Evening star., 1936-04-11

on it. But, when all Of Black-eyed
Susan's friends on her wedding night
invited themselves In to make merry
In her Paris hat shop in the second
act, Tamara accomplished the delivery
of her three sentences successfully
night after night. A kindly news
paper man said in his review, "minor
parts and by an exquisite new
conner, Tamara Todhunter," and
"Wolo," who sketched all sorts Of per-
sons daily and paid them each q dol
lar for coming in to identify them
selves in the Chronicle Office, did a
picture Of her having q soda in the
Owl drug store and afterward de-
scribed her as that promising little
native actress" "a
Then came a long. dull. fAe Summer
interval. and then September again
with warmer. MINDLESS weather. and
Mayne back. Tamara met him at
the airport and went up to his hotel
rooms. his recognized girl" He
kissed her quite simply when they
met, and they talked together with
the eager rush OF two persons whose
thoughts never had been separated.
but at the st. Francis other friends
were all about; there were cocktails
and much eager welcoming: they had
no moment alone. All the women
kissed Mayne, as they got the Holly
wood gossip and scattered themselves
over his suite. smoking. drinking, max
ing themselves entirely at home. And
afterward every one went out to the
Holloways.
Late in the evening-it was not
yet midnight-Mayne and Tamara
walked home. Mayne was to be in
the city for weeks; a new manager
named Burton was putting on show
and Mayne was to have the lead and
Tamara a little part. The romantic
possibility actually of playing in the
same cast with him had filled the
girls cup of felicity to overf1owing.
Tonight, If he came upstairs at the
Valhalla-But no, he couldn't do that.
for Lance was in bed with cold and
would be sound asleep in the very
center of the sitting room. But any
way. some day and some place and
somehow very soon she and Mayne
would be alone and then he would
kiss her again. Her whole being hun
gered for those kisses; her breath
stopped when she thought OF them.
"Persis and Joe are lovely people,
aren't they, Mayne?"
Grand"
"Is their little boy cute?"
"Oh, he's fine little fellow. He's
with Polling now"
"Poling?"
His father"
"Oh." A pause. isn't Joe his
father?"
Joe? Lord. no. Joe likes him.
though. Polling lets Persis have him
for visits. Poling'S been decent enough
through it all. I believe he and Joe
talked about it,"
Then PerSiS Is divorced?"
II think 1t amounts to that"
Tamara sent him a bright flash Of
a glance in the warm moonlight.
1T must amount to that" she said,
laughing. "if she's married to joe"
There was a short silence. Then
Mayne said mildly:
"Persis and Joe aren't married
Tam. Did you think they were?"
Tamara stopped short. 1t was too
dark for him to see her flush, but he
knew from her thick tone that she
was flushing.
"Arent?" she asked blankly.
mo Did you think they were?"
"Well, but OF course" Tamara said
slowly.
They walked on; they were in the
streets of Chinatown that were still
surging with animated and chatter
ing life Mayne held tightly to Ia
mara's arm: when he spoke there was
a faint hint of amusement in his
voice.
Does 1t matter so much?"
"Well, no-I suppose it doesn't
really" Tamara answered heSi-
tatingly.
"Persis married Clifford Polling
when she was quite young" Mayne
said. "She's the kind of woman all
men admire. but she stuck to Polling
for seven years; he's a good deal of
a dud. Then she went abroad and
met Joe Holloway-he came barging
out of Arizona or Texas or somewhere
he'd been working in Paris. He
painted Persis and they went around
together and the things was done.
I never saw people so much in love:
it was like fire burning them both
up. Persis came back and Joe fol-
lowed; We all knew 1t. It went on for
about a year and 1t was an awful
year for every one. And about two
years ago they went to Cliff and told
him and they came up here. They
didn't want anything in the world
but each other and they just-walked
of together"
I'm sorry!" Tamara exclaimed i'm
pulsively under her breath. The man
leaned over a little to hear her.
you're sorry? Why?"
ooh, I don't know. But I am. I
mean-I like them both, and I'll go on