The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-04

| saw before, and who probably doesn't de-
| serve particle more consideration than
| the rest of them 1t makes me feel foolish
afterward, and perhaps the worst of it is
! that the favored individuals never show
the gratitude they ought to if they real
lied how exceptionally their cases had
| been treated. That was the way with this
| girl. / had never seen her until she
walked into my office, and all that morn
| ing and for days previous | had been
declining to listen TO the applications of
all corners. 1 had filled every company
| chock-a-block and was glad that the
strain was over. Nevertheless, without
any excuse whatever, 1 found myself lis
| tening TO this caller, and before the day
! was over 1 had placed her.
He concluded in a tone suggestive of
the disgust he felt at his weakness. but
! perhaps there were features in the girls
case that differed bit from the ordinary
and that. really, commanded respectful
attention. She tod him his story That
she was from the country might almost
go without saying, but this was the be-
ginning of her third winter in the CITY,
All that time she was trying to get into
they all do. that nature had intended her
At home she had been far and away the
best singer in the place, and she had
been very successful in any number of
amateur dramatic and operate entertain
n,ents. DESTROYS of going upon the stage
IL some capacity, either as singer or
actress and advised finally TO do so, she
had come tod the city as the one place
upon the continent where opportunities
were TO be net wit hat every street cor
ner. Funds for her maintenance and her
studies Were provided for by the family at
home. She had aimed high At first moth
irg would do but leading part in an
opera. and she had besieged the doors OF
managers until they had given her a hear
irg. Some of them had said nice things
to her. apparently, and others were ugly
but all had more or less to say about the
necessity OF study. To us, who have been
alive for several years. and know some
things about conditions of the theatrical
and musical business 1T seems incom-
rrehensible that anybody save fool
shOui0 imagine that entrance 10 the pro-
fession can be made offhand.
But this girl was no fool. She was
simply ignorant-brisht educated, talent
ed perhaps but painfully ignorant /
would like TO quote third hand some OF
the things said TO her by high and mighty
managers; she called them by name with
all her engaging fEankness. but il would
hardly do TO take the liberty rs
result of the light that was revealed TO
her she undertook 10 study This was
- =,
weeks There were months Of the sea-
son left. II was her luck TO stack up
against one of the seoundrels in the music
business who live upon the promises they
hold out 10 their eupes. He gave her
daily lessons, and every time he poci1eted
her fees which were forthcoming prompt
". ne assured her that at the beginning
CT the season he would place her in a
good company Next season came. and
again she made n campaign against the
II anaSers Some OF them who remembered
her were good enough 10 say that she
sang worse than she did before. no one
gave her any opportunity. though there
were those who thought they might find
place for her some day in the chorus
More than one person, so she intimated.
made ii clear that there was an easier
iife than the stage for a girl OF good looks.
ard others who frankly advised that she
find 4 wealthy angel who might be willing
TO lost in dramatic venture for the prsvi-
lese OF her society. Throughout sub
stan,ially the whole season she endured
lebuns and suggestions Of this sort
Incidentally she took up with another
teacher. and last summer she went home
for vacation. There she be<ought the
candid opinions Of her friends. They
agreed with all hesitation in expressing
themselves that she could not sing as well
es when she left the town two years