Terry's Luck

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1939, Page 27

Terry's Luck

(Written by "Sally Sunbeam," 12, Karori.) , ; * /■/ ]T\UM, dum, dah!" carolled Terry Lang, happily. )| J "Stop it, Sis," grunted her brother Graham, who, as he was thri« ■i years older than Terry, thought a great deal of himself. -' '•I have to practise for the concert," said Terry, indignantly. .' "You are a swank," returned her brother. "You'll be fancying yourself a film star yet." ', : "Well, and what if I do!" she answered lightly. ' '} At that moment their father came in with the evening paper.' ." v • "Like to see it, kids?" he asked. ,~ ■ "Yes, please, Dad," they cried together. ' "May I give it to Terry* Graham?" their father asked witfrt a grin. "O, all right," said Graham, reluctantly. Sitting at her end of the table, Terry unfolded the newspaper. Suddenly she gave a start, then a shout. "Look. Graham! Dad! There is going to be a big film director from Hollywood to find a girl to take the leading part in a big musical film, aod he's coming to our concert." j "Terry!" gasped Elizabeth. s \ "I suppose you think he'll pick you," remarked Graham, sarcastically. "How like a girl." He jumped up and ran round the table, as Terry snatched up a cushion from her chair to throw at him, and cried, "O, you beast. At any rate,.Ngair» Millward sings better than I do." "Children, cried Elizabeth. "Stop your noise!" Next day Terry and Elizabeth were * feeling very excited," for it was the, day of the concert. At six o'clock Terry started out in a pink satin evening dress trimmed with white lace. With real Silk stockings and white shoes, ; Terry looked very pretty. ' l * ' ' • "Is my ribbon straight, Beth?" asked Terry anxiously as they set out- ' vf» • J "Yes, it looks lovely, dear. I'm glad the hall isn't far away, or your hair I might be ruffled. Chattering on the way, it seemed very little time before they reached the hall, and Elizabeth hurried Terry up to the dressing-room. , . . As soon as she was ready, Terry, with two other girls, rah to peep through * " ■ the crack of the closed curtains. j "That's the director sitting between the- head and Miss Blomfleld," said [ Ngaire Millward, one of Terry's friends. < ' I At that moment the bell rang for silence, and the three had to scuttle ;. ; ; to the wings. ' '/ Terry's song was second to last on the programme and Ngaire's was last. Terry did riot enjoy the fiiss.t part "of the programme, for, as she remarked \ " to Ngaire, she had a "squiggly" feeling inside. ■■ '■ : \ At last, however, came Terry's turn. How she walked up the steps and - ' i on to the platform, she did not know. As she listened for the first bars,of } her song, "All Through the Night," her eyes wandered to the director, then j she' forgot everything in her song. . ;,, * 1 xWhen she finished, there was a. dead silence in the hall for a minute; then , came a perfect storm of clapping. ■' . ' ■ • ' "I do. feel so happy," said Terry softly to Elizabeth, as they rode home ' that night. • "Yes, dear. Oh, by the way, I heard somebody say that perhaps the 1 director wouldn't pick anyone that-was-in the concert, so I wouldn't hope, <•'? '. Terry." , i,, . • "Of course, he wouldn't pick me, silly. I didn't-even hope before." ■ And so Terry went to bed and tried'to forget it; but she wasn't going to be able to forget. ...■>• Three days later there was a loud ring' at the Lang front door. i "Answer it, Terry,"Em busy," said Elizabeth. Terry opened the door, then her heart gave a great leap, for standing oft' '■ the doorstep was Mr. Siras P. Banks,' the director. ' ,- r f : Why—why," began Terry. ■ '-■'■•.: ' "You are Miss Lang, I believe?" drawled Siras -P.' Banks, i ■ -■, • , • "Ye—es." ' "Then I would like to hear you sing again, please." Wonderingly. Terxy called Elizabeth to play for her, and began a favourite .?' ', tune. ' ;'.' "Splendid, splendid," exclaimed Mr. Banks excitedly. "Sing another." • .■(- Terry then sang another popular song, at the end of which Mr. Bank*. "\ cried, "Good! You're booked." ; "What for?" . , "'- ---"For my film, of course!" exclaimed Mr. Banks. . <-.'- So -now, when you see the name Miss Terry Lang on film posters,, you/ ■¥. ; will know how her film career began. -" ' \ . -„