The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-28
THE EVENING STORY
The Road 70 Fame.
CIV Albert Higgins. }


blame for it. She came on a visit TO
her daughter. Farmer Stebbins' wife.
and found her niece Hattie teaching
the district school and engaged to be
married to a worthy young man
named Hiram Ball. Miss Hattie was
fairly educated, fairly good-1ooking,
and very we'll contented with her life.
Grandma's coming however started
the fires of ambition. Once during her
long life the old lady had attended
theatrical performance. 1t was in the
town hall Of her native village. The
play was Uncle Toms Cabin" Of
course, and the company was made up
of transformers, but it was a great
play and it made grandma, who was
only little girl then, thrill from top
to toe.
Soon after her arrival at the Steb-
bins Hattie walked across the veranda
in way that made the old lady ex-
claim:
Bless my soul if that don't remind
me of Ophelia in Uncle Toms Cabini'
You've got her walk to perfection
Child, have you been practicing for the
stage?'
NO. grandma
But the way you just turned around
your looking back at me with your
head over your shoulder-your smile
the way you stick UP your chin-all
remind me of Ophelia. You could
step right on the stage and play the
That was the beginning. Grandma
announced her great discovery to her
sister and brother-in-law, and advised
them to put Hattie on the stage at
once but meeting with decided OPP
position. she said nothing further to
them. Many were the councils held
between her and the niece. however It
had been forty-two years since grand
ma had seen the historic play, and
what she couldn't remember she i'm
agined. Within a week she had de-
cided that Hattie could not only play
the part of Ophelia, but of little Eva,
Legree Marks, and even of Uncle Tom
himself. She couldn't fail to be the
whole show. and in four weeks she
would rise from Uncle Toms Cabin
to Shakespearian plays. The old lady
believed what she said. and the young
lady believed with her. Hiram Ball
tried his best to open his fiancee's eyes.
your grandmother is a fooli' was
his blunt way of putting it. Because
you can smile and giggle is no sign that
you would make great actress You
just give up the idea and settle down
and behave yourself"
Mr. Ball, I permit no one to speak
disrespectfully Of my grandmother III
my presence" replied the young lady
with freezing dignity, as she took three
strides to the east and then turned
about and took three strides to the
Hattie stebbins. don't make a jay of
yourself. You'll never be an actress
any more than I'll be Cicero It hain't
Speak for yourself, Mr.. Ball My
resolution is taken. It is irrevocable
Nothing that you can say will shake
me in the least. Destiny calls me-.
What, do you mean to tell me that
you are going to be silly enough to go
on the stagei" he shouted
Remember whom you are addressing,
varleti" she warned, as she drew her
self ".
by gum, but you have gone crazyi
That old grandmother of yours ought
to be ducked in the goose pond. What
does she know about acting?"
Enough sir! Here our paths diverge.
From this hour we are strangers
Then go right along aud make
fool of yourself!" called Hiram, as she
turned away.
When the grandmother was informed
of the insidious remarks of Mr.. Ball
she held out new encoura cement She
discovered new things to found new
predictions on. The very way that Miss
Hattie climbed a fence, fell down on
the lawn or ran into a clothesline
proved to her that the girl was born
for the stage and had been moldering
in obscurity.
The district school was continued. and
nothing might have come of the talk
but for the weeks holiday in Septem-
Der to give the carpenters time to make
some repairs Grandma had gone nome
and now Miss Hattie went over to the
county seat to visit a girl friend. She
and Hiram had been "Out' for the last
three months. Instead of moping and
sorrowing and breaking his heart he
had again called her a jay and contin-
ued his business of buying butter and
eggs for the market.
A theatrical company playing Did
She Love Him?' had struck the town
and excited the people. The actors and
actresses had sauntered about the
street and been the observed of all OBJ
servers. There was talk of a "tremen-
dous cast and car load of scenery"
tremendous applause" The play had
run several hundred nights in New
York and the same in London, and its
author had received over a million dol
lars in royalties.
Miss Hattie Stebbins had determined
from the first to join the company. She
met the manager in a grocery where he
had called for crackers, cheese and her
ring, and to her intense JOY he was
looking for a young lady to play second
lead. Her salary would be $25 per week
Her part would be to hold up the tram
of the leading lady's dress as she en-
tered the parlor, trim two lamps and
ask the leading lady If she should turn
the cat out Apors. The manager could
promise her no more just at present, as
the leading lady was insanely jealous of
her part, but later on there would be
a change
It was agreed that Hattie should
leave when the company did and make
her first appearance at the next town.
She lodged her friends and was at the
depot when the company MAZE ready IL
depart at midnight It departed in the
caboose of freight train. The man
ager explained that they preferred t.
travel that way in order to view the
scenery.
There were five actors and three act
resses. The actors were gallant enough
but the actresses held aloof and threw
out insinuations, and made Hattie feel
as badly as they could There was
sleep that night for all who sat on the
floor In the early morning the compa
~ ,o11al7 into ifs roxt StOpDf0q 0lace