Evening star., 1940-09-25

pretty good, Ding ding. You're get
ting pretty good at drawing Bar
rel He showed the drawing to
Anne. You've never seen Barrel,
our drummer, but don't you think
that might look like him?"
1t was slightly out of proportion
drawing of a comic-type fat man,
carefully executed in a rather un-
certain technique. But it was won-
derful for a boy Of 6, and Anne
said so. Ding ding. did you real
ly do it all by yourself?"
Sure" the boy scoffed. Il can
do better ones than that" He scru-
tinized Anne frankly. Say, Pops,
amt this the lady with the. star that
you're always talkin' about?"
Not amt, Ding" Geoff said by
way of answer. Isn't"
Yeah, but it is, Pop" Ding ding
insisted. She's awful pretty, just
like you said she was"
Geof turned harried GRIM
son. Ding ding, you're talking
too much. Run along and ask one
of the boys to give you a cooky or
something" Ding ding obediently
whooped down the hall toward the
kitchen and Geoff stood looking
after him. That's the trouble with
children nowadays" he sighed. "No
shyness in front Of strangers. No
becoming modesty. They talk too
much
A lumpy, bald man in a badly
fitted dinner jacket came by. Geoff
called him in. Anne, this is Mr..
Lemple, the manager Sam. I want
you to meet a great little singer,
Anne Saunders"
At the word Singer" Mr.. Lem
pies cordiality faded abruptly.
"Geoff," he demonstrated, singers
we've already got too many of. I
got no jobs"
Arranges Appearance.
Geoff interrupted loftily. Look.
Mr.. Temple" he said, Miss Saun-
ders is not trying to get job sing
ing. I've written a song that I'd
like to have her introduce here.
Shes guest artist, Sam. You can
listen to her and enjoy it. You're
not paying for it."
So, 1t was finally agreed upon.
Anne sat in an extra chair on the
edge of the orchestra. She watched
Geoff play most of the time be-
cause she still thought it was a
wonder, the way he could play so
effortleSsly. She looked at Barrel
on the drums, too, and found he did
look like the man in Ding -ding's pic
ture. Other times she watched the
people who were beginning to fill up
the place. She noticed that they
were mostly all old customers who
knew the orchestra and they'd speak
to Larry, or one of the boys as they
danced by.
She got thrill when Geoff played
his solo, bathed in blue spotlight,
and the crowd liked it. Then after
the floor show Larry took over the
piano for one number so Geon
could dance with her. you're 60
ing to sing in about five minutes" :"
Geoff told her. We've got a pretty
good audience now"
There was one more number and
then she heard Larry giving her,
and the song, the usual buildup.
She got robust round of applause
when she stepped to the mike, and
few admiring whistles. 1t was a
friendly crowd.
Anna EogJc AUoin
But when she started to sing she
had the same feeling that the audi
ence wasn't with her. She tried
to see them through the binding
light of the yellow spot, but it was
took dark. She sang it as well as
she could, but when she finished
the applause was only half-hearted,
and she went back to her seat, bit
ing her lips to keep her face steady.
After that people dancing by re-
marked to Geoff about his new
song. They liked the song. But
there was never a word about her.
What was the matter with her?
Why didn't audiences respond to
her?
Finally she couldn't stand sitting
there any longer. She slipped of
the bandstand and went back to the
dressing room where she found
Ding-ding eating a solitary supper.
She munched pensively on a sand
wich and Ding-ding showed her
his drawings until Geoff was
through and ready to take them
home.