The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-30

sneered. Dolores Fenton, the best
assistant magician ever bad, the
girl with the SWEETEST pair of legs in
vaudeville. is turnin' yellowl"
mot yellow, Jake" She smiled
through her tears. "Just tired. I
really amt licked. I'm just tired.
Jake, do you think I might see
Douglas? Dc you think he's-hes
alive? You know. He disappeared
so sudden And he wasn't drunk
because I checked every speakeasy
in the Forties. Maybe somebody
knocked him Off"
"EORCET it'll" Jake barked. mo
Il body would knock him off.
He was too good in his act. No.
He disappeared because he was the
victim of as-asofeti-no, aspha-
STA. That's pretty good one on
me. I always get them two words
mixed up"
"Yeh. That's what Douglas was
suffering Asphasia or amnesia.
You remember how he acted just
before he disappeared? Sort of alb
sentminded. And worrying. When
does my time start, Jake?"
Tomorrow Jake told her. "Hey,
Dolores. You got any nut? Got
anything left in your crouch bag?
Because if you amt I can let you
have an advance on this bookin'.
or on a couple of bookins.
''Jake!" Dolores got up and gave
little tug on the bored Toby's
leash. why are you SO decent to
me? You're always coming through
with bookings. And that's the
flftieth time you've offered me
money. Advancesl You know I got
one chance in a million of getting
any kind of booking. Why do you
do it?"
"Dolo," he said, IT do it because
1 like you. do it because Douglas
was one of the best friends 1 ever
had. When I was just a scared
little Jew boy, tryin' to break into
show business, he taught me the
ropes. He gave me my first COM
mission. He let me book him. Him,
one of the highest paid acts on the
Big Apple" He stopped and his
grin widened. "Or maybe it's be-
cause of some of those meals you
used to cook. Boy, Dclo, you sure
can cook"
q n
DOLORES looked at him. She
~ bent down and kissed him. She
walked out with Toby without a look
behind.
She was working at 2 next after
noon. She looked much better on
the stage than she did in street
clothes. She wore a velvet suit
with very short shorts and, as Jake
had reminded her, she had a spret-
ty pair of legs as vaudeville could
boast. Toby looked better, too. He
was washed and whitened.
He had the great actors tempera-
ment, which swells when it gets in
front of an audience. He was
talking dog. His routine consisted
Of answering questions, all having
to do with numbers. He gave them
correctly by barking the required
number of times.
Franklin Furnace was no Broad
way and the theater was no Palace.
1t was the merest frame for a
moving picture frame, lit by a small
row of footlights. But Dolores didn't
care. She was working and in
Douglas home town. She put Toby
through his routine in voice which
she fondly imagined was like Lady
We're de Vere'S. But her soul was
not in her task. 1t was out there
in the audience, searching for her
husband.
Three years since she had seen
him! Sometimes, in the night, in
some cheap theatrical hotel, she
would wake up shaking, her head
over on the pillow, seeking Doug
las head. Sometimes, working like
she was working now, she would
hear his sharp, petulant voice.
Snap that up!" He'd CRATE you,
Tooy! Up on your hind legs. Bark
loud!" Sometimes, like yesterday, s.
wave of tiredness would sweep
over her body and her mind and
she would want to lie right down
and die. What was the use of liv-
ing when her man was gone? She'd
give the rest of her life for another
day with Douglas.
% q
A ND sometimes, like today,
"A she would feel Douglass. She
would feel he was still somewhere
in the world, even after his mysteri-
Gus and tragic disappearance three
years ago. Yes, she could feel
Douglas. She could almost see him.
The feeling was SO strong and sharp
that she stopped her act dead in
the middle, leaving Toby standing
on his hind legs. He sank back
on his launches while Dolores
stared frantically into the half
darkened theater. Then.
SNAP that up!" She heard.
"You, Toby! Up on your hind legs"
Bark loud How long since you've
seen me, Toby?"
Wool" Toby roared, springing
upon his legs and then falling as
his wildly wagging tail threw him.
Wool! Wool"
"Douglas!" Dolores walled and
made as if to leap over the foot
lights"
"On with your act. Baby. Up.
Tobyl"
She saw a tall. dark man strid-
ing down the aisle toward her. She
was suddenly tired. She slumpsd
to the floor as he stepped across
the lights and took her In his arms
"Curtainl" he ordered into the
wings. God, what an actl Maybe
we can routine it."
ssWo0ftn harked THOhv &c the ciIr-