The Lambertville record., 1903-01-14
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BUSCOE'S'
Pro OTEGE
BY Rfcbord K ann
Copyright, I9os, bJ the
S. S. Mcclure Company
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much as show town. The capacity
was $500, with chairs in the aisles.
but even at that performance with
out leading man was not to be
thought OF. And Hampton simply
couldn't play that night and maybe
not for several nights. a man who
can't speak above whisper isn't USE
full as romantic lover on the stage.
and since Buscoe was the sort of stage
manager who didn't believe in carry.
ing people on half salaries over the
circuit on the chance that the leads
would break down Hampton had no
understudy.
| So it was planned to give Crystal
Falls SHOW" as Crystal Falls loved
to call it, with Buscoe playing oppo-
site his daughter, who was on the
printed stuff as Marie Hamilton. Bus.
coe was twenty years too old for the
part and didn't look the young lover
any more than the character man did.
But 1t was Crystal Falls. and Buscoe
was resoureeful.
He did Il resourceful thing when he
| became stage manager or the produc-
ton In which his daughter played the
leads. He was able In that manner to
disguise his duties as father under
the all powerful title of stage man.
| ager 1t was believed by the company
| that love affair was ut the bottom of
1t; but, strangely enough, there were
no adetails. 1t was known that -
| daughter, a beautiful girl. had fallen
| in love with stage door adorer d
| year before. Fearful lest in his capac-
| ity as mere father he would be un-
able to prevent clandestine court
ship and even marriage, he Travelled
with her. Nobody apparently except
Miss Hamilton knew who the man
was. Buscoe knew his name by rea-
son OF many intercepted notes, but
had been unable to arrange personal
interview. He lived at Marie's hotel,
accompanied her to the theater and
never allowed her to be entertained un-
less he was a member of the party.
If there was any truth In the story
Marie behaved remarkably we'll for
an actress who possessed youth and
temperament.
At any rate her wounded heart, II
she had one, never bed in public.
Hampton. her leading man. had wife
and was one of Busc9e's few intimate
friends. He was a mechanical actor,
with a deep. resonant voice, aud In
rariably got good notices, although he
| would have been as willing to play the
last act of Camille" In a crimson set
| In summer stock as he would to have
| 1t IN white
Buscoe called a rehearsal before he
essayed to play the part, but he
wouldn't hold the manuscript while
| he ran over the scenes. and the result
was that In the second act climax he
went to pieces He stood center with
his arms outstretched to receive Marie.
with his mouth wide open.
81 beg your pardon came from the
wings. ''but your line there. Mr.. Bus
coe, is, IF should say goodby. little
girl"
1t was Jennings. the new property
man, picked up at Kansas City three
weeks before, when he didn't know
prop from bunch light. He was
Buscoe protege at SIG week when
the union scale was $25 But even at
that he didn't look like property
man. But he had come around with
desire to do anything in the COM
pany except to play a part. and he
knew the play. he said. backward.
Buscoe was looking for people who
didn't care what their salaries were.
and after Jennings had told him that
quence 30 long as he could live upon
it, Buscoe had him ON the salary list.
He was delightfully."- green, but at the
end OF three weeks he was gem.
Then be began to show signs of becom-
ing q jewel.
"The doorkeeper," he said one day to
Buscoe, "is refusing bouquets for Miss
Hamilton. Now, why couldn't he pick
out the roses and allow me to use them
instead of the prop bouquet In the sec
ond actF'
To which the resoureefuI Buscoe re-
piled: Course. Use orchids If you
want to. Only rip the cards Off.
don't want any notes from anybody in
the front of the house getting In here
to my daughter"
After that Miss Hamilton frequently
had real roses instead OF rubber ones.
and real roses were an improvement,
especially since the business required
Miss Hamilton to sniff them lovingly
several times.
But the further utility of Jennings
hadn't occurred to Buscoe until the in
terruptlon at the Crystal Falls rehears-
al.
"See here, Jennings" said Buscoe
suddenly. did you ever actY'
"N-o-o-o." said Jennings slowly; II
never did"
"Do you know the part?" resourceful
Buscoe asked quickly.
"Yes," said Jennings positively; II
think | do. I've heard 1t every night
for month"
Marie" he said. this is Mr.. Jen.
nings. We are in Crystal Falls. Try
a scene with him. Maybe he'll do to
go on tonight"
She smiled as she took bis hand. II
am very glad" she said. that pa pa
has introduced you" Turning 10 Bus.
coe, she added, still smiling: He coes
look the part. doesn't be! Let's try IL.
Well. one trial convinced Buscoe that
he was safe-for Crystal Falls. There
was only one thing badiy wrong with
the new man. You must remember"
Bnscoe told him. that the twenty five
cent seats have right to hear just as
well as the front rows. When you
make stage love, make It loud" And
after that Jennings reached them cas-
lily.
That night he had three curtain calls
for his first good scene at the end of
the first act. something that had never
happened to Hampton. Buseoe disliked
to admit that he was astonlshed. He
had watched the scene carefully, pre-
pared to use the promptbook, but the
manner In which Jennings humored
the scene was marvellous. HE couldn't
have done better" thought Buscoe 'if