Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10

IL than formerly. she knew
Her cheeks, despite a some
what reaSsuring mirror, felt puffy.
Her great blue eyes--eyes that with
q tiny dab of red grease paint in eacl
corner and the lashes artfully beaded
with mascara could be enchanting
gazed mournfully across a corner o.
the room at her fate. This fate was
her mother, a woman no taller thar
ker small self. but weighing zoe
pounds.
Mrs. Isbell filed the narrow chair
and sagged out over the sides. Her
round head was set on her shoulders
like an egg on wall. Like a cross
egg, with a thin. downward arc of q
mouth drawn sharply across the wide
part, and two beady eyes painted on
above.
For the task Of elevating herself by
the slipper straps Of a comedy daugh
ter from the management of a board
ing house in the West Fifties into sue.
cess, golden success, in musical com
edy, $500 a week. and Elinor's name
I'D in front of the theater talso on all
the advertising in letters no smaller
than those spelling Brikkert 6
Behm) had told on the woman. In
particular as the daughter, though
plan enough, had turned out a
dreamer, altogether too whimsical and
too softly feminine. Took after her
rather shiftless fathers side. unques.
tionab1y. Hadn't any sort of idea OF
fighting for her rights. And you had
to fight.
In fact, once you found yourself
fairly perched on that pinnacle of
Broadway achievement the battle was
only begun, it appeared. To settle
there was impossible. Either you
scared higher on wings of electric
light into stardom or you fell off. And
It is difficult for an overweight girl
TO fly.
Voices could be heard behind the
closed door that guarded the suave
and almost omnipotent Max Benin
from intrusion.
who's he got in there?" queried
the sharp Mrs. Isbell.
Elinor frowned nervously and indi'
Gated the dawdling office boy out by
the railing.
'sWe've never had to wait like this
before" Thus the woman, in mount
ing irritation. Then, TITS girl!
She clamped her thin lips on that.
Elinor unhappily studied the auto
sraphed picture of Lillian Russell.
The name that had popped into botn
minds was Sue Disston. Indeed, 1t
had been almost constantly in their
minds of late. Disston had been fea-
fpred by George Birmingham in An
gels Wings" She sang like a n1inia-
ture Bori and danced like pixy.
The morning paper this very morn
ing. il was, in truth. the occasion or
fine present CALI had mentioned the
alarming possibility that this rising
young star might shortly leave Blr-
mingham's management to entrust ner
future TO Brikkert and Benin. Could
IT mean that Max was considering
her for the new Viennese operetta,
which had been promised, as matter
of simple right, to Elinor? Could 1t
mean anything else? Disston was
slim.
'sBoy," called the woman.
"Mother, for heavens sake.
s'Rov. go in there again and explain
that it is Mrs. Tsbell. We can't wait
here indeflnetlym
But, mother, if he's busy--he didn
know we were coming, and
Keep still'' The silence became
grim.
* x +
AT last Mr.. Behrn appeared; fat,
"A keen, unsimilling. He said, How
90 you do?" and shook hands.
eve just looked in to see how things
We're coming along" said Mrs. 1sbell,
firmly.
You didn't send the new contract
yet"
1T isn't ready yet. I must speak to
MIXING Elinor.
when do rehearsals begin?"
''Oh. pretty soon. It depends on this
director business" He was distract.
Well. you won't have to wait about
the contract"
'sOh, no. I'll send it up to you as
soon as it's ready"
How about a thousand week this
year?"
Now, Mrs. Isbell, we don't want to
hurry things too fast
-sWell, we've got to live. If it stays
at seven hundred, we ought to have
an interest, at least"
Suppose we just leave all that open.
AS soon as the contracts ready, Wen
sit down and talk it all over. You'll
have to excuse me now. Sorry. III
call you up"
They found themselves on Forty-sec-
ond street. where are you going?"
asked Elinor, family, as her mother
turned toward Broadway.
''To talk with Cohen, of counsel
Cohen was her Attorney Wen never
get that contract"
But, mother, he promised. And"
-"Don't be a fool. We're in a fight,
and you needn't think I'm going to be
caught mapping" This on the corner
opposite the Times Building. A tall,
reticent-looking young man nearly
bumped into them, said. Sorry" and
passed on with a springy step. Elinor's
blue eyes strayed after him. He was
attractive. And he had looked quickly
and closely at her.
You go straight home" said the
mother. And don't eat anything"
With which admonition she waddled
resolutely away.
Elinor watched her go; them instead
OF entering the subway. she moved
northward with the crowd into Times
Square.
She wasn't certain that she liked
being an actress. II meant hard, I'M
renting work. She felt like crying.
Why hadn't she married that young
press agent? Even eloped with him
1t was a daring thought. Mother
hadn't approved. She never approved.
Was always there on guard. lowered
! about the dressing room every night
and invariably took her home. Never
let her see any man. 1t was prison
life.
She passed by whitefront restau-
rant. An alluring place. A man in
white was turning griddle cakes. Buck.
wheats. She loved buckwheats. She
ought, of course, to go back to the
subway, but fingered. The place was
fun of people, happily eating. OF
course, It was noon. These people
didn't have to worry about their fig
ures. They were regular people, with
regular work in the world. She
sighed.
X e y
A TALL young man within was TAX