and
Stunps
GA<D
copyright 1918, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.)
BY ARcHEY CAMERON NEW

ssssSeeeesSseseeS2seeeessssSsssSss'
iNopyrlght, 1918, by Mcclure Newspape
syndicate)
Jean Ward, dragging two tired ant
HStless legs up the narrow iron stair
case, passed down the tier of dress
Ing rooms, hot as n Jail In the sultry
August air and, with a sudden bJrs
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, q noisy choru,
greeted her from the adjoining room
Thanks f'r tn breeze, kid" shrlllcd
one voice, whom Jean recognized as
Flo Dnrrett, of the Dancing Darretts
a fellow act on the Olympia bill. "Bc.
ms we hogged tn only room with a
window, guess y don't mind leaving
thiS door open, do W" FlO's head
appeared In the doorway between the
two rooms, and with It cloud Of
cigarette smoke. Jean shuddered
slightly, and shook her head. No use
Delng angry, she thought. After all,
perhaps 1t wGs hot In those inside
rooms. 1t was none too cool In her
own, opening as 1t did on the narrow
back alley, with a ffty-foot well be.
yOnd.
"Oh, no, | don't mind" she on.
Swercd llstlessly, then drew Il deep
breath of the thick, tobaccoladen air.
"Only-rlense-don't smoke. It's hot
enough already"
ID mil" came the mocklng re.
SpOnse, as Jean turned to draw off
her moist costume, and 10 escape the
cloud Of offensive smoke that came
with 1t she drew her chair near the
window and fell into a dlscoutented
revcrie.
What was the matter with Bart
Fendall, her dancing partner7 she
mused. Why did he Insist on her do.
Ing this three-n.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 llghts--wlth
fresh country vegetables, pure cool
milk, and-here they tarrled, In q hot,
stuffy theater, with every woodsy
back-drop every line Of "Down Home"
the rural sketch that preceded them
on the bill, fairly shrleklng to them
the Gull Of the wild. And Bart had
been growing so different of late--so
silent, so unreSpOnSlve 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
flscomforting thought How, won.
lered jean, could she keep that fresh
appearance. that crcdny white com.
'lexion? Maybe that was why Bart
vas liahging on--aud Keeping her
Working, too, she angrIly added TO
lerself.
She raised herself to her feet and
tared IN tie mirror Her face was
ed from the heat, her eyes a trIae
'leHry-soinethihg fell OH the dress.
ng table before her, and she picked
Up gihgerly and stared at II wrath.
llly, then flung 1t out the window.
"Please," she called TO the Darretts
the next room, don't throw those {
gifted stumps In here. Something 1
light cntch fire." /
I'm that case," CAME the answer. {
ith Flo's cacklIng laugh. here's
to put It out with" And q
ose to Jeans head, with catfish O
nom back of 1t, hurtled a small bot. 8
e, landing on her pink hat, and (
'illlng a little Of ifs amber fluid on )
g pink perfumed brlm. Jean took
G bottle of liquor and hurled II 70. =
htfully out of the window, then II
r1led and slammed shut tile CONNECT. r.
door and pushed her trunk ngalnst q
She hurried into her stage cos.
me. and went downstairs, her face
! with anger.
Meanwhile, In the back alley, ANDY bl
Obell, the 0lympla's property man.
'ang up from his chair with n rrv Of
flung a lighted cigarette stuinn
m his trousers.
What tn -" he yelled upward Dc
the window above, and counted rs Ia
itlye position so as to place It's oc.
ant, Why, its J-sH =
-