Evening star., 1940-09-25
"Do you mean it's good?'

She had stuck the tiny rhinestone
star pin in her hair. Why. Mr..
Ayres, what a surprise! I didn't
think you'd remember where I lived"
mot remember? Why, I've been
working for you all week And I've
got it right here the great
est song in 10 years!' Anne
looked surprised and he added,
Among my songs, anyway" For
moment he seemed to lose shade of
his breezy confidence as he opened
the portfolio. Remember I said
I'd write song for you? II hope
YOU don't mind. You know, some
times I meet people who kind of
inspire me, and so 1 write song"
Goodness" Anne exclaimed. Il
think it's an honor to have some one
go to all the trouble of writing a
song for mel She wouldn't enter
tain for a moment, the thought that
this little-boy shyness might be just
another facet of what she had called
his line. She only felt glowingly
pleased and slightly motherly as she
led him toward Mrs. Monohan's old
upright. Il just can't wait to hear
1t, Geoff."
Calls 1t Star Song.
II was a plaintive little melody
with oddly appealing lyrics, he had
called 1t simply. "Star-Song." He
sang it in a lazy. breathless way,
smiling at her. and Anne felt her
self reluctantly stirred. 1t was a
good song-very effective.
When he finished, she said, Its
beautiful, Geoff" He said, sit
down here and sing it. Its easy
She hesitated. you've never heard
me sing or you wouldn't ask me"
But he pulled her down to the bench
and she sang softly at first, until she
was sure of the time.
Geoff looked on approvingly and
when she finished he took her by
the shoulders and looked very serl-
Gus. Listen, my child. Why in
the devil do you want to be an &C
tress when you've got voice like
that?"
Anne's eyes were wide with a
very real surprise. DO you mean
It's good?" she asked.
Good! Why Anne, if you had
q little experience in selling a song,
you could be terrific. I'm not kid
ding!"
She laughed. I'm not so sure
of that. 1t probably sounds good
because your song is so swell And
beside, I'm an actress, not a singerH
Geoff said, well, no matter how
good your acting is, you're still
singer. Look, I've got an idea. 1
Just meant to drop in and bring my
song because I've got to work
tonight. But why don't you come
along and I'll get the manager to
let you sing one song and we'll see
what happens. How about it?"
"But I don't understand, Geotf.
Where do you work?'
Song Writers Must Eat.
"Oh, 1 thought I told you. I'm
pianist in Larry Sutton's Band at
the Thirteen Hundred Club. Sure,
a song writer's got to eat, too He
erinned and went on. wouldn't
you like to sing once with an or
chestra?"
TT seemr kind of silly" Anne
said. ME singing, I mean"
well, you're not going to let
anything scare you, 1 hope. I'd
kind OF like to show off our new
song and I think it'd be nice to
have you sing it."
In the end, she went with him,
Ia the little yellow roadster, ex-
cited IN spite of telling herself that
It was all for fun. They had gone
over the song q few more times
vntil Anne was sure of the lyrics.
At the club, they went through
the employees entrance into the
kitchen and down short hall to
the entertainers dressing rooms.
Anne peeked through the archway
into the main room where walters
were setting tables and arranging
chairs. 1t was the silent, bustling
half-hour before opening. Geoff
pushed open the door of the end
room. A little boy, playing on the
floor, jumped up and tackled him
somewhere around the knees.
Pops" he shouted Look, I
drew a picture of Barrell!"
Geoff took the grimy sheet of
paper in one hand and the child by
the other. We'll look at it in a
minute, Ding ding, but first want
you to say hello to Miss Anne
Sa,inderS'