New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-11
Oh, such flirting! You Just ask Nell Risley

Sara Jennings the hateful thing, wouldn't lend
any one a cent. An she's been getting her
salary right along-forty-fve a week We ddn I
get ours for six weeks before we reached Daven-
port Three Of the boys had to walk part OF the
way home they had great fun; Tom Harding
wrote me about it, Toms gone out with Frank
Ketchum for summer engagement down In
ew-Brunswick. l wonder II they're busted
yet"
well. what you going to do this summer
asked Mrs. Moriarity.
Dunno. Guess I'll stay at home. Amt got no
money to go to the country with"
Billy Grafton's getting up snap company
for a two-week's engagement in Providence. lie
wrote me last night that he wanted soubrette
one that could sing and dance and act, too
We'll. guess that's just my size Amt sent
any one yet. have yer? Thatn hes good as n
vacation Just send along won't yer?
What's the insult?'
Twenty week.
HIN. Next to nothlnk. Why don't they ask
Providence and back?"
ITO. but not back"
Sure pay"
$50 Billy says. but you never can tell. De-
ponds on the business suppose"
Well I'll go any way. It'll be a lark. And
always get home somehow What's the piece
II don't know Billy didn't say in his tele-
gram. But think they're goin' to put two or
three pieces on
THAT means work Well. we've got to hustle
in this world When does the engagement be-
gln?"
Next Monday"
next Monday? shall have to hustle"
"I wire Billy to send on the parts, an II you'l
come in tomorrow I'll give em 10 you"
"All right. Well girls. amt that luck? An
came within n ace Of goin' down to Glen Island
with Trlxie Elliott this morning"
The other girls, who had listened to this con-
versation with interest and envy. gathered round
their fortunate companion and congratulated
her. Evelyn had watched the scene with in
terest; II seemed to her typical Of one aspect Of
the profession: It's familiar. tawdry. vulgar as
pect. She wondered what those people who re-
garded actors and actresses as strange celestial
creatures would think If they could get the peep
that she was now having into the inner work
ings Of the business.
They all had the same tale to tell: they wanted
enga gements Some related their experiences
during the season that had just ended:
Three had been stranded and had had
difficulty in getting home; four had been
with companies that had stopped playing two
or three times during the course OF the sea-
son and had then gone on again: SIX de-
clared that they had received only n portion Of
their salaries. Il told Mr.. Burnham"-Mr. Burn
ham was "A secOnd-class Star" whose efforts
were confined chiefly to the West-Evelyn heard
one dashing creature say. that If he'd pay my
board bill at the hotel In Tacoma. Ia let the rest
OF my salary go. lie said he would; 50 the next
day got my trunks out just by the skin OF my
teeth. and then | skipped" She added with a
pensive smile kind OF afterthought: Il
wonder # he's paid that bill yet"
AZ Mrs. Moriarity continued Oblivious OF her
presence. Evelyn began 10 be nervous. Most Of
the morning gone. and she had no time 10
spare. She looked around the room at the photo
graphs on the walls: they were the best evidence
she had ever seen Of the collective vanity Of
actors. Suddenly II flashed upon her why n Ger
tain French writer. whose stories she liked
despised actors: They were cOnceit and self-cOn-
seriousness persOn!fed 1t wax miserable busi-
ness using the body for the purpose of exhibit
ing spurious emotions. and the work must affect
the characters OF the actors. She recalled a re-
mark that she had once overheard an author
make at ono OF Mrs. Helen Langdon Peterson's
receptions In Boston: n did not know that she
was within hearing. "Aetors," Ia had said
seem to me mere backgrounds OF men" Yes
they were mere backgrounds; sometimes they
seemed TO her 10 be only shadows She had
often argued the question with herself-the ques-
ton or the worth Of the actor and 81 his pro-
iession: she understood just how Fanny kcmble
had felt about II. Ideally II was a noble calling:
but in reality It low
. While she was In the midst Of these rumlna-
tons tall handsome man Of about thirty-nve
WIN lace ana ilncIN cut features
entered the room. His head would have been
marvelously like the busts 81 Greek heroes that
Evelyn had seen but for the fact that his fore
hc al sloped back and his black closely clinned
hair grew low on It. With his hat on he looked
IKE n handsome man Of the world: with barred
nead. ne resembied prize fighter. Evelyn
recognized him at once; II she had not seen him
before she would have known him from his
OF the most successful actors
IN the stage and one OF the most popular IN
he profession. His appearance was greeted
welcome
why Harry Davidson" exclaimed Mrs
selling his extended hand and giving
nm. resounding kiss on the lips You dear
BOY. When did you get in?"
Inc actresses crowded around him and shricked
greetings The men stood apart and. leaning
on their sticks. smiled at him nlablv
He shook every one that he knew bv The hanJ
md kissed several OF the ladies' This familiarity
lid not surprise Evelyn; she had become used
o u. she looked at him with interest for she
Snew that during the past season he had been
considered a rival OF Harold Seymour He was
he leading man OF the METROPOLITAN Stock Com
'any' which had just come back from an engage
nent In Chicago Whatever professional rivalry
here might have been between the two men
here was no personal jealousy for they were.
asst friends She had always considered David
on poor actor: he had fallen into mannersms
hat spoiled his work for her into "A drawing
way OF speaking and into n vulgar habit OF loung.
ng about the stage which he evidently mis-
ook for ease. Seymour had no mannerisms: i'm
he fine naturalness OF his style lay much OF
liz power. Besides. he was earnest I'm his work. /
" couio AWAY De rened upon 10 know his lines,
ma he never shrked Davidson, on the con-
rary. took pride In neglecting rehearsals. I'm
icing weak In his lines in driving paywrights
o despair by interpolatIng his own impromptu
peeches for those they had been polishing FOR
months. IN arriving late at the theatre and
ieeping the stage waiting. and in showing a
ackadaisical superiority to everything. His
managers bore with him on account OF his pop,i- /
arity, and his brother actors, who liked him
or his unfang good nature. and who credited
I'm with extraordinary natural talent-the talent
vas much overesima ted-loved To tell stories OF
rs amusing carelessness and his "rackets" |
hey used To say he never slept at night that |
e was never seen In the sunlight, except on |
matinee days when he walked through his part |
s If he were only half alive. that he was never |
eally awake until o'clock In the evening He |
ad collaborated on "A play that had been moder- |
tely successful; but he had been too lazy TO !
Undertake another. He had been married TO |
hree actresses within ten years. One of these |
ad died just as she was going to sue him for |
on-support. The other two had burst their
onds without difficulty. He had been heard To |
emark cynically that whenever the newspapers