y luck--that little charm I
had given me in 1915--I do wish I hadn't. I'm not superstitious in the
ordinary way, but I kind of believe in that thing;" she only laughed
however. But I took the trouble to advertise for it in the local
paper--unfortunately with no result. I was very distressed.

Our concert party got really quite a slap-up show going about this time.
We also had a drop scene behind--a huge white linen sheet on which we
_appliqued_ big black butterflies fluttering down to a large sunflower
in the corner, the petals of which were the same yellow as the bobbles
on our dresses. We came to the conclusion that something of the sort was
necessary, for as often as not we had to perform in front of
puce-coloured curtains that hardly showed us up to the best advantage.

One of the best shows we ever gave I think was for the M.T. _depot_.
They did so much for us one way and another repairing cars (not to
mention details like the foot pump episode), that we were only too glad
to do something for them in return. The _piece de resistance_ (at least,
Dicky and I thought so) was a skit we got up on one of "Lena's" concert
party stars--a ventriloquist stunt. We thought of it quite suddenly and
only had time for one rehearsal before the actual performance. I paid a
visit to Corporal Coy of the mortuary (one of the local low comedians,
who, like the coffin-cart man at Lamarck, "had a merry eye!" and was a
recognized past-master in the art of make-up), and borrowed his little
bowler hat for the occasion. He listened solemnly to the scheme, and
insisted on making me a fascinating little Charlie Chaplin moustache
(the requisites for which he kept somewhere in the mortuary with the
rest of his disguises!) and he then taught me to waggle it with great
skill!

Dicky was the "doll" with round shiny patches of red on her cheeks and a
Tommy's cap and hospital blue coat. She supplied the glassy stare
herself most successfully. For these character stunts we simply put on
caps and coats over our "Fantastik" kit and left the rest to the
imagination of the audience who was quick (none quicker) to grasp the
implied suggestion. I was "Mr. Lenard Ashwell" in aforementioned bowler,
moustache, and coat. We made up the dialogue partly on the basis of the
original performance, and added a lot of local colour. I asked the
questions, and was of course supposed to ventriloquize the answers, and,
thanks to the glassy stare of my doll, her replies