The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-27
Continued from Saturday,

and her hair pure gold.
 (Continued from Saturday.
 Presently two distinguished look | ing girls, beautifully dressed, came in, l and sat down near her in a rather uncertain way, and began to laugh | and talk in low tones. Neither cast a glance at Julia, who promptly de cided that they were hateful snopS, | ing resentment. They had been there only a few moments when two young men sauntered down the aisle, un- nlistakably gentlemen. and genuine of this glimpse of a theatre be tween performances. Two of them carried little paper copies of ''I,he Amazons,'' so Julia knew them Tor fellOw-perforn1erS Then a third young women came in and walked down the aisle as the others had done. This was an ex- tremely pretty girl of perhaps 16, with dark hair and dark bright eyes, and a very fresh bright color. Her | gown was plain but beautifully ft- | ting, and her wide hat was crowned with a single long ostrich plume. She peered at the young men. 1 Hello. Bobby-hello Gray!' she 1 said gayly, and then, catching sight i of the two other girls across the aIsle. she added: "Oh, hello. Helen-how do you do, Miss Carson? Come over i here and meet MT. Sumner and MT. 1 Babcock!'
 | | ing young people said, "Oh, BarbarSi" 1 in tones of great delight, and the | fourth no less eagerly substituted, ''Oh, Miss ToIand!'
 | suffering catfish been waiting here 2? demanded Miss Barbara Holland, with ! a sort of easy sweetness that Julia ! found instantly enviabIe. ''Why were all out in the foyer - Mothers here, chaperoning away like mad, and nearly all the others And she whisked a little gold watch into sight --''my dears, it's twenty minutes to four''
 Every one exclaimed, as they rush ed out. Julia, unaccounthbly ner- vous, wished she were veil out or this affair, and wondered what she ought to do.
 Presently some twenty-five or thir- l " well-dressed folk came streaming back down the main aisle in a wild confusion of laughter and talk. Some how the principals were filtered out of this crowd. and somehow they got on the stage, and got few Hghts turned on and assembled for the ad- vice of an agitated manager Dow agers and sympathetic friends settled in orchestra seats to watch; the re- hearsal began
 Julia had strolled up to the stage after the others: now she sat on a shabby wooden chair that had lost it's back, leaned her back against a piece of scenery, and surveyed the scene with as naughty and indifferent an air as she could assume
 And the sergeant-who takes young follow of their own class fla l miliarly addressed as ''Matty."
 The caste, which had been churn- ing senselessly about him, chorussed an explanation.
 "A professional takes that, Mat, don't you remember. ?"
 well, where is she?'' Matty asked
 1nIia bara sauntered superbIy for ward, serenely conscious of youth. beauty, and charm Every one star ed frankly at her, as she said lan- guidly:
 Perhaps it's I you're looking for Mir Artheris-"
 "Yes, that's right" said Matty. ~e- | ueved He wiped his forehead. Miss Page, isn't it?" He paused. a lit t1e at loss, ewing the other lacies , of the caste dubiously. The girl call
 ward with her ready graciousness, and the two girls looked fairly Into each Miss Page" said Barbara, and then impatiently to the manager, 'Do !, go ahead and get started, Matty; we've got to get home some time to- night!'
 | Julia's introduction was thus waiv- | ed. and business began at once. The 5 wavering voices of the principal Is
 drifted uncertainty into the theatre 'fLouder!" said the chaperons and | , terpolating their lines with jokes
 gcod-humored under criticism; the
 girls fluttered nervously over cues
 could not repeat the simplest line v without O half -gtggIing Let's see
 yes I come in here,' and were only
 fairly started before they must in terrupt themselves with an earnest [ Mat, am I standing still when | say , that, or do I walk toward herr"
 Julia was the exception. She ha6 been instructed fortnight before = that she must know her lines and business today, and she did know them. Almost scoTnfully she tool her cues and walked through. heI
 part. ''Matty'' clapped his hands anf
 a great rush of triumph that she had
 'shown those girls!" She had ar
 collaborating afternoon, for the meT
 buzzed about her on every pos5; ;b't l occasion, and she knew that the otheI
 girls for all their lofty indifference
 were keenly conscious of it:
 She went out through the theatr'
 with the others, at an early six. Th' young people struggled along the aislt in great confusion, laughing ana 1 chattering. Mrs. Poland, a plump
 was anxious to carry off her. tal Edaughter in time for some early boat
 Do hurry. Barbara! Sally and
 Ted may be on that 1;o f,we-fifty; ,i and ld,i to make the trip alone"
 At the doorway they found tha
 the street was almost dark. and fogtEy l Much discussion of cars and carr1 l ages, marked the breaking up. Entt Hazard, 8 rather noisy girl, wht played Noel BeHurbet. elected to g 1 home with the Bs.bcoCks. This freed
 from all responsibility her brother Garter, who had suddenly aTpeare: Ito act as escort. Julia, slipping III the darkening street. after few m o 1 n1ents spent. in watching this crowd o
 curious young people. found him a 1 her side.
 'T1o coat. Miss Pase?" said the eas, 1 tones
 "I didn't know 1t would be so fog gy!" said Julia, her heart begInnin = to tAump.
 a And where are you going?'' sA Home to get a coat" z q see Where is 1t? I'll talk a you"
 N "Oh, it's just few blocks" Juli