Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-08-28
THE BAsso WIZ woULDNr SHAVE.

$1,000
Never smiled; she has listened to heart
rending, pathetic appealss and never
shed tear. Terrible crimes have been
committed in her presence and she has
never moved u puscle-never even
looked surprised.
''She is sphinL She fascinates me.
Sometimes % not see her for weeks,
and 1 am beginning % forget her, when
she appears at feb unexpected time and I
gaze on her in wonder, needless of every
thing else in the play. If she would
only show some sign of interest in what
is going on around-if cher Indifferent
eyes would only condescend to emit one
CLEAN of intelligence, the spell would,
perhaps, be broken.
''But no In the seven years that she
has haunted me she has never spoken a
single line. It is barely possible she
does not speak English. Or she may be
deaf and dumb. 1 make all sorts of con-
lectures about her, SuScan not rest on
any. She possesses af9upcanny attrac-
ton for me. Sometimes I think OF
writing romance and making her the
central figure. Then, perhaps, l might
lift the burden of her mystery from my
shoulders to those o9my readers"
And why should not the serfs ot the
stage have their George KEENAN, to
champion their cause? Who ever gives
them a thought-the men and women
who are stuck here and there in the
background to fill II the scene like the
daubs Of paint an assist tses to suggest
shadowy figures? Talk of an actor
merging his identisS in a character; he
has his real name and his assumed one
on the programme. The suparohss no
identity at all. HeAsacipher with the
circle rubbed out.
He receives no fsscognltiOn from the
audience. If he is made conspicuous for
moment the gallery Coy scornfully
abridges the already abridged name of
his humble calling, and yells ''Supe!" ct
him. That is all. The real actors and
actresses regard hisn @Spiece Of vivi-
fed furniture. The 5ragedian, il he be
a heavy one, will occasionally honor
him at rehearsal by vigorously swearing
at him.
And the super bears it all patiently
silently. He is Of a ferS4ving, kindly
nature. When Barrett or . Booth
drops off into the unknown tho super
signs: ''Ah! anotheroof as gope! What
is the stage comingB TOP"
Cases have bcen known ahers . super
rose from. .heo RANKS and eyen reached
distinction. But they ase few. Joseph
Wheelock is case in poin6 On the
other hand, there have been ambitious
supers who tried to rise and failed. An
English member Of the tribe was given
single line to speak, and his SOUL hun
gered for applause. He had to shy: ''My
Lord, the carriage waits" Night after
night he said it, but the audience re
manned cold. At last he conceived 9;
supplementary line which he though
wonld stir the British breast. "M.
Lord" he said one night, ''the carriag'
waits, and" advancing to- the footlight
and addressing the gallerys 81 wish Il
say here that the villain who would ia,
his hand on a woman, except by way o
kindness, is unworthy the name Of
Briton and . mann
The long-delayed applause came; tia
speech brought it.
Though it is seldom that the supe
asserts himself individually, he hs
done so collectively now and then a.
cording to theatrical annals. ssFigh
Fight in earnestr' cried Forrest once {
rehearsal in Albany to half doze
supers who seemed to be timid abol
touching him. CThe play required tn,
they should try to kill him.k
do You want a bully fght?'" aske
the super captain.
s'That's it; pitch in"
The night came and in the scene
the attack the supers did pitch in
But the six Of them were no match &