The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-15
TODAY'S SHORT STORY
Joan's Career

making a home somewhere and leaving the stage.
 Wen raise roses and chickens" he said. You can have horse to ride. We'll have a real home, dear"
 She wanted real home. But she did not get it. for Avery Overstepped himself in some speculation and lost tha savings of years.
 And now she had to act to reeuper- ate their losses. They began to play on circuit. Joan began that circuit, intensely we, hopeful. It dragged the. youth out of her, dimmsd the glory of her splendid vitality, 1t helped on the disintegration of her hopes.
 The truth was she was losing her joy in her work. She had gone so far and could go no farther. She dare not everyday tue other members of her troupe lest it make them ridiculous. They barely supported her. And Av- cry was the worst actor of them all,
 They met with all sorts of reversss, still they managed te keep going. Av. cry grew little jealous of Joan as he grew gray and old he would not allow her leading man that was worthy of the name, He himself was usually her father, sometimes her grandfather. It was pathetic seeing these rare lovers iH such situation. Joan helping her husr band and playing her own part at the same time.. .. After while people began to count back.
 Let's see The first time I saw, Joan Trousdale was when they 'were laying out Heeter street. Hector street is builded up now. It must be twelve or thirteen years.".
 They grew little tired of Joan from having seen her so often. She had lost some of her power to enehant. In the front seats one saw her make up, In the back rows she was still radiantly beautiful, but everybody could not sit in the back rows.
 She knew what was going on l; she was getting a little tired. Life had not brought her much. She had wanted . home, children, q quiet hearth. After life she had led.
 But she kept on-a srester heroine than any she impersOnated. She dared not give up, Her work was bread and butter to them now; it had become a mere job. The flavor was gone out.
 The other night at the Westbridge opera house she played the parachute girl-very cleverly. Her golden beauty was touched up to produce the desired effect, but she was sufficiently radiant. The rest of the company supported her as props support q tree too heavily laden with bloom. Her husband took tickets at the door and made the ap- nouneements.
 In the back sat A man and woman who had seen her in her youth.
 ''She must be over 40," said the man, but she doesn't look it, I've been seeing her play for the last twenty years.
 The woman replied gently:
 ''She might have been a great actress with her name blazoned on Broadwsy in red and blue lights. But she gave it all up. for love-"
 "No man has a right to ask so much of a woman" said the man msgnani' mously.
 Well" the woman had her own idea about it, men are selfish and women like to give. Joan Trousdale is a fne woman with q splendid personality. Sine will always be that whether she acts or not"
 Question is, I suppose, whether she would have been fine woman with a splendid personality if she had gone on to the heights of which she was ca- pable."
 Life molds ms all in soue form or other. l ~oadsr-~- slSssd the 4saune-