Bobs, a Girl Detective

  CHAPTER XVII. BOBS TRIES ACTING

  When they were behind the scenes, a short, flashily attired man advancedto meet Roberta and the usher departed. For one panicky moment Bobswondered whether she should tell that she was a detective. Would thedirector wish her to interfere with his plans, as she undoubtedly wouldbe 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 caughta glimpse of Roberta's badge when a projecting bit of scenery had for amoment pulled at her coat.

  Rubbing his hands, and smiling ingratiatingly, he said in a voice of oilysmoothness: "Is it one of our girls, ma'am, that you're wishing to see?"

  Bob realized that he had guessed her mission and so she thought best tobe perfectly frank with him and tell the whole story. The little manseemed greatly relieved, and shook his head many times as he talked. "Nosuch girl here," he assured her. "I'd turn her over to her Ma if therewas. Come and see."

  The small man spun around with the suddenness of a top, and Bobs couldnot help thinking that his build suggested the shape of that toy. Then hedarted away, dodging the painted trees with great dexterity, leading theway 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 seemedto bestow upon her the freedom of the place, the small man gave anotherof his top-like spins and disappeared among the scenery.

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

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

  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 anamateur 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 acomfortable chair in front of a long mirror. The maid had evidently beenarranging her hair. Several elaborate gowns were hanging about the room.Suddenly Roberta flushed, for she realized that a pair of darkly lashedeyes were observing her in the mirror. Then the beautiful face smiled anda 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 Ihave wished that I might meet a real star."

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

  "Don't!" was all that she said, and the visitor thought that even thatharsh word was like music, so deep and rich was the voice that utteredit.

  Bobs was puzzled. She looked up inquiringly: "Don't what?" she asked.

  The white hand rested on Roberta's knee as the voice continued kindly:"If you were my sister, I would say don't, _don't_ take up the stage as aprofession. It's such a weary, thankless life. Only a few of us reach thetop, little girl, and it's such a hard grind. Too, if you want to liveright, theatrical folk think you are queer and you don't win theirfriendship. They say you're not their kind."

  "But, you--" Roberta breathed with very evident admiration, "you are astar. You do not need their friendship." She was thinking of the smallflorid man who had suggested a top.

  The actress smiled, and then hurriedly added in a low voice, for the maidwas returning: "I haven't time to talk more, now, but dear girl, even asa star I say _don't_."

  Bobs impulsively caught the frail hand and held it in a close clasp. Shewondered why there were tears in the dark-lashed eyes. As she was closingthe door after her, she heard the maid address the star as MissMerryheart.

  "Another fictitious name that doesn't fit," Bobs thought. How she longedto go back to the little dressing room and ask Miss Merryheart if therewas something, anything she could do for her; but instead, with a halfsigh, she turned toward an open door beyond which she could hear laughterand joking.

  Bobs wondered if among those chorus girls she would find the one shesought.

  The door to the larger room was ajar, and Roberta entered. As she hadguessed, there was a bevy of girls in the room. A dozen mirrors lined thewalls and before each of them stood a young girl applying paint or powderto her face, or adjusting a wig with long golden curls. Some of them weredressed in spangly tights and others in very short skirts that stood outstiffly.

  This was unmistakably the chorus.

  "Hello, sweetie," a buxom maiden near the door sang out when she observedthe newcomer. "What line of talk are you goin' to give us? The last guyas was here asked us if our souls was saved. Is that the dope you've gotup your sleeve?"

  Roberta smiled so frankly that she seemed to disarm their fears that theywere to be preached to. "I say," she began, as she sat on a trunk nearthe door, "do you all like this life?"

  Another girl whirled about and, pausing in the process of applying a lipstick, she winked wisely at the one who had first spoken. "Say, Pink,"she called, "I got'er spotted. She's an ink-slinger for some daily."

  "Wrong you are," Bobs merrily replied. Then she turned to a slender girlwho was standing at the mirror next to her, who had appeared quiteindifferent to the newcomer's presence. "How is it with you?" Robertaasked her directly. "Do you like this life?"

  But it was one of the bolder girls who replied: "Sure thing, we all likethe life. It's great."

  "Goin' to join the high kicks?" This question was asked by still anothergirl who, having completed her toilet, now sauntered up and stooddirectly in front of Bobs. For one moment the young detective's heartbeat rapidly, for the newcomer's resemblance to the picture was striking,but another girl was saying: "Bee, there, has been with this here showfor two years, and she likes the life, don't you, Bee?"

  So, after all, this wasn't the one whom she sought.

  Bobs decided to take them into her confidence. Smiling around in thewinning way that she had, she began: "Girls, you've had three guesses andmissed, so now I'll put you wise. I'm looking for a WinifredWaring-Winston, whose mamma-dear wishes to see her at once, if notsooner. Can you tell me at which theater I can find her?"

  The others grouped about Roberta, but all shook their heads. "Dunno asI'd squeal on her if I did know," said the one called Pink. "But as ithappens, I don't."

  Nor did the others, it would seem, and when Roberta was convinced thatWinnie was not to be found there, she left, but, as the curtain hadraised on the first scene, she paused near the front door to hear MissMerryheart sing. Truly she was an actress, Bobs thought, for no one inthat vast audience who saw the star could have guessed that only a brieftime before there had been tears in those dark-lashed eyes that nowseemed to be brimming with mirth.

  At the next theater she entered, Bobs had an unexpected and ratherstartling experience. Just as she appeared in the dimly lighted spaceback of the scenes, she was pounced upon by a man who was undoubtedly thestage manager.

  "Miss Finefeather," he said, in a hoarse whisper, "What? You late again?Two minutes only to get into your riggin'." Then giving Bobs a shovetoward an open door, he called hoarsely: "Here's that laggard, Stella.Help her and be quick. We don't want any hitches in this scene. No timefor explainin'. That, an' settlin' accounts will come later," he addedwhen Bobs tried to turn back to explain that she was _not_ MissFinefeather.

  The man was gone and the leading chorus girl pounced upon her and, withthe aid of two others, she was being disrobed. To her amusement as wellas amazement, she soon found herself arrayed in tights with a shortspangled overskirt. Resignedly she decided to see it through. Just atthat moment a buzzer sounded, which seemed t
o be a signal for theentrance of the chorus. "Here you, Miss Finefeather," someone was saying,"can't you remember overnight where your place is? Just back of me, anddo everything I do and you'll get through all right." The voice wasevidently intended to be kind.

  Bobs followed the one ahead, trying to suppress an almost uncontrollabledesire to laugh. Who in the world did they suppose her to be? shewondered. The girls had divided into two long lines and they entered thestage from opposite sides. Bobs was thinking, "I've heard folk say it'shard to get on the stage. Strikes me it's just the other way. I jollywish, though, I had some idea what I'm supposed to do."

  Roberta's reverie was interrupted by her kindly neighbor, who whispered:"Gimme your paw. Here's where we swing, an' don't forget to keep yourfeet going all the time. There's no standing still in this act."

  Being in it, Bobs decided to try to do her best, and, having been achampion in school athletics, she was limber and mentally alert and wentthrough the skipping and whirling and various gyrations almost as well asthough she had been trained. However, when the act was finished and thechorus girls, with a burst of singing laughter, had run from the stage,the man whom she had first seen came up to her, profuse with apologies.He had just received a message telling him that Miss Finefeather was veryill and wouldn't be able to keep on with the work. "You're a wonder," heexclaimed, with very sincere admiration. "How you went through that actand never missed so's one could notice it proves you're the girl for theplace. Say you'd like it and the position's yours."

  Bobs paused, but in that moment she seemed to hear Miss Merryheart's oneword: "Don't!"

  Roberta thanked the man, but said that her business engagements for thatafternoon were so urgent that she could not even remain for another act.

  Having learned that Miss Finefeather had been with them but a few days,Bobs, believing that she might be the girl whom she sought, asked for heraddress, and departed.

  Her heart was filled with hope, "I believe I've hit the right trail," shethought, as she hurried out of the theater.