New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-07-06
AN AMATEUR sUPE,s STORY.
BY RALPH KELLER.

The table, tnlnk, Will nOlO. ferHaps you
will ike this pen better. Its queer. you
should want 10 write it down. Well, I'll
lgive it to you again just 40 It happened,
and will pledge my word and honor, too,
that it is true in every particular. That
was over three years ago, now;-you never
dO9 you don't mind my smoking though,
l suppose yes, it must have been three
years and half ago, for OF course you
know ] am senior now; at any rate, 1t was
during the first vacation OF my freshman
year. ! wouldn't do such a thing these
DAYS, you understand: q fellow gets
older as-as he advances in years; you
know what l mean. Well, l went
down to the city to pass the hrst
vacation with friend. NJ friend was not
any taller than l was, though he was my
elder by about two years, but then be
weighed nearly twice as much as l did
The fact is he was remarkably tat tor one
who could get around as he d}d. ANA ne
was The iolliest fellow ever knew. 1t was
he who proposed that we should go on the
stage as supernumeraries The inspiration
came to him just after lunch one day as he
was reading the playbill OF one OF the
theatres. A grand spectacular melOdraIna.
entitled believe "Footprints Of the Fa-
ries," was TO be produced. Although 1t
was bad, rainy afternoon we started fer
the theatre, where, Eat enormous expense
ana VIII an uupdTdlltlt<l Aoob "a OelA hSuA'O
auxiliaries," 1.-The great, pleasing, moral,
instructive and sensational melOdrama."
as we read in the bill, would be given
"everv evening until further notice" l
don't know how we learned or guessed that
the ballet and professions were rehearsed
in the afternoon, but it seems they were.
Arrived at the theatre, we saw at glance
it would not do to let the man IN the box
Office into our secret, there was something
al iy,l tS faaa. his
sympathy with art, we felt sure. paused at
the waxed ends of his dyed moustache.
Proving round the building, we finally
discovered an alley which led to the back
entrance. There we had the good fortune
to observe small battalion of NANCY look
ing creatures, Of all ages and both genders,
huddled about the door under umbrellas
and waterproofs more or less shabby.
These. we soon learned, were the supes,
with the rank and file of the ballet, come to
the afternoon rehearsal, and waiting for
the door to be opened. We traternized
with them during the five minutes or more
we stood together in the rain before the
laggard doorkeeper made his appearance;
that is, we made known our ambition to
the most respectable-taced fellow among
them and chatted with him in friendly
way, until we had chance to follow the
crowd through the narrow door into dark
what is called the 'supe-rOom,' as l alter
ward learned. lmpunity thus far embold
ened us to ask for some one IN authority;
and so we were referred to little thin old
Frenchman whose blood seemed all gone to
bis head. His face was excessively. red;
and bic scalp, redder still if possible, shone
grotesquely through his SPARSE sandy
white hair. We did not see where he came
from; he burst in upon us as soon as the
gas was lighted. Swelling with turkey
cock dignity he gave us to understand that
he. ma fol! was master of the ballet and
bad messing to do wiz re contour supes."
| And then the old fellow walked of, point
ing his toes at exact right angles.
Soon after that door opened IN the back
! part of the room we were in. and we be-
| came suddenly aware of three things
| first, smell of water-cOlOr paint from the
scenes in the mysterious region OF the
| stage above; second, stairway Leading to
| that coveted region itself; and third, the
presence, as the whisper Of the unruly null
| titude around US Immediately announced,
| of Mr. Butler. the chief of the supes. He
was a brisk, decided sort Of a man, born
| American l should say, perhaps thirty-hve
wears old. We told him we wanted to go
on the stage just tor one night; we didn't
| want any money for it, in fact, would
rather like to pay for the privilege; in any
| way, anu Oh any COuuItlOA, WO eiAupiy
| wanted to 60 on the stage: we would 60 on
| in the ballet even, but unfortunately We
| couldn't dance. 1t was my tleshy friend
who said that. Of course, he wouldn't have
said anything so self-evident it he had not
been embarrassed by the very quiet way in
| which the chief Of the supes listened to our
| enthusiasm. There was moment Of ST.
lence, during which Mr.. Butler looked
us over like so many theatrical properties,
4 h. 10 I, Il Gov
| that he had supes enough. We told him we
thought ourselves peculiarly adapted to
| the business; we had love for it; we had
| taken parts in private theatricals, and real
| " had dramatic talent of which he could
form no idea. But it was OF no use. He
said he could form a pretty fair idea Of our
dramatic talent; there was no need to say
any more about it; we could not 60 on the
stage in that theatre. We thought OF offer.
ing him every dollar we had with us as
bride; but there was something SO decided
and business-lke about Mr.. Butler, that we
had not the courage. He marshaIed the
supernumerary host up to rehearsal. and
there was seemingly nothing left for us to
do but to go home again.
On our way out through the passage we
observed an old fellow at the door Of what
proved to be the room where the supes'
costumes were kept. think he was an
Englishman he was little old man, and
the gray bristles of his chin, the whole
lower part of his face and the whole upper
part Of his coat and vest were covered with
snuff. Now, dirt and dishonesty may not
always go together, but this man looked
brlbable. We told him of our unsatisfed
longing to be fairies, or soldiers in the
triumphant army of the prince, or at least
q pair of those nondescript citizens
of melodrama, who represent nothing
that ever was on land or sea,
but who swell professions or stand
against flats in imbecile phalanx; and we
ended by offering the old fellow s. if he
would smuggle us in among the supes that
night. He gave the lower part Of his face
a new coat of snuff while was hesitating.
Finally, after much argument on both sides,
he consented if we would agree to pay him
the money as soon az we had got inside the
theatre, and if we would promise not to be-
tray him, even should we be detected and
ANONYMOUSLY expelled. As we took our
leave he gave US two ''supe checks, which
would open the magic back door to us on
our return that evening. But to make
everything dOubly safe, he appointed a
meeting with us at six o'clock upon neigh
boring street corner.
Reaching my friends house, We gave
warning that we should not be at home to
dinner, that we were going to dine out and
90 to the theatre with party" Then we
went up stairs to dress, that is, to put on
our very worst old clothes. Leaving our
watches, and all our money but 81 SO be-
tween us, we stole out Of the house unob-
served; and in an oyster cellar, over
couple of thin stews, We waited our time
The old fellow met us promptly on the
corner at the appointed hour, led us
silently and mysteriously to the room
of which he had charge, and received
his five dollars with trembling hand.
Even so early as that most of the supes
had arrived, and, what was worse for us,
they had appropriated all the best costumes.