Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-21
SGT WANT to go on the stage" Vir-
ginia blurted out.


ginia blurted out.
There was an ominous silence while
the producer eyed her with that owlish
glance of his. Then he spoke:
Plenty of people do, you know"
If Virginia had but known it, Parks
was the one man in the city who would
have admitted her to his private Office,
but he had made it rule of life never
to pass anything that might lead later
to a chance or n find. He had stumbled
upon some of his best plays in Just this
way. He had been known to sign con
tracts with unknown authors who had
despaired of ever finding producer
who would take a chance on their man
uscripts.
Virginia was gaining confidence.
Eyes. l know"
ANY experience|'
She shook her head.
what do you think you can do?'
Virginia had a sudden inspiration.
She would sing the humbug song and
do the little dance that went with it.
do anything" she said, laughing at him
change from her former demure attitude
and her tragic eyes were so filled now
with ROBUSTNESS that he stared. Then
she was on her feet and had begun the
song. There was nothing particularly
new about the words or music; it was
the typical song from the typical school
play, but it was Virginia's acting of the
part. her complete forgetfulness of self,
the way she sang the words, everything,
that surprised Walter Parks. She fin
ished the dance with flourish. and
then, picking up letter tray from the
desk. she came over to him and began
to ply her wares.
The words rippled off her tongue
laughingly. She was Anatole, the ped.
dler. and rogue apt to be arrested any
moment. If anything. Virginia carried
off the scene better than she had on that
night long ago when she had played the
leading role in "Love's Locksmith" and
had met Jimmy for the first time after
ward.
She finished and put the tray back
on the desk. Parks was looking at her
narrowly and vouchsafed a single word,
HIM" Which might have meant much
or little.
"Well?" she said eagerly.
"Not bad" he grunted, still with the
cigar in his mouth.
Virginia clasped her hands nervousy.
you'll give me n chance"'
Il don't know l have a small part,
but | don't know whether you could do
it or not. The part itself isn't much,
but the impression that the character is
supposed to suggest is everything"
Let me try: -
''N Ou 'rp SlinDOSp1 IN ba n GIRL i,rt1nr
hypnotic influence. Now let me see
across to the mantelpiece and take a box
from there
He leaned back in his chair. and Vir-
ginia, with wildly beating heart, walked
over to the extreme corner of the Of
fee. She tried to drive everything else
out of her thoughts but the fact that
she had been hypnotized, and she came
across the room, not slowly, but with
an indescribable motion that was half
walk and half glide. 1t was stealthy,
furtive and yet not overdone. She
reached up to the mantelpiece for the
box, and, securing it, without a look
about her, walked out. At the other
end of the room she flashed around and
faced the imperturbable figure in the
chair.
"Well?' she said breathlessly.
II guess Wen try you OUT he said
evenly. Virginia's s heart leaped. Sixty
dollars a week. 1t isn't much money,
but, then, it isn't much of part. Want
it,"
Sixty dollars a week! Did she want
it. Did starving man want food
Tomorrow-Virginia tells her news.