Evening star., 1941-07-28
CHAPTER |.


Jinx, the pop-eyed colored boy,
grinned at me as he slid open the
door.
Evenin'. Miss Rogers"
Good evening"" I said.
Tonight the big night?"
-Yes."
Gonna roll EN- in the aisles?"
"Sure."
Hang out TIA. old S. R. o. slgn?"
"You bet l began to wish that
] hadn't passed all my old copies of
Variety on TO Jinx.
Where's Miss Blanton?"
shes sick" ! said. "and, Incl
dentally, how's chances for ride
down."
His eyes popped now like two
bright marbles. You mean she
amt gonna play tonight?"
No" I said, she amt"
Good Luck"
In a sort of stunned silence he
pIloted the elevator down. At the
lobby door he stood back respect
fully while l stepped out, then AL
most Knocked me over AS he scooted
past me to get to the outside door
He held it open for me.
Good luck he yelled.
Tt was a wonderful night. No
vember had begun TO take itself Sc
riously. and the air was crisp ana
cold There was Smatterlng OF
stars competing timldly with. tne
slow of Times Square 10 blocks
down, A perfect opening night. Inc
theater would be walking with er-
mine and white ties and orchids and
celebrities. Backstage there would
be that breathleSS darkness and the
quiet rustlings from the front OF
the house.
And up in my little three-room
apartment would be Carol, cheated
out of her first opening night by a
case Of laryngitis.
was still fuming helplessly about
II as 7 turned the corner and started
toward the glare of the theater dis
trict If only there had been
something to do for her, something
cr some one to swear at and olame
for it. But voice is a pretty in
tangible something when you just
lose it.
If Carol had tripped on broken
step or been hit by taxi you might
have started suit against the build
ing or beaten the driver to pulp
but YOU can't be very vlndlctlVe
about a sore throat.
I turned the corner of Broadway
and the lights on the marquee OF
the Colony Theater popped OUT at
me. Clinton Bowers they spelled
very simply and proudly, presents
Green Apples with Eve North MY
heart began pounding a nice, Ia
miliar opening might pound ana l
stonped a second in front OF the
theater to look at the shiny new
pictures that had been slid unoer
their glass covers that afternoon.
Monopolizing nearly all the space
Eve North smiled serenly into the
street from three giant photographs.
She looked quite Young win her
hair piled toweringly on the Top
of her head and the still youthtul
contour of her chin outlined against
the frill of her high-necked dress.
Even in black and white you would
know somehow that Ewes halr was
dull henna color and that her eyes
were greenish gray.
Little Carol.
You hardly saw the other pictures
completely overShadowed by the
almost hfe-sized ones of Eve; but
there were two Of Philip Ashley'
smirking a little and looking ike
. handsome. weu-to-do retired busl-
nessman. and a scowling one OF olo
BENJAMIN Kerry just beneath him.
There were two of Steve Brown
and me together, both of us looking
pretty silly. and quite large oRe
of Carol with sort OF tremulous
smile on her lips and her halr III
close cropped ringlets'
Not much like the Carol l mao
left on fourth street. Ihat
carol had been a little huooleo-up
ball in my old terry cloth oathrooe,
her face white and miserable under
@ mon of tangled HAIR, her Ups
twisted into a grimace as she urea
To down the last of my throat cures:
7 had made her take everything l
mad ever heard of in the theater or
h.d learned from my grandmother,
who had had trusty cure LOT every
ailnent from common children
warts to beriberi. =,
II was 7 O'Clock before | flnally
gave up, or rather before Carol olo,
yer tear-stained face had lerKeo
ont of the pillows Call Tommy ,
call him right away. Say can
play." Her voice had been a stranee,
rroaking whisper and she had nelo
her throat in both hands as II she
we're trying to push the WORDS out
It. was then that I had hung out
the white flag. I called Tommy
Nelson. who was the stage manager
for Green Apples" at the theater
This is Haila,' I said. Tommy
Carol can't play tonight,
There was a pause, then Tommy
doomed. What in hell are you talk
ing about"
cts her voice; it's gone. We've
done everything we can and II
hasn't helped. She Just can't play
shes got to play" He sounded
Fnel. as though his words had set
tied the problem and now ne coulo
hang up.
Tommy, I tell you she can't
She can't speak above Whisper
end not a very pretty whisper
either"
"All Fixed"
could almost hear him grlttlne
his teeth in evaporation. "Al
right" he said at last "McDonald'
here. I'll tell her to get ready.
I hung up and went back to Carol
touched her on the shoulder. TT!
all fixed. Tommy says Alice Nc
Donald can 60 on tonight and nj
saws he's sorry and for you to TAXI
rare of yourself and knock 'em deac
tomorrow
She didn't move except to bury
her head deeper in what I sus,
pected was tear-sodden pillow anc
l. L.