Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-06-26
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Lame Barrett. Is and beautiful,
lives in a cramped New York apart
ment with her mother, Cass Bar
rett. a rather faded actress. Cass
worries over their LON finances.
Then she receives an offer TO play
at the Willow Stream Theater. a
Long Island play house Of which
wealthy Mrs. Cleespaugn Is patron.
On a hot night Cas- rusheS home
to tell Lame this news. The girl
has been working in a department
store and has gone 10 dinner with
Molly Cronin. a neighbor OF whom
Cas- disapproyeS, and two OF Mol
ly's men friends. Soon a note ar
rives from Lane. begging her mo-
ther to come nd Once to a down.
town address. Frantic. Cass hastens
there. Shane McDermid. young pO-
liceman in charge, tells her that
the men with whom Molly and
Lame dined have quarreled and one
Of them is shot. Touched BY Lanes
youth and obvious innocence, ne
releases her. Back az the theater
Lame encounters a handsome
stranger who calls her by name.
Cas- and Lame leave for Willow
Stream. Elsie Minter. ingenue, goes
with them TO play IN the same
company as Cass. Lame Is to work
in the box Office. Elsie introduces
Lane 10 Give Cleespaugh. son OF
the theater'S patron. Shane Nc
Dermid comes 10 tell Lane that
the man wounded IN the gun fight
has recovered.
NOW Go on With The Story
CHAPTER III
Murlel Laid Was the girl VINO
was 10 share Lanes duties IN the
box office. Muriel was slender and
graceful. She had a skin Like pOr-
celaIn. delicate. insOlent brOWs and
an intimidating drawl. Muriel was
a Willow Stream Junior Lacquer,
bored with life and anxious 10
express herself She w0rc OK
quisite sports clothes, and banded
a gypsy scarf about her head when
she rode. Her fingernails were AS
long as a mandarin'S and She used
quantities Of exotic scent.
Lame was impressed Beside this
other girl who was her own age
she felt singularly immature. Muir
III spoke with equal ~carelCssneSs az
Biarritz and Monaco, Of Milan and
Gibraltar and Burlingame and
Hawaii and Sartoga and Havre dc
Grace and Ashevllc. Muriel had
been everywhere. knew everybody
and liked nothing al al. She tod
Lame that She could bear Dutch
boats better than English ones be-
cause the officers on the Dutch
line we're "smoothics.' Lane didn't
know what she meant and said So.
Muriel explained tolerantlv that
q smoothly was a darb. a love. a
cute thing or what have you2 She
didn't seem IA despise Lame Tor
her abysmal ignorance. Rather she
patronized her and tried TO en-
tighten her.
Don't you think a girl should
have affairs before She marrics?
Muriel drawled.
Lame looked shocked. She trem-
bled 10 think what the sisters at
81. Anne's would have thought OF
Muriel Ladd.
II really don't know" She fall
tered. Il hadn't thought much
about i'll"
Well. I do Muriel said coldly.
Il think il accentuates her charm.
I think ~e're awfuilv stupid and
provincial over here
She blew a cloud If smoke.
Come W dinner Saturday night
she offered lazily. I've got a new
smoothly | want you to see He's a
love. Awfully old for me, or course.
He's 80. But I like EN- that way.
Happens 10 be married but his
wife'S a dud and doesn't matter.
Come and watch my technique
Lame said. If YOU really want
me III ask mother"
Muriel laughed. You're r queer
one" She trilled. All this ask
mother stuff amuses me 70 death.
Really ID does. ! think you're one
ot those quiet. sly mes. Why. your
mothers not bothered about what
YOU do. isn't she Oh the stage?
Isn't she broadminded? Seems 50
silly. to talk As If you were SOL
in kindergarten"
Lame defended herself. MY
mothers frightfully particular
she said. She couldn't help being
scornful OF Muriel's opinions. She
allowed herself 10 be lofty on this
familiar ground. Everybody who
knows anything at all realizes that
people IN the profession are eX-
tremely circumspect in their pri-
vate lives. You evidently believe all
you read in the papers"
Muriel looked slightly surprised.
"Oh, come on. / didn't mean any
thing. really she said apo.ogeti-
cally. II was just trying to see what
you'd say. But do comet We need
an extra girl. Mothers at Bar Har-
Dor and I'm throwing this party
myself"
Lame allowed herself 10 be mOlli-
fled. She felt that she had won the
upper hand with this superior girl