San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-08-05
THE PLAYERS"

three gowns, her notice book, her char
acter photographs and her letter of in
PRODUCTION in the attic room of New
York boarding house her joy was I'M
confined. The boarding house was east
of Third avenue, and the attic room was
four flights from the street; but when
one is talented apd 20, and visits New
York for the first time with a 1attering
introduction to an influential manager,
one does not count stairs.
On the first evening Mellicent ate her
gristly roast and wilted salad with the
air of young woman who is assured of
champagne and sweetbreads at the
weeks end and wondered whether it
would be three days or five before she
"signed" with the influential manager
and engaged quarters better befitting
the comedienne of a metropolitan COM
pany.
Two weeks later Mellicent occupied
the same attic room on the east side, but
boarded cheaply at a Third avenue eat
ing house, where she could breakfast
heartily for Is cents and dine luxurious
ly for 90.
One week more and Mellicent was
boiling her breakfast cocoa over the gas
Jet and washing her handkerchiefs in
the bathtub and flattening them on the
window pane to dry. In those days she
blacled her boots with ink and stuffed
her mirror frame with newspaper adver-
tisements for ballet girls and lady fen
Gers. The letter of recommendation
which the influential manager had kindly
returned was streaked and worn by con-
slant handling, and the notice book was
dog cared.
On one end Of her bureau was box of
letters from the man who wished to
marry her. At first Mellicent used to
read and sigh over these pledges of affec-
ton. 1t was such pity, she thought,
that he cared like that for girl who
never could marry him. Now she read
and sighed over them with a different
emotion. at can't come to that" she
would say.
Il
At the start there had been a certain
piquancy in the venture. To be talented
and 20 and to seek her fortune alone in
a great city read uncommonly like the
first chapter of a romance. Besides New
York captivated the girl. Her rounds of
the day finished, she would ride from the
Battery to Harlem ON the elevated, price
diamond necklaces and air her three
gowns with the best of them on that
Broadway promenade whose glitter was
constantly suggestive of footlights and
an orchestral accompaniment.
The agencies charmed by their abso-
lutte novelty.
To penetrate to that private territory,
to see a slip bearing her name and adj
dress placed in pigeonhole labeled
"Soubrettes and Ingenues," seemed to
Mellicent a unique and exciting expert
ence, one well worth hours of waiting
and the comments, sarcastic or indiffer-
ent, of the manager and his satellites.
All this, however, as l said, was at the
start.
To be the heroine of a romance is one
thing, the heroine of a realistic novel
quite another.
I'm beginning to suspect the truth
of all these hOrrid stories of baffled genius
struggling against adverse fate" she
wrote near the close of the third week
to the man who wished to marry her.
Managers all seemed in league against
her-all save one, who, from the begin
ming, had treated her with unaccounta-
BILE forbearanCe. He had even sent her
tickets for a new play. There was a
sOubrette part in it that was badly done,
he said. The author was friend of his
and-well, he couldn't promise anything,
but he'd like her to see the part.
The soubrette was bad-worse even
than Mellicent had hoped; weak, COM
mon, self conscious.
IF such people can obtain engage
ments, then why not Il" she said the
next morning in reporting the play.
I'm not a raw amateur; l studied for
two years with well known actor and
stage manager. I've played over and
over again at students matinees and
later in professional performances in
small towns. It's only chance l want,
a chance to speak a dozen lines, that's
all, but they won't give me even hear
ing"
Mellicent's cheek burned. She shook
the brown locks from her moist fore
head and eyed the agent aggressively.
He shook his head deprecatingly. He
was slim and blond and boyish, with a
droll, captivating accent that heightened
the effect of his dry utterances.
I'll tell you what it is, the man said.
"Tll see Boyle at luncheon today and
put your case to him. If he reports IA
vorably, I'll lot you know this afternoon.
Don't hope too much though. If you
don't hear from me by at the latest,
you'll know there's nothing to expect
from that quarter"
Mellicent grasped his hand in parting
almost affectionately.
Its chance" she whispered as she
climbed the stairs at the east side board
ing house. IF get it, why, I'm bound
to succeed. If l lose it, The girls
heart sank.
Go home? The worn face of her IA
Their, the shabby gowns and meager faces
of her mother and little sisters, were a
constant reprOach of her idleness. Write?