Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-06-20
From the Buffalo Express.
AN UNPLAYED PART.
BY WILLIAM CLYDE FITCH,

- Erminie" but she hoped soon to have
q promotion. Once when Marie Jansen
was i'll she played Jagotte, and very
prettily and sweetly. Indeed she had
so much applause and such an honest
encore, she would have been given that
part Immediately in the second COM
pany, had she only exerted herself to
get it.
There was reason why she did not.
One of those young villagers IN the first
act was very bad actor, or rather no
actor at all, and seemed to have never
chance for promotion. So II she was
not put into a better role IN another
company she could still trip the May
dance with this awkward young fellow,
and that was to her compensation
enough. That's the way Cupid plays
tricks sometimes with art. It was
Kitty's heart that was keeping her from
the center of the stage and out of the
best of the lime-Gght. Her heart and
George Peters. For his name was
George Peters. When he became suf-
fciently advanced in his profession to
have bis name appear on the pro-
gramme he intended changing it. He
used to write Alphonso Chetwood in a
3sLife for Death" in large letters
sometimes when he day-dreamed.
Kittys name was that of her mother
There WIS no reason, she thought, why
she should take her fathers; he had al
most killed her mother-at least ruined
her life-and Kitty felt she hated him.
Her mother she dearly loved. Mrs.
Harden wasa fond. patient little woman
who had tripped or been deceived once,
and had suffered for it ever since. She
was a well-bred woman, and brought
Kitty UP an honorable girl, which was
no small task, considering her chic,
beauty and dangerous surround gs.
The mother did not like George
Peters. She saw he would interfere
with her daughters success, and she
did all she could to make Kitty give
him up; quite in vain, for Kitty was
firm, and she loved him. Finally she
gave in SO much: she would not marry
him for three years and during that
time she was to devote herself to her
work.
She was often discouraged, for there
seemed nothing more for her to do than
she did before, except rehearse leading
roles in the old operas with her moth
er. This she did for two months,
though often telling the mother it was
very hard with such bad support !
And seven times week she danced
with light heart, and full as light feet,
with George Peters in the chorus.
Then came her first opportunity. She
played the part of JaUotte week in
Brooklyn. The Eagle said of her:
@FMiss Kitty Harden put into the role of
yIdUohe naiyete, vivacity and sparkle,
which made it more charming than the
title-role."
And the News printed ''Kitty Har-
den 8 JogOte was the hit of the even
ing +"
= Kitty's mothers cheeks flushed with
pride, and Kitty's own heart beat faster
hQ
morning. But George Peters simply
said when he saw them, ''That's real
good, Kitty" and that was his strongest
expression of praise. He was a good
fellow enough, but be did SO lack soul
and inspiration. There was nothing
idealistic, nothing above common
place level in his whole makeup. Pos
ssibly that was why Kitty loved him, for
she was certainly in character his ex
which was right. He was not jealous
the Brooklyn swells who sat in the
boxes or front rows every night, and
tossed flowers to Kitty over the foot
lights Kitty was twice as jealous of the
girl who took her place in the chorus;
who had not charm to boast Of eX
,cept good makeup. AS for the young
swells she cared not a snap OF her finger
for them, but she did love the flowers
thanks and coQuetted her gratitude
over the heads of the first violins; but
that was the end of it. All the notes
she received she gave to George Peters
to do with as he pleased. He never
could see any harm in her answering
them; sometimes thought she ought to,
and he kept carefully every one, be-
lieving them TO be as great compliments
TO his Kitty as the newspaper notices
ar 4 I15c 70 he
stage, who can imagine 1t must have
been the same thing that made him
love Kitty. But it did nothing further
for him. 1t was spark that never
grew into flame. a germ that was al
ways germ and never became a flow
eer.
After the Brooklyn engagement Kitty
went on the road. Her mother went
with her of course. Everywhere the
com pany played Kitty became favor
ite Mrs Harden kept all the newspa
per notices, and used to take infinite
pleasure reading and rereading them
on the cars. Not so Kitty. After
while she began to grow homesick for
George Peters, whom she had left be-
hind in the home theater, still singing
nightly ''Viye lie Marquis, Viye lie Mar
quis;" and dancing measure with her
envied successor. She hoped to her.
self that he didn't keep step with
that girl any better thar he had done
with her. Sometimes Kitty grew de-
spondent. What did she care for the
leading role and the good lines if she
couldn't share them with George? But
always when the curtain was up and
her call came, she forgot her troubles to
deserve her plaudits.
Then one night in Rochester a new
influence came into the girls life, For
week, no matter where they were,
Kitty had seen the same face in the
lower right-hand box of every theater,
and the same fowers-a big bunch Of