The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-09

life"
THE dream of her life," so far as Polly
Jones was concerned, was to go on the
stage. In the little domestic circle in which
she lived and moved and had her being
Polly was looked upon as quite a prodigy.
She could sing and dance and turn Cath
crime wheels, and twist her face about into
such remarkable contortions that Mr.. and
Mrs. Fletcher, her master and mistress,
who were both stout and of full habit of
body, were frequently compelled to tell her
to leave off or they should have fit.
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher were the pro-
prietors of a comfortably furnished house
in the neighborhood of Cover street which
they let out in furnished lodgings, and
Polly, who had been taken from the work.
house school at an early age, was their lit
tie maid of all work. Mrs. Fletcher did the
cooking. Mr.. Fletcher assisted and cleaned
the boots and made himself generally use
full and Polly answered the bells and swept
out the rooms and waited on the dodgers
except on grand occasions when they had
company, and then Mrs. Fletcher, leaving
the cooking to her husband, handed round
the dishes, because Polly was so short and
so grotesque-looking that it was consid-
cred hardly fair to spring her ladies and
gentlemen suddenly.
Among the dodgers who had come to be
made comfortable beneath the hospitable
roof of the amiable Fletchers was a charm
ing young lady who had very pretty voice
and who danced very gracefully, and was
the object of Polly Jones's blind and mad
devotion, because she was a real live ac-
treas.
Miss Katie Jones was not only Polly's
CHI Of ho
art which Polly longed to shine in But with
all her grace and beauty and her many ac-
complishments Miss Katie Jones was not a
star AS a matter of fact she was only at
present one of the bevy of beautiful dam
sells who formed the chorus of the The
alter, but she had recently been promoted
to the position of a principal by being al
lowed to say And l."
You see all true artists prefer to be prin-
cipals and you leave off being chorus and
become a small part lady. which is prin-
cipal, the moment you have anything to
say or sing which is said or sung by your
self independently of the chorus.
The author of the highly graceful musical
play-there were no burlesques or musical
extravaganzas as ow-a-days-entiled 1.-The
Queen of the Cannibal Islands,, had been
requested by the management to make six
speaking parts for six of the most engag
ing of the chorus ladies; and he had ac-
complished his task in the most expeditions
manner possible by making the principal
boy say, Who will join me in drinking to
the health of the queen of my hearth The
second boy had to answer, Il WILL" and
then the six pretty chorus girls whom the
management desired to advance to the posi-
ton of principals added each in turn, and
one after the other, '.And t. From that
moment their professional status
sured, and they had special names arranged
for them on the programme, and were spe-
cially called" when renearsals were neces-
sary not as chorus but as 'small part
ladies'" This is strict professional etiquette,
and must in no wise be disregarded
When Miss Katie Jones first took the
drawing room floor at the Fletchers', and
Polly discovered that the new lady lodger
was an actress, her delight knew no bounds
TO see q real live actress close to- to watch
her drink cup of tea or toy with a fried
sole, to assist her occasionally in her toilette
and to help her on with her jacket and give
Aer her umbrella, and see her out of the
front door OF an evening when she set out
Tor the theater, was to Polly reverend
ing source of deep satisfaction 1t brought
the element of romance into her ordinary
and commonplace existence, and one bank
holiday, when, after waiting three hours in
the pouring rain at the gallery door she got
into the theater and sat there pressed and
steaming, and was able, by much craning
OF her neck and peering between the heav-
ly-Leatnered hats Of the other young ladies'
TO see Miss Katie Jones and recognize her
as she sang "Tra-la-la" with the chorus.
she felt inclined to cry aloud to the rest
OF the audience in the packed and perspir-
ing gallery that she knew Miss Jones per-
sonally and had frequently helped her with
her back hair. And when it came to Miss
Jones turn to be a principal, and she
stepped one pace forward and said "And
l. Polly was so carried away with the emo
ton of the scene that she shrieked out
bravo and clapped her hands, and the
great house roared with laughter. much to
the delight of the low comedian, who at
that moment was ''mugging" after the
manner of his kind anu fondly imagined. in
the language OF the profession. that he'd
knocked en-
mat night at the theater decided PolIv
Jones as TO her future career She would
save up all the shillings and sixpenses that
the dodgers gave her until she was able
To buy nice smart frOck and jacket and
hat, and then she would go straight to the
theater, see the manager, and ask for an
engagement. She could sing a comic song.
she could dance, and she could twist her
face about, and she was so genuinely comic
In her ordinary appearance that MANY peo-
pie seeing her for the first time laughed at
her, and rude little boys when she went for
erTands in the neighborhood had already
gone so far as TO nickname her "The
Freak"
When she told Mrs. Fletcher, that good
lady, who hadn't an atom of romance about
her, merely said. Don't be a fool. Polly.
The idea of you going on the stagew But
Mr.. Fletcher, hearing the story from his
VIE said that for his part he thought that
Poily would be a deuced sight funnier than
good many young women he'd seen at the
music halls and at the theaters who were
supposed TO be famous condolences.
1t was about a fortnight after this that
one morning Polly going into Miss Katie
Joness room, found that young lady sitting
In her dressing gown by the fire CRYING her
eyes out, with a letter which had Come for
her by that mornings post crumpied up in
her hand
'Oh. Miss JONES'" cried Polly. whatever
is the matter?''