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given 'em the real Mrs。 Fiske laugh。 Loan me a handkerchief； Lynn。 Gee！
but those Long Island trains are fierce。 I've got enough soft…coal cinders on
my face to go on and play Topsy without using the cork。 And； speaking of
corks got anything to drink； Lynn？〃
Miss D'Armande opened a door of the wash…stand and took out a
bottle。
〃There's nearly a pint of Manhattan。 There's a cluster of carnations in
the drinking glass； but 〃
〃Oh； pass the bottle。 Save the glass for com… pany。 Thanks！ That hits
the spot。 The same to you。 My first drink in three months！〃
〃Yes； Lynn； I quit the stage at the end of last season。 I quit it because I
was sick of the life。 And especially because my heart and soul were sick of
men of the kind of men we stage people have to be up against。 You know
what the game is to us it's a fight against 'em all the way down the line
from the manager who wants us to try his new motor…car to the bill…posters
who want to call us by our front names。
〃And the men we have to meet after the show are the worst of all。 The
stage…door kind； and the man… ager's friends who take us to supper and
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show their diamonds and talk about seeing 'Dan' and 'Dave' and 'Charlie'
for us。 They're beasts； and I hate 'em。
〃I tell you； Lynn； it's the girls like us on the stage that ought to be
pitied。 It's girls from good homes that are honestly ambitious and work
hard to rise in the profession； but never do get there。 You bear a lot of
sympathy sloshed around on chorus girls and their fifteen dollars a week。
Piffle！ There ain't a sorrow in the chorus that a lobster cannot heal。
〃If there's any tears to shed； let 'em fall for the actress that gets a salary
of from thirty to forty…five dollars a week for taking a leading part in a
bum show。 She knows she'll never do any better； but she hangs on for
years； hoping for the 'chance I that never comes。
〃And the fool plays we have to work in！ Having another girl roll you
around the stage by the hind legs in a 'Wheelbarrow Chorus' in a musical
comedy is dignified drama compared with the idiotic things I've had to do
in the thirty…centers。
〃But what I hated most was the men the men leering and blathering
at you across tables； trying to buy you with Wurzburger or Extra Dry；
accord… ing to their estimate of your price。 And the men in the audiences；
clapping； yelling； snarling； crowding； writhing； gloating like a lot of
wild beasts； with their eyes fixed on you； ready to eat you up if you come
in reach of their claws。 Oh； how I hate 'em！
〃Well； I'm not telling you much about myself； am I； Lynn ？
〃I had two hundred dollars saved up； and I cut the stage the first of the
summer。 I went over on Long Island and found the sweetest little village
that ever was； called Soundport； right on the water。 I was going to spend
the summer there； and study up on elocution； and try to get a class in the
fall。 There was an old widow lady with a cottage near the beach who
sometimes rented a room or two just for com… pany； and she took me in。
She had another boarder； too the Reverend Arthur Lyle。
〃Yes； he was the head…liner。 You're on； Lynn。 I'll tell you all of it in a
minute。 It's only a one…act play。
〃The first time he walked on； Lynn； I felt myself going； the first lines
he spoke； he had me。 He was different from the men in audiences。 He was
tall and slim； and you never heard him come in the room； but you felt him。
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He had a face like a picture of a knight like one of that Round Table
bunch and a voice like a 'cello solo。 And his manners！
〃Lynn； if you'd take John Drew in his best draw… ing…room scene and
compare the two； you'd have John arrested for disturbing the peace。
〃I'll spare you the particulars； but in less than a month Arthur and I
were engaged。 He preached at a little one…night stand of a Methodist
church。 There was to be a parsonage the size of a lunch…wagon； and hens
and honeysuckles when we were married。 Ar… thur used to preach to me a
good deal about Heaven； but be never could get my mind quite off those
honey… suckles and hens。
〃No； I didn't tell him I'd been on the stage。 I hated the business and all
that went with it； I'd cut it out forever； and I didn't see any use of stirring
things up。 I was a good girl； and I didn't have any… thing to confess； except
being an elocutionist； and that was about all the strain my conscience
would stand。
〃Oh； I tell you； Lynn； I was happy。 I sang in the choir and attended the
sewing society； and re… cited that 'Annie Laurie' thing with the whistling
stunt in it； 'in a manner bordering upon the profes… sional；' as the weekly
village paper reported it。 And Arthur and I went rowing； and walking in
the woods； and clamming； and that poky little village seemed to me the
best place in the world。 I'd have been happy to live there always； too； if
〃But one morning old Mrs。 Gurley； the widow lady； got gossipy while
I was helping her string beans on the back porch； and began to gush
information； as folks who rent out their rooms usually do。 Mr。 Lyle was
her idea of a saint on earth as he was mine； too。 She went over all his
virtues and graces； and wound up by telling me that Arthur had had an ex…
tremely romantic love…affair； not long before； that had ended unhappily。
She didn't seem to be on to the de… tails； but she knew that he had been hit
pretty hard。 He was paler and thinner； she said； and he had some kind of a
remembrance or keepsake of the lady in a little rosewood box that he kept
locked in his desk drawer in his study。
〃'Several times；〃 says she； 〃I've seen him gloomerin' over that box of
evenings； and he always locks it up right away if anybody comes into the
room。'
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〃Well； you can imagine how long it was before I got Arthur by the
wrist and led him down stage and hissed in his ear。
〃That same afternoon we were lazying around in a boat among the
water…lilies at the edge of the bay。
〃'Arthur；' says I； 'you never told me you'd had another love…affair。 But
Mrs。 Gurley did；' I went on； to