The Wilmington morning star., 1941-01-15
WRITTEN FOR AND RELEASED BY
CENTRAL PRESS ASSOCIATION

wonder II they'd 1nd YOU Woi I'll
knowing if you weren't a celebrity
I do"
when you take a couple OF
drinks sometimes they make you
feel like something you aren't
The words Vance had spoken IN
her apartment came back to XII.
He had said then there were things
che wouldn't understand. They
we're clear to her now.
81 only told you this, Kit be-
cause, l want you to know that you
can't let your chance 60 Until
you've proved to yourself and the
world what you can do
Kit clasped her hands around her
knees and looked up at him.
Thanks, Vance-thanks for tell
ing me and coming up here to try
to help me. 1 had to run away to
think. And thinking, l can't see
any way to go back and take Sem
bler's money when I give nothing
in return"
You're going to give plenty in
return. You've got a throat, a
voice, a heart and a mind.
Did you eve hear a canary
burst into song when his night
cover is taken off? He doesn't sing,
because he has a contract that
calls for a trill at nine o'clock in
the morning. He sings because he's
part of the sunshine he sees"
Il suppose you think singing IS
as easy as that"
I'm no Webster, but l can tell
you that song is more than a mel
ody. It's something that ONE out
Of your mind and your heart and
your memory as well as your
throat"
'Oh, Vance, if you'd seen what
the critics said"
They're right. You haven't got
anything but a good throat and
good notes. You haven't done any
thing but READ words and music,
something that passed between
your eyes and your throat without
getting anywhere near your emo
tons or your understanding. That
not your fault. It's because you
don't know people,"
Don't know people? Why Vance,
the Sembler audience numbers
Did you ever see 'em? Look
into their faces? Hear the muir
mur of their voices? The clap o.
their hands? Or the silence tina
can follow a song? No! And unit
you see audiences and FEEL them
you won't know how to sing. Yol
aren't going to sing for YOUF
pleasure, you're going to sing fol
them. You're going to put some
thing into a song, THEIR song a
they feel it. Did you ever sing TO
an ~audience?"
I'm a church choir and wher
Fran and I used to co our act
THE congregation had it's bacl
to you and you probably nevel
sang as well as you did when vol
and Fran sang together. You ough
to sing for all kinds of audiences,
tough audiences, sick audiences
demanding audiences! You ough
to see the white faces of sick vet
Grams, the bland faces at men.
conventions, the faces of crippled
children, the amateur night crowds
That's the onl yway you'll grow
up to what they want. Tonal quail
ity be darned. 1t comes from the
heart where you store up joy ant
sorrow and desire and understand
ing"
why didn't I know this befor'
1t was too late?"
you've got an iron-bound con
tract for t~wenty-six weeks more
In that time I'll make d singer GU
of YOU"
Vance! How could your"
I'D fire Heller and turn 20,
over to a guy named Rudy Ar
mendi, who'll browbeat sense ant
song into you. He'll feed you spa
ghetti and red wine and philoso
ply. He'll show you the souls il
people. He'll make you laugh anc
he'll break your heart, and he'll
open your closed little mind t,
what music mean when it is &
part of life. He'll make you sin;
when you think you can't and whe1
you want to, he'll make you lie O,
the floor and mediate. But whe1
he gets through, you'll know tina
singing is more than mouthine
notes and words"
Kit felt excitement b eatin 6
against her ribs.
"I'n do the rest. The whole ide;
may sound crazy, but it make
sense. I'll give you a new nam
and a new start. AS Mary-Mar
Moore, let us say, I'll get you tn
engagements an unknown SINCE
would be glad to get. Then 20,
can go out and really earn a plac
for yourself. Will you do it, Kit?'
She al her fingers through he
hair. IL can't answer you nov
Vance,"
Vance's eyes were suddenl
dead; his voice was Indifferent
"Okay, forget it. When dc thes,
fireworks come OFF,"
Kits glance followed his poin'
ing finger, and she saw the fire
works frames for the first time
Tomorrow night, I suppose. Sur
days the Fourth, yci know. Whs
fun!" Her voice was childish
pleased. It'll carry me back
my kid days. I used to 1--we tn
Fourth. I like the noise, and tn
excitement and the feeling of som,
thing deeper, a significance.
There was something eager an
real in her voice, something tn;