Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-09-25
t''t''t-fTI'T'F
!. Total Assets-One
Small Daughter
BY LEETE STONE

F-t-i.-i.-t-tFi.l-i-I.-s--t
MARY BAIRD, another of the
AVA tilms"-Astoria, Long Island,
where many creditors had been kind
over many years, sat staring at the
inevitable petition In bankruptcy which
coldly listed her liabilities at $500,
and her assets at sos. But the In
vestigator had forgotten Doris. ten
year-old daughter of Mary Baird. AT
least he did not list her as an asset,
which she was. However, that comes
later.
Trouble looked Mary Baird square
In the eyes. An invalid husband to
feed, care for and nourish with the
tenderness Of true affection; three
small children to look out for, the old
est of which was Doris. An apartment
to pay rent forl Food to buy for five
mouths And Mary Baird was on the
verge Of forty-fve. Small wonder that
she sat before her mirror, combing out
the beautiful slk-sllver hair that had
helped to win her her little title Of
mother of the film," in an agony Of
doubt and distraction on that morning
after the bankruptcy statement ar
rived
Her mind conferred on the kind, rath-
err sorrowful smile of Frank Hanway,
casting director at the studios a few
blocks away-the look Of tender con-
Germ he had bent on her just yesterday
morning when she appeared In his Of
fee. as usual, at nine. He had said,
as II he hated to say 1t:
"Sorry, Mary, my dear. There's not
many mother bits in the talkles, you
know. II can swing anything your
way; trust mel I'll surely do It
How're the kids2"
"Fine, Trank-and thank you'll" she
had replied. Pride prevented her from
confiding her straits to him. His hand
would have gone down into his pocket
to that ample roll of bills, and he
would have forced century note on
her, out Of the blgness OF his heart.
Frank Hanway had known Mary Baird
when she was an lngenue with great
future
This morning her mind raced back
to those gllded days OF youth, when
her mind was unhampered and unwOr-
ried by lack of luxury and sincere &c
claim When stage was all legitimate
When the spell Of personal appearance
before an audience was unthreatened
and, as It seemed to all, secure In its
regal artistry.
Then, shortly after the 'AGreat Train
Robbery" pioneer moving picture,
ilckered Its thrilling way across the
crude screen of the Eden Musee In
New York, Mary by reason of her fame
received an entlclng offer from the old
Blograph studios on Fourteenth street.
From then on she was a movie actress
until her hair commenced to silver
fitting between Hollywood and New
York. At last the reviews, fairly drip
ping with praise from celebrated crit
ics, of her work as the mother In
Mountain Woman" From that day
till this day, when she faced starva-
tIon and want not only for herself,
but for beloved family, Mary Baird
was tlcketed In casting offices as the
perfect "mother of the films"
But the advent Of talking pictures
had done away with many of the old
REVEALS. Mother parts were few and
far between.
SO unused Mary Baird, facing the last
ditch before destruction.
Her husband sighed and Jerked In
troubled sleep In the big bed In one
Of their two rooms. The younger chill
dren breathed peacefully, still asleep
In the crib In the corner. Suddenly
her terror at everything lighted ON
Doris, for whom she had made few
mouthfuls OF the last of the oatmeal,
and sent out to play an hour since.
Where was Dorls2 The child never
stayed out long and It was two
hours now since she had last seen her.
From the door at her back came a
musical, throbblng voice, just like her
own before tragedy had duled its
sweetness:
"MotherI I'm backl"
"Oh. sweetheart I was worried.
You've been away long time. Where
were your
"I'll tell you. mother" the childish,
precise tones In that voice which had
once been hers winged their way In
magic dlrectness into Mary Balrd's
sorrowful heart.
II knew you were worried ..
about money. Member, mother the
day last week when we sat on the set
OF Home, Sweet Home together" the
beautiful chlld's words rushed t0geth-
er IN a torrent of loving confidence.
IAN mother-that big man In the blue
shirt that you said was the dlrectorf
Well, he kept looking at me whenever
spoke TO you. He's a beautiful man,
mother" A pause
"All right, dear-of course he's
beautiful man4 but that doesn't tell
me where you've been to make mother
worry So"
"But you won't need TO worry bout
money any more, mother; cause | met
him an his little boy on the street this
morning. We played together. An
this big director took me over to the
studios an made a test OF my voice.
He held me on his lap while he heard
II run through, an oh, mother He
told me TO run straight home to you
and tell you to bring me out right
away to see Frank Hanway about
contract He's got star child part
for me, he says, mother" l
Mary Baird wasted no time In tears
Of happiness. Knowing great dlree.
tors she rushed to the closet for Doris
best dress and proceeded to capitalize
Lady Luck and her daughter Doris