The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-07-11

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 the fOotlights, the applause. the
contagious enthusiasm-all appealed
TO her fervent imagination and left an
indelible mark. She had sought every
opportunity to 60 and had reveled IN
dreams Of nj day emerging from
these mysterious wings and bowling
before an applauding multitude.
At FIRST she kept her ambition secret.
but aa she grew into young woman
hood u 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 w~ondrous realm yclept the
green room. Oh, blissl Oh, ioyl OF
course papa and mamma and brother
Ned would be furiously angry il they
knew Il, but they need not know until
she had made her start and then they
would be so proud Of her that It 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 1t
out" at the mere mention Of a stage
career, and had pointed out the dan
gers and hardships Of the life 50
strongly that she scarcely dared to
think of what he might say or do II
he knew. And Tom loved her so dear
ly-and she really was very fond Of
Tom. But one cannot sacrifice a ca
reer to girlish sentiment. If he really
loved her be would be proud to see
her a great actress and she could mar
ny 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 it 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 tC
an advertisement in the newspaper FOL
extras" The atmosphere Of stale
beer and cigarettes still chung to hel
and had cost her great extravaganza
in the matter Of perfumes and mucl
persistence In the matter OF baths
But she had been taken. greatly to thu
disgust Of the showing, sneering crowd
There's a fresh one, better try her,
the stage manager had said to his as
sistant. She'll be fine in that ball
room scene. Have ye got any 300
clothes?"
To- be sure she had, and so the bar
gain was closed. It was for a week
run and she had been stumped at frs
as to ways and means to get ava
from home for seven consecutiv
nights until 50 late an hour. But am
bition conquers all things. and she haI
arranged it with her dearest friend
who lived in a distant suburb, to spenI
the entire week with her. She had t
tell Ethel all about It, but Ethel wa
be trusted. Il was a trine risky
she admitted, but what wouldn't sh
risk to get on the stage. Then she ha
taken an apartment IN an obscure he
tel under an assumed name and wa
prepared for her debut OF course
was not what would be deemed prope
BY the censors Of good society, Lu
there was nothing really wrong abou
Il. Still she trembled a little at tn
thought Of what Tom might say o
do il he heard Of It. But the theate
was not one Of the more promlnen.
but rather a cheap stock affair, an
there was little chance Of Toms goin
there. And when she got a regula
engagement she would fight 1t on
with him. Then she would tell him b
must take her with her art or leaV
her to pursue 1t alone.
She was a trine disappointed at tn
arst impression OF behind the scenes,
II was all so confused and dirty an
unfinished. It seemed more like a
old lumber room than a fairyland. Tn
dressing room to which she was az
signed. together with two other "el
fras." was so little that only one coul
move at a time where it required tn
extending OF an arm or elbow. I'll
others stood against the wall. It wa
so soualid and dirty that Fannie il
sensibly drew up her skirts. One
the girls smoked cigarettes and bot
used slang and even profanity freel,
Their conversation and stories, whic
were principally about the other Sc
nearly nauseated her. But she rehec
ed that this was only the beginnin
Soon she would be a real actress an
have a room to herself.
Everything went OF nicely on u
MLLLl-L