“I am not a bit like that Glonesganes creature.  Why, she actually throws herself at the head of every man she meets.  Honest, you can’t take her out to supper in a crowd before she’s engaged to some two or three in the party.  Fact.  Ask any of the girls.  We all swore to tell the same story about her.

“Am I going back on the stage.  Well, I should hope so, dear.  What do you think I would do with myself if I didn’t have to beat it to the shop at least once a day.  I tried it once when I first got my fortune, but life became so monotonous and I got so fat that I had to start rehearsing in order to get back to my former self.

“Say, I think the last dipperful made me feel better.  Waiter, come out of your trance.  Gee, but I do feel great.

“Won’t you all have a little something to eat.  A steak smothered in pickles or something like that.  Go as far as you like.  You know I ain’t that kind of a girl.  When I’m treating there’s no entries scratched.  Go ahead do as you please.  I ain’t going to get married, so I don’t have to save my money.

“You just watch Wilbur hedge.  I got spies out and they say he’s been in every cafe in town looking for me.  Wants to make up.  Watch little birdie here.  If he comes monkeying around me again I’ll pick up one of these and knock him clean out from under his hat.  Trifler.  How I ever fell for him certainly gets me.  How anybody could love a press agent or an actor gets me for that matter.  I have been crossed in love and am running no more chances.

“I shall never get married.  Never!  That statement is for publication.  I shall live in peace and quiet near some good cafe and drown my old age in mixed drinks.

“You needn’t think I am soused, but I am going to tell you this.  Unless Wilbur and I make up the Friar Festival will have to get along without my services.  Why, I got every John in town so bunked that every time they see me coming they take it on the run for some place that I can’t get to ’em, ’cause I lance ’em for a pair of seats every time our trails cross.

“I lost eight dinner engagements last week just on that account and what do I get for it?  Ice water.  That’s all.

“Wilbur rushes up and demands more seats and the committee thinks he is having an awful rush of business and its muh with my shoulder to the wheel.  I had a run in with Wilbur already about the Friar Girl that Harrison Fisher drew on the front of the programme.  Wilbur told me that I could have the job and I finds out that he told everybody in the company the same thing.  Press agents is crafty people.  And he can play both ends against the middle in a manner that would make your hair curl.

“I don’t care!  I don’t care!  Wilbur can run and make faces at himself.  Nothing bothers muh.  Waiter, are you asleep at the switch?  I am no longer a fiancee.  I am a free woman.

“Say, what’yer going to do ’morrow?  Let’s get one of these taxicab things and see if we can’t run it to death.