Evening star., 1921-09-25

them alp
Not line says Barry. I'll ad-
nit I was tempted. but I've saved 'en
all up until saw you. Haven't even
taken peek"
Noble YOUTH says 1. He has
Well, steam ahead
Let's see." saws he. Who'll we
have first? Old Hey. Broun. eh?"
l mods, SO Barry opens a newspa.
iper. For minute or SO he scans the
columns eager and then his eyes take
on a puzzled look.
Cant you find it?' I asks.
He shakes his head and then goes
up and down the page again. There
there isn't word about The Prince
and the Flapper,." he finally an
nounces.
MOI" says 1. Perhaps your critic
was sick. or out of town, or some
thing
Nothing like that" says Barry
See here! He has nearly a column
about The Antics of 1921 though
All that about a cheesy girl show full
of revamped vaudeville acts and
whiskered jokes. But for a real play
not an inch of space! What do you
know about that?"
l didn't have the apswer. l couldn't
| even make a good guess at the mys-
| terry. So 1 did the next best thing.
"Oh. well, he isn't the only dramatic
| critic in town. is he?" 1 asks.
NO" says Barry "And he'll prob
! ably. have something in tomorrow
Let's see what this other fellow
| gives u.s.
Barry threw the newspaper, ..on
the floor and grabbed another! But
1 could see by his expression that
he was getting another hard bump.
More oblivion?" I asked.
Might as well call it that" says
too. Whole column. display head
signed. And The Flapper gets half
a stickfull in the dramatic notes.
That's all. paragraph done by
No criticism at all. Just says that
the Village Players put on a new
bill and that o. P. Biggs. formerly
with the Jewett company in Boston,
was in the cast. Biggs! Say, that's
J the final stroke
| suggests.
'Bah" says Barry. Nothing about
| the new leading lady, Miss Dodge.
Nothing about the play Say what's
the use?"
But there are a few others. Perhaps
| some Of 'em left the girl show early
! and looked in on u.s.
X X X X
TT was poor guess. They hadn't. The
longest notice printed about The
Prince and the Flapper' was ten
line paragraph. which Barry says
| is merely a rehash Of some press
| stuff sent out by Ames Hunt a week
| ago. And there sits Barry Platt, who
a few hours before was talking
| about debating terms to Klaubert.
slumped in a chair, with his chin on
his necktie and lot of crumpled
newspapers at his feet.
| "All because Hunt doesn't take big
advertising space" grumbles Barry.
Cant, you know, with that little
the critics care about art? Bah" -.
| "Then we haven't made the town
sit up and take notice. eh?" asked.
| at seems not" says Barry.
How disappointing" says I. From
what heard last last night hha.Ivn thought. pyidse
would be jammed with the people
| coming over, and that extra ferries
would be running from Jersey. I had
I myself all posted up, too. as new
| theatrical star, just discovered. And
| it seems that nobody knows I'm even
| twinkling."
Barry gives ghost Of q smile;
There was one notice I didn't read
to you" says he. TITS q boost, too.
Listen; "A play set called The thi, Peince peW@
night by the Village Players: The
scenery, painted by Hadley Hall, was
very well done Ye. gods! The
seer cry! And I crash into fame as
Rsrry aatt ve say aid tSs snaa to
He almost looked as II he could.
In fact, he glared at the rug so
vicious that I had to chuckle.
Funny, isn't it?" he asks bitter.
ooh, buck up. old dear" says I.
And doesn't it strike you. Barry.
Just a bit seriously? Let's see. how
many did we have in the house last
night? Eight hundred? And there
are about five million more who were
! not among those present. Think 1t
over. Lemmey see one of those news
besides playing openings. isn't there?
There's an election coming off soon.
I suppose some folks are more or less
| interested in that And here's that
| New Rochelle murder mystery that
seems to be figuring prominently
1 There's the news from Ireland, too;
and something about the new tarn
! bill, and another scandal in the po-
lice department, and an account of a
| big railroad smash out in Indiana,
| Say, I'm beginning to suspect, Barry
| that maybe our first night wasn't such
a great and thrilling event as we had
it sized up for. Eh?"
X X. + X
IDARRY stares at mo q moment and
- then grins. II guess you're right,
| Trilby May" says he. I'VE threw a
| pebble into the Atlantic and then
| looked for a tidal wave. All but you.
You seem to have kept your head on
your shoulders"
l at was bit wobbly along about
' midnight," says /. "Of course. ]
don't understand this newspaper