deford was about to steal forth and appeal to some
member of the cast of "The Purple Slipper" to come to his rescue in
providing refreshment to restore the author during the precious half
hour respite when "the chaff in his heart" caught fire and began to burn
away forever. Miss Adair raised her eyes to his, with the faith still
in their wounded depths, and smiled a wan little smile.

"Please get me a glass of milk with an egg in it, and some of that
brown-bread turkey," she demanded. "I'm dead, but I'll come alive again
if I go to sleep a minute. Shake me when you get back with it, but get
something for yourself while you are gone."

"The kiddie, the precious, spunky kiddie," Mr. Vandeford said in his
heart over and over as he and the young Italian rushed to the hotel and
back with a waiter and a tray of the desired refreshment, to which had
been added an iced melon and a couple of bedewed roses.

The shaking had to be literally administered while young Dago Italiana
held the tray, and then had to be repeated several times by Mr.
Vandeford, as he almost as literally fed his exhausted author, up until
the very minute in which Mr. Rooney rang up the curtain and again called
her into action.

Five hours was more than enough for the smooth running of the three-hour
"Purple Slipper" show, and at eleven o'clock Mr. Rooney dismissed his
jaded cast with this strict command delivered in his rich, deep voice,
which held a note of genuine solemnity.

"All of you go to sleep every minute between now and night, and then
come back here and make good--for all of us."

With the assistance of young Dago Italiana, Mr. Vandeford delivered Miss
Adair to a hotel maid, who accepted five dollars from him as a fee for
putting her to bed, and then he plunged into still greater
strenuosities.

He sat for three hours with his skilled young publicity man and
advance-agent, and laid out a discreet, dignified, but very interesting,
publicity campaign for the new star of "The Purple Slipper." Due
importance was to be given in all the notices that "The Purple Slipper"
was to open the New Carnival Theater and in his heart the young
advertiser put away the intention of making the fact that Mr. Vandeford
had sold Hawtry and "The Rosie Posie Girl" for "The Purple Slipper," his
most brilliant reserve story to set all of Broadway, at least, agog for
the opening of the expensive new play.

"It puts 'The Purple Slipper' at the big end of the horn, a