Evening star., 1922-06-11

if your arm went back on you for one
season-you couldn't get a contract
at dime an hour in a nickelodeon /,
That's the truth and you can take it
or leave it,
You're a darned liar" said Speed.
| IF am" said Martin. his face sud
denly white. you amt the man 10
tell me SO and get away with it,
II took five stage hands and the
house manager TO pry the two apart.
I'm through" Red painted as they
dragged him away. IN work the
week out, but after that YOU get
somebody else To-
You won't work no week out"
Gallagher roared You show up to-
night and I'll knock your block off
And they amt goin' TO be nobody else
either. I'll show you guys. That base
ball parts out Of this act. You hear
me, Me and kendrick is goin' to do
straight singing and dancin' from
now on and you watch how we go.
You just watch"
X >:
4 T 10 o'clock that night Speed Gal
lagher left his dressing room on
his way to his hotel. He was half
way down the first fight of stairs
that led to the stage when he thought
of the promise he had made TO the
manager of the hotel to autograph
and give him three base balls for his
Z hyp hi
He returned to his dressing ROOM
took three base balls from his trunk.
dropped them into the side pocket of
his overcoat and went his way.
AS he stepped out the stage door
he could hear Louise Glare singing a
sprightly song. He passed Red Mar
tin standing in the alley. The two
old friends did not speak.
Speed was heartsore but stubborn.
I'll show EN-" he muttered to him
self as he trudged along to his hotel.
Think can do nothin but play base
ball. eh? I'll show en-
1t was 1890 when the clerk phoned
up to Speed Gallagher's room. The
theater on fire, Mr.. Gallagher" he
said excitedly. II thought you'd want
to know. They say she's just blazing
away"
Speed threw on his overcoat and
rushed out. He was thinking of his
trunk and clothes hanging in the
dressing room.
The street was loud with the rumble
with noisy and curious crowd. Speed
reached the fire lines and was nabbed
by burly cop.
I'm Speed Gallagher" Speed pant
ed. You know. playin' a the Elite
this week. Let me through, will
you?"
The name was magic. "Suye? That's
all right. Speed" the cop said. 60
| ahead. 1 don't reckon yeu can do
much. though They think they got
everybody out. She's burning like the
very devil"
Speed rushed around to the back of
the theater and stopped. Flames were
curling out of the door. coiling high
about the brick wall. Speed backed
across the street and stood before the
lighted show window of a hardware
store, covering away from the heat
There Red Martin found him. Red was
screaming with excitement and point
ing upward. Speed looked UP. An
icy agony of horror flooded through
him.
High up on the otherwise blank
brick wall, just under the peak of the
stage roof, there was a window, about
a foot and half square. Framed in
the window was Louise Clare. Her
face and head were clearly seen in the
glare from the flames below.
DO something" Red Martin shouted
frantically, beating his fists together.
| Good God, Speed. what can we do"
| Nobody can set in there! That whole
lower parts just roaring hell. Man.
We got to do something"
Speed acted with a celebrity that
legitimatized his name. With side
| sweep of his arm he smashed the
plateglass window of the hardware
store, jumping quickly back to escape
the falling fragments of glass. He
kicked the jagged pieces left in the
i, frame out of his way and stepped into
| the show window. From the hooks on
| which they were displayed he yanked
down a ball of stout brown twine and
| a coil of quarter-inch manila rope.
| With these he jumped back TO the
sidewalk He raised his head and
| cupped his palms about his mouth.
| Louise. Don't jump" he beloved.
!
| X X X
A GLASS transome over a wooden
"a door next to the hardware store
bore the inscription, Rooms for
1'e .,.., -. ia"