Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-04-01

should have thought Of seeing you hero
What are you doingf How's old Snuff.
Hes getting on2 Has Miss Gooseber.y
eyes got husband yetT
These questions were very cmbarrass'
Ing, and should have been greatly *;
to for an answer, but Martha came to
my assistance.
We'll, look here, Mr.. Fitzwalton,"
she said with a sign to me; master
SiIas has got some very particular bust
ness on hand just now that obliges him
to be cautious, so | know you'll excuse
him answering your questions for a day
or two"
"Oh, | don't want to pry into any
body's secrets" retorted Josiah, with
something of pique in his tone.
There was an awkward tsilence for
some minutes, during which l discussed
my breakfast, with the embarrassing
sensation that the Professor" as l af-
J forwards heard he liked to be called,
was sharply scrutinizing me.
1t was impossible for Josiah to keep
silent for any length of time. or to re-
frain from talking about himself. So,
| in spite of my retcence, he soon put me
| in possession of the whole of his his
tory, from the time he quilted Mr.. Por-
ter's establishment up to the time in
which | found him sitting in Mrs. Jen-
Ilings' parlor
! DO you remember that night you got
out of window, and | took YOU to the
! theater? Well, you see, | didn't care
| for the printing business much. | had
a soul above scraping rollers and rolling
| ink; and, from the first night | went
! into the theater | was stage struck
1t seemed such a jolly, easy life; and
such glorious thing to see ali the
| plays, and act in them, and get rounds
| of applause, and wear fine clothes, so
| determined to be an actor. | had the
| impudence to apply to old Tomkns. the
manager of Bury, for an engagement
| His answer was to kick me out of the
| theater as presumptuous young ape
| But, although this hurt my pride, it did
not damp my ardor. / heard of a booth
| two or three miles off. One evening
| walked over to the village and offer
! ed my services there. They happened
| to be in want of some one to pull up the
| scenes, deliver the bills and go on for
small parts. | was engaged ct once.
| The printing business saw me no more.
| 50 instead % rolling ink, | rolled up
scenes. l was very happy for a time,
| especially when l got few lines to
| speak. By and by | grew ambitious and
scared in imagination from the first OFF,
Ger to Macduff and even to Macbeth. l
got disguised with the mental portion of
my work; and one fine morning, at a
| fair, deserted to an opposition show,
| next door, where, in a spangled tunic,
and q Of I .loJ
ferociously at my old companions. Then
| managed to get taken on as super at
one of the big theaters, and knowing
something about the business, got pro-
| NOTED to super-master. There | met my
esteemed friend, the Professor a gen.
| tleman who can write b. A. after his
name; who b9S moved in the most dis
tinEuisheq cycles, but who, being at
present under a cloud, is compelled to
play General It'll at the Royal Corin-
| THAN Theatcr."
But what sort of characters do you
| take" | inquired. referring back. in
my mind, to my solitary theatrical ex-
| perience.
"Oh, [ veer between the heavy bust
ness and the light comedy" he answered
| carelessly.
Eyes; between carrying on the chairs
and tables and the candles" dryly re-
marked his friend, speaking for the first
| time.
"Oh, hang it, | say, now"' expost,lat-
/ ed Josiah. You know the stage man
| ager is very much struck with me, and
intends giving me small part in the
new piece. Once let me get my nose in,
and I'll show them what | can do"
You may more correctly say that
| the stage manager was struck by YOU"
| again remarked the Professor. in the
| same sarcastic vein. Il thought YOU
| had broken his nose with that banner
| the other night; in his best scene. too
just as he was working up. He ex-
pressed his admiration of you in very
| strong terms; it is a wonder you did not
| get your nose between his fingers"
Josiah was getting very angry. To
! avert a quarrel | asked who General
| Uil" was
a person who's supposed to be able
to do everything, and consequently do
nothing. and who's bullied for every
body else's blunders," spitefully replied
| Josiah
After little more pickering the two
friends, as | suppose | must style them,
went out for a walk l felt quite re-
lieved at being freed from the strange,
sCrutinizing glance of Mr.. Montgomery
eyes. that had scarcely ever been taken
off me the whole time he remained i'll the
room. After this, Martha came, and |
had a little quiet talk.
| II couldn't go to sleep for hours last
night, thinking of what you'd better do
she said. "A clerkship is what you
want; but, you see, you've got no rcser-
cnces, and it is so hard to get a situa-
ton without them-and, indeed, with
them, for the matter of~that. | think