Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-02-03
A Needful Fitness

not. But you watch your step with me-
He returned to his soup. Mrs. Marni-
han. with a sniff OF lofty disdain, disre-
garded Willie's presence. He stood UNI
easily. then touched her shoulder.
would you mind presenting me to the
young ladies?" he suggested.
She looked up at him with blazing
eyes, but something in his wistful,
Sinking c-ountenance melted her. There
is no profession so full of charity as that
Of the stage, and, after all, Willie had
always been polite to her.
She said: why, this is Oracle next to
me. And Molly and Ivy" Her finger ran
along the line indicatively. And Rose
and Julie and cara on that side of the
table. Girls, this is Willie Means"
Willie bowed punctiliously to each one
The girls, h had listened with some
amusement to the passage between Willie
and Mrs. M~arnihan, responded according
to their habit.
Oracle said in a one like ice: II am
delighted" Mollie bobbed her head and
assured him she didn't believe a word
Mrs. Marnihan said. Ivy murmured
'Hellol" Rose babe him sit down and eat
some supper. Julie, the youngest of the
group, babied by them all, nodded with
out speaking; and cara, whose boast 1t
was hat she never had to pay for q meal
in a town that was visited by travelling
statesmen. met his eyes coolly, but did
not speak. Her hair was sleeked back,
never a strand escaping, and she prided
herself on her individual style. The other
girls called her Zaza, or zazz.
Before Willie could sit down, Keith
Kirk came in. Kirk was the leading man,
and he was a reasonably handsome figure,
tall and broad. with dark hair and eyes
and a small. dark mustache. 1t is not
always possible to find good looking men
to play leads in a wandering musical
show, and Kirk was an asset.
Blummer greeted him politely, the
Daisy Chain girls nodded, and Mrs. Mar
nihan said to him: "Keith, this is Willie
Means. He's taking Dawes place"
Willie held out his hand, said urbane-
ly: How do you do?" Kirk touched the
hand with his finger tips and nodded a
careless response before sitting down.
So Willie was able at last to devote
himself to food. He did this with certain
avidity; 1t was his first opportunity Of
the kind since moor Of the day before.
But even in his hunger his manner
were seemly. 1t has been said that a
successful actor must have a passionate
conviction Of identity with the part
which he portrays. Willie had such a
conviction. In spite Of his vices-he
drank hen he could, and yielded now
and then to the temptation of a petty
theft-he played, off the stage and on,
the part of a gentleman, n he had a
passionate conviction of his identity with
the part. His attire had always a fash
ionable rake to 1t, no matter how shabby
it might become; his LANGUAGE was al
ways grave and courteous; he was for
ever Mindful of the fitness of things.
When the company rose from the table
he drew hack Mrs MprnfhQn'E chair
while Blummer led the way through the
into the hall, picking his teeth
obviously, and Kirk crowded out ahead
of Molly and cara. Willie stood politely
at one side and waited till they all had
passed him. The fact that he had no
baggage Of his own permitted him to
carry two bags to the station for the
in a day coach for one of their jumps
from town to down, Willie suggested to
Kirk and Blummer that they go into the
smoking car.
THE ladies' he would say, will no
doubt prefer to be alone"
During the next weeks they came to
know him and tolerate him. In the
nightly performance he played his part
as a tramp with the same elegance Of die
ton, the same graceful and courteous
bearing which he wore off the stage. The
effect was quite definitely comic; the
audiences appreciated it, and roared with
delight, n Blummer was pleased with
his find. Mrs. Marnihan made light of
Willie's work; she insisted that he did
not know he was good. But Drummer
warned her to let Means alone. "As long
as he gets away with it. what's the diff
ference?" he challenged.
Keith Kirk had, from the first, looked
upon Willie with scorn, he continued SO
to do, refusing to share a room with him
at the boarding houses or the hotels
where they stayed, and keeping aloof ex-
cept when their work threw them to-
gether. When Means drew a laugh from
an audience Kirk stood by-if he were
on the stage-in bored indifference. I'm
consciously he served as an excellent foil.
The Daisy Chain girls from the begin
ming made a butt of Willie. They were
quick to discover that he would do them
any service they required, and they tool
advantage Of his willingness to load upon
him every mental task. Willie did these
chores willingly. He carried bags; he ran
errangs; he mailed letters n he
matched ribbons. They repaid him with
open derision and cruel jests. They hated
Willie because he was so humble, just
as they hated Kirk because he was SO
aloof. Kirk met their laughter with in
difference; Willie WINGED under 1t, but
hid his pain. Once or twice Blummer
warned them to go slow; and once he
threatened to discharge Rose If she per-
sisted. Blummer was q tyrant in his
small way; and thereafter Willie had q
measure Of peace.
One of their devices was to discuss
him within his hearing and as though
he were not there. They pretended to be
afraid that he would steal their poor pos
sessions. On an afternoon on the train
when he returned from the smoking car
and took a seat behind them, Rose said
loudly to Oracle, as though continuing
q conversation long under way: "Oh, he's
a scut, all right. He never bothered me
A fat chance he'd have. / keep my eyes
open when he's around. But you can
leave a pair Of baby pins on your bureau
they say"
Oracle asked cynically: did he ever
steal any Of your valuables, honey2"
"I1l tell the world he didn't"
Ivy, who was as sophisticated as a sub
way guard, asked in an affectedly timor-
ous tone: Don't you think I'm wise? ]
always push the bureau against my bed
room door"
You're safe enough" Oracle assured
her. mo man will ever break into your
room. dearie."
We'll. he tried to kiss Julie on the
stairs last night" Ivy insisted, and pooi
Willie was driven To protest He eteDDpC