Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Mystery fiction; Young women -- Juvenile fiction
"Well, I don't," Patty sighed. "I like Azalea for lots of things,--she's
good company and kind-hearted,--and she's devoted to Baby,--but I
_can't_ like those free and easy manners! But she's a whole lot better
than when she first came! Then she was _really_ a wild Indian! I've been
able to tone her down a little."
"You've done wonders for her, Patty. She ought to be very grateful."
Patty made a wry face. "No, she isn't grateful. People never are
grateful for that sort of thing. And she doesn't even _know_ she's
different! I've had to train her without her own knowledge! But she's
chameleon-like, in some ways, and she picks up a lot just from being
with mannerly people."
"She does indeed! She's quite correct now,--in her actual doings. It's
only in some burst of enthusiasm that she oversteps the bounds of
propriety. Well, that's all. I thought I'd tell you,--for it isn't right
that you shouldn't know. And there's no mistake. There's only one Azalea
Thorpe."
"Was her name on the programme?"
"No; she didn't have a star part,--not even a named part. She was one of
a crowd,--cowboys, ranch girls, and a general horde of 'woollies.' Don't
accuse her of it, Patty; get around her and see what she says."
"Goodness, Mona, give me credit for a little tact! I'll find out in the
best way. What was the name of the play?"
"'Star of the West.' A splendid thing,--have you seen it?"
"No; we almost never go."
"Oh, we go a lot, we love moving pictures."
"I'd like to see this one,--before I speak to Azalea. Is it on now?"
"Yes, at The Campanile. Let's go down to-morrow,--just you and me. We
can be back in a couple of hours."
"Well, I'll see. Probably I can go."
In the meantime, Azalea and Van Reypen were talking of the same play.
"I saw a picture play last night," Phil was saying, "with a girl in it
that looked exactly like you."
"What was the play?" asked Azalea, interestedly.
"'Star of the West.' It was a good play, but I was most interested in
the girl I speak of. She was really your double,--but she did things
that I don't believe you could compass,--athletic as you are."
"I'd like to see it," said Azalea, thoughtfully.
"Oh, go with me, will you? I'm going to stay up here over the
week-end,--and we could skip down to-morrow afternoon, and be back by
dinner time."
"I'd love to go,--but Patty doesn't greatly approve of the 'movies.'"
"Oh, never mind that. You've a right to go, if you choose. And you
needn't say where we're going, till we get back. Say we're going to take
in a matinée."
"Well, I'll go," Azalea said decidedly, "for I'm crazy to see that play.
What's the girl's name?"
"Dunno. It wasn't on the bill. But, truly, Azalea, you'll be surprised
to see how much like you she is!"
Azalea hesitated. She knew it was taking a great risk to go with Phil,
but she was most anxious to see how she looked on the screen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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