Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 246, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 October 1919 — Temperament and Ted [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Temperament and Ted

By VINCENTG. PERRY

tCopyrUbt. 1»1», by t,he .McClur* Newspaper S.v ndleate ) Ted was a wonder. Every roan, woman and child on the Merliglit “tot." as the hlg film studio was called, admitted It: every film fan In Amerlea proclaimed It from the, ‘‘-house--tops.” It wasn't jnst Ned's aetitig that was the cause of all the wonderment at the MerMpht—lt was Ted’s defiance of tempenimerit. Why, actors and netresses w'nivwore not half so famous as Ted Leonard were allowed to have fneir days and even weeks of temperament. -‘.filings. hut Tel —worked Tljjhf through withcut tme in two years, and he worked twieens strenuously as any of the other actors, at that. ~ led wasn't one of the “bold men** type ot film-actors, eithyr—h e was a typical matinee idol in everything hut disposition and nerve control. Director Boh Lasbropk was the only one who didn’t comment much on Ted's wonderful fortitude. Lasbrook had been in the film business since its infancy and before that he had had a long stage,experience, “lie is going to corue down with a crash scene of these days,” LaMYrook murmured to himself one day. “1 never.saw the man with the true - dramatic- soirit who didn't have the temperament hug, too, -amt— bas miatie spirit and then some. When the crash does come, look out!” -—The crash did come. —It was ail because of the new leading lady. From the day of higffifsl early success Ted had been starred aToruh but now for some unexplained reason the directors of the coiniiany Tleehled upon a co-stir for him —a famous stage actress wito was to make her film debut. Ted knew- what most of the stage actresses who sought the movies were like. He had seen them come up one by one and go* down in formation of fours and fives. They didn’t take. The were meant for young actresses. not for nmde-up lias-heens. The camera brought out the lines and crowsfeet the footlights and grease

.' -paint hid! No stage actress was going to be Exploited on his fame. no sireed Bob LasbrOok was not surprised. The-calm of the old director had more to do- with TVi * tin at breaking up of temper than anything else. After Ted had waxed hot. shaken his list and resorted to mild profanity old Boh jus-r shook irrs .head. Ted - left that r -hr for parts, unkn >wn. “To blazes with my .Vo;.tract,” Ted had flung’ hack at the business manager of the company as he sailed through the office. head, held high. "Marie Sivelle can star alone. I hope her face breaks —the camera-F —Tie —closed —the —door ■ without m i that the., business - manager .had"hccn taikimr-ro-somrone-very .small ,and sw-eet,' someone who h a <f r Ti s wrr. eTov aschicsh i r The temperamental . cfSsh. as old R"h would have called it. had a firm grip on Ted for . three days. At the end of the third day he .began" to think reasonably. It all came from no-t tak-iag-a-vacation for so long, he told him- ; self, -The eountgy-was the piabo for him—-the connTre- Tie had deft so, few years In-fore. How changed it would be now. But the country was not much changed, he found. There was a feeling of gratification in bringing his roadster to a halt in front .of the little ychoolhouse-Where 1 he lpid learned his A B G’s. That sentiment was hot- the Inn e tha t—had broggh t him—there - !! rst, though The pleasant, memory of the little teacher who had taught there the last year he had been in ilm vfllage had never really left him. hut now it had come back with great farce, fje had "thought then that their friendship would have developed to something more than memories, but for some unexplained reason It hadn’t. It was all his fault, the fault ,of his Success, he told ’‘reproachfully. Would, she remember? Would she look the same? ‘ Wonder of wonders, she had not changed a hit. The school door had opened and she was coming down the path to the road Jed was out of the

car and running down the path to meei her. Did she remember? The glad little cry of recognition and the eyes filled wlflTTears of Joy said more than all the words In the world. He almost had her in his arms when he remembered. - It, was a wonderful week that followed. Just the sort of week that waa needed to restore Ted's nerves. With the return of all his practical judgment, Ted began to analyze his feelings. He loved this little teaciter, this Nora Givens. She was the sweetest little Woman in the world and he was going to make her his wife, he told himself -—L_— —— last aa-he had made firm this resolve a bomb was hurled —onto his plans. —— ' felt sure that some day you would conre “backups successful business man,—l know you would-lose all thosefoolish old ideas about the stage and art .and such like,” Nora told him as they drove along a particularly Inviting sir.ich “ f oi>»onr.v road^^^-==-still had those ideas—couldn’t you love me?" lie asked her ns lie nervous!y reached out for her hand. man with unsettled ideas, like your old ones.” she answered, withdrawing her hand from reach. "I understand,” Ted mumbled. That settled it in his mind. Nora shared the narrow thoughts of many other country people —stage and movie folk were all bad in her estimation--she could not realize, that some of the finest men ami women in the world wore engaged in the theatrical profession. What did It matter after that? There was only one place where Ted belonged and ho went hack to it —hack to the Merlight studio. Let thorn bring on their (‘o■stars. Tot them ex ploit has-beens under his fame. What did it. matter? What did fame or snecess menn w ben the woman lie loved -could — never— he—h4s4Bob Leonard could not understand this morbid change in Ted. Tempera“hTental attacks did not usually leave after-effect* like that. He wondered, too. when Ted raised no further-ob-jcctioTTs to AT urie —StveUe.-. I‘erliiins when he met that young lady a change would come over him. A change? Well, perhaps! The moment Ted looked up languidly to acknowledge the introduction to the actress who was to share honors with him in the forthcoming production, the change was effected. ‘‘Nora!” he gaspedr“\vhnt are you doing here?” Certainly ft was Norn. She was smiling out an explanation. “I am Marie Sivolle. I became famous on -tfte—sragr- liecu its('- that' Vv'a s iTfvAvmhT-Y tlon—and I came here to co-star with you because I knew who you were and I wanted to be near you. I was in the manager’s otlico when you expressed the wish that my face would damage the camera. I knew you didn’t know. I guessed where you would go. My sister is the teacher at that school now. That’s how I arranged to substitute there for a week. I made,up my mind months ago, when you first became famous, that I would be vour leading lady. Please Teddy won’t you let me?” There was real pleading in her request. “Let you? Why. dear heart, you must be. my loading lady for life. I want you always.” he cried joyfully, as tie gathered her up in Ills arms. “When they fit 11. they fall hard.” old Boh Leonard mumbled to himself, and old Bob was an authority on such things. SlLi—g£3 —,—

I Hope Her Face Breaks the Camera!”