Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-06

the day ! nrst saw him. I had been
little piQued Mt first that he had made
40 comment upon the progress l had
made. But 1 had decided that It was
lust his way, and had let it go at that.
But at the end OF the eventful week,
when l had made my first legitimate
hit. be stopped me after the Satur-
day afternoon matinee, just as / was
about to go out to supper.
"Well.' he said, $50 you're not an
icicle after all"
AN icicle?" echoed, astonished.
Yes" he said, 81 begin to think
that your coldncss is all assumed"
Scing that l still looked puzzled, he
went on, You know you might get on
faster If you were little more pleas.
ant"
why, I didn't realize that wasn't
pleasant 1 stammcred, blushing furi'
ously for some unknown reason. I'm
sure l always intend to be-
He laughed mockingly.
"Well, you don't think you We been
particularly pleasant to me, do yOu?"
| stared at him without reply. did
not know what on earth he was driving
at. I got back to the theatre earlier
than usual, having hurried through my
supper, and went at once to Kitty's
dressing room.
What on earth do you suppose be
meant?" I demanded. after / had told
her of my encounter with Beaver-Face
II wouldn't worry about it," said
Kitty evasively.
But I was not to be put off
But can you imagine what ne meant
by my not being pleasant"
He means that you haven't been
what he calls pleasant to him." said
Kitty in n low voice.
Suddenly her meaning flashed upon
1.-THE toad" I ragged. "The miser.
able little toad. How dare he Why
il it were to save my life. l wouldn't
think Of him in that way"
His dying calf expression cam,
back to my mind. ] went into a perfect
gale of hysterical laughter. laughed
and laughed until poor Kitty was fairl,
| frightened. She ran out of the room
and returned bringing me glass o
water.
Here, drink this" she said, "anc
try to control yourself"
"Oh. don't mind me. I'm all right
Only the whole thing seems too per
fectly absurd when you think OF him
I couldn't be angry if l tried. It
all too grotesque!"
But, all the same. Kitty's words cam
back to me often in the days to come
And ] never saw Beaver Face withou
thinking of them. ! determined to keel
a wary eye on him in the future.
May 18th.
Months passed. Spring came. I wa
playing excellent parts, but l had no
yet played any leads" The reasol
for this was obvious. Beaver Face con
tinued to make 1t plain to me that
must be "more pleasant. He made j
evident that the way up lay throug
his love.
I was quite Indifferent, save that a
times he was like mosquito which
kept brushing away, and his buzzing an
noyed me.
Before people. was always quie,
determined, laconic: but sometimes
when at last came to my little room.
wept bitter tears, when no one else wa
nenr. In the dead of night. | thin
at such times II was love that ken
me alive. as it was love that kept me q
my work. ! chung to II undaunted
determined, in spite Of everything. /
keep everlastingly at IT,
Spring came; and willy Beaver Face
biding his time, kept on with his trivia
intrigues. At that time | took ever
occasion could for long walks up Nh
river. along the cliffs. loved tn
country. ..tfr
One morning. coming back throup
the woods, ! looked up and saw q ma
4 in the distance.
1t was Beaver Face. puckered u