Page:Our Little Girl (1923).pdf/169

 At noon on Saturday, Arnold arrived in great excite- ment, carrying a pile of newspapers.

“Who's been doing your publicity?” he demanded, as he came ino the sitting-room. “Look at this!"

He spread the papers on the table. They were open at the amusement pages. Dorothy looked at them eagerly, and the table seemed to be a mass of photographs of her.

She saw her picture in the Globe, the Sun and the Journal and a large rotogravure in the Evening Post.

“It's wonderful!” cried Arnold.

Mrs. Loamford came in and noted the agitation. She bent over the papers ecstatically, and kissed Dorothy.

“Oh, how wonderful! How wonderful!” she almost screamed. She turned to Arnold.

“You're so good to us!” she exclaimed. “Thank you so much for bringing all these papers.”

Arnold put his arms about Dorothy’s shoulders as they examined the photographs and read aloud the notes to the effect that Dorothy Reitz would give her first New York recital at Aeolian Hall on next Saturday afternoon. Dorothy didn’t mind his embrace. Mrs. Loamford smiled on them proudly and bestowed an unspoken benediction.

“Let’s celebrate,” suggested Arnold. ‘Come out for a good long spin and tea.”

Dorothy nodded eagerly.

“And you, Mother Loamford?” inquired Arnold, cordially but not urgently. “You young folks will have a better time without me,” she smiled, and tapped Arnold playfully on the shoulder. “You'll have more fun without the prima donna’s mother.”

She laughed uproariously at her pleasantry, and studied the papers with great zeal.