The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-19
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e TIE REFIEARSALs*.s By BRANpER y
n OF THE NEW PLAY MATTHEW'S
q Author Of "Vignettes Of Manhattan" y
T. Bachelor synibas1 a
@ GO


IAhl \.
When Wilson carpenter came to the
Junction of the two great thoroughfares,
he stood still for moment and looked
at his watch. not wishing TO arrive at
the rehersal too early. lie found that
it was then almost eight o'clock; and he
began at once to pick his way across
the car tracks that were here twisted in
every direction. cloud of steam
,swirled down as train on the elevated
railroad clattered along over his head;
the cyclops eye of cable car glared at
him as IL came rushing downtown; from
the steeple of a church on the corner,
around which the mellow harvest moon
pcercd down on the noisy streets, there
came the melodious call TO the evening
service; over the entrance TO n variety
show block above a gaudy cluster of
electric lights illuminated the posters
which proclaimed for that evening
Grand Sacred Concert. at which Queenie
Dougherty, the Irish Empress, would
sing her new song: Hes an Illigant
Man in Scrap. My Boys" AS the young
dramatist sped along he noted that peo-
pie were still struggling by twos and
threes into the house OF worship and
into the place of entertainment; and
he could not but contrast swiftly this
Sunday evening in n great city with the
Sunday evenings of his boyhood in the
little village of his birth.
He wondered what his quiet parents
would think of him now were they alive
and did they know that he was then
lgoihg to the final rehearsal of play of
which he was half author. 1t was not
his first piece, for he had been lucky
enough the winter before TO win prize
offered by an enterprising newspaper
for the best one-act comedy; but IL was
the first play of his 10 be produced at an
Important New York house. When he
came TO the closed but brilliantly-lighted
entrance of this theater, he stood still
again to read with keen pleasure the
three-sheet posters on each side of the
doorway. These parti-colored ndver-
tisements announced the first appear
nnce at that theater of the young Amer
ican actress. Miss Daisy Fostclle, in n
new American comedy, Touch and
Co." written expressly for her by Har-
ny Bracket and Wilson Carpenter, and
produced under the immediate d;rec-
ton of z. Kilburn.
When the author of the new Ameri-
can comedy had read this poster twice
he took out his watch again and saw
that il was just eight. He threw away
his cigarette and walked swiftly around
the corner. Entering small door he
went down n long, ill-lighted passage.
At the end of this was small square
ball, which might almost be called the
landing stage of fight of stairs lead
ing to the dressing-rooms above and
to the property room below. This hall
was cut off from the stage by large
swinging door.
AS Carpenter entered the room this
door swung open and a nervouc young
man rushed in. Catching sight of the
dramatist he checked his speed, held
tout his hand and smiled, wearily, say
npg; That's you, is it? I'm so glad
you've comel"
''The rehearsal hasn't begun, has it?"
Carpenter asked, eagerly.
"Star isn't here yet" answered the
Rctor, "and she's never in hurry, you
know. She takes her own time always,
Daisy does. know all her little tricks,
1--WE told you already that never would
have accepted this engagement at all
~ hadn't been out since January.
don't see myself in this part of yours.
H'I do my best with it, of course, and
ft isn't such o bad part, may be; but
don't see myself in it,
{ Carpenter tapped the other on the
back heartily and cried: Don't you
!be afraid, Dresser; you will be all right
Why, ! shouldn't wonder If you made
the hit of the whole piece!"
And with that he started to open the
door that led TO the stage.
But Dresser made G. sudden appeal:
SDon't go away just as I've found you.