y,..‘..wnntl W0! built for com- . .mnys when success seem- -;.. trtfitcherous sense of M him to ravens the roles i.-»-.v the audience in its ea- iy. nid pals surveying him said "You look funny . . 'unny. But somehow yell .» llli‘ grads." v. . i.» brightened as he add- .' .. ,g'q int) new. It's the old 1. .n honL They know them you when they ought to m A i L \tnml. with the prospect of L. ruro him. sat on a park bright noon sunshine of ..- . l'n and surveyed the world .. t My eyes. Nurses in chat- k. .,. conveyed their small . i him on the WI? home in ~ "r‘ing's plly and B‘ last - ' .. i‘iiii‘i‘ in be alone l‘l. IN” . ., 1 t w r to the monkey cages. u v» .\ iv :ur he had been await- , prim-a recreation. unlike his .1. mnurietl seclusion. An recognising his daily . .- ..- forward and thrust out . . .,, us: he directed a plead- iwitiiril I. ht. (if peanuts .n- :‘ril (rum Bert's What. up i.“ licrt laughed at the [illiliirlfl "(‘ome on. Do .‘ I ha tossed a marble r. .rs Th0 monkey caught '1‘ . :lvxtrnusly and throw it lii‘rt squatted. thrust unril Ill faithful lmiiailon. "iillil" in an outstretched .‘hv . .1. , . mrimi it with simian grav- i sini'r." A voice at. 5, i' i. r sliiin him around. “Can «if ll?" -. i1‘icnt'd to an erect posi- . 7"r'k and looked at his lull, lanky man with I‘VI‘I. n: the monk can." he re- “Unly they'd pinch me i r . u nons? Acrobat ain't you?" . lliri answered. "Learned .' . u no it kid." n' v lmnklngs?" .I‘Il lifl. risked defensively. ' .wn't we might do some- - . '..il'. PM! got to beat it i-.' i.- a turn down at tho Palace. n ,nt an not all right that will .. kmut. Come around to- ml 1‘” show ‘lt to you. Ayros VimO and I‘m staying at the ' you think we can do it we'll . “fry. it'll need the two of us. M ii! it?" im there. Say eleven?“ r'.".i, See you later." nut morning Bortlooksd up as dart“! finished speaking. The Mrirs and delicious humor of a. 1i (i him awed and wlltfill. i‘iw'k-Out." he said husklly. . Hie-lip has got to be a. good . n- iin‘t a mask in the coun- -i> ilvl [PC by." ‘ ' i know where we Can have i" lIw‘r hear of Anton?" his head. . ~ uonr‘ier if you can keep him ,, whisky long enough and . -. iimt can do it. WhY. he make a mask that would fool i. . i“ »‘ uri‘“ lmnt ape-like. thrust his -.i and iuggied a chair with . gravity. Harry Ayres burst ._. any you should be a mon- rimi. "You look like one. a ~ ink nnd gloves no one could "i ri'ni‘e." In , war-«h. inter passengers on a ; ' m: into Chicago were i a an the door of a drawing- .md an ape emerge in the .» ' its master. Had It. not boot: , . . attached to its wrist. and .‘ml. aged countenance be- i. m hat, he would have oeem- ‘ ’i mm“, lhnmblln‘ little hi]. it ’i was able to indulge a desire , n and comfort. " m: were as smartly tailored ' Hm men among whom he .3 ".“v rm sure. his vast was a in ‘ia trousers W0" A b“ Hm shining silk hat was a but these were minor " ivirdOhEd by bl. simian l hisic'l. r... ‘ vino." a man explained to 'i on "In vaudeville. The? ' "w :1 wonder." ~ ’ . “rho-r added. "Makes you " fir we‘ve come after all. ., ‘~ vven selects his clothes." . rlnthrs. his food. UV.“ ' o in ties and vuts. were ,-. , mi the publicity in which (mind the press so will- i... i _ . . I - .. .m Masie mm tho-thr- ‘ ’ . "l’iPanLK in Chicago. She 'i ' i: in the wings. and h“ "w r was fixing the respoa~ ‘vir failure as Bert and I‘V‘" l ’1' " you think ..~ .. growled. l» "M, lay off.” M 'hm' r the mumbll “a“ is 't' :rurllce had!!! ”I". 5'. n Jim! I. kld." on." the 01h" m I In’Hl bulk)”. all!“ “I” ”3' “ 2‘” have forgotten m. it" ‘iavi not on ones. “u 4.2.x. that evening III W m. They stood in ‘1' Int! watched h” M m ”wrung under the m “C” . I‘M Int—m “W h A'Y'rmri‘s to instill ‘h- . ‘rnewnm [m M u . . nil: in Mast. to “lives *‘w 54 her pitiful “fin.” ' mm of tho mes I! *m “in “when her witbwu‘r 'i a . . fi" ’fi . J _ l l" erg-3. this "i:- . ‘JV' ""' nothing is b‘ B"?! mutter“ t. “finer Itudi‘ I [0‘ lo.. ,,. .. with M.” . J Flaming Hate—Jealousy. iv. “She's young for one thing. and she can dance.“ ' ”I suppose you think you're the man that could do it,” Bert anecred. "rm not saying I couldn't. What‘s it to you?” “Nothing—except she’s decent and you‘re a dirty. cold-blooded fish." "0h. is that so?" Harry demanded. beiligerently. "I suppose you think she'd like a monkey hotter. Try it and see how far you‘d get." Mr a moment the two men faced each other, equally startled by the es- mlty which had flashed out between them. Then Barry laughed. "Let's cut it!" he exclaimed. "What does that doll-faced kid mean to us?" Both men draw back from tho pre- cipice of anger, recalled by a knowl- edge that in open warfare lay mutual disaster. Two days went by and then one afternoon as the monkey and the man made their way off stage Bert sur- prised a look between Harry and the girl. This time Bert said nothing, but afterward in the dressing-room, when Harry did not join him at once as was his custom. Bert stepped out. Harry and Masie were holding a low-voiced conversation down the hall. Bert. unconscious of his make-up or his shambllng gait, walked toward them. "Oh. Ayn-s!” one of the other actors called. "Your monkey's waiting for you." When they reached their rooms Bert turned savagely upon his partner. "50 you couldn't let her alone," he said. “\Vhst‘s that to manded. "Nothing. except I ain't going to let you do it." "You ain't!" The laugh which fol- lowed carried a taunt which stung. “I'd like to see you stop me. Go ahead. l‘d like to see a monkey making love.” Bert went to his own room and shut. the door. He did not see his partner again until he entered with a tray. It was half an hour before his usual time for dinner. "In a hurry, aren‘t you?” Bert sug- gested. "Sure. I got a date. Remember. l'm not. playing a twenty~four-hour you?" Harry da- "Jtlst what do you mean by that?" "Whatever you want to make of it." Harry answered lightly. "But I told the management that when I go out 1 look you in. They don't want ladies frightened by a monkey in the halls." Bert clenched his hands and only his throbbing temples ton ‘his pai- slon. "I may go on_ a two-a-day schedhle myself." he answered evenly. “Or nothing at all.” Barry added. “The way you were when I picked you up. Well. so long. I never keep a lady waiting." With an airy wove of his hand he left the room. There had been a de- iiborato taunt in the words and the gesture which left Bert in a. helpless rage. The girl was watching an act on the stage and as Bert came near her a descending scene almost struck her shoulder. He lunged forward and pulled her from its path. She stared at him and shrank back. Bert re- leased his grip. suddenly conscious of his make-up. and then Harry was at their side. "Don‘t be afraid," he laughed. “The monk is harmless. Why. Chino is a hero when it comes to rescuing ladies." Bert glared up into the laughing eyes of his partner. For a moment he hated them both. hated the girl as much for her senseless cringing as ho tingle Drama By Kathrcne Gedney Pinkerton As Dramatic as the Title—A Tale of fierce Suppressions— " he demanded. ”No. it's only out front they believe that. But I thought—" "You thought I was some sort of freak." he finish” gnmly. “Well. rm not. And I want to talk to you. Not here. Bone place where I don't have to wear this make-up. How about to- night fer dinner?“ "I'm sorry. but I‘ve got a data" "With Ann? I see. He works fast. Then make it tomorrow morning. How about eleven. I'll call at your hotel." The next morning Bert sent his name up to Music. Sb. «me down almost at ohce and tho startled look she gave his erect figure as he walked toward her was vividly indicative of the strange object for which she had been prepared. "How did you think I was going to look?“ he lslmd curtly. “1—! didn‘t know." She stammer- a little. “Not so good looking. some- how. Why do you do the other?" "The monkey make-up?" He laugh- ed at her little grimace. "Because it pays. lie-beauty doesn't get you any- where in vaudeville. You look differ- ent yourself." be added. "Sort of old~ er. i thought you were a kid." “Is that going to make it harder for you to row at me?” “1 might have known.” she mar-t ed as she laid a- ‘impulsivo arm on his arfik “You're good—tee gohd.“ she added. “that's on I ootllds't do it. You get nothing out of it. There's no way I could pl? you back. New Harry goes something out of making people. That's what he says he can do with me But first he's got to leash his new to live.” "um hive for him. you mean. And when he’s through with you he will throw you dowt, Don‘t you sup- pose i know him? tsetse. Haste. Do you care about him?" For a moment she did sot answer. as she pulled her long gloves through straining buffs. “i don't t ink you've got a right to. ask that question.” she ventured at last. Bert stepped closu- until his moody eyes stared straight into hers. "Hoyle I've got a better right than anyone you know." he said slowly. "It's an easy question to answer." “but it isn't.“ she broke in. guess i don‘t even know myself. I don't think he’s good or gentle or even kind. But there's eomethir. in him that makes you do what he was:- you to. Do you get what I meant" Bert nodded. "I guess." sho woht on with a strange dreamlnese of expression. "folks like you and me need that kind to put us over. We don't seem to get anywhere by ourselves." Bert med. “Do you think it was that way with me?" he demanded. wratbfully. "Did he say that about our set?" "W'ell, you weren‘t working when he picked you up." "But the stuff was mine. He didn't add a new bit of business to it.” "No. but he showed you how to has it." "Yes. and he got fifty-fifty for the idea. You're right when you say you can pay him back. He sees that you do it all right. Go on! .Try it! You'll find there‘s something worse than "I “What m s you think 1 m ‘9. teaching dancing." ing to do at?" he demanded in Made need him and tom years of amasement. revolt against monotony and drudgery "You've done nothing but glowor flared in her eyes. every time you've come near me for a week.” “What shall we do first?" He charged the subject. "Let's go sumo- where we can talk.” "One of the parks." she suggested. "I'd like to walk along the lake shore." He called a taxi and helped her in and they said nothln; of what he wished to say until they were strid- ing across the grass. Then he burst into it roughly. "Why do you mix in this game at. all? You're not the kind that ought to do it." "You mean I can't?“ she challenged “W'hy do you want to? Don't you see you're different. that you've got something that‘s a whole lot better?" "Yes. but that don't make my liv- ing." she answered. bitterly. ”Ain't there any other way you can make it?" "reaching dancing in a. small town. i did that for four years I‘d do any- thing rather than go back." "Even the kind of things you're go- ing to have to do to get the act over‘r' he asked incredulously. "I guess that”. not going to worry me very long. Davis says they're only waiting until they can send something else before they close the act." "Where do you go to-morrowf" “Milwaukee. You're playing the same town. aren't you?” Bert nodded. "i suppose that's where they'll close us." she went on listlessly. “Nobody thinks we’ve got. a chance." “It’s a bum act anyway. I don't see how they ever got it on. But look here. What's going to happen to you then?" "I don't know." perate note in her voice. I'm trying to find out." "Find outi How?" he demanded. harshly. "Look here. kid. Don't you go and do something foolish. There ain‘t any one on the bill but says yOu can dance." "Yes, the one-two-three-four kind of dancing. the kind I taught those knock-kneed youngsters. But I can't get ginger into the audience. \Vhen it comes to getting it over l'm a frost" Bert looked thoughtful. He could no more have agreed with her than he could have struck a child. There was a des- "That's what “You're dines-ant." he said. “lost of “There couldn't be!" she declared. with a fiercencss which stiffened the small. trim body. “Nothing could be worse than that. But anyway“ 1 haven't done it yet. Maybe I won't have to. Come on. We’ve got to hurry if we're going to get anything to eat." Bert found his pacing his room. "“‘hero do you get this stuff?" Harry demanded. “\‘Vhat are You trying to do. throw the act?" "I thought I‘d give you a chance to play the monkey and see how you liked it." “Oh. I guess l'm not the one who played it this morning. Anywa)’. Your stuff’s safe. I don't suppose there's another man in the country who could do it." Bert turned to survey his persecu- tor thoughtfully. "So you know that. do you?" he asked evenly. “l thought maybe you expected to pick up acts like mine on every corner. Because if you want to keep it you'd better go slow in the game you're playing." “What are you trying to do?" Barry demanded furiously. "Throw the act? Remember, YOU'VCM‘Qt margin Jose than I have." "Just how?” "I can manage another act any time I want. Don‘t forget that." "And I suppose I could get another trainer. Your stuff isn't hard to do." "No. but your. will be if you ever try to get away with my Idea.” For a moment Bert stared back at him. The flimsy pretense of indif- ference had been torn away and they stood like two fighters. stripped for action. the issue clearly defined. It must be one or the other. Either the dominance was real or it must be proved false. mrt turned away. “Huh!" Harry sneercd uneasily. thought you'd malt." Bert did not answer. For suddenly he hated. hated with an intensity which swung him out from the shel- terir' comfort of his personal triumph and demanded retribution for all the months of petty indignities he had suffered. 80 their fellow actors in Milwaukee witnessed a strange three-cornered drama. it was not a wooing. It was a competition between a master and his monkey. hot for the girl, but for enraged partner “I Harry for his mall- m words. dig! wasn’t afraid." lasts said. with an embarrassed iaush. '7 “I“ “Q inst startled." them think they‘re world heaters and say the act's no good.” get a lot that's not doing anything right now. has.” it. You're snotty and you know you're rotten. That's wwmmwmrm “Ours-isn't. but I ought to make Iknowhowitismysa! Merriam. Toweryo’sehstfiarrrendnsrtit was inexplicable. even to llssie her- self. She mm Iockwood, and fromhisolmlaaroloandmotherout- Ildeindtheimhfheparher luncbed W something in her t for the monkey. man a thing of pitta bond between two weaklings. Bert understood it better. knew the un- hereio picture he presented. and every day it became harder for him to be Chino. the monkey with delightful lini— tations of human ways. The Joke had been taken from him. Once he had been so sure be was a man be had loved to play the monkey, with his tongue in his cheek. laughing at the credulous people who Watched his antics. But now, because Mule ques— tioned it he questioned his own man- hood. So Chino. the headliner, the trium- pliant became a. mixture. All week the act went badly and the other acts smiled wisely because the gap be- tvwen them and the feature was be- coming less. Harry know it and the sinister import of the quiet house was the subject of endless quarrels be- tween the partners. Hudson. the stage manager saw it and carried his pro- tests daily to their dressing-room. And all the time Bert waited. holding his wrath in leash until the moment of the decision between them. It came sooner than Bert had ex- pected. He knew Friday afternoon which had not escaped him. “Well. what’s happened?” he‘ do. handed. “Davis got word to close up this week." “And?” Bert waited for the rest of her disclosure. “Harry's going to stake me until I can get to working. He says he's got an act doped out and he can get some- one else to do it if—" She stopped abruptly in her ent- barrassmcnt. "if the monkey act don’t go on the rocks." Bert finished. "No, he'll Stick to that so long as he's drawing down good money." Music colored. She could not have been in the theatre that week and ro~ malned unaware of the cause to which the disaster had been attributed. “I played fair, didn't 1?" she chal- lenged. “Right from the first I told you how it was with me. I never kidded you along. I told you that first day you were too good—too good to help me." “Did you mean too good or Just that I couldn‘t?" ’ She saw the pain in his eyes new and thrust an impulsive hand some the table. when he entered the dressing-room iii! i’elfll" .. . "i v i “A i ‘ t and saw the crafty smile on Harry's face that something had happened. A few moments later he shambled out to see Music before she went on the stage. lie found her at the, head of the stairs awaiting her turn. "1 want to see you." he began ab- ruptly. "After the show. Shall we make it dinner?" She hesitated for a fraction of a second and then assented. . There was no time for them to say anything more before Davis, her dancing part- ner, Joined them. That afternoon "their call and the Illa!“ "It isn't that.“ she answered. "It's \ i “l: i_». i iii; :i l. ‘-. i i! ii Music's dancing partner was fixing the responsibility for their failure. something else. I can't explain it. I need a. man like Harry Ayers. Oh. I know how you feel about him but I'm make me glad and mad and sorry and then maybe I can dance.“ Bert crumbled some piece. of bread with nervous fingers. The significance of her decision went deep. In her failure she had turned to Harry. She had chosen not the monkey .but the master. Back of his own pain there was a. savage rage that he could do nothing to keep this fresh-eyed girl from the experience she demanded. Masle watched him. “Oh. I know what you’re thinking." she suddenly burst forth. "I know what you would like to do for me— buy me a ticket and send me back to prison~sentenco me to a thousand years more of teaching." . “it wouldn't seem like prison.” Bert answered slowly. “At least. not after you’ve been through what—what he wlu send you through. I'd have been glad to do it—just like I’d build a fence around some flowers.” "A fence!" she repe'ated. "I'm sla of fences! I‘ve been behind one for four years. I guess I know what I'm getting into and maybe it won't turn out like you're thinking." she arose from the table and as Bert watched her. her head thrown back, her cheeks flushed. the Joy of courage in her eyes. he felt a sudden warm rush of pity and admiration. "Maybe." he mumbled, as be arose to follow her out of the restaurant. "but it would balls to be your kind he'd love to break.” Bert found his partner waiting for him at the hotel and as he passed on to his own room lib caught Barry's quick look of inquiry. ,But Bert mid nothing. In silence he put- on his make-up and in silence the two walk- ed to the waiting tam. drove to the theatre and entered their dressing- room. . Without speaking they waited m; benefit heavy. with unspoken thoughts, M. hing with'savsge rage and vicious triumph. . . As they began their act Harry was the usual urbane trainer getting on his pseudo-scientific patter. in his? usual convincing way. Bert “out about'hts work mechmully. At last the the. approached Bert was to sisi ' going in with my eyes open. Harry'll ' tomountthewsse. nwaothspu atwhich Chino was to Miami’s-s- revolt. but China only stared I!“ d‘. his Rainer. Under his stage when. ulna narry's whisper. ‘Get madi",he hissed. “You 3109-. hey lover!" With one lunge‘ Best leaped free from his chain. grabbed's knitu from the table and started eo. ward his trainer. < Harry saw him coming and started for the wings. but Bert cut him 0‘ and they doubled back across the stage. The audience, suddenly electri- fied. got to its feet. Bert caught and tripped Ayres and leaped upon him and when Barr: looked up into the eyes of his part- ner he saw. not Bert the man be bad tormented. but Chino the savage ape untrsmineled by tho negations of civ- ilisation, the beast he had created. Slow: and surely Bert forced bin down and raised the knife. For I moment he held it poised. gloating over the terror in the face beneath him And then Just as he had be- gun his downward thrust. out tron the wings rushed Neale. “ltopl” sho screamed. fore you kill him!" It was not the words that halted him. It was her face contorted by terror. and suddenly he knew she loved that vicious. perverted thing be bold beneath him. The thought robbed the moment of revenge of all Its Joy. He stared up at her. his hold relax- ed, and in that instant Harry writhed free and leaped to his feet. The cur- tain went down upon the three stand. ing there and the audience broke into a storm of wild applause. “it was a frame-up!" a fat man fairly shouted to his companion. ”But you‘ve got to hand it: to '31:. The! . had me going for a minute." “Stop bo- “Quick!” and Harry grasped the hands of his companions. “Take the call! They want us!" The three went forward together. Harry cover! the disorganlntion of the others. an when that appearance did not calm the house the curtain went up again. and again. and still again. With each dip the tumult lwelled. “Chino! Chino! We want Chinol" The house. took up the cry. "Go on!“ and Harry pushed Bert toward the stage. "Take it! That‘s the sixth we've had and everyone legi- timate." Chino stood for a moment before the audience and thou shambled off. Again the three appeared. Harry and eVen Haste smiling. The next number was flushed on the screen. the orch- estra began to play and the audi- ence settled back. Back of the wings Harry was re. celving congratulations from the stage manager. "It was a knock-out! I'll have to hand it to you. Just what the act needed to give it pep. But the next time put me wise. In another min- ute the stage hands would have queerod it." Bert went on to his dressing—room in silence. For the first time in days he was strangely at peace. He mar- veled a little that the eight of Harry's terrified. pleading face staring up at him could have wiped the score so clean. Neither did he feel bitterness because of thwarted vengeance. He only knew that he had settled the struggle for mastery beyond the power of Harry or even of Masts to disquiet him. As for the girl, if she loved Harry. that was enough. . The door opened and Harry entered. As Bert looked up he wondered why he had ever taken the trouble even to hate him. Harry studied his partner uneasily for a moment. "W’ell, you almost did it." his tone was casual. "but it saved the act. Bud- son's babbling yet and I guess when they get the word on su those curtain calls they won't think the act's a won. der. Oh, no. not at all!" "Only one thing about it." Harry continued. "Could you do it just lik- tbat again?" .. n!" "Yes. work it into the business. Why. the audience went crasy over it. I‘ve been talking to the girl and she ny- she could do it. They're closing her this week and she can travel with “.3! “I thought you said you had another act worked out for her.” “Oh. that! I was Just blurring when I saw you were getting crabby. She's cute and pretty but she hasn't got a chance in vaudeville. Now in this— ehe’s sort of young and girlish. They'd never think it was a. frame-up." "Is she willing?” ‘Buro. I've just been talking with her. If she could do that scream every night it would he s. knock-out Far- as I can see. it's about the only thing she could put over. How' about it!“ At last Bert looked up. "I ought to be if she is." he mid simply. "I knew you'd come to feel that say about it." Barry started toward tho door and then turned. "0! course,” he added. “you know the girl is may over me. That settles it between us. don’t it?" "Yea" Bert answered. listlessly. “that settles it.” new longBertsat there hsdldnot know. Itwasgoodtobealone.” digestthisamssingiokellfohadplav. edonhlm. not; a belief in himself which line could never take away. Iuddenlv lasts stood beside hi sane. e tod you I was willing. « didn’t.ho1' he told me." Nash’s b ngthere seemed no ”MW“ l'pto his. “i might have known you tmdoit. Ilethimtllkudu' andthsnfeainotoyon.“ nart‘ M upetherwlmcomw ' "Yoh~_mea‘s.'bossidafhsslesg. that Out pf futility he had grasped one sins: mtg-aim it wasn’t“.— _ Anibal. Jr. . ‘ .V\. .szn -