Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-04
A PAIR OF PLAYERS.
[copyr,gat 1895, by the Author ]
BIZ VIOLA ROsEBORO

| Tne company &C wnlcn we belonged
was melancholy organization. 1t play
ed "repertory," and it staid a week
in towns that combinations" and stars
real stars-leave in one night, and it
visited places that such more fortunate
mummers neglect altogether. The bill
was changed at every performance, tax
ing our sojourn in one town, and nine
or more performances were given in the
week. In short, we were q ''snide''
| company. We represented theatrical life
in one of the least glittering phases.
Nevertheless he knows little of show
folk who would assume the absence of
good talent among Us. We, like many
another such bankrupt organization,
were headed by an excellent, solidly
| trained old actor. He was our star and
our manager, and, down on his luck''
rs he was. I had been glad to Join his
company for the experience I could get
out of it. l already had enough experi.
| ence to know that there was little pros
| pect of any other compensation from
him. This being my position, hastily
so explained it to Mrs. Mason and Mr..
l
ings by calling myself a novice. They
exchanged glances of satisfaction at the
| announcement.
That's just what I've told Aunt
Mag" said Cassius.
| "Cassius and think you can't have
too much experience" said Aunt Mag,
continuing: I've come for experience
100. Nh. Leroy isn't altogether what
| I'd wish in some respects.
"This is between ourselves, of course"
put in Cassius.
"Cassius, Miss Addington is q lady,
and lady Of discretion Mrs. Mason
certified with an astuteness equally sur
rrising and gratifying. HE some.
times uses profane language, Hiss
Addiisgton, and-but I went talk
about it. l don't wish to gossip, but he
is first rate stage manager, isn't he,
| Cassius? We feel that we have learned
u great deal in this engagement, don't
we:'
Cassius did, and he also reminded
Mrs. Mason that it was late and that
was tired, and he told me that it Just
ruined Aunt Maggie net to have her
sleep. "I'll have to bring her breakfast
up to her now. They close the dining
room SO early. They don't show the
consideration they ought to profession
al people"
| l congratulated Mrs. Mason on her
prospect of breakfast in bed That truth
brought forth more conversation:
"Oh, Miss Addingtcn, he is so good
to me. l dent know suppose I'd have
been sewing in Chicago yet if he hadn't
no, l wouldn't, I'd have been dead
| ] couldn't have sewed another year.
''She's SO good to me; that's the thing
Of it"
"And he isn't ny nephew at all, you
know"
"No; we're no relation"
"We're just friends. l don't know
why people say just friends. He's more
than a son to me. He never tries to
mako me over into something else as
your own family do, Miss Addington.
1 put i'll word Of thanks for her div
ination of my case: but, unconscious
OF interruption, she was saying that to-
morrow she must tell me all about it
her and Cassius' friendship.
81 think" said she, 'it's real pleas
ant to know that people can find such
friends in the world-an old woman
and boy, too-that they can take so
much comfort in each other. He is just
a boy, for all he's SO ambitious, but he
isn't like other boys. He's SO good.
Some ways he's mere like girl, but
he's manly, too, you KNOW
The nezt day after rehearsal Mrs. Ma
son visited me again. She overlooked
with frienaliness ard talk, biographical
and autobiographical
One thing about Mrs. Mason must
have antagonized many a person and
made her stand in the minds of the ju-
dicious as an example of the demoraliz-
ing effects Of the stage. Such an exam
pie she was, to be sure, for she was
painted like q BARRIERS pole, and that
was undoubtedly the result Of the
achievement, too late in life for safety,
of q make up box. But when. one saw
how simple and kind and more than re-
spectacle she was the effect of all that
red and white and black stuff on her
tired, worn, middle aged face became
as touchingly numerous as it was as-
thetically disastrous 1t was put on with
the confidence of q creature who has lit
tie practice in deceit and none at all in
the detection of it.
She had that fat backed, slim figure
which a 5o-year-old possessor always
believes to be youthful in effect, but
only the dullest Of observers could have
been bind to the time wearied and Ia
bored character of Mrs. Mason 8 upright
| ness.
She dressed with painstaking, mex
pensive elaboration Of details that show
ed she loved her clothes. But she was
! one of those not uncommon women
whose love of personal adornment, to be
understood Alright, must be understood
somewhat subtly. She had. as 1 soon
learned, as little personal vanity and rs
little delusion as to her own natural
charms as possible (you see, do not
say she had none). but she loved beauty
SO passionately that she must, for the
peace OF her life, play at being better
looking than she was and ii was peceS.