Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1916)

116 Photoplay Magazine "But who — who did he marry?" June inquired, when she had caught her breath. "Nobody I ever heard of, some Los Angeles girl." "Outside the profession?" "Yes." Goldie's voice took on an ironical note. "Nice home-body I hear, darns socks instead of damns 'em ; the kind that can find any chapter of the Bible in the dark but couldn't locate a highball in broad daylight ; thinks a welsh rabbit's a cousin to a Belgian hare, and — " "Go 'way, you liar," said Elsie, pleasantly, "who wound you up this morning?" Goldie grinned. "It's the gospel ! Romey wanted to settle down and wallow in this fireside stuff. And now look at him ! Ruined for life ! A 'flash' of that might go, but to make a fivereeler of it — ! Ugh ! Please omit flowers !" By this time they had passed through the building and out into the bright sunlight again. But Elaine was scarcely aware of the fact. Nothing was clear before her, she was walking mechanically, praying that she might not scream or faint before she reached her dressing-room. Encountering friends, .the others lingered, but she went on. One or two "extra" people, seeing her face, turned to look after her alarmed, but no one stopped her. Habitual reflexes made her enter her dressing-room — it was in the second tier of the block that contained June's — and lock the door behind her. Then she sat down in the chair before her table and holding her white face in icy fingers, stared stupidly at her reflection in the mirror. It was a seared and writhing soul that looked out at her. Her perfect moment was gone, never to return. The dawn had been rent by a bolt of lightning, the rose blighted, the lyric defiled. . . . After a while her director sent for her. She returned word that she was sick and could not work. [7 LAINE did not know what to do. With hands clenched and teeth set, she was suffering as if her body were wrapped in flame, an agony that seemed insupportable. She was conscious of great roaring sounds and seemed to see foam-flecked bestial teeth flashing at her out of the darkness. She wanted to die. she wanted to kill herself. but she lacked the courage. She began to cry with pain, and flung herself on the sofa in her room, clutching the pillows with fingers that a dozen times in imagination had framed his dear face for kisses. But there was no relief, and at last she could stand it no longer. Sobbing, dishevelled, she crept out of her room and down to June's, for somehow she could not take this to Elsie. June, after an hour's work, was changing her dress, and stepped back with a cry almost of terror as the broken little figure with its tear-stained cheeks and swollen eyes stumbled in unannounced. "Elaine! Darling! What is it?" she' cried. "What has happened?" She threw the dress she held across a chair and opened her arms. The child flung herself into them almost strangling with sobs and wept there speechless. Then the story came out bit by bit. As she listened June's face relaxed, and her eyes grew suddenly old. Facing her own Armageddon of conscience, it seemed a bitter, cruel thing to find the eternal tragedy commencing to repeat itself in this young life. The whole adventure of experience seemed to her suddenly unutterablv sordid and tawdry. And yet, though she could find no solace for herself, the depths of her nature yielded comfort to this bewildered soul. "There, there," she soothed, patting the soft head upon her breast. "Men do these things . . . and we women have to stand them as best we can. But try not to think of him any more, darling. You're young, so young, and the man that is to love you hasn't come yet. But he will, he'll come when it's time." "No. no ! I don't want anybody else. I want him, him! I love him. Oh!" "Yes, dear, I know. I know. But listen. After all, it's you that counts, nobody else. And you must be bigger than these things, we all must. It's all there is in life — to be bigger than life. It's the only way to happiness." About them were the sounds of the studio, hammering, a distant shout, a burst of laughter from a nearby dressing-room. Peopie in bright costume passed now and then, the golden sunlight poured down ; all the accustomed bright externals presented themselves. And the realization came to June that beneath the motley each gay mummer lived this other life of struggle