The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-03-04
EFFECT
OF THIRTY
SIDES
BY Richard Konn
Copyright. 1902. b, the S. S. Mcclure COmpan,

< Copyright. 1902. BY the S. S. Mcclure Compan,
+o%o+o%o%o*o*+ o+o*o /
Harrington had gone up spasmodical-
ly from small parts TO leads. While he
was playing in stock on the way up he
had written "A play. or course the play
was never produced. And about that
time Harrington began to come down.
His coming down had not been spas
modic. 1t had been certain and sure
as fate. He seemed. however, able to
hold a position as stage door keeper
He could be scared into coming around
on time for successive weeks by the
threat that he would be assigned to the
billposter's forces.
And he was only thirty five. Some.
times when he became very bad he
would humble something about Flea
nor" But mumblings about Eleanor"
didn't excuse his condition to Buscoe
who believed that there was no reason
on earth good enough to keep man
away from the theater later than 7:30
and no trouble great enough to need an
extended stay along Il bar rail to drown
Ii.
So Harrington, with all his bril-
liancy. all his artistic training and his
wonderful mind that could absorb thir-
ty sides In n night, got finally to be II
back door keeper, Ii was only because
he never attempted TO excuse his con
duct that Buscoe kept him ut all. He
was merely penitent after one of his
periodical attacks.
And Harrington was the back door
keeper when the company moved into
New York for IA run. He stood, book In
hand, checking the company as 1t ar
rived for rehearsal day before the
opening. Harrington got the note, with
doctors certificate Enclosed, telling
that Temple, the leading man, had
brain fever. He turned pale as he read
II. He was that kind of back door
keeper
Buscoe didn't turn pale, but every
one who heard what he said minute
later did.
Send boy to the manager" he or
dered. Tell him Temple can't possibly
go Oh tomorrow night. Tell him that
unless he wants me to use bad under
study We'll have to postpone the open
ing"
Harrington came over to him. 81
haven't sent the boy yet" he said.
You know | can get up In that part
by tomorrow night Maybe they
wouldn't know Temple wasn't play
ing It, If you'll let me- He looked
wlstfully at Buscoe.
"You could, you know" said Bus.
eoe kindly. but It's too important.
They've been banking on this New
York opening. A set of good notices
will carry them the rest of the sea-
son. and I'd rather postpone than take
any chances"
Harrington went mechanically back
to the door. Ruscoe held the company
until he heard from headquarters.
Use the understudy," said the note.
Cant possibly postpone"
Buscoe walked over to the call board.
Company called for all day rehears-
al at o'clock tomorrow" he wrote.
Now, Harrington" he said kindly,
you take this part to my hotel and
begin on 1t. If you're letter perfect by
tomorrow morning. you go on In Tenn
pies place. At 4 o'clock this after
noon I'll come over. Well work on It
all night
The hotel people wondered next
morning what had been going on In
49, during the night. Two men had
left at 1880 In the morning with bar
bill of 50 for black coffee. 1t had gone
up regularly every thirty minutes
since o'clock. Around on the walls
were pinned strips of paper with mean
ingless sentences written upon them.
They took them down and read them
curiously. They seemed to be pas
sages chosen broadcast from book.
They would have understood II they
had known that the process of cram
ming thirty sides of typewriter man.
uscript into the brain of a man means
that the brain must be stimulated with
something and that strong coffee Is
the only harmless thing that will do 1t.
They didn't know that mans brain
sometimes refuses to memorize past a
certain amount, but that 1t will receive
impressions of things seen. That was
why some of the speeches Hnrring-
ton couldn't get, although they were
repeated to him endlessly, were writ
ten on strips of paper, pinned on the
walls and stared at him through the
night until they sank into his mind.
Buscoe had been cruelty insistent,
but his methods had won out Har-
rington, haggard and brain weary,
went through the 8 o'clock rehearsal
with but few bitches. Then Buscoe
ran them through again and dismissed
them at 1890 with orders to report at
for dress rehearsal. He dragged
Harrington back to the hotel and again
sent him over the part, this time with
the business included.
He went on that night almost crazed.
Forty eight hours without sleep and
not much nourishment but black cof-
fee did 1t, but in his brain were the
thirty sides.
He played the three acts without
break, and he played them as Har-
rington could when he wanted to. But
his big scene didn't come until the
fourth. 1t was strongly written and
intensely emotional. 1t depicted Anal
parting from the woman he loved, in
q set lighted by blue borders. with the
foots low. The exit Of the leading
woman was the cue for the first
speech.
Buscoe, all attention, stood In the
side entrance as Harrington began. He
WAS playing 1t low. but fiercely, acting
1t beautifully He had the audience
breathless Suddenly Buscoe felt fof
the curtain signal.
Heavens he said under his breath,
Hes way off the text"
Out in the weird light OF the blue
borders Harrington raved on. Not a
line he spoke had even been In the
manuscript, but he talked of a part
ing from woman. He was horribly