The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-12-12
ea6sao A DAY OUT OF TOWN &afep
By

ed to the canoe. Presently Hollister tossed over
board the empty cracker box, weighted with q
stone, because. he said it would be crime to vio-
late the tidiness of this picture-book water way;
and looked Interrogation at the girl.
She smiled back at him. You the box go
down." she said. Well my last doubt went with
1t. I've decided. You needn't worry about me
any more, kind gentleman"
so ideal is saved?" he cried Good"
1t is curious" she unused. how much palmer
some things only fifty miles from town.
can't put into words; but didn't really make
the choice myself at all 1t was made for me while
we were floating up here in this still little boat,
with you sitting in the stern, 500 different, like
the boys there in the college grounds. It's
if a different order of life from mine had just
come and grabbed hold of me, kind but strong and
made me do its way
No" said the man. that's not 1t. You had the
different order deep in somewhere, and this life
to-day has just called to it-that's all"
Yes suppose l have" she said. half TO her
self, Il wonder if really that isn't the part of
through which the big things will come-oh, am
ISL
What do you mean" he asked.
The girl grew red Then suddenly she put her
bushes aside and said calmly: You have been my
very good friend. I'll tell you everything. l
born in little city the one-night circuit. and
had to quit school when 1 fifteen, to work in a
store. l was always ambitious and always crazy
about the stage. But my folks weren't only poor,
they didn't know enough about things to send me
to be trained. if they could have Afforded it.
Life in the store worse than drudgery-it
hell 1 acted at socials and dramatic clubs when
ever 1 could. and one day when 1 was eighteen
went to the manager of a musical comedy that
came to town and asked him for job. He said he
needed brothers, and he took me. Most of the fresh
girls mean literally-in musical shows pick
ed up like l was round through the country.
told my parents and they said couldn't So
away. For the rest of the did
nights, and l learned what theatrical life is. All
my dreams OF ease and luxury vanished, and the
things saw going on in the company sickened me.
But girl who's worked in a department store, even
a small one. knows how to take care OF herself il
she wants to. and wasn't molested much.
tBut didn't want the musical line; wanted to
act. When got in the following June 1 began
the horrid humiIiating trot around from one office
to another waiting. begging. suffering all kinds of
insults Finally man who wanted somebody for
tiny soubrette role in cheap stock company took
me. and shipped up to New England city.
There lived on next to nothing week, played
every afternoon and evening. and rehearsed every
morning. But got chance to act and,
made good, they gave pretty good parts finally
l learned lot, too. from leading woman, who
kind and helpful. She'd be on the three-sheets
along Broadway II it wasn't for the booze, poor
thing.
Then 1 back to the Alley, and did the
round Of the offices again. and again insulted-
insulted you know in the worst way woman can
be. l began to wonder if that the price all Of
them paid for their parts. And then l began to
wonder another thing. 1 suppose other girls have
wondered it before me- God help them! began to
wonder, not much IL it wrong, but II, right
or wrong, 1t wasn't the way to learn thousand
shades of the emotions actresses called on to
express. and which l. for one felt myself ignor-
ant of expressing. l was ambitious, terribly am
bitious-you believe that, don't your"
'Of course" said HOLSTER gravely
We'll, it wasn't the promise of better parts for
the mere sake of the name, greater comfort; it
was just this ambition to learn to get ahead, this