The Washington times., 1902-05-11

The theater looked ghastly in the hal
light OF the morning and the Girl sat
there with eyes fixed on the inartistiC
curtain. apparently contemplating its lack
OF beauty, but in reality thinking of what
lay before her.
influential friends had arranged an in
tervicw for her with a prominent mana
ger. who cast his keen managerial eye over
! her. heard her sing in her big city home
and then told her that he would give her
a place in his chorus. A feeling inde-
| scribable shot through her at the chorus
! idea and dim recollections came 10 her
of the numberless predictions which kind
friends had made of her future success
in the field of grand opera. She had
braced up, looked courageous. thanked the
manager, and promised to report for re-
hearsal the following Monday.
Now she sat in the theater it all came
back to her with a sort of whir-r-r and
she looked around in frightened way to
see if, by chance. anyone were there to
read her thoughts.
a woman had come in and sat down
several rows behind her. She wore
white shirtwaist lately Numbered. 4 hat
that had evidently seen more than its two
seasons. and her face bore an expression
of mingled longing and despair. In a few
minutes the manager came into the thea
ter and spoke TO the woman.
Mrs. Johnson, ! believer" he said
Yes" she answered in a stifed little
voice that must have re-echoed through
her in tantalizing cadence
We'll. / received your note. and am
SO | cannot find place for you
But | shall have to get something. for
| am driven almost to desperation through
my husbands illness; and / cannot do
anything else" But her pitiful plea had
little effect on the manager, who was
forced TO listen to that same story day
after day. and the little woman, heart
sick at her failure. went away.
no More Complaints.
The Girl heard it all. and said almost
aloud: rs it so hard as that, after all.
And are there really those who are SO
anxious to get in the chorus when have
been complaining"
She gazed at the great, dreary looking
curtain again and determined that no
matter how distasteful the idea had been.
it should not be so again, for to her had
been given the opportunity which had
been refused not only to that one poor
woman but 10 hundreds of her kind
She was startled at hearing her name
called from the doorway. and in a daze
she responded and soon found herself in
that mysterious region behind the scenes
which has so much attractiveness for
those who are not permitted its privi-
lege.
Everything was In apparent confusion.
On one side of the stage a queer little
man was humping the piano, while sew
eral girls stood around him piping what
was evidently the opera score. In an
other corner of the stage the stage car
penter had things his own way, and with /
consummate Indifference to every one l
within the confines of the theater he was /
away at what would eventual /
ly prove to be sturdy man. war, whose /
only duty would be to look" the part. |
Look out below" called a voice from
above, and a man up in the flies slowly |
lowered big trunk TO the stage.
Placed in the Ranks.
The Girl stood transfxed. II was all SO
new to her, and in her strange position
she felt so alone that she was almost
tempted to steal out and board a train
for home, to run away anywhere.
What's your name?" demanded the
stage manager abruptly.
She repeated something that sounded
far-off and vaguely familiar.
We'll. you get in here, and please re-
member your position" and he thrust
her in the midst OF lot of strange girls
who inspected her in that critical chorus
girl way" The inspection gave her