The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-09-10
d
EIQR. Story
Paint and Rouge
Pot
IN. ii. LOUIS RAYRoLp.
Il,ease

EVk
sy5H. LOUIS RAYsoLn.
Er1S iCHARD HEAToN, his BOW GOV,
nd Violin Temporarily at T ~
ACROSS his knees, Watctne Sa, va
tftnE pt girs as tnS ;yylnGs sS and
w n n atsae once more. This
Inc Tinth time they had been
M efed IL 'tfor the l1ya Mike, W
a1ainF fn the Tasptng voice "
~ tlesbrowed Cummings Wno
- am eJghere out in the darkness
md issRed. his commands psEMSs s1l
Sitiiga n 4 cigar as black and tnlfk
IearinR as himself. a.
lVSfa ~, the glamour OIL he
-. TiIn?" Dick asked the cues,
tion 81 the second violin on ms
ssearch me- returned the otne n
~ ctsllY Ypen you aEaW ~. ia :
4 AXE Gunni1gs for D9ss' ", 9ts nv
Notion and the movies, mes lhe
oiifV one 81 his kind"
NM last Job when quit here Is
a6inr 10 be- letting him know Whal
tnink Of him." retorted Dick, ana
suoFe more truthfully than he
Al that moment the BIT OF "busi-
~" which had been going wrong
wa afghtened out, and the mu'
Sfas called for. Heaton, chin on
~ Instrument, arm swinging 10
ffie Rhythm Of the Dow, viewed me
tenth entrance of the girls, WIG
this time came IN, swaylnS IN UNI
son one hand on hip, the othel
TaisinE aioRt an imaginary goblet,
after perfect as to the score,
Dfci let hts thought run on. What
attraction for girls did this being
an the stage possess? Only ~
such rare cases as to De negligtnle
dids it offer other than hard, grill
work and a living wage. In
fatt5 taking 1t by and large. It was
FnIch like the makeup OF the girls
fhaf1KsivsH= enttcing from DIS
tance, notwithstanding At close
The Empire Stock company was
interHperstnB its repertoire OIL um
Il iduIteratad drama with an occa'
aiOnat musical comedy, whlch ue
handed an augmented cast IhAt
3 accounted for Elsie Parker's being
n able. through the friend OF FRIEND
IA eel the chance of holding down
~ occasional minor part. This
eek. IL was merely q question Oh
fIanctnE IA from back stage, meet.
lug similarly capering line OF
youths, conversiug with them lot
moment in eliminated aside ana
making an exit rear 'left-all OF
which Elsie assured herself was
infinitely preferable 10 standing
behind the ribbon counter OF me
eFiYe and Ten saying, Here's
gour2 change, Madam"
To-day, Elsie let her eyes rest on
the face OF the first violin, dtmly
Visible beyond the rim OF the
atage IL held no particular per-
aonafity tor her, yet she some
times fancled its eyes were tired.
And then. one day, she disc0v.
cred the face belonged to a very
real and live person.
9nethe very last night Of Take
Care, Tracy,P the youth who was
EIHiels Yis-a.yis in the goblet dance
dldn appear, And Cummings, tear
ing his hair, sent for HeatOn, saiu
he'd heard he'd done amateur stuff
and would he, for the luVa Mike,
this one night take the regular
guys place? 1t Was easier to get
along without one OF the yiOltns
y than the si:sth member OF seXtet
And Heaton, inwardly cursins
kshimsell for an idiot and wondering
power ou earth had led hit
40 obllge Cummings. found hnnsGi.
going through the antics " 10
man for whom he was sWbsti;u,
Z and because he had watched III
x ahiisiness" for success Va ttGi1-
performing IL quite satljlauEu l,j.
And, incidentally. Else Parke,
found him ElGca more interesting
n than her tnritle. lufalar,
During the Sa9iIe, supposed to
convey 10 the audience desperate
filtration, ieat1n asked ctrriousfy.
WHARF do YOU come from?"
'tVermont, Sdiu Elsie simply, but
not forgetting The smile demanded
IN the by-play.
aThat sol" uaid Heaton. $50 do
II! Anywhere near Doane?'
Why, Inr from Bemis, only ten
And then came the cue for exit
rear left.
Three weeks later, Dick sat in
his niue by twelve bedroom, his
chair with its one weak leg, tipped
hRck against the once white.en-
amaled rail OF his bed. Near him,
on the painted wash stand" insult
ficient1y covered with dingy scarf,
lay an open letter. He picked 1t up
and read its brief contents again.
Dear Rlchard-We have got to
lsRell the farm. Your TaLn9r Is Bet'
ing too old to work 1t. And there's
nobody else unless you come home.
IT seems too bad to let> the old
place go. But it can't be helped,
The ilacs are all in bloom today.
Lovingly, MOTHER"
Slowly he crushed 1t in his hands,
and with 1t he destroyed his
dreams-dreams OF great violin.
Isl bowling low, right and left, to
an .applaudinB multitude. II he
\ stayed he saw himself for what
he would always be-a second.rate
i player in second-rate theatre. He
i would go home. Was he sorry? He
wouldn't be-under certain circum-
stances.
That night Cummings called for
rehearsal at ten forty.five, imme-
dfately after the evenings perform
ance. And because he had had a
row with the leading lady, he took
A Il out on the rest, and eventually
landed on the least offensive OF
them all-Hlsie.
What the devil dye mean by
chewing your words like they was
so much sphagetti? "-Rnd he went
on With infinitely more biting sar.
easms. Elsie alternately flushed
and paled, and endeayored to keep
back the foolish tears,