Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1902-06-13

Fannie had dreamed of going on the
stage as long as she could remember
since the first time she was taken to
the theater and sat prim and proper
between her parents. The lights, the
music. the wonderful panorama back
OF Inc footlights. the applause, the
contagious enthusiasm-all appealed
to her fervent Imagination and left an
indelible mark. She had sought every
opportunity to go and had reveled in
dreams OF one day emerging from
these mysterious wings and bowling
before an applauding multitude.
At first she kept her ambition secret.
but as she grew into young woman
hood it slipped out little by little. Her
mother frowned. her father laughed.
and her brother leased her. But 1t
made no difference. excepting to
strengthen her desire
And now she actually was going to
Invade that wondrous realm yclept the
green room. Oh, Bliss oh, joy. or
course papa and mamma and brother
Ned would be furiously angry II they
knew II, but they need not know until
she had made her start and then they
would be so proud of her that 1t would
be all right. And then there was Tom.
She trembled a little as she thought
of the effect on Tom. He had given
her such emphatic advice to "cut it
out" at the mere mention of a stage
career, and had pointed out the dan
gers and hardships of the life so
rfr .fflx hot IL. r1cTrr 1ats n.
think OF what he might say or do If
he knew. And Tom loved her so dear
ly-and she really was very fond OF
Tom. But one cannot sacrifice ca
reer to girlish sentiment. If he really
loved her he would be proud to see
her great actress and she could mar
~ him anyway and he could travel |
With her-might even be her manager. |
Yes. on the whole. that would be the |
very thing.
She was very nervous about 1t all. !
though. She rather shuddered at the |
memory of that nightmare of standing
In line In the dirty alley together with
a score or more of bedraggled young
women who had appeared in answer to
an advertisement in the newspaper for
extras" The atmosphere of stale
beer and cigarettes still chung to her
and had cost her great extravagances
in the matter OF perfumes and much
persistence in the matter of baths.
But she had been taken, greatly to the
disgust of the showing, sneering crowd.
There's fresh one. better try her"
the stage manager had said to his as
She'll be fine in that ball
room scene. Have We got any good
To be sure she had. and so the bar
gain was closed 1t was for a weeks
run and she had been stumped at first
as to ways and means to get away
from home for seven consecutive
nights until SO late an hour. But am
billion conquers all things. and she had
arranged 1t with her dearest friend.
who lived in distant suburb. to spend
the entire week with her. She had to
tell Ethel all about it. but Ethel was
TO be trusted. 1t was a trifie risky.
she admitted. but what wouldn't she
rIsk to get on the stage. Then she had
aiken an apartment in an obscure ho-
eel under an assumed name and was
prepared for her debut OF course it
vas not what would be deemed proper
,y the censors of good society, but
here was nothing really wrong about
I. Still she trembled little at the
thought of what Tom might say or
10 II ne heard of It, But the theater