Evening star., 1921-09-18

but improvised props-a bare pine
table with two kitchen chairs for a
scene on the terrace of a Swiss hotel,
spring water bottle with an old
feather duster stuck in it for table
decoration. and SO on. Then. in place
of Hadley Halls stunning set showing
the distant Alps and suggesting the
deep valleys between, there was only
the ugly brick back wall of the the
ater, smeared over with scene shift
ers' initials and mo Smoking" signs.
But for the first time we were playing
at some one. trying to get the lines
across. and it seemed as though we
were actually doing it.
That is. until l felt sure enough OF
myself to take glimpse at Inez. I'd
been rather dreading to make the
test. but at the finish of little scene
Barry's clever repartee, l turned my
head and peered out at her. Bing:
1t was just like running up window
shade to get the view and finding
that somebody had closed the iron
shutters. No more trace of interest
than as if she'd been at crossing
Watching a freight train go by. Not
the trace of a smile, no expression OF
any kind. She was simply chewing
her gum, undisturbed and placid.
x x
DUT there were even better lines
coming. and the situation was in
tended to be a funny one. Not d
scream. perhaps, but decidedly hu-
morous. l waited and tried harder
than before. Then / took another
peek. Nothing doing. Inez chewed
on, just as animated as though she'd
been given the wrong connection and
was waiting for central to discover
that she was still there.
expect l started biting my upper
lip about then, but l wasn't beaten.
We had worked up neat little bit
of business that was due in a minute
where the prince tries to do little
sly finger squeezing, holding out his
hand for me to take while he's talking
to Mum -mah. and 1 slip my glove into
grabbed the water bottle Off the table
and showed that into his hand. And
as he had his head turned the other
way. Sczernoff was naturally . bit
surprised. He's fidgety. quick-tem-
pered person, too, when he's working.
He gave one disguised glance at the
bottle and threw it peevish on the
floor. OF course, there was fine
crash.
I'm sorry" says I. II didn't mean
And then there comes this hearty
nearly breaks up the show. I knew
what had happened The bottle
smashing had hit Inez full on the
funnybone. At last her sense of
humor had been reached. For no one
else that ever met can express their
mirth quite so explosively or SO un-
expected. It's nightly seldom. also,
that Inez let's go of real laugh. In
all the years I've known her I don't
suppose I've heard her cut loose with
IaayF n
dozen times. Once 1 remember was
up in Coleraine when some refined
joker loaded a Montenegrin ore ham
dler's pipe with pinch of dynamite,
and another happy incident that got a
rise. out of Inez was one sleety day
in Duluth when she saw coal truck
skid through show window into a
display of china and glassware. Any
thing less than that merely got a
chuckle or smile. So was sure this
must be Inez: Yes, l could see her
But the prince had had his dignity
punctured. "If you don't mind, Miss
Dodge" he protests, I'D rather you
wouldn't do that again."
Which is where Ames Hunt breaks
that bit in. There'll be a glass vase
on the table, eh2 Corking! And be
sure to slam it down hard, Sczernon.
Make a good smash of it. Very clever
of you, MISS Dodge.
Maybe it was low-brow stuff, but
Ames Hunt knows his Job. Anyway,
from then, on we had Ihez sitting on
the edge of her chair with her gum
slowed to leeward. True. she failed
to voice any more loud merriment,
was feeling rather pleased with
myself as 1 Joined InSz and Barry
down in the fifth row. 1 knew about
what to expect from Barry. I could
see it fiickering in his eyes as he
pulled me down into a chair beside
him and patted me on the shoulder;
He put it quite nicely, too, without
getting very personal or mushy.
Thanks, old DEAR" says I. But
you're a rotten critic, you know"
Then I turned to Inez. "Well?''
Funny gink. that prince" says she,
"You mean he's foreign lookinE?"
says I. Most princes are. They're
born that way, and can't help it. He's
Russian, or was"
"Huhr' says Inez, meaning that this
is enough.
''how did you like the piece?"
Inez shrugs- her shoulders. "Lotta
talk" says she.
II know" says I. "This isn't a
pantomime, or a movie, and dialogue
is somewhat necessary in a play. But
was it good talk, or otherwise"
"All right, I guess" says she. 'Not
aBut we were working up to it
all the time" says I. You got that,
didn't your
Ines blfnks unresponsive. "You, act
kinda silly" she volunteers.
+ r X \
'uNdANY thanks" says I. It was
Az trying to be a fiapper. you see.