South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-11-21
THE MEMENTO-By o. Henry

tit for tat. because Broadway had
often done the same thing 20 Miss
D'Armande. Still. the "tats" seemed
70 have 10. for the ex-lcading lady Of
the "Reaping the WhirIwind' com
pany had everything 20 ask OF
Broadway. while there was no vice
versa.
So Miss Lynnette D'Armaude turn
cd the back OF her chair 90 her win
dow that overlooked Broadway. and
sat down 90 stitch iu time fbe isle
thread heel Of "a black silk stock
Ing. The tumuit and glitter OF the
roaring Broadway beneath her win
dow had no charm for her. what
she greatly desired was the sitting
AIR OF "a dressing room on that fairy
land street and the roar Of an audi
ence gathered iu that capricious
quarter. In tho meantime. those
stockings must not be neglected. silk
does wear out $50. hut-after ALL
isn't g. just the only goods there is2
The Hotel Thalia looks on Broad
way as Marathon looks ON the sea.
To stands ike "a gloomy cliff above
The whirlpool whore the tides Of two
great thor0urhfarcs clash. Here the
piaycr-barda gather an the end Of
their wandcrirgs 20 loosen the
Iuskiu and dust the SOCK. Thick in
the streets around 1T are booking Of
fees. thcatcrs agents, schools and
the lObstcrp palaces TO which those
thOruy paths lead.
WANDERING throughout the eccen-
trio halls Of the dim and dusty
Thalia, YOU seem 90 have found
yourself iu some great ark or cara
van about 20 sail. or fly. or roll
away on wheels About the house
fingers a sense OF unrest Of eXpecta-
uon. of transientuess. even OF anX-
iety and apprehension. The halls are
n labyrinth. without "a guide, you
wander like a lost soul I'm a sam
Lloyd puzzle.
Turning any corner. a dressing
sack or a Cul-de-sac may bring you
up short You meet alarming TRACE
dams stalking In bathrobes in search
OF ru-nOred bathrooms. From hun
dreds OF rooms come the buzz OF
talk scraps Of new and old songs,
and the ready laughter OF the con
vened players
Summer has come: their compan-
les have disbanded, and they take
their rest in their fayorite cara
vansary. while they besiege the man
ayers for engagements for the COM
ing season.
At this hour Of the afternoon the
days work OF tramping the rounds
Of the agents offices is over Past
YOU, as YOU ramble distTactedly
through the messy halls, fit audible
visions Of houris, with yelled. starry
eyes. flying tag-ends of things and
swish Of silk. bequeathing 10 the dull
Railways an odor Of gaiety and
memory OF frangipanni Serious
young comedians. with versatile
Adams apples gather in dOorways
aN.m~
from som eWhere comes the smell OF
ham and red cabbage, and the crash
of dishes ON the American plan.
The indeterminate hum OF life in
the Thalia Is enlivened by the dis
Greet popping-of beer-bottle corKs.
Thus punctuated lie in the genial
hostel scans easily-the comma be-
ing the favOrite mark semi-COlans
frOwned upon. and periods barred.
Miss D'Armande's room was
small one. There was room for her
rocker between the dreseser and the
vashstand If IL were placed longitud-
inally. on the dresser were its us
ual ACCOMPLISHMENTS plus the cX-lead-
ing ladys collected souvenirs of
road engagements and photographs
If her dearest and best professional
friends
At one Of these photographs she
looked twice or thrice as she darned,
and smiled friendiIy.
I'D like TO know where Lee is
just this minute" she said, half
aloud.
If YOU had been privileged TO view
The photograph thus flattered you
would have thought at the first
rance that YOU saw the picture of
e. -pctallcd white flower. blown
through tEe air by a storm. But the
floral kingdom was not responsible
Tor that swirl OF petalous wilderness.
You saw the hlmy brief skirt of
1iiss Rosalic Ray as she made a
complete hccls-ovcr-head turn in
her wistaria- cutwined swing. far out
from the stage. high above the heads
OF the audience. You saw the cam
eras Inadequate representation of
the graceful strong kick. with
which she. al this exciting moment
sent flying. high and far. the yellow
silk garter that each evening spun
from her agile limb and descended
upon the delighted audience below.
You saw too. amid the black
clothed masculine patrons of select
vaudeville "a hundred hands raised
with the hope OF staying the flight
Of the brilliant aerial token.
Forty weeks of the best circuits
This act had brought Miss Resale
Eay. for each of two years She did
other things during her - minutes
"a song and dance. limitations OF
two or three actors who We're but
limitations of themselves. and a bal
aucinC feat with Step-ladder and
feather buster. but when the bios
som -decked swing was let down
from the flies. and Miss ROsaIie
aprang smiling into the seat with
the golden CircIet conspicuous i'm the
place whence 10 was soon 10 slide
and become a soaring and coveted
ruerdun-then 10 was that the audi
ence rose in its seat as a single man
-Or presumably so-aud Endorsed
the speciality that made Miss Rays
name favorite in the booking OF
fee
At the end OF two years Miss Ray
suddenly announced TO her dear
friend Miss D'Armande. that she was
going 20 spend the summer at an
antediluvian village ON the north
shore OF Long Island. and that the
stage would see her no more.
Seventeen minutes after Miss Lyn-
uette D'Armande had expressed her
wish 10 know the Whereabouts OF