Part 12 (1/2)

The girl rose. ”It is one-thirty,” she said. ”Perhaps I had better be starting. Do I have to have a pa.s.s or something of that sort in order to be admitted to the theaters?”

Mr. Jewett also rose and pinned a badge under the lapel of the girl's jacket. ”Show that,” he told her, ”and it will be all the pa.s.s that you will need.”

Then as he held open the door, he smilingly added, ”Good luck to you, Miss Dolittle Vandergrift.”

Bobs flashed a merry smile back at the young man. ”I sincerely hope that I will do more than I did last time,” she said, but, when she was seated in the taxi which was to take her to her destination on Broadway, her thoughts were not of the little would-be actress, but of Gwendolyn. Day after day Roberta had noted that, try as she might to be cheerful, her oldest sister, the one who had been Mother to them all, grew sadder and more troubled.

”Glow will not be really happy,” Bobs was thinking, ”until Gwen comes back to us. I cannot see where she can be, for she had only one month's allowance with her and she could not live long on that.”

Bobs' reverie was suddenly interrupted by the stopping of the taxi, and, looking up, the girl found that they were in front of one of the festively adorned theaters. With a rapidly beating heart, she descended to the walk, made her way through the throng, showed her badge and was admitted. At her request an usher led her behind the scenes.

Bobs felt as though she were on the brink of some momentous discovery.

CHAPTER XVII.

BOBS TRIES ACTING

When they were behind the scenes, a short, flas.h.i.+ly attired man advanced to meet Roberta and the usher departed. For one panicky moment Bobs wondered whether she should tell that she was a detective. Would the director wish her to interfere with his plans, as she undoubtedly would be doing were she to take from him one of his chorus girls?

The alert little man, however, did not need to be told, for he had caught a glimpse of Roberta's badge when a projecting bit of scenery had for a moment pulled at her coat.

Rubbing his hands, and smiling ingratiatingly, he said in a voice of oily smoothness: ”Is it one of our girls, ma'am, that you're wis.h.i.+ng to see?”

Bob realized that he had guessed her mission and so she thought best to be perfectly frank with him and tell the whole story. The little man seemed greatly relieved, and shook his head many times as he talked. ”No such girl here,” he a.s.sured her. ”I'd turn her over to her Ma if there was. Come and see.”

The small man spun around with the suddenness of a top, and Bobs could not help thinking that his build suggested the shape of that toy. Then he darted away, dodging the painted trees with great dexterity, leading the way down dark aisles among the scenes that were not to be used that day.

At last they reached the dressing rooms. ”Look in all of 'em,” he said.

”Don't knock. Just walk in.”

Then, with a flourish of his plump diamond-bedecked hands, which seemed to bestow upon her the freedom of the place, the small man gave another of his top-like spins and disappeared among the scenery.

Roberta found herself standing near a door on which was a large gilt star.

No need to go in there, she decided, for of course the girl whom she sought would not be the company's star, but since she had the open sesame of all the rooms, why not enter? She had always been wild to go behind the scenes when she and her sisters had been seated in a box in this very theater.

Little had she dreamed in those days that now seemed so far in the past, that day would come when she would be behind the scenes in the role of an amateur detective.

As Roberta stood gazing at the closed door, she saw it open and a maid, dressed trimly in black and white, hurried out, leaving the door ajar.

Glancing in, Bobs saw a truly beautiful young woman lounging in a comfortable chair in front of a long mirror. The maid had evidently been arranging her hair. Several elaborate gowns were hanging about the room.

Suddenly Roberta flushed, for she realized that a pair of darkly lashed eyes were observing her in the mirror. Then the beautiful face smiled and a slim white hand beckoned.

Entering the small dressing room, Roberta also smiled into the mirror.

”Forgive me for gazing so rudely,” she apologized, ”but all my life I have wished that I might meet a real star.”

The young woman turned and with a graceful yet indolent gesture bade Roberta be seated on a low chair that was facing her.

”Don't!” was all that she said, and the visitor thought that even that harsh word was like music, so deep and rich was the voice that uttered it.