The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-10-06
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CHAPTER I.
The "Troops"


"tha; should spend year writing
n play for a woman only to find that
she had vanished-jumpcd off the
earth into nowhere. This was my
highest flight, Singleton, the best writ
ing | ever did, and after the vast
pains | took with the thing, the only
woman ever saw who could possibly
act 1t is unavailable; worse than that,
absolutely undiScOvcrablc! Nobody
knows have this script; I've kept
quiet about it simply because I'm not
going to be forced into accepting
star | don't want. I have feeling
about this play that never had about
my other things. The public has been
so kind to my small offerings that
I'm trying to lead 'cm on to the best
can do; something a little finer and
more imaginative. with a touch of
poetry, if you please. And now"
He glarcd at me as though were
responsible for his troubles. AS he
knew had been flying In the French
aviation corps for two years and had
just been invalidcd home, didn't
think il necessary to establish an
Searles. In college he bad written
play or two that demonstrated his
talcnt and after Il rigid apprentices
ship as Sccne-Shifter and assistant
producer he had made killing with
"Let George Do It." farce that earn
cd enough to put him at ease and make
possible an upward step into straight
comedy. Even as we talked capac-
ity house was laughing at his skit,
"Wh0 Killed Cock Robin?" just around
the corner from his lodgings. SO his
story was not the invention Of re-
jrctnd playwright to cover the non
appearance of a play which nobody
would produce.
"lsnt it always mistake to write
play for Il particular star" sug-
gcsted Seems to me I've read some
where that that Is among the beset-
ting sins of you playwrights."
"Old stuff, my boy; but this isn't
one Of those cases. The person I had
in mind for this play wasn't star,
but a beginner, quite unknown. 1t
was when I was in London putting on
Fairy aold' that I saw her; she had
small part ina pantomimc, and
pantomime IL the severest test OF an
actors powers, you know. A little
later she appeared In Honorable Wo-
men, capital play that died early,
but there again felt her peculiar
cham-it was just that. She was ex-
quislte! No one ever captured my
imagination as she did. watched
her night after hight. I was afraid
that when heard her voice 1t would
break the spell. and actually shook
like man with an ague when she
trpped out on the stage as the in
genuc in Honorable Women And
her laughter! You know how hollow
the usual stage mrth is, but that girls
laugh had the Joy OF the lark ascend
ing!"
"By Jove" I calculated, there's
more here than appears. You're in
love with the girl"
Rubbish" he cried impatently
'You'n think I'm talking rot, but this
girl was the vlsualizatlon of char
acter ] had dreamed Of and grOped
after for years. That's all; but it's
a whole lot, | can tell you !"
"Lct us be practical for moment
ScarleS," | urged. "EmpcrOrs, prcsi-
dents, and popular murdcrcrs are NOT
more conspicuous than the people OF
the stage No girl talented enough to
get two engagements, even for small
parts, in q tirst-class London thcater
could vanish. With your acquaintance
In the profession you'd be able to
trace her anywhere on earth. I5y the
way, what did the paragon call her
se!f?"
"Violct Dewing was her stage name
and the only name the managers knew
her by. assumed that, of course
all I had to do was to finish my play
and then have Dalton. who represents
me over there, make an appointment
to read it to her; but Dalton worked
for three months trying to find her,
without success. wasn't the only
person who was Interested In her.
Dalton said that half dozen mana
gers had their eye on her, but after
'IIonorable Women closed she stepped
into the void. I knew what you're
thinkingGthat the other members OF