show, and Mr. Chalker was acting for him in his professional capacity,
much as he had acted for Mr. Emblem.

"Who is your new singer?" he asked.

"She calls herself Miss Carlotta Claradine. She's a woman, let me tell
you, Mr. Chalker, who will get along. Fine figure, plenty of cheek,
loud voice, flings herself about, and don't mind a bit when the words
are a leetle strong. That's the kind of singer the people like. That's
her husband, at the far end of the room--the big, good-looking chap
with the light mustache and the cigarette in his mouth."

"Whew!" Mr. Chalker whistled the low note which indicates Surprise.
"That's her husband, is it? The husband of Miss Carlotta Claradine, is
it? Oho! oho! Her husband! Are you sure he is her husband?"

"Do you know him, then?"

"Yes, I know him. What was the real name of the girl?"

"Charlotte Smithers. This is her first appearance on any stage--and we
made up the name for her when we first put her on the posters. I made
it myself--out of Chlorodyne, you know, which is in the
advertisements. Sounds well, don't it? Carlotta Claradine."

"Very well, indeed. By Jove! Her husband, is he?"

"And, I suppose," said the chairman, "lives on his wife's salary.
Bless you, Mr. Chalker, there's a whole gang about every theater and
music hall trying to get hold of the promising girls. It's a regular