Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-13
The
LOVE STORY
Of a
MOVIE STAR
CHAPTER XN


~ a while, or have you any pressing
engagement for an hour or SOP
NO" said l. l fear not without a
dush OF bitterness, II have no engage
n,ent with any one, and it doesn look
as If ever would have
Don't say that, my dear. You are
young, and have your whole life before
you. I am sure that there are many,
many bright and happy days before you.
Life cannot be all disappointment
for any Of us. Even I, an old woman,
find that after all have something to
live for"
"Oh. have you had some good news?'
I cried delghtedly II am so glad
THANK you, I have. 1t is that l
want to tell you about
She led the way down to the base
ment, where she had her own rooms,
and / followed eagerly. all my own
troubles forgotten for the moment.
The hour heightened itself until well
into the afternoon. There was so much
to tell, so much to hear. We stopped
only to get bite of lunch.
Mrs. Burkstadt, it seemed. had son
who from his childhood, almost. had
been possessed with the very demon of
restlessness. Nearly fifteen years be-
fore he had suddenly taken it into his
head to so West.
From time to time, at long intervals.
he had written her briefly, rarely twice
from the same place. He seemed TO be
constantly on the move; always hoping
to better himself by making another
change. Finally the letters ceased en-
tirey. Her own letters came back un-
claimed. She had spent every cent she
could scrape together, employing de-
tective agencies in various cities, to find
some trace of him. She had long ago
reached the point where to have been
assured of his death would have been
relief. Beyond the fact that he had
shipped before the mast on sailing
vessel bound for Australia, she had
been able to learn nothing.
And only Il week ago had come the
news that he had prospered in that far
off land, that he had home waiting
for hcr-it appeared that he had never
married-und that he had settled down
for good, his days Of wandering over.
As q sort Of proof of good faith. he
had sent the money to pay for her
ticket out to San Francisco, from which
port she was to sail for Melbourne.
She did not need to tell me how these
belated tidings had changed her whole
outlook on life. She looked younger
happier, and, yes, handsomer than
had ever seen her. Only the fact that
her lease had still two years to run had
kept her from starting Mt once. But
at length an agent had arranged tc
| take the lease off her hands. The first
Of the month she would be free to leave
In the meantime she had two things
| to propose to me, one of which, she ad'
! mitted, she was holding in reserve.
But the one that immediately con
cerned me was that she wanted me t
help her get ready. Remembering wha
| she was pleased to call my genius a
turning hopelessly old fashioned gar
ments into gowns that looked as if the!
| had come fresh from the dressmaker
| hands, she wanted to turn me loos
among her various trunks, to let me ruI
! riot among her boarded treasures. AnC
| for this she insisted on paying me b.
the day, and boarding me, as we'll a
| lodging me besides.
| 1t Is needless to say that / was onl,
too glad to accept her generous offer
Not only would ! be sufficiently 0ccu
pied to take my mind off myself ant
my troubles, but would actually b.
earning little money besides. For tn
next few weeks / was happier than
had thought ! would ever be again. l
all brought back vividly the time whel
| had first come to her house, filled will
ambitious plans, with no thought tina
the future was to hold nothing for IN
but disappointment and disaster.
Certainly, no single letter eve
brought greater cheer TO two lionel
women than did that letter from
| Australia. We became positively gay
And, in spite of my protests, feebl
ones, fear. for was hungry to go, W
went several times to the theatre; thi
time, of course, l was the guest.
How the lights, the music, and tn
bright scenes brought back all my desir
to act again. If only / could find tn
way to get hearing ! actually be
gan to hope again. My state Of min
aid not escape Mrs. Burkstadt's kee
eyes. For several days she talked q
little else than the theatres in Australia
In q new country like that, her son ha
written that there was chance fo
every one. For several days she talke
of little else. She was sure that on
there "a young and beautiful girl woul
meet with instant success.
i didn't dispute the matter. Blu
what of it? Probably there were aln