Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1904-02-10
BUSCOE'S
PROTEGE
8y Richard kann
} CopV'" S. S. Mcclure Company
o.nA.AAaA5HSA&H4%~@

WAS SOVN'
oron at that a performance with
W. leading man was not to be
ou' h+ ~ And Hampton simply
lLU ,,Jn,t play that night and maybe
cOu't far several nights. A man who
nO' snoak above a whisper isn't use
eau romantic lover on the stage
md since Buscoe was the sort OF stage
'',o,-or who didn't believe in carry
ipa neonle on half salaries over the
us m the chance that the leads
Cn, brpak down Hampton had nc
understudy IT, r.ua+,I
rails SHOW" as Crystal Falls loved
oou if with Buscoe playing oppo
sIto his daughter, who was on the
s.,r+ad stuff as Marie Hamilton. Bus
poo was twenty years too old for the
aort and didn't look the young lover
INV more than the character man did
prt If was Crystal Falls. and Buscoe
was resourceful.
he did resourceful thing when he
hocame stage manager of the produc-
don in which his daughter played the
loads He was able in that manner to
disguise his duties as a father under
tho all powerful title of stage man
ocpr II was believed by the company
that a love affair was at the bottom OF
r. but. strangely enough, there were
no details 1t was known that his
daughter, a beautiful girl, had fallen
in love with a stage door adorer a
vear before. Fearful lest in his capac-
itv as a mere father he would be uD
sble to prevent a clandeStine court
shin 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, bur
had been unable to arrange persona!
interview. He lived at Marie's hotel,
accompanied her to the theater and
never allowed her to be entertained I'M
less he was a member of the party.
II there was any truth in the story
Marie behaved remarkably well for
an actress who possessed youth and
temperament.
At any rate her wounded heart, II
she had one, never bled in public
Hampton, her leading man. had wife
and was one Of Buscoe's few intimate
friends He was mechanical actor
with a deep. resonant voice. and in.
variaby got good notices, although he
would have been as willing to play the
last act of Camille" in q crimson set
In summer stock as be would to have
It in white.
Buscoe called rehearsal before he
essayed to play the part, but he
wouldn't hold the manuscript while
be 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"
II was Jennings. the new property
man, picked up at Kansas City three
weeks before, when he didn't know a
prop from bunch light. He was a
Buscoe protege at $16 a week when
the union scale was $25. But even at
that be didn't look like property
man. But he had come around with
q 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
nidnt care what their salaries were,
and after Jennings had told him that
the compensation was of no conse-
quence so long as he could live upon
" buscoe had him on the salary list.
de was delightfully."- green. but at the
END OF three weeks be was a gem
inen he began to show signs of becom.
ing jewel.
Inc doorkeeper." he said one day &c
nuscoe' rs refusing bouquets for Miss
hamilton Now, why couldn't he Dick
out the roses and allow me to use them
instead of the prop bouquet in the sec
ond act?"
10 which the resourceful Buscoe re
Pned; Course. Use orchids If you
want to Only rip the cards off. 1
uoht want any notes from anybody 10
Tue front of the house getting in here
10 my daughter"
AFTER that Miss Hamilton frequently
nad real roses instead of rubber ones.
"uu real roses were an Improvement
especially since the business required
MISS Hamilton to sniff them lovingI,
several times.
out the further utility of Jenning,
uaun occurred to Buscoe until the in
..rruption at the CrystaLFalls rehears
See here, Jennings" said Buscoe
suddenly, Did 7ou ever actY
N-o-o-o," said Jennings slowly; 81
never did"
10 you know the partP resourceful
nuscoe asked quickly.
,. les, said Jennings positively; 81
, ,nlnk ! do. I've heard it every night
Marie" he said. this is Mr.. Jen.
mugs We are in Crystal Falls. Try
'eene with him. Maybe he'll do &c
90 on tonight"
sue smiled aa che tooI, h3o $500 ..l