The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-09


are frequently the reverse. and one special
dream arranged for endurance which IS
commonly known as the dream Of my
life"
THE dreams Of her life" so far as
Polly Jones was concerned, was to go on
the stage. In the lit,ie domestic circle in
which she lived ana moved and had her
being Polly was looked upon as quite a
prodigy. She could sing and dance and
turn Catherine Wheels, and twist her face
about into such remarkable contortions
that Mr.. and Mrs. Fletcher. her master
and mistress, who We're both stout and OF
fun habit of body. were frequently com
PEELED 70 tell her TO leave of OF they
should have fit.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fletcher We're the propr,e-
tors of comfortably furnished house in
the neighborhood of Cover street, which
they let out in furnished lodgings, and
Polly. who had been taken from the
Workhouse school at an early age, was
their htJle maid Of all work. Mrs Fetch
er did the cooking. Mr.. Fletcher assisted
and cleane,1 the boots and made himself
generally useful. 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 hus-
band. handed round the dishes, because
Polly was so short and so grotesque-look-
ing that it was considered hardly fair 20
spring her on ladies and gentlemen sud
denly.
Among the dodgers who had come to be
made comfortable beneath the hospitable
roof of the amiable Fletchers was a
charming young lady who had a very pref
~ voice and who danced very gracefully,
and was the object of Polly Jones blind
and mad devotion. because she was real
live actress.
Miss Katie Jones was not only Pollys
namesake but she was an exponent Of the
art which Polly longed to shine in. But
with all her grace and beauty and her
many accomplishments Miss Katie Jones
was not a star. As matter of fact she
was only at present one OF the bevy of
beautiful damsels who formed the chorus
of the - theater, but she had recently
been promoted 10 the position Of prin-
cipal by being allowed 10 say And 1.
You see all true artists prefer TO be
principals. and you leave off being chorus
and become a small part lady. which is a
principal, the moment you have anything
TO say or sing which is said or sung by
yourself independently Of the chorus.
The author of the highly graceful mu-
steal play-theTe were no burlesques or
musical extrayaganzas as nowadays-en-
titled The Queen Of the Cannibal Is
lands" had been requested by the man
agement to make six speaking parts for
six of the most engaging of The chorus
ladies'; and he had accomplished his task
In the most expeditions manner possible
by making the principal boy" say who
viii join me in drinking to the health Of
the queen Of my heart?' The second hoy"
had to answer, Il will" and then the six
pretty chorus girls whom the management
desired TO advance to the position of prin-
cipals added each In turn, and one after
the other. And IT, From that moment
their professional status was assured, and
they had special names arranged for them
on the programme, ana were specially
"called" when rehearsals were necessary,
not as chorus" but as small part la
dies" This is strict professional etiquette,
and must in no wise be disregarded.
When Miss Katie Jones first took the
drawing room floor at the Flctchers. and
Polly discovered that the new lady ledger
was an actress her delight knew 10
bounds. To see a real live actress close to,
10 watch her drink a cup Of tea or toy
with a fried sole, to assist her occasionally
an her toilette and to help her on with her
Jacket and give her her umbrella. and see
her out OF the front door Of an evening
when she set out for the theater, was TO
Polly never-ending source Of deep salts
faction. It brought elemnts Of
romance into her ordinary and
commonplace existence, and one
bank holiday. when, after waiting
three hours in the pouring rain at the gal
lery 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 heavily feathered hats Of the
other young ladies', to see Miss Katie Jones
and recognized 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 perspiring gallery that she
knew Miss Jones personally and had fire.
quently helped her with her back hair
And when IL came to Miss Jones turn TO
be a principal and she stepped one pace
forward and said And IT, Polly was 60
carried away with the emotion OF the scene
that she shrieked out Bravo" and clapp-
ed her hands and the great house reared
with laughter, much TO the delight of the
low comedian, VINO at that moment was
'smugging" after the manner Of his kind
and fondly imagined, in the language
of the profession, that he'd knocked
EN-"
That night at the theater decided Polly
Jones as 10 her future career. She would
save up all the shllings and slXpences
that the dodgers gave her until she was
able to buy a nice smart frock and jacket
and hat, and then she would go straight
10 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 gem
timely comic in her ordinary appearance
that many people seeing ner for the first
time laughed at her, and rude little boys
when she went for errands in the neigh
borhood had already gone so far as 10
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
stager' But Mr.. Fletcher, hearing the
story from his wife, said that for his part
he thought that Polly would be a duced
sight funnier than Il 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 fortnight after this that
one morning Polly, going into Miss Katie