Evening star., 1924-07-13

"She's a horrid woman"
Absolutely! Can't think what peo-
pie see in her"
We'll, yeu seemed to enjoy fussing
over her"
mo. no! Nothing Of the kind! She
inspired me with absolute what-d'-
you-call it,
face"
Il wasn't. I was just screwing up
my face because the sun was in my
eye"
"All sorts Of things seem to be in
peoples eyes this morning"
A RCHIE was saddened. 1t was in
listless nine holes; nor had life bright
ened for him when he came back to
the hotel two hours later, after seein &
Lucille off in the train to New York.
The sight of Miss Silverton, talking
to somebody on a settee in the corner
Of the hotel lobby, sent him shooting
off at right angles and brought him
N>~->
hind which the room clerk sat.
The room clerk. always Of a chatty
disposition. was saying something to
him. but Archie did not listen. He
nodded mechanically. 1t was some
thing about his room. He caught the
word "sa tisfactory."
"Oh. rather-quite!" said Archie,
H. r,f W
seat stared at him mournfully.
He was halfway through his lunch
when the chair opposite ceased to be
vacant and Archie perceived that his
friend, George Benham, the play
wright, had materialized from no
where and was now in his midst.
"Hullov' he said.
George Benham sighed wearily. and
ordered fish pie.
'T thought 1 saw you come through
the lobby just now" he said.
"Oh, was that you on the settee,
talking to Miss Silverton?"
"She was talking to me-" said the
playwright moodily.
What are you doing here?" asked
Archie. II thought you were in New
York, watching the rehearsals of your
jolly old drama"
THE rehearsals are hung up. And
it looks as though there wasn't going
to be any drama Good heavens"
cried George Benham. with honest
warmth.
Tell me all, laddie." Archie said
Release the film. Has Miss Silverton
walked out on you?"
Left US fat! How did you hear
about it? Oh. she told you, Of course.
mo, no! My wife said she thought
or order when we saw her coming in
to breakfast Why did she administer
the raspberry. old friend?"
Mr.. Benham helped himself to fish
pie and spoke DULY through the
steam.
well. what happened was this: She
has a dog-a beastly. great, whack-
ing brute of bulldog. And she
brings it to rehearsal" Mr.. Benham'
eyes filled with tears as. in his emo
ton, he swallowed a mouthful of fish
ter than it looked. In the intermis-
sion caused by this disaster. his agile
mind skipped a few chapters of the
story, and. when he was able to
speak again, he said: 80 then there
was a lot of trouble. Everything
broke loose."
"Why?" Archie was puzzled. did
the management object to her bring
ing the dog to rehearsal?'
"a lot of good that would have
done. She does what she likes in the
theater."
Then why was there trouble?"
"You weren't listening" said Mr.
Benham reproachfully. Il told you
This dog came shifting up to where
I was sitting-it was quite dark in
the body Of the theater, you know
and I got up to say something about
something that was happening on the
stage, and somehow 1 must have
given it a push with my foot"
II see." said Archie. You kicked
her dog"
Pushed it-accidentally-w my
foot"
81 understand. And when you
brought off this kick"
Push" said Mr.. Benham austerely
This kick or push. When you ad-
ministered this kick or push"
cit was more a sort of light shove
"Weil, when you did whatever you
did, the trouble started?"
"She talked for a WILHELM. Ben
ham gave slight shiver-"and then
walked out, taking her dog with her
You see, this wasn't the first time IL
had happened. 1t wasn't me the first
time 1t was the stage manager. He
didn't know whose dog it was, and il
came waddling onto the stage, and
he gave it a sort of pat, a kind OF
f1ick-
"a slosh?"
"Not a slosh,' corrected Mr.. Ben
ham firmly; you might call it tap
~ l. .,~k all h %