The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-05-14

she walked over to the Office boy
eff you'll take my card in he won't
keep me waiting, l know that" she
announced.
But the office boy merely looked
bored
Cant do it," he yawned Have
ter wait till he's ready ter see the
bunch"
| And the brunette waited.
At quarter past three Miss Ray
mond came out. Her cheeks were
very bright and she brushed through
the crowd unseeing. The brunette,
who had played with her, did not
venture to speak.
At half past three the door opened
again Again the room turned ex-
pectantly.
Miss Vinton," called the office boy.
A dark haired beauty in a Paris
gown went in and the door shut.
| Elaine, crowded against the wall,
saw her go in-and she saw the Paris
gown. Then she saw the hem of her
old blue serge under the protecting
coat. Oh, it wasn't fair, it wasn't
just. Just because girl had clothes
Gidn't mean she could act Bitterly
she thought of the three long years
Of stock. What did it matter that
she could act? This wasn't contest
in acting; it was contest in clothes.
Quarter of four" groaned some
hoGy. And it will be six before we
get out of here"
Quarter of four?" Elaine gasped
The coat-the family coat-that
Betty must have at four. What must
she do? What could she do? Four
was the very latest, Betty had said,
and she must have it; she couldn't
POSSIBLY go out without it in her short
dancing dress. 1t meant her Job
| too.
What she would look like, minus
the precious coat. Elaine didn't stop
to think. She mustn't think There
was no question, Their must be no
question. She had promised to get
the coat back in time. She stepped
quickly over to the office boy.
I'm Miss HOLSTER" she explained
"I1l be back in ten minutes, in case
they want me.
Then she fled down the stairs. Sup
pose they should call her in this par
ticular ten minutes and she should not
he there. She would never be able to
explain, she probably would never get
d chance to explain. OF course, it was
an awfully slim chance at best, she
realized that And minus the coat, i,
was hardly worth while going bach
for. Yet wild horses couldn't hav:
kept her away.
| She reached the little room at last
There sat Betty, waiting patiently
Elaine dashed in, struggling out of the
coat as she ran. Before Betty rea
lized she was there she had gont
again. No time now for explanations
or argument.
Out into the rain again went Elaine
and needless to say she ran mos, OF
the way back. For one thing, it was
warmer The shabby blue dress was
possible as a street costume; a trifie
chilly, to be sure, but at least no one
stopped and looked at her. Think
feaven, she still had her hat.
Up the four flights she raced Then
as unobtrusively as possible, she
slipped into the room.
She prayed that no one would rec
| cgnize her. If no one observed the
nat, she thought she might easily pass
as another girl Happily all the at
tention was focused on Miss Vinto,
who was just coming out.
After that the director began calling
names with great rapidity. Some OF
the girls would be sent back after
only five minutes in the sacred inner
office Quietly they would come out
and go down stairs. Apparently the
great manager made up his mind very
quickly.
MANY are called but darn few are
chosen murmered a girl in the cor
rer
Then a girl would be called, who
| would not come out for 20 minutes,
and despair would descend on the
room.
"She's got the part" some one
would groan. May as well toddle
along home"
Gradually the room began to thin
At half past five there were only
four girls left Elaine sitting in the
darkest corner, was trying to hide her
dress. She had just discovered that
enc elbow had given way.
Long ago the color had faded from
her cheeks. She found herself pinch
ing them, mechanically. The long
wait, together with her light lunch,
were beginning to tell on her. She
felt faint. Then she saw the door
open. The assistant manager was
looking around the room. Elaine
could hardly believe her eyes when
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