Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-07-16
Ills Sisters
Keeper =.
Elizabeth Dyke Lewis
= Copyright, 1901, by f. d. Lewis
. G~0Ho%OH0oo%0~eHo'

She was only the third lady in the
cast Of the comic opera, but her voice
was improving, and she had youth and
n good figure to give her hopes of adj
vancement She entered into her part
with an enthusiasm which overlooked
the drafty wings and even the chilly
barrcnncss of her own dressing room.
She hated Der lodgings in the French
quarter in West Twenty-ffth street
and always longed to get back to the
theatcr.
She was sitting in her dressing room
on Wednesday afternoon, ready for
the matinee which was TO begin in
ten minutes, when the callbOy came TO
the door,
"Why, surely my watch isn't wrOngw
she exclaimed. for she was not needed
until half past >. No; only the man
agcr wanted to speak to her. The man
ager often wanted TO speak to her. She
came chcerfully forward TO see what
he wanted He was standing in his
shirt sleeves giving the gas man a
dressing about some lights which had
ruined the stars costume the night be-
fore, but he left his speech in the
middle and came TO meet her, laying
his hand Familiarity on her shoulder,
lie was a big man and rather ugly,
but even the chorus girls confessed
that lie had Il way with him. The
/ little singer felt it, too, for she let her
self be drawn into the office, and the
door shut behind her. Then she gave
n flip to her short skirts and perched
on the table.
The manager cleared his throat and
went to the point.
you see, Miss Kennedy" he began,
'T'ye been wanting TO give you lift
for some time. | can't bounce Miss
Gray. of course. She's been on Il good
while and is used to it. But after this
run | do want you TO have something
better. Now, here's thing called Lib
erty Belle that's bound TO make a hit
some time and If you like you can
llke liE StOIt lOlllt anu llA run llti-
ems part on your piano. 1t was simply
made for YOU" He turned the leaves
rapidly, showing her the size of the
part and a few of the situations and
humming a couple Of the songs, while
his plump forefinger followed the
score. "Now," he said, checking off
the points on his finger, "hcre's the
scheme in brief: You're Fair Helen,
Stevens is the Dukes son, and I'm your
manager, and we 20 off on the road
Pittsburg, you know, and Cincinnati,
and perhaps Chicago if it's all right.
And now, before you say anything, !
want it to be quite understood that the
point of the whole thing, to me at
least, is that I'm your managers
And now, Miss Kennedy, I'm going to
make myself believe that you'll think
it over the right way. And | guess it's
about time for us both TO be on the out
side of that door, isn't itT'
lie opened the door and let her out
ahead of him, and she ran into the
wings and talked to the chorus girls
till her cue came She joined absently
in their laughter at her own jokes and
all the time she was thinking over the
managers proposal.
1t sounded very attractive. She knew
that she would stand Il better chance
Of real promotion if she held her posi-
ton in a good Stock" Yet the idea of
a star part and presumably higher sal
airy was alluring in the extreme.
She abandoned her reflections rs the
time came for her to lead the chorus
out and to dance while they echoed re-
sponses to her song.
"But that | never dow her song con
cluded as she brought both feet to-
gethcr with a martial click and salute.
"Ahl That we never dol" echoed the
chorus, and then she had to come far
ther down and do the last verse over
again. She could see over the footlights
and even distinguish faces in the first
three or four rows of the orchestra.
The front row was nearly filled by Il
party of schoolgirls, with their chap
erOn, but at the end WAS a man, who !
was strangely out of place in that mat
inee assemblage. She looked beyond
him to the old ladies behind and then
to the lines of heads in the galleries,
but presently she found her glance |
coming back to him. For few mo-
ments she was tantalized, and Their she /
suddenly remembered where she had /
met him. 1t was in quite another life. /
He could hardly afford to recognize /
her even if he remembered her, she |
thought bitterly and just then his face +
lighted up, and he stared ut her ana /
bowed and smiled in the most friendly I
way, though he seemed little uncer-
tain of her returning the salutation.
She found a way to do so. however, /
and when she gave the last whirl to
her skirts and ran off she knew that he
would take her final bow as meant for !