Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-10
The eDaAyNoucleH
What Next?
BY MARGARET M. LUkES

~ Kathleen Hicks. sitting before the
open fire In the Hicks living room, kept
perfectly quiet for moment.
Then Kathleen spoke ngain.
"You see, Bob" she exclaimed i'm
pulsively. "it's the chance I've been
waiting for for years--well. for two
years anyway. That was before you
came to Tentonvillc. II was that June
having the lead in the class pay that
made me just know that some day I'd
have to 60 on the stage. And now
comes this great chance through Sally
Fosters uncle. It's only little part,
of course; Bob, you don't understand
how II feels to stand up there and--'
kathleens eager voice trailcd into
dreams. Her dark blue eyes shone like
stars. The freight shed q glow on her
soft golden hair. Finally Bob. big
slowly rose to his feet.
said huskily; nothing that I can say
would make you change it,"
Kathleen shook her head. "Oh.
Rob-" she burst forth again. you don't
know what 1t is to want life where
unusual things happen. Here l always
know just what Is going to happen
next. I even always know what you're
going'to do next"
From the day Bob had come as
young doctor to the pretty little town of
Tcntonville-and he had met Kathleen
the day he came-,hc had fallen hope
lcssly In love with her. II was char.
nctcristlc Of him now TO go back to his
cosy white house a stones throw from
the Trntonville Hospital without plead
ing his cause. Ii was characteristic
OF him. too. TO 90 down TO the station
the next morning and chcerfully say
good-by to slim. smartly dressed Kath.
leen.
But when the New York express had
come and gone and Mrs. Hicks, the
finttery little mother Of Kathleen, who
with her father had finally consented
to the stage venture. asked DR.. Bob
to come back TO the house for lunch,
he only shook his head and said he
thought he'd go for little walk in the
country.
To describe the first few days of the
tour of 1.-The Truce Makers" would be
to describe cloud of rose glory for
Kathleen anyway. With the strain Of
rehearsals all over. excitement fut-
tered about her mind Ike gay-col-
orcd little bird. At first there was no
thri II in the world like getting up each
night to say her little part. It wasn't
much fun getting ont of little hard
bed in small town in the early cold
hours Of the morning tn make n train
for the next stand. Still person had
10 make sacrifices for art. Kathleen
argued TO herself.
1t .wns just at the beginning Of the
fpurth N1.ncl that nth
quietly in a small stuffy dressing room
in Castlcton. Ia, heard the play was
going to fail.
Fail" she echoed family TO the
character woman ms she drew gen.
crOus line Of grease paint under her
left eye.
why. yes. of COURSE. you little an
gel from the skies. Don't you ever use
them baby blue eyes to take n peek
through the curtain hole and sec how
many peoples out front? There WASH
any more than three handfuls last
night Jake Sullivan got wire from
New York last night calling the show
off the boards il 1t don't start to break
even in three nights"
Tho gossip Of the other members OF
the company soon proved to Kathleen
that the character woman WAS not fool
ing. They sat on the trunks in each
others dressing rooms and gathered il
small indignant groups in the dusty
wings of the theatre and their one topic
Of conversation was the "bust up al
the show. Kathleen learned that the
whole trouble was that they were sim
ply passing through certain section OF
the country where there was financial
depression that once tided over an,
out of this belt" the show would be or
its feet. However. the manager in Now
York refused To stand further lossc>
and wait for larger audiences.
time on the edge Of tho little white iroI
bod. her two long golden brnids hanging
lcjectohly over her shoulders. 1t was
the thought of'wanting to tell some on
all about il that made her finally reacl
for the little pad and pencil in her suit
ease and write hcr mother long letter
The next three days passed like al
the others with the exception that ever.
one was cross and gloomy. The fat"
full third day itself landed them in I
! town called "TICNrtScasc' and tho,
! laughed at tho irony Of it,,
Ii was al dinner time that Jake Sui
! Ivan, manager, suddenly appeared a
the long table where they wrrc sitting
cleared his throat and made this an
| nOuncemcnt:
~ gentleman interested in the shoy
business has suddenly appeared VIII
says he will back this show tcmporari
in case tho receipts are no better to
night than the other nights. He ha
faith in the company. he says. an