The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-16

up the old roots and transplant his pro-
fession, but he said he should go mad il
he staid He was himself surprised when
Mary, too, said she would rather go
than stay. She would like to live in
America He did not think of the fact
that young Harry Stevenson was in
America as having anything to do with
Mary's Willingness to live there. Neither
did Mary, or if she did she did not put
the thought into words, not even to
deny it. But the mother, if she could
have known, would have suspected that
there was a connection between the two
things and would have sighed and smiled
with tears in her eyes. Mary did not
know that young Stevenson had asked
her fathers permission to write to her
and had been refused it on the ground
that it was best to put no nonsense III
such a ohit's head when she had never
thought of such a thing as lover in
her life. The best way would be to leave
her alone in her childish freedom of
heart for a time, was Mr.. O'Neil's
verdict, and his wife knew he was talk
ing nonsense-thatM Mary was a woman
but she told him it was wise arrange
ment, because who could tell but that
y
SO Mary had her time of the secret pain
girls know so we'll till all lesser trou-
bles were lost in her loss of her mother.
She and her father came to America.
She never asked him why he did not
look up Harry Stevenson. He thought
to himself that she had actually forgot
ten all about him. He would not look
up a man who had once wanted to be-
come his daughters sutton till he had
once more gained place in the world
for his daughter beftting her. He lived
only six months after their arrival, and
his daughter was now living on the little
capital he left behind him, or rather on
the small part of that which was in
money. She was brave girl, and she
had cast about her for some way to earn
her living at once. She had at last de-
cided to try to go on the stage. It was
not such foolish decision in her case as
it usually is, looked at from one point of
view. A sheltered, happy girl is not apt
to have many breadwinning gifts at her
command when she is suddenly thrown
on her own resources, and Mary was no
exception, but she had large expert
ence of the amateur stage and beauty.
distinction aud a lovely, round Irish
voice To seek some modest theatrical
engagement seemed a sensible thing to
do-till she began to do it.
But, oh, the misery, the humiliation,
the cold despair she had felt during this
last week! She, without friends, with
out experience, had been making the
rounds of the dramatic agents and man
ayers, and only her despair, her pride
and her courage had kept her up under
her experience of their cynical, cold
scorn and Indifference, their tone, SO
new to her, that refused to recognize her
femininity as any plea for the courtesy
she was SO used to that she had never
recognized it's existence till she missed
it.
Today she was to see one more, an
agent. the last on her list. Yesterday he
had said to her brusquely, 81 haven't
time to talk to you Then, with a
| glance that measured her as if she had
been horse: You say you've played
lot with amateurs? Well, you can
come in and see me tomorrow at 2
| O'Clock if you want to. I'll hear what
you have to say, if you can say it in ten
minutes. -
1--WE expected to see you all in green,
with harp in your hand, this morning,
Miss o. Neil, - said one Of the old wom-
en- of the boarding house as the girl seat
ed herself at the breakfast table. She
drew her crocheted chinchilla shawl
closer about her, with pinched smile.
81 suppose Miss O'NeiI will appear
in that costume when she makes her
debut on the stage, - said the little be-
prinked passe married woman who con-
sidered herself the belle of the boarding
house.
Zone of my young men said he saw
you in Hart & Blocks Office yesterday,
so we expect you to begin starring
soon. - She stared at Mary with hard,
triumphant black eyes. She felt she had
ferreted out secret and succeeded in
giving pain.
''Well, that's great news for us the
alter goers, if it's so, Miss O'Neil, - said
the big. good natured drummer. Lucky
manager He was interrupted by an
other and very dismal old woman, who
said in high. penetrating voice that it
was ''a terrible thing the way actresses
behave nowadays by what you read in
the newspapers. l never saw one my
self, y and the drummer, feeling himself
powerless before the feminine phalanx,
swallowed at gulp his beverage, called
by courtesy coffee, and flung himself out
of the room, wondering if Miss O'Neii
would accept pot of shamrock if he
sent it to her. He concluded he did not
dare try it.
Miss O'Neil carried herself through
the meal with that quiet pride the
belle of the boarding house called AFRO
gance, but she did not eat much. and
as she stitched away, repairing and re-
modelling her little wardrobe, all morn
ing, some tears dropped upon her gowns.
''Well, at this rate I'm doing my
clothes more harm than good, she said
to herself, ''and indeed they cannot af-
ford the luxury of grief, and neither can