The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-01-27
The Hood|oo
By FOREST HALsEY
Copyright,

Copyright,
The moment she opened the door
she knew that they began to whisper
about her.
The contraction of the heart which
never failed to warn her when she
was the subject Of discussion warned
her now. s'
Under the light touch of rouge. that
shield which of late she had been
forced to don, her face went white.
Her hands clenched together angrily
in her muft, even while. finished &C.
tress that she was, she smiled at the
crowded room her gay, friendly greet
ing. She knew them all.
Months of weary sitting in the wait
ing rooms of the managers had made
them familiar to her.
Once-it seemed long ago-they had
been to her simply the crowd through
which she passed to pleasant inter.
views with the managers whom the
crowd waited patiently to see. She
had been sent for in those times.
signedly at grudglngly opened doors.
Few today could believe that super
stiti0n can still blight the lives of In.
telligent people,. But IL can.
They called her 'the. hoodeo." q
Wo to the actor or actress on whom
that name falls
The most bedraggled specimen
among the waiting throng had bet
ter chance. And she knew 1t even as
she smiled her question at the world
weary Office boy.
Suddenly every chair held an alert
and smiling figure. The managers
door had opened. ~.
The girl raised her eyes, alert and
smiling once more. She sprang up.
Eagerly she advanced to the railing.
Nothing today, Miss Breen," said
the god, and disappeared z-.
She went out into the rainy streets.
There was nothing to do with the
rest of the empty day. The thought
of her lonely, shabby room revolted
her.
She turned away from it, and in
short time found herself under the
bare glistening boughs of a little park.
Through the naked branches the
long white marble front of great
library attracted her. At least, it was
place to rest.
In the vast reading room, lined with
rows of shaded lights and quiet-faced
folk busy with notes and books,
sense of rest came to the weary girl.
These people would not whisper about
her. a..
That little sharp-faced old maid in
spectacles beside her. dipping into that
pile Of books, what could her business
be? s II" =
The light glittered on the inquisitive
spectacles, and the girl turned away,
making a pretense. of looking at the
books before her, in reality looking
back at her life.
called her "day,' the morning when
she had sprung out Of bed to read the
criticisms of the play in which she had
acted the night before for the first
time before a metropolitan audience.
She could still feel faint ripple Of
that great wave Of Joy which had
passed over her deliciously on reading
of her personal Success But the play
had failed.
Margaret Breen, that fine actress.
seemingly destined to appear in hope
less plays"
II wonder if she is a hoodoo2' the
producer said jokingly.
"Garvis says Breen Is hoodoo," the
actor to whom the remark was made
said that night. Little by little the
word "hoodoo" began to be associated
with her. The joke became reality.
In the busy and prosperous seasons
she was idle. S.
With start the girl returned to the
present. She rose and hurried out
down the dim, vaulted corridors.
Excuse me-" She turned and beheld
to her annoyance the little, sharp old
maid. "Are3you Miss Breen?" said the
little woman, in response to the girls
look. -.
do you think you could act the
look ] saw on your face just now?'
"My dear woman" the girl said with
little bitterness in her voice, II am
that look. Why do you ask?'
Because I want you and nobody
else. for the main part in my new
play. am" and she gave name
known from coast to coast for it's
ability to put humor and pathos on
the stage
The girl caught her breath.
Then, rejecting that the other in
spite of her fame as newly recog-
nized playwright might not have heard
her history, she said quietly:
"You will not want me when l tell
you what they call me. The name
go by Is the hoodoo.'
Fine humorous lines came out in
the sharp face; the eyes behind the
spectacles shone with the keenest
mirth, that which has won through
suffering.
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