The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21

| nese spaniel But j got the ~ ptT agree
ment and escaping the profuse thanks oil
the singer. slipped back into the street.
There would be no rehearsals for me
Three dollars ia the hand was worth two
prospective variety engagements, ana be-
| sides ] did not think il would he healthy
| for me when the leader Of the orchestra
tried that music
| a little later ! pissed around to the
front OF the house, passed the scrub women
and secreted myself In the darkest corner
| on the auditorium. will never again hear
such discord AZ when the orchestra started
~ upon that singers turn and the memory
OF the profanity which rent the air when
the leader realized the true state OF ahairs
In unpa ralcled in my personal history.
Later, when good for une came my
way, ] sent the young woman her u ana
explained my desperate need at the time.
edy. dined with her the other night and
We made merry over the day when she had
money and had none
The tale Of woe was taken up by an actor
whose name appears in large type on the
playbils
Il, too. was once stranded in San Fran
cisco and had to choose between clean
linen and a square meal. The latter l
had not dared to take for more hours than
| cared to mention here, because ! was
down to just 75'cents and was actually
afraid to spend it.
But I also realized that my soiled linen
advertised my dire straits to any manager
l approached so at last the scales tipped
in the direction OF a clean shirt. But how
was to get il. a collar and pair Of cuffs,
for rs cents?
YEARLY walked the streets and at last
found a shirt in vivid red polka dots the
size of silver quarter which was so cheap
that was enabled to invest in collar and
cuffs. cannot tell you of the JOY of lay
ing aside my collar, which had been turned
twice already and my shirt which looked
as if il belonged to a Weary Willy.
Then supperless, but clean, drifted into
group Of newspaper men, who. with
Characteristic n-handedness, invited me
To have lunch with them. Among them
WAS serious.minded chap who had written
play, but could secure no hearing for 1t.
Il offered to read II, and. as an actor.
give him a few friendly tips: From that
instant he took me unto his bosom, 50 TO
speak. Half Of what he had was mine.
including his hall bedroom. for which
was most grateful
Now the funny part of it was that the
play proved really good, and, by dint of
hard work, we secured an angel and ] got
together a company, most of them caught
like myself on the Coast, and we toured the
State.
The angel never got back his money.
but the playwright received his royal
ties and some local fame, while j and my
fellow players STAYED on starvation until,
one by one, We found berths in good COM
panies that were going back to New York
The woman on the right of the host asked
for the foor-and got il, of course.
Il know a woman now prosperous who
once turned her thoughts to suicide and
was saved by the infectious comedy Of a
dear little actress long since gone to her
last reward.
This woman had written on small papers
in a Western State. and. full of ambition
and really capable. she made her way to
Denver But instead Of securing a place
on daily paper she found herself each day
nearer the penniless condition.
AT last she got down to 81. Moody.
almost distraught. in a whimsical moment
she rushed Of to the theatre. spending Is
cents for rear balcony seat. Patti Rosa
was the attraction and jolly Joe Cawthorn
was her support.
"The woman who had felt that she must 60
to the theatre and forget or throw herself
into Cherry Creek laughed until she cried
and went home with a sense of cheer and
determination that was not to be de-
pressed by an empty stomach.
The next morning she bought good
breakfast and went to an Office known a.
the Helping Hand where strange women
could secure employment presumably on
their personal woru and honor. The only
thing offered was post OF housekeeper,
and woman Of pen and pencil jumped at II.
Fortunately her prospective employer
was semi-invalid. and was as ready to
jump N help as the woman was at work
She began her duties that same afternoon
and here was where the American woman's
shone forth
she had not done homework for wears,
hut she studied her cook book into the
small hours Of the night, devised menus,
tended the cooking. catered to
corner for the head OF the house when he
came home tired. and, by her tact, hid
the fact that housekeeping was not her
long suit
1T was the husband who first suspected
that she was hit out Of her sphere The
wife was too wrapped up in herself TO not ice
anyt hing. One day the man bluntlv asked
I he housckeerer to tell him the truth about
herself. and she did frankly
Now. | hold that that man deserves
the title OF one OF natures nohlemen be-
cause when he was being looked after a.
he admitted he never had been in years.
and when his home was running smoothly,
he delil erately sacrificed all this to recon-
better things to his personal friends high
IN Denver newspaper circles-and she left
his house. not, however, without some
feeling of genuine regret TO take I'm no