The Advocate and news., 1898-06-22

| LOOKING people SJOOu ABOUT Watching u
rehearsal which was going on. The cur
tain was up and he could see out into
the empty theater with It's balconies, It's
long alsles and rows Of red and gilt
chairs; but how gloomy 1t looked now
lighted only by faint beam Of sunlight
from a window far up in the gallery
where an old scrub-wOman could be
seen sweeping among the seats.
The stage manager hurried nervOusly
about with his coat OF and his hat tilted
back on his head. People were walking
on and off the stage saying their lines,
stabbing each other with imaginary
knives and going through all sorts OF
queer motions Tom did not understand.
The manager told him to step in line
with the other extras and do as directed.
Tom did so and shouted and shook his
fist as the others were doing.
"Step lively, there! Don't stand like
dummies!"
Here, you!" said the manager to
Tom, Shout louder; look mad!"
Tom Obeyed, feeling all the while like
an idiot, but he was quite willing to play
the idiot for So a week.
Finally the opening night came, and
Tom painted his face and eyes like the
others and slipped into the fantastic
clothes he was to wear The orchestra
was playing and he could hear the gay
music Of the ViOlins, flutes and tlnkling
triangles as he dressed. When the
proper time came he rushed upon the
stage with the others, yelling and bran
dishing his club like WoOkapOO Waffle
pop, king OF the VAN VANS, or some
other terrible cannibal. He was so
scared that he felt he should take to
his heels and run off the stage, but he
gritted his teeth and kept saying to
himself "eight dollars, eight dollars"
and so he stayed. He had always
thought actors had an easy time, but he
found that was a mistake. The man
ager often got angry and sometimes
swore and tore around like crazy man,
jerking the players into their places and
calling them all manner Of ugly names,
but he never said cross things to Mrs.
Sterling, for he stood in awe Of the
leading lady.
Tom learned many things about the
theater, and found that all was make
believe and sham like most things in
the world which look glittering and at
tractive to us. Those who played the
good men and women and made the au-
dience shed tears in sympathy were
sometimes the meanest Of people, while
the villain, whom everybody hated, was
often the best kind Of a man. He found
that the thunder which sounded so real
AA hn nII IN thn aMHfnuna mo VVaohn
by rafting sheet iron or rolling cannon
balls over the floor; that ripping water
was only green cloth stretched across
the stage and shaken by men at each
side; that the ocean spray which looked
and sounded so natural was just beans
dashed against the scenery and that the
trees, fences and rocks were all paste
board This last fact he found out to
his sorrow one night when rock top
pied over with him and sent him tum"
bling across the stage in sight Of all the
people. The manager was furious and
would have discharged Tom on the spot
If the leading lady had not given him
a look which made him change his
| mind.
Leading ladies seldom speak to extras
out now ana Lnen Wnlle MrS. 0LerllnB
was waiting for her cue she talked to
Tom, the story of whose life she had
learned little by little.
do you still think Of going to col
lege?" she asked.
81 might if l could get work and save
some money"
why don't you go back to Kansas
and teach school? In my country many
young men teach and pay their way
through college"
1t had not occurred to Tom that he
might teach school, but what she said
set him to thinking.
He was weary Of the city, and felt he
would like to get back to Kansas where
he had friends. You must not think
that Tom had no sand" as the boys