Evening star., 1928-12-21

dressing room remote from tnat Oh tne
stars of the piece. Every precaution
had been taken to guard ner ldenClIy
Mrs. Ogden looked into the room Wnere
Yyonne, Lottie standing benlno neI
was completing her makeup tor nei
first dance.
"You look darling" she said ner-
vously. Aren't you bit afrald?
Yvonne shook her head.
'Whv should l be? I am only about
TO do what I love most in all the Worlo
to do"
"M Romanevski and are in the first
hoy on the left" Mrs. Ogden said. Do
YOU want me to go home with you when
YOU have finished at the end OF tne
second act?"
.'No indeed. Lottie is with me.
Wen 60 home together all right:
II think you're silly not to take an
Ansrtment in town. Mrs. Ogden sald
fretfully That's terrible trip to take
back and forth every day"
Yvonne. to preserve appearances SO
far as possible, planned to take the
train in daily. After the performance
she had arranged for a hired car each
night which would take her. home
quickly and quietly. Lottie had begged
to come in to help Yvonne dress Tor
her first performance. After tnat
Yvonne would manage alone.
Presently Yvonne rose, drew a oaFk
quilted cape over her costume ana went
up to take her place in the wings. In
spite of her brave words to Mrs. Ogoen
she was trembling.
1T will be all right when l am OUT
there" she told herself. 1T Is the
waiting that is hard"
Then the stage grew dark. The
music sounded softly and Yvonne threw
aside her cape and stepped lightly and
carefully onto the stage. The music
grew a little louder, a slow gleam grew
on the stage. Before the audience was
aware of her as more than moving
shadow, Yvonne was dancing. Tne
light grew: now she was visible, loVely,
fairy-like on her feet. She scarcely
saw the audience. Once more the
music had caught her and carried her
with it to some region far beyond her
self ana the people watching. raster
and faster, farther and farther away
from the queer puzzle OF her life ana
Richards. Then the warning note tnat
the dante neared its end. she was
back in the wings. Out there the
people were clapping. stamping tner
Yyonne went back to her dressing
room. It was half an hour before her
next number. She changed into the
fire dance costume, arranged her
sparkling bracelets, the crown OF bril-
liants on a flexible chain for her hair,
and once more drew the cape about ner.
At the moment of her second en-
trance, when she leaped onto the stage
like a veritable flame, there was
thunder of applause She whirled and
rlided through her dance as through
the former one, casting not one in
vitfng glance at those whom she was
dancing to please. When she trippedi
into the wings at the conclusion OF
the dance, M Romanevski was waiting
for her there. He caught her In ms
arms.
You are marvellous ma petite" he
cried 600 hack. They wish for more"
Yyonne shook her head. mo" sne
said. 1T have iianced all of the fire
music wish to dance tonight"
He looked at her incredulously. You
dance then for yourself, hey?"
Entirely"
You are too frank, mademoiselle,
he said The public likes to think It's
artists belong to them"
Yvonne brushed past him. The
words, IT belong to Richard" had
rushed to her lips, but she had choked
them back.
There was a long wait between the
IRE dance and the last number.
Yvonne let Lottie help her into her
costume, and then rat reading while
ehe waited for her che. The audience
hailed her once more with applause,
which she ignored as before, setting
IN Ian iF1fp
her music. this time gay and whimsical.
Making her final bow, she went at
once to her dressing room. The sound
sf the applause followed her up the
Steps. Halfway up them Mr.. Drake
checked her. He had followed breath
lessly.
"You must come back and bow" he
exclaimed, catching her skirt.
She drew aside little and looked
t him, raising her eyebrows "Must?"
che asked.
"Of course" he said impatiently:
''You should have come back after the
first dance. We shall have to arrange
some encores for you. You are the hN
of the evening. Hurry. Come. They
are still clapping."
Let them clap" said Yvonne calmly.
'If they wish to see me again they will
have to return tomorrow-that is good
business, is it not, MONSIEUR"
Before he could argue further she
had passed on up the stairway to her
dressing room Half an hour later she
was sitting in the hired car, Lottie
chattering beside her. speeding back to
her role as housekeeper.
The next morning Yvonne was up
at 6, as usual
Let me get the breakfast, Lottie, -
she said, you begin the cleaning"
Lottie was willing, for she had found
Yvonne's rolls beyond compare When
the meal was ready Yvonne sat down
at the dining table and Lottie waited
on her. She was drinking her coffee
and wondering about some changes in
her first number to make her exit
easier when Lottie went to answer the
bell.
Mrs. Ogden dashed into the room
and threw her arms about Yvonne.
"You darling! The whole town is
talking about you, wondering who you
are, and not soul gueSSeS, of course.
Oh, it is the greatest fun! Yes, Lottie
bring me some coffee. got up so early
that l can hardly keep my eyes open
Listen, Yvonne-last night half a dozen
reporters went backStage to find you
Your dressing room was dark. They
hunted up Mr.. Drake. All he would say
was that you were a discovery of his
and preferred to remain anonymous
They didn't believe him, of course
thought 1t was some new kind of pub
licity stunt, that and your refusing tc
take an encore last night. They'll be
waiting for you tonight.
Yuenrs was a little bewildered. but
for what will they be waiting?"
For interviews, OF course. They want
to ask you your name and address, youl
favorite color, what you like for break
fast oh, all about everything"
But what has that to do with my
dancing?" Yvonne asked.
Nothing at all, of course. But yol
won't be able to escape"
What do they say of my dancing?'
Yvonne asked.
"They are crazy about it-and dt
you know what most of them spoke o
V,ansf--v0i1r entire Indifference tn tht