The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-08
The EVENING STORY
One Night in the Car.
(Rv Mabel Svuns


came into sight. To her the dingy en-
trance to the ferry house was the gate
to the Hall of Fame.
she wished that Ben might be
there to see the company start, but
Ratsey,t the ferret-eyed little stage man.
ager, had announced that none of the
chorus girls might be accompanied to
the train by friends or relatives, under
penalty of five dollar fine. He was
nervously pacing the cobblestones in
front of the entrance every minute to
make certain that the rule would not
be broken.
On the block above the ferry house
leave takings were plentiful. but the
house itself was free of crowd of
weeping relatives and mournful gen
tlemen friends"
You are Miss Faber?" asked Ratsey
In his quick. tense tones as Beatrice
came up. You bunk with Miss Still
lings. Berth six, car two. Better yet
train pulls out"
"I thought I might be able to get
berth by myself protested Beatrice.
Il am willing to pay the difference"
said Ratsey. impatientIy. AFTER the
opening night you may do as you
please, but the management pays to
the opening town, and you will kindly
permit us to- arrange matters. Miss
Stillings has gone over already You
will find her there"
The magic word company" passed
Beatrice through the ferry gate. and
on the other side into the train shed.
As the boat pulled away from the New
York side she leaned over the rail and
watched the receding city.
When she had graduated from the
dramatic school she had expected to
get a part with a Shakespearean com-
pany at least, but she had been glad to
take place in the chorus after the
season had opened and she found her.
self as far as ever from her goal. She
viii
of working up" and when plain Ben
Streator had begged her to give up
the idea of acting and marry him she
had made a chilling reply and neat
allusion to what she owed to herself
and to her art.
It seemed rather different now Being
new, she had not learned the ropes and
had applied literally the rule that no
been no hand clasp at parting, and she
had not even seen Ben.
Her fastidious taste revolted at the
idea of spending the night in a narrow
berth with a strange girl as a bedfellow.
but there was no help for it, and she
entered the car.
The special car was excessively hot
and without sufficient ventilation. The
aisles were packed with girls in various
stages of undress and noisy with their
chatter. The car was entirely occupied
by women, and the berth curtains were
regarded as superhuous. The stateroom
door was partly open, showing three of
the principals playing cards. The mus
ty odor of Egyptian cigarettes came
through the door and gradually mas
tered the other scents in the car.
Two girls sat swinging their feet over
the edge of upper six, but the half OF
the lower berth was occupied by girl
who lay with her face to the window,
her frail shoulders shaken by sobs.
you draw lower six?" grinned one
of the occupants of the upper berth
BET you don't sleep. Stillings is home
sick already. If she keeps up the yowl-
Ing after the train starts were goin 10
have a pillow fight" ~ g.
you'd better sit up in the smoking
ROOM" urged another. you don't want
to get drowned, and Stillings is flooding
the car with her tears"
'1 think it's a shame to talk that
way" declared Beatrice, as she saw
that the gibes were adding to their vic
TINS discomfort. You should be
ashamed of yourselves.
sOne of them Salvation Army girls
again this season. chanted the tormen-
tor from above, and the cry was caught
M along the car until Beatrice was
glad to slip off her things and creep in
between the curtains.
The train soon started and the noise
died down, but the sobs continued.
and Beatrice sought to comfort the
girl.
.eYou have been away from home
before'' she reminded. "You will get
used to it soon" Miss Stillings turned
and Beatrice put her arm comforting
ly about the Others shoulders:
ings. eve been on the stage ever
since I was a kid. 1t amt that, but
this is the first time I've been away
from Jim since we married"
"You are married?" said Beatrice,
Almost three years" was the an
swer ST married Jim Porroy. He's
a leader. Always before this we got a
show together. This year we couldn't
make it, I couldn't afford to travel
along with him It would take all his
salary for fares and expenses, and
we're building a little home down on
Long Island. We've both got to work
until we get that built"
"But you have that to look forward
to-" suggested Beatrice.
"Three years from now" assented
the other. Maybe we can get show
together again next season, but think
what it will be in the meantime
You're new, amt you ?"
s'This is my first season." admitted
Beatrice. at studied for the profession
so could get in a good company.
want to work my way up:
Mrs. Purroy nee Stillings laughed
II had that idea once" she said.
'aI,here's about one in five hundred
that works up to small part. There's
one Edna May in about a million
chorus girls. I wish I'd had sense
enough to learn typewriting. 1 guess
you don't know how we live on the
road"
"You can live we'll anywhere for
what we get" commended Beatrice.
Mrs. Purroy laughed again.
.sYou can live good on what you
think you're going to get. But when
they take out fines and shoes and
stockings and gloves and things like
that it's a different story. Say. Kid. II
you've got fellow that isn't on the
1880 forrat how nice it,S going to feel