Evening star., 1896-09-26
PART I.


When Wilson Carpenter came to the
function of the two great thoroughfares.
he stood still for a moment and looked
at his watch, not wishing to arrive at
the rehearsal too early. He found that
IL was then almost 8 o'clock; and he began
at once to pick his way across the car
tracks that were here twisted In every
direction. A cloud of steam swirled down
as a train the elevated railroad clat-
tered along ..ver his head; the cyclops eye
of a cable c, glared at him as 1t came
rushing down Town; from the steeple OF
church on the corner, around wh1ch the
mellow harvest moon peered down on the
noisy streets, there came the melodlous
call to the evening service; over the en-
trance to a variety show block above
gaudy cluster of electric lights illuminated
the posters which proclaimed for that
evening a grand sacred concert, at which
Queenie DouGherty, the Irish empress.
would sing her new song. Hes an llligant
Man in a Scrap My Boys" AS the young
dramatist sped along he noted that people
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 a great city with the Sunday evenings
birth.
He wondered what his quiet parents
would think Of him now were they alive
and did they know that he was then going
to the final rehearsal of a play of which
he was half author. 1t was not his first
piece, for he had been lucky enough the
winter before to win d prize onered Dy
an enterprising newspaper for the best one
act comedy; but 1t was the first play OF MS
to be produced at an important New 1orK
house. When he came to the closed nu1
brilliantly lighted entrance of this thea
ter he stood still again to read with Keen
pleasure the three-sheet posters on eacn
side of the doorway. These parti-colored
advertisements announced the first appear
ance at that theater of the young Ameri-
can actress, Miss Daisy Fostelle, In ne"
American comedy. Touch and Go. writ
ten expressly for her by Harry Brackett
and Wilson Carpenter. and produced under
the immediate direction of z. Kiburn-
When the author of the new Hmerican
comedy had read this poster twice he TOOK
out his watch again and saw that IT was
inst e He threw away his cigarette and
alked swiftly around the corner. Enter
ing small door. he went down a long, Ill
lighted passage At the end of this was a
small square hall which might almost be
called the landing stage of a flight of stairs
leading 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 nervous young man
rushed in. Catching sight OF the dramatist
he checked his speed. held out his hand
and smiled wearily. saying: That's you
is it? I'm so glad you've GOMEZ,
THE rehearsal hasn't begun, has it?'
Carpenter asked, eagerly.
Star isn't here yet answered the actor
land she's never in a hurry, you know
She takes her own time always. Daisy
Gees. I know all her little tricks. I've told
you already that 1 never would have ac
cepted this engagement at all If l hadn
been out since January. l don't see mysel
In this part of yours. I'll do my best with
It, of course. and it isn't such a bad part
maybe, but | don't see myself in it,
Carpenter tapped the other on the bacl
heartily and cried: Don't you be afraid
Dresser: you will be all right, Why,
shouldn't wonder if you made the hit o
the whole piece,
And with that he started to open thu
door that led to the stage.
But Dresser made a sudden appeal