The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-04-24

letting him catch the ghost of the smile that fitted across my face and he lurched forward.
 "Therel There, Is my baby-child now. She has been away all evening I have been trying and trying to get her and now she Is going to let her poor Theo talk it all over with her" Theodore's silly words and thickened speech were beginning to pail.
 She certainly Is not" exclaimed Kitty, jumping out of bed and run ming to the door. And when you are perfectly sober tomorrow, Theodore Stratton, virgie is going to ask you not to call her by that silly name of baby child again. She is not child and as you have contributed more to the growing-up process than anyone, you should certainly be aware of the fact"
 And then something happened that one would not think possible with Theodore Stratton = that terrible, grown-up boy simply sat down upon the floor in the hall, and with his head against the Jamb of my door, he wept Tears streamed down his face.
 I was almost crazy, for I heard
 
 softly. Kitty, too, was desperate. She even gave him a little kick with one of her bare feet as she whispered ex. citedly:
 "virgie, if this ever gets out you are ruined-and have contributed to | it. The fact of you being with me would put doubtful aspect upon any explanation that we might give" Get up, you brute!" she said bel 1 ligerently to the huddled, weeping l Theo.
 He staggered to his feet and ran uncertainty Into the arms of the night watchman. Leave him to me, Miss virgie," he said.
 The man hauled Theo along the | corridor until he reached the elevator. and then pushed him into the car with such force that Theo crashed | against the other side, an inert mass. Covered with confusion and shame and heart-hurt, I went back to bed and Kitty followed. After a few moments she burst into fit of laughter, in which I joined her.
 T just wonder" she said when she could speak, what Theodore Strat- toms screen fans would think If they | COuiu hdHc hdd n tnON2uk picture GIT their idol tonight-drunk, dressed up and no place to go"
 Tt was awful, Kitty-awful" l whispered.
 1 Yes. I know. but wasn't it funny" and Kitty went off into an- other paroxysm of laughter. l Its quite tragic to me, Kitty. I thought today when I saw you and John Storm together how much hap pier I was than you could ever be. and I come back here tonight and | find my house of cards all in little heaps. I can never have the same feeling toward Theo as I have had" l "Oh, yes you will Just remember it was not Theodore Stratton that you saw tonight. It was John Barley corn speaking. You must get over the conventional habit, virgie. of di- viding two people into two classes | the good and bad have. T have never seen a person so good | that did not find some bad in him, and no one so bad that did not dis cover good trait or two"
 At fight I had thought Theodore i Stratton all good Kitty" I replied, and now I seem to think that he Is all bad"
 Kitty insisted that he was, just lil.e
 
 But, Kitty" I demonstrated, The | should have had respect enough for me to have stayed away when he was not himself Does he not realize in what a position he has put me?" "He never thought of it at all. All men are selfish. my dear-some more and some less. The greatest fault of Theodore Stratton Is that he is ut | terly selfish. His egotism and self |, ,centeredness' has grown with the g1orification that has been given him by his admirers who have only seen him on the screen. until he thinks he | is above the laws of God or man. Tt never enters his mind that any thing he wants to do is not the thing to do. But. Virgie, most of those who 1 have great success on the screen be- come egotistical and self-centered Theodore is by no means alone in that. Still I should regret very much to know that you loved him deeply, virgie."
 Tomorrow-A W0man's First Love