Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-07-15
/: His Sisters
!: Keeper >.
= Elizabeth Dyke Lewis
= Copyright, 1901, by E. d. Lewis :
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| WnS Improving, anu size u;.u SOutu anu
a good figure to give her hopes Of ad-
vancement. She entered into her part
with an enthusiasm which overlooked
the drafty wings and even the chilly
barrcEncSs of her own dressing room.
She hated her lodgings in the French
quarter in West Twcnty-tifth street
and always longed to get back to the
theater.
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 wrOng!
she exclaimed, for she was not needed
until half past 2. No; only the man.
ager wanted to speak to her. The man.
ager often wanted to speak to her. She
came cheerfully 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 famliarly OH her shoulder.
| He was big man and rather ugly,
but even the chorus girls confessed
that he had way with him. The
| little singer felt it, too, for she let her
self be drawn into the office, and the
| hut hnhipI hnr frhnn Shn rnH
a flip to her short skirts and perched
OH the table.
The manager cleared his throat and
went to the point.
"YOu see, Miss Kennedy" he began,
"I've been wanting to give you lift
| for some time. / can't bounce Miss
| Gray, of course She's been on 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 hit
some time. and if you like you can
take the score home and try Fair Hell
ems part on your piano. 1t was simply
made for YOU" He turned the leaves
| rapidly, showing her the size of the
part and few Of the situations and
humming couple Of the songs, while
his plump forefnger followed the
score. "Now," he said, checking off
| the points on his finger, "here's the
scheme in brief: You're Fair Helen,
| Stevens is the Dukes son. and I'm your
manager. and we go off on the road
Pittsburg, you know, and Cincinnati,
and perhaps Chicago if it's all right.
And now, before you say anything. l
want it to be quite understood that the
point of the whole thing, to me at
least, is that I'm your manager-see?
And now. Miss Kennedy, I'm going to
make myself believe that you'll think
| 1t over the right way. And guess it's
| about time for us both to be on the out
side of that door, isn't it?'
He 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 better chance
of real promotion If she held her posi-
| ton in a good "stock." Yet the idea Of
q star part and presumably higher sal
ary was alluring in the extreme.
l,A, n @
time came for her to lead the chorus
out and to dance while they echoed re-
sponses to her song.
But that never dor her song con-
cluded as she brought both feet to-
gether with martial click and salute
"Ah. That we never do! 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 a
party Of schoolgirls, with their chap
eron, but at the end was 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 tantalizcd. and theE she
| suddenly remembered where she had
| met him. 1t was in quite another life.
He could hardly afford to recognize
her even II he remembered her, she
thought bitterly and just then his face
lighted up, and he stared at her ana
bowed and smiled in the most friendly
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
him.
She joined the others for chat In
the wings till the end Of the act, and
when she went to her dressing room
she found two fine bouquets OF Jacks
waiting for her. She looked for the
cards. Her first bunch was from q
man to whom she had sent a box. He
was doubtless herewith his wife and
children. She must remember to look
when she went on again. But the sec
ond! She opened her eyes. He had
not only spoken to her; he had sent her
flowers! Did it mean that there were
others in this world who would take
her back again still? The manager
and his melodramatic alteration seemed
suddenly as far away from her as they
would have been year before. She
remembered having read newspaper
clipping which had suggested higher
than this for her. Miss Kennedy's
abilities" 1t had said, "are rather
above her voice, and it would not be
amiss for her to see what she could dt
In legitimate comedy" Indeed she hat
been thinking seriously Of leaving thu
operatic stage at the close of the pres
ent engagement, perhaps for tht
drama, perhaps for no stage ut all
Who could tell? She lifted the flowers
and impulsively hurried Off to the man
ayers room.
81 have rome," she said, afraid t.
| otnn for hreath Lest her resolution.