Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-19

woman with the figure of a nymph
and the voice of 12-year-old child,
and kitten" was by far the most pop
ular member Of that famous organiza-
ton.
Speaking relatively, the Park Theater ,
Stock company was famous Certainly
there's no denying the vogue 1t had
established in Rippletown, a city which.
to use the vernacular of Manager Bern
stein. "cut considable theat'ical ice"
for it boasted of its 10000 population,
its four hotels and six newspapers-.l
morning and evening.
The singular feature Of Kittens"
popularity, however. lay not in the
adulation of the Rippletown matinee
girl. but in the genuine regard felt.
for the little ingenue by her associates
behind the scenes.
It would seem incredible that during
seven consecutive seasons in which
kitten" had played rough soubrettes.
ingenues and boys" with the Park
stock every member of the company
continued to speak well Of her-and
this Notwithstanding the fact that her
talent was undisputed. But the key
to the situation was her possession of
a rare virtue-one which 1t is given
to few players to know-"Kitten'' had
learned to subtract the personal equa-.
tlon.
Not an actor in the company had
ever heard her eulogize her own per-
formance, and not one but had been
told by her how good he was in some
part. She had never been known to
kick" for any cause-from being con-
signed to a bad dressing room to hav
ing the best speeches cut out of her
part at the instigation of Miss JAM
ison, the leading woman, who was
jealous of her hit in a certain play.
Kitten was, in short, always a mys-
terry, often contradiction, but never a
fool-unless, perhaps, in one respect;
well, be that as it may.
If she dressed uncomplainingly in
the tiny partitioned space three flights
up, with a leak in the roof that let
thu water through, so that she was
forced to keep her dresses in her
trunk in rainy weather, it was not be-
cause she did not feel that the room
should have had the card of fat Tom"
Luckstone, the comedian, tackled on
the door, while she should have been
allowed to dress in his fairly comfort
able quarters, a fight lower down. Nor
was 1t due to apathy on her part that
her smile was as sweet as ever on the
night when Jamison had had her lines
ache at the thought of the laughs that
had greeted her funny speeches, now
ruthlessIy wrenched away with her best
scene.
Man proposes, but the stage manager
dsposes. Kitten went on smilingly
without protest and held her job.
Kittens" chief vice was innocuous
enough and common to most of her sex.
Hers was painfully limit ed sense of
humor. She abhorred jokes-and jok-
ers, too, if it came to that. Life was a
serious thing to the little ingenue, who
fitted about the stage o. nights in
girlish white frock and blue ribbons,
with a broad brimmed hat wreathed
with wild flowers.
Perhaps of all jokers Kitten hated
most the chronological humorist with q
memory for dates. He was the bette
noir of each new season, and she
dreaded his appearance with the first
fall rehearsal call. Sometimes he came
in the form of a new heavy" with
whom she had acted once upon a time,
or perhaps he was the new leading
man, who would step up to her. as they
waited in the entrance, parts in hand.
"Well, WE'LL! For gracious sakes! If
it isn't 'Kitten'!" he would exclaim
heartily. why. I haven't seen you
since we played opposites in the old
how many years ago was that? 1t
must have been-no-yes-is it pos
sible? Why, it was"
He rarely got beyond this point for
kitten" would inquire nervously,
while her mouth assumed a peculiar,
drawn smile:
"Ah, and your wife? How's your
wife? I hope she's feeling better-er-er
she was i'll, wasn't she? Didn't you
say something about her illness?" And
then, before he had a chance to re-
spond: EXCUSE me, tnaI'S my cue!
and off she would trip, the lines about
her mouth relaxing and her smile be-
coming less strained as she succeeded
in evading his interest.
by God" he would say, turning to
the untility man near by, "She's a
wonder. Doesn't look day older. Used
TO play boys with us then. 1t must
have hean as far hack AS"
Occasional brief enlightenment as to
former triumphs of which she never
spoke were all the clews which her
fellow players held as TO the length OF
her stage career. Nor would they for
worlds have questioned her about it.
Not because of fine sense of delicacy
on their part, but wholly owing to the
liannnc certing habit of Mkittann mnnn