The Omaha morning bee., 1922-10-31
SOULS for SALE

By RUPERT HUGHES.

turn up. When Mem failed 10 80, the
busy wretch was tormentcd into a
slight impatlencc. lie stopped 10 self
cefense.
"you don't seem 10 get my angle of
| Il. Mrs Woodylle. ] can only hand
out what Jobs there are 10 the people
that NJ thom best. You came In the
ether day and said you were 80 AIN.
htious and determined that you would
--er--sel your honor for an oppor.
tunity ! told you why | Couldn't
make the exchange. Now You como
IA and try to sell mo your poverty.
That Is even less--ah, marketable.
| There's n big line of scared and hun
! CRY people always forming and falling
/ away out there. Some OF them are
/ old veterans with children, artists who
have done fine things for US. But we
have to turn them away. II an old
lady with lG starving babies asked
me 70 lel her play a young girls part
couldn't give II 10 her, could !,
now"
NO. but I'm not an old lady with
| 10 children" Mem persisted stupidly
stubborn.
mo, hut you don't suit the director,
and he's got tho final nay. Mr.
| Rockies pave you test He saw the
result and says you haven't got com.
edy--at least not IN that part. Comedy
Is tiffcult. IL takes twice as much
skill and experience az mantle
drama You may have It, but you
didn't show II"
"The test wasn't fair" Mem pro.
tested. II didn't have any help. lie
Just told me, Turn your head, smile,
laugh, wink, flirt,' Who could do any
thing worth while like that?'
Il know, but II cost the company
about $50 to make IT.. Its tho test
everybody has 10 go through. An.
other girl went through the same
ordeal and size made good. She got
the Job. I'm mighty sorry, but the
only job there was Is gone
Mem struggled 10 her feet and turn
ed TO tho door But the sight OF that
plank. that coffin Id made her recoil.
She could rot go out into the wilder.
ness She could not 90 home 10 her
mother and confess failure. accept
despair Her lips wavered childlsnly.
She found things in her throat 10
swallow. Her eyelashes were full Of
rain. Her diaphragm began 10 throb.
She cried beautifully, honestly. she
was not artful about II, or inslncere.
ii was "a GIFT. She suffered with ~
quisite ease and grace.
She was one Of those pretty things
II is hard not 10 caress, in whose wall
there is a keen and compelling music.
Tirrey found himself more danger
ously wooed by her grief than by her
proffer OF love. Her shoulders were
pitifully round; her hands groped for
other hands TO help; her eyes, seen
blurred and monstrous with woeful
tears, we've more beautiful, somehow,
than when she had tried to fill them
with seduction.
lis heart ached to draw her into
lis bosom, kiss away her tears, take
her upon his lap. and soothe her like
a child. one OF those terrible children
that Satan pretends to be when he
most insid,ous.
Mem was dangerous weeper. This
would be learned In time and turned
to her great profit and the blissful
agony Of the multitude. She was not
acting now. She was reacting TO the
anguish Of the bitter world, its cruel
", its bleakness. the favoritisms of
fate, the willingness Of Providence 20
let the willing lie idle and the am
bilious starVe,
Tirrey passed the floor promising
Mem all sorts Of wonderful futures.
Ie managed hardly 10 keep his hands
from her by intrusting them TO each
other TO hold cenched behind his back
But his sympathy only fed Mems self.
sympathy with new fuel.
At the screen door that opened on
his office appeared Mr.. Rockies, the
director who had rejected Mem after
the test. lie did not know who was
CRYING. but his emotional soul heard
tho call and he peered In through
spectaCles already misted.