The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-05-30

brows, eager to catch every hint that
would help her become a better actress
Her distrust of Noand extended only to
MS abilities as a constructive builder
of storytelling pictures and Judge
OF pictorial values For the very con.
siderable amount of raw power as a
pantomine which he indubitably pos.
sessed, she had much respect.
This enthusiasm was running away
with him now. he was building the solo
scene which Lucinda was to play on
lines of broad emotional melodrama
widely inconsistent with the situation.
Forgetting that. while the conversa.
ton assumed to be going on beyond
the door was one well calculated to
annoy and disgust her whom it con
cerned, its revelations were after all
hardly OF a character to break her
heart. Nolan was as Nelly, ranting
and raving in the angle, like one gone
half'mad with shock and grief Yet
the performance that for the time being
he truly succeeded in perverting Lu.
cinda's grasp Of the scene Having ex
hausted his repertoire OF emotional ar
tirice, consulting Lucinda with a glance
and the tereotyped inquiry. "See what
L want. dear?" she nodded without
thinking-"You make 1t most real I'll
do my best'-and stepped into charac.
ter and the set as the lights blazed
on, the cameras began to tick. and
Nolan seized his baton Of authority.
the megaphone which he invariably
used while directing. though he had as
much need OF II now as the cameras
had of telescope lenses.
Now, dear" he blared through this
instrument-"go to it and show us all
you've got. Don't be afraid of letting
yourself go. Remember, this is your
Big Scene, biggest you've got in this
story. your one grand little chance to
put 1t over that you're a sureenough
actress Now you put your ear to
the crack in the door and hear your
name.> Give big start and look hor.
rified. You never dreamed men could
talk about women like that, you know.
Show us horror. dear. and make II
strong, you cant make IL too strong.
Remember you're just realizing the
man you love is such q rotten cad he
could make bet about your virtue.
II just makes you feel sick all over
Great snakes! What's that for?
What's the matter?"
For OF a sudden Lucinda laughed
outright. suddenly the heartrending
tremolo OF Nolan's voice as he de.
tailed the awful offense Richards had
committed against Nelly in the play
uckled irresistably her sense u the
absurd: and her laugh followed natur.
ally, inevitably. uncontrollably.
I'm sorry. Mr.. Nolan" she sasped.
Forgive me. II didn't know I was
going to laugh till-till-tin it atruck
me as so funny
Her voice rose and broke in another
peal OF hysterical merriment. her words
became unintelligible. while Nolan Lit.
orally ground his teeth.
What struck you as SO funny" no
exploded. Show me anything funny
about this scene and II" eat my
megaphone. What's so damn funny?"
on I'm sorry!" Lucinda was doing
her uutmost to sober herself. but attn
her voice shook and her body rocked
with recurrent spasm Of idiotic mirth.
you see-when you said that-what
you said about Richards being q rotter
all at once 1t struck me-Tm sure
| don't know why--as funny. too aw.
fully funny for wordsl"
well, why?" Nolan insisted, all but
dancing with rage. "Helll Give a rea.
son. Why's 1t funny?"
Continued In our next issue)