Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-01
A NEW YEAR TANGLE.
BY Robert billiard, Leading Man of sport
Ing Life


Ing Life"
The rehearsal was over. 1t was the
last of many Of the new plays by the
foreign wonder. 1t was the consensus
OF opinion among the actors that it was
the foreign wonders masterpiece, and
Tom Markings heart was in his throat
as he thought of his good part in. the
play after SO many months OF ldlenesS.
Tom had the incest little wife and
2-year-old baby in the known world,
and many time in the past year his
heart had been heavy and his eyes
wet as he looked at their poor, thin,
wistful, yet trusting faces. Now all
was to be changed-no more hunger,
no more cold, no more heartaches.
All Tom wanted was a chance.
AS ne left the stage at the end Of the
rehearsal he was thinking OF the next
nights first performance. AS he was
about to pass out TO the street the call
boy thrust an envelope into his hand.
He feverishly tore it open, to read:
Your services will not be required in
the new play"
1t was signed by the manager.
Tom felt as if he were going blind.
He staggered as If stabbed. What had
he done? Why had he been singled
out of the big company? How could he
face his loving, patient wife? 1t
would Kill her. Would he end it all
over in the North river? No. That
would be too cowardly. He would not
desert his wife and child.
All, now he understood! He had
to-
manager, and it was he who had got
the business manager TO dismiss him.
What a fiend Jim Weymouth, the
stage manager, was! What a heart
less brute, Well, he knew that MARI
ing had wife and child, and well he
knew that Marling had been up
against it" for year.
But Marling was unrecognized,
though not altogether unknown, so he
was a safe man 10 injure. He could
not strike back.
What a New Year present to lay in
his wife's lap-that letter!
You see, it was New Years eve. That
was the bitter part of il. Why could
not they have waited till after the New
| Year?
Toms wife received the news in dead
| silence. 1nen she SAID.
Tom, do not believe that God will
| permit this thing to happen"
| AS she said it a knock was heard at
the door. Tom opened it. In walked
| jim Weymouth, the brutal stage mana
ger.
Look here. Marlingi I've made the
fight of my life for you, because ike
you and believe IN you. You be on
| hand to play that part tomorrow
! night. I know about the wife anu Kid.
Oh, pshaw, don't thank me, 1 knew
I'm tough, but Ill be -- if I'll stand
for cold throw down like you got.
| Be on hand. See?
And brutal Jim Weymouth made a
quick exit.
/ Never mind about the tears that fell
and the thankful prayers that went UP
| through the ceiling of that little Ninth
avenue room after Weymouth had
| gone.
Tom Marling did play that night and
made the hit OF the piece. One paper
said:
But the success Of the play was
made by young Tom Marling. We do
/ not remember to have heard his name
| before, but if he plays other parts as he
/ played that OF Ned Brandon he will
soon be in the first rank. It was a per-
/ fectly artistic and well balanced per-
/ Torrance"
The awful days were gone forever.
! For years Tom Marling was the pet of
1 the public. You know what that
/ means. And success did not injure
| him in the least. He was just the same
man as before his success.
For u years Tom Marling had set
aside New Years eve as the night In
/ the year to seek and find the most God
forsaken man in the town in which he
+ happened to be playing, in order to
i food his soul with sunshine in mem
DRY of the New Years eve when Jim
Weymouth had lifted him and his out
Of the subcellar OF despair. He would
leave the best set table and the most
brilliant company after the play, make
inquiries and never stop until happi-
| ness had banished despair from some
| bIighted home
| On the night OF the twelfth ami
| versary Of his great New Year nresent