The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-09-24
JOHN PRINGLE'S
CHANCE
BY Alicia Ramsey.

DOlH WAS u lllah WIN - ''sNN.
face and curious eyes. His wife said
that he was a genius; his friends said
he was fool; he himself said he was
an ass. AS matter of fact, he was
| all three but If there was anything
to judge between the definitions, 1t
was John Pringle who was right.
When he was a boy. John Pringle
wanted to go into the church. HIS
| ambition was to be eaten as mis-
sionary by the gentle savage beyond
the southern seas. His mother, who
had dreamed dreams of seeing her
| son in round collar and soft felt
hat, openly encouraged the boy to put
his pennies into the missionary box.
and wept in secret at the thought OF
| her Johnnie being roasted on spit.
! Three years later, however, having
visited the wicked pantomime by
/ stealth for the first time, John Pringle
informed his Mortified parent on his
return that he didn't want to be mis-
sionary any longer, but intended to
be clown. John Pringle's mother
made the boy write out the Ninety
third psalm, and fell on her knees and
thanked Heaven privately when her
Johnnie had been dismissed to an
early and impenitent bed.
At the age of 16, John Pringle sold
himself body and soul to touring
theatrical company for three dollars
week.
For five years John Pringle re-
manned in the same company; then he
fell in love. She had an artificial
color an unnatural waist, and know
ing eye. She agreed to marry John
! Pringle when his salary should reach
the fabulous salary of ten dollars
week Meantime, she carried John
Pringle's ring in her purse instead OF
on her finger. She said that If the
| stage.manager knew of her engage
/ ment it might spoil her chance.
While he looked his betrothed ran
away with the stage-manager. She
also ran away with John Pringle's
engagement ring-not inside her
| purse.
AS the reward of virtue John
Pringle spent five weeks in hospital
The doctors said it was nervous ex-
haustion; John Pringle knew it was
wounded heart When he got up
John Prngles eyes were still more
| curious and John Pringles face was
still more sad.
Fifteen years passed, and John
Pringle was still waiting for his
chance. 1t was pleasantly among
his fellows to send him humorous
postcards from managers Of theaters
asking him to give them an inter-
view with view to his playing the
leading part John Pringle invaria-
bly, answered the postcards, and In
variably smiled pleasantly when the
indignant managers inclosed his post
card in their reply letters. 1t was
while he was answering bogus ad-
| vertsement, indeed, that John Pringle
met his fate.
John Pringle's fate was young and
slender with tuctuating color. an
overstrained heart, and a sensitive
mouth Within a month John Pringle
had married her. Their joint incomes
at that time represented the interest
ing sum of $12 a week. During their
waits" at rehearsal they would sit
and hold hands in corners, and whis-
per together of what they should do
when John Prngle got his chance. He
was to play Hamlet. and she was to
wear white satin and diamonds, and
sit in a box and applaud.
Meantime Mr.. and Mrs. John
Pringle starved.
At the end of year John Pringle
| became a father. Basing his claim
| to consideration on the merits of that
interesting fact, John Pringle laid his
long apprenticeship before the man.
ager and asked him for a rise The
manager clapped John Pringle on the
back, gave him a whisky, and told
| him not to talk such rot. John Pringle
refused the whisky and went home
to Mrs. John Pringle and lied. He ,
said that. by virtue of becoming n faA
Their, he had been raised. Mrs. JoiffiD
| Pringle had beef steak to celebrate
the occasion. and chatted gaily in the
twilight of the future that awaited the
baby now that his father had begun
to get his chance. Four days later,
John Pringle, who had starved him
self to a shadow, tainted at rehearsal
and was sent home in a cab.
The ,shock upset John Prlngle 1t
also Upset John Pringle's wife. A
week or two later, John Pringle went
about Birmingham in brown coat
supplemented by a band of Grape. A
week later, the little John Pringle, not
| finding a patent food as administered
internationally by an Intermittent
landlady sufficiently interesting, most
| conveniently died. The ladies' and
| gentlemen of the cCmpany and tho
manager sent wreath of orchids
which, converted into food, would
| probably have saved John ,Pringles
wife. They said: 1T was quite no.
nance"