The Ravalli Republican., 1898-02-16
THE UNDERSTUDY.

Well, gentlemen (the great TRACE
dian 8 voice shook Il little as he put
down his glass in the silence), you
little know perhaps what a string
you touched upon when you coupled
my name with that of the great
dead and gone actor, Franklin Hyde
If closed my eyes for a moment, ]
could easily believe that this was al!
dream. When think Of the
strange and unexpected incident
that sent me up the golden ladder
at bound and Of the maxwell,
there, gentlemen, ! suppose few Of
you would credit that one night,
only Is years ago, was upon the
verge Of suicide.
1t was about as black as it could
be-partly, own, because my am
bition stood in my way. But when
man has studied and dreamed of a
telling part in Drury Lane autumn
drama his soul not unnaturally
sickens at the thought of reverting
to minor roles in second rate tour
ing companies. That was it. had
been promised the part of Julian
Armstrong in that immortal piece,
"Exiled, " and then, when it came
to rehearsal, it turned out that by
some strange mistake the part had
already been allocated to another
man. That man was Franklin Hyde,
and | am not sure that | did not
hate him on the spot. True, re-
ceived a check as a set off, but it
seemed that my life chance had
been snatched away, and my debts
had mounted up again before set
to work to shake off the stupor of
that disappointment. And then l
found that had let many other
chances slip.
Somehow-many of you who saw
it played and recollect the great
possibilities it gave will understand
why--that part Of Julian Armstrong
had put spell over mo. | got in
at a rehearsal. Standing by, sick
with jealousy and longing, | watch
ed Hyde's conception, and, great as
it was, | believed my own was
greater, and q forlorn hope took
possession OF mo | determined to
"understudy" him. Who knewf
The drama was down to run until
December. Might not some chance
come in the interval5 lfelt-l knew
that | could play that part to the
life. When, swallowing my pride
spoke to Hyde of it, he laughed of
course
Waste of time and talent, I'm
afraid, Mr. Lorrimer Still | would
not check ambition. If anything
unforeseen should occur, and you
are still anxious-well, we might
think of you. u
And for weeks was crazy enough
to go dreaming of that great posi-
bility. l studied the part until
seemed to be living dual existence.
! would wake up in the night and
Ghout out my lines. would so to
the theater just to watch him and
sit filled with hunger of longing
that could never put into words
would wait hours outside Just tc
see him step into his carriage, for
"Exiled' had taken the town by
storm, and he had reputation now
to live up to.
And here-here was mid Novem
be1 and my young wife and liv
ing-no, starvin9-cn dreams. We
sat there in the dingy room that
night, and perhaps there was some
thing in my face, in my laugh, tha,
told her what had been in my mind
for she did a thing she had not done
all through that black time-came
suddenly behind me to put her arm
round my neck and burst into a pas
sion of sobs-sobs that would hav,
frightened me at another time.
"Wilfred-don't III work II
do anything, but don't look SO
Wilfred, it's no use-they will nevc
send to you to play Julian, and yol
know it. Put it out Of your mint
and think of something else Yes
] know-l know what you could d
and what it might mean for US il
the future, but the people go nov
to see Franklin Hyde, not Julia!
alone. Oh, if he knew! I don
wish it, nor do you, but if-if"-
She stopped short there, as with
sudden instinct. Wilfred!" sh
breathed.
Why2 Well, queer ideas had bee
fitting in and out Of my overtaxe
brain that night. l know l got
my feet and held Maggie away b
the arm and stood staring past he:
Aye" | whispered, to thin
that there's only the one if in tt
wavl I'm not-I mean nothing. Bl