The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-17
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
wHrrEN FOR AND RELEASED b
CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION

dt
under an open sky, lighted at ire
quent intervals by jagged sheets
of heat lightning Back Of her, the
believing of prize cattle, the rum.
bling of hogs, the neighlng OF
horses mingled with the hoarse
cries of the hawkers, the walls OF
tired children and the sharp snap
of insect wings beating against tne
hot white lights strung around the
platform. The warm air, filled win
the mixed smells of animals ana
sweaty humanity, the roasting corn
and frying hamburgers, wavered
in a yellow, Justified haze beyond
the circle of white lights. This was
the Danfield County Fair.
When Kits turn came, her ac-
companist moved to the piano at
the front of the stage, and voice
said, over the loud speaker:
"Our next entertainer is Miss
Mary Moore, of New York, who
will sing The Gypsy Love Song"
Kit bowed to her audience, saw
Vance in the crowd at the edge OF
the platform, and nodded to her
accompanist.
The familiar words rolled from
her tongue easily and she found
herself thinking, with some amuse-
ment, of Vance's fear that she
would be nervous. Why should he
who was already a star should be
nervous singing at a county fair?
Her cool glance swept the crowd.
Can you hear me hear me
in that dreamland
Where your fancies rove >"
She missed a beat and recovered
quickly She'd missed it because
she realized that there was move
ment at the edges of the crowd
that had packed closely to the
platform; they were moving out at
the edges-away from her.
"Can you hear the song that
tells you
All my hearts true love?"
She bowed her head and smiled
widely before they could see that
she was angry. She had given them
a favorite song and all they had
for her was mild, polite applause.
The couldn't do that to her.
She was Kit Reilly, by whatever
other name they knew her. She
was performer and she would
not let them get away. She said,
What would you like me to sing?"
The circle closed in again. She
felt their interest revive and it
made her feel proud of her power
to bring them back when she had
failed with them.
A timid voice said, How about
Moonlight Bay Miss?"
'Memories!"
''Put on Your Old Gray Bon
net!"
She didn't know the words. but
she could fake them if she could
make them sing with her. She
said, "All right but you'll
have to sing with me. Well have
the Gray Bonnet first"
The pianist struck the opening
chord and Kit picked up the song:
She was singing alone. She got
as far as Hitch old Dobbin to the
shay" She couldn't remember the
next line.
"A lusty voice-Vance's voice
picked up the refrain and Kit sang
along with him. A few voices Joined
in; the crowd finished the song.
Kit gave them two more songs
and took a final bow.
In the car she said to Vance,
did they make me mad! But ]
guess knew how to handle them.
I got them back, didn't II"
'What you did, baby, wasn't as
important as what they did for
you, if you know what I mean?"
''But, I don't!"
'@You'n find out for yourself.
That's the reason we are trying
this noble experiment. After you've
done the turns I've arranged for
you, you'll find that you can feel
what people want. Then. you won't
be an entity on the stage, you'll be
part Of your own audience"
What else have you got for
me?"
''Your next job will be to sing at
veterans hospital. After that,
there's a Railroad Mems associa.
ton banquet in Carnarsie, a musi-
cal afternoon at woman's club in
Montclair. an Elks' picnic, a
church supper in Haddam and a
couple of others
variety is the spice of life, and
that certainly is variety. I hope I
do learn whatever it is you feel is
necessary"
"You will" he promised.
But he had TO point it out to her
the day after she sang for the vet
Grams.
'1 flopped horribly" she said
unhappily. They liked it we'll
enough, but when that dumpy little
woman-with no voice at all-fol-
lowed me and sang. Smiles and
Look for the Silver Lining they
tore the place down. If l could
only understand it. Vance, I want
ed to do so much for them. Their
poor, wasted faces, and their thin
bodies made me want to cry. l
wanted to do something I'd never
done before, but I couldn't do for
them what that other woman did.
Why?"
Don't take it so hard, Kit.
You're learning already. Thei,
faces, and the faces of those peo.
pie at the county fair are fixec
forever in your memory. There'I
be other faces to add to that gal.
Iery, and the time will come when
You'll know that VOL are oiuino