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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1917)
."TUNE fled from the tneater. The J chagrined director's words of denun . : elation at her abrupt resignation .were still rinsing in her ears when she reached her room. With an air of ab straction she removed her coat and hat and sat down in the nearest chair. Her head sank down on her two hands and rested there as she tried to assemble her .mattered thoughts. The questions which confronted her were; "What sort of work would she be able to obtain? Could she, on her own accord, manage to get work? Did she wish to continue with this sort bf work? She did not know. , , "-" Her reverie was . Interrupted by the landlady's voice calling her to answer a l' telephone calL D Aubrey's mellow tones came over the wire. June made an ap pointment to take dinner with him, but he said nothing of having given up her work in the chorus. She knew of the reputation which landladies had ac quired for casting an eye of suspicion , upon the girl who was out of work. ine price .01 -one tanner savea, mused June on returning to her room.' She added all of the money she had just drawn, with the exception of .a little change for - her immediate use, to her savings and locked it away in her trunk. "Be merry today, for tomorrow or next ' week I may be sad if I don't eat," quoth sEe. , K -" A glance at the little round raced ; clock on the dresser told her that she 'had six hours to spend before seeing v D Aubrey. Six long hours that must not be spent in' idleness in her present frame of mind. With sudden Inspiration she harried to the wardrobe and laid out the dresses she had worn while singing in the cabaret. . They were showy, gaudy and extreme By Juani in style: suitable only for the purpose they had served.- But the material was good and showed no sign of wear. Choosing two of the gowns, one with a velvet bodice, the other having a full gathered skirt of chiffon and a low cut waist of tulle, June set to work to re model them into one practical dress. She drew up the neck of the velvet bod ice and edged it with a band of fur, converted the .velvet peplin ' into half sleeves, below which dropped a full sleeve of chiffon bordered with fur. To ' the chiffon skirt she added a band of velvet to match the bodice. June, was truly feminine, for even in her hour of distress she did not forget her desire to be pleasing and attractive. She worked with feverish haste to fin ish the garment in time to wear that evening, and , wondered as she worked "if D Aubrey would " find her more at tractive. She was startled from her task by the sound of a rap at the door. At her bidding the frowzy head of the' landlady -appeared. - 'v ? -.0 "There's- a gentleman downstairs to see you, miss," she announced. So absorbed "was June in her work that the hours had slipped by without notice. "See that he is comfortable give him a paper or something to read and tell him 111 be down in a few moments," she instructed as she took the finishing stitch, then severed the thread with her strong,' white teeth. - - -- The sound of the landlady's retreat : Ing ; footsteps , had scarcely died away ere June had disrobed- and hastily bathed. Her hair, naturally wavy and easily arranged, needed but a few strokes of the brush, and then was a Hamel quickly pinned in place. Swiftly 'she completed her toilet. Arrayed in the stunning little frock, she stood for a moment before the mir ror and studied the effect. She was sat isfied tfcat had she spent hours instead of minutes in dressing she would not have looked better. When she descend ed the stairs a few moments later and noted the gleam of admiration In D Au brey's eyes she felt that her efforts had not been in vain. With an indulgent smile he accepted her, apology for having kept him wait ing. As he assisted her to slip Into her coat he said: ' Tm going to ask you to name the place where we shall dine tonight." "Let us go some place where it is quiet. I don't feel in the mood for gay crowds or: ragtime music," June : an swered without hesitation. "There's a quiet Italian restaurant just around the corner from the Clark Theater where Totsie and Dolores and I " often" go. -I could sit for hours and listen to the Ut ile hunchback tenor sing; ..He sings La Donna e Mobile,' from-, 'Rigoletto, with the ardor, of one., who was thoroughly convinced of v woman's infidelity. I'm sure you 'will flnd.it interesting.". She mentioned the name of the street as D Aubrey -helped, her into the wait- 1 ing machine. He gently tucked the robe around her, then found her hand and . held it between two- gloved palms. June 'offered, no resistance; she felt a pleas ing thrill in his touch. Thejrfound no '.end. of things to talk about. "She told of having given up her work, and ex perienced ; a sort of what-did-!t-amount-to-after-all" feeling as he re assuringly patted her hand. , She would manage somehow V They were scarcely seated at the white covered table to which they were ushered at the IItaly Cafe when June heard her name called, and turning found Dolores standing beside her. '- "Well, ain't you the big sport!" she said when she had acknowledged the in troduction to D Aubrey and took the chair he set for her. "Why, you're so dolled up I didn't recognize you at first, Totsie and a friend of hers are over there. She nodded her head toward a table in back of June. "Her friend, he says, "Oee, look at that swell lookln' Jane com In ih,' and me and Totsie both says, Why, that's June I didn't think you really meant to quit this morning, and then you left without seein me. X thought I never was going to see you any more, 'cause I didn't even know where you lived. While I think of It, suppose you give me your address. I am coming out to see you as soon as we' gret through rehearsing. In the mean time. Til be glad to tip you off if I hear of anything in the way of a Job." June.1 gave her the desired address, and aftercchatting for a while watched her rejoin her friends. When she turned her attention again to D' Aubrey she no ticed an amused smile lingering on his countenance. "Queer little girl, isn't she?" he re marked. "Rather amusing, I thought; and prettr, too." A grave expression came over his face as he leaned across the table and looked deep into June's eyes and added, "But X hope we wont be interrupted again.. 1 want yon all to . myself for the rest of the evening." June lowered her eyes. She did not wish D Aubrey to read in them the fad that the sentiment he had just expressed was mutual. (To be continued next week) ' ICoejrrigfct, 11T, by J. Kecferl