Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-09-09
John Pringle's Chance

| that he was genius; his friends said
| that he was fool; he himself said he
| was an ass. As a matter OF fact, ne
was all three. but if there was any
| thing to choose between the defini-
| lions, it was John Pringle who was
right
When he was boy, John Pringle
| wanted to go into the church. His am
| bition was to be eaten as missionary
| by the gentle savage beyond the
| Southern seas His mother, who had
dreamed dreams of seeing her son in
a round collar and soft felt hat,
openly encouraged the boy to put his
| pennies into missionary box, and
| wept in secret at the thought of her
| Johnny 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 a mis-
sionary any longer but intended to
| become a clown
At the age of sixteen John Pringle
quarreled with his rich uncle, who
| had given him a clerkship in tea, and
| sold himself body and soul to a tour
| ing theatrical company for ten bob
week. In order to make things easy
| for John Pringle materially the rich
uncle renowned him.
| 1t was about this time that John
| Pringle's eyes began to look curious
| and John Pringles face began to look
sad.
| For five years John Pringle remain
| ed in the same company; then he fell
| in love- She had an artificial color, an
| unnatural waist, and knowing eye.
| She agreed to marry John Pringle
when his salary should reach the fabu-
| lous sum of 80 bob a 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 engagement it nj ut spoil her
| chance.
| chances He was waiting for his own
| He agreed, when the stage manager
| chucked his betrothed under the chin
at rehearsal, that he would look the
| other way.
While he looked his betrothed ran
| away with the stage manager. She al
| so ran away with John Pringle's en-
| gagement ring-not inside her purse
Fifteen years passed and John
| Pringle was still waiting for his
chance It was a pleasantly among
| his fellows to send his humorous post
| cards from managers in London thea
tiers asking him to give them an in
| terview with a view to playing the
leading part John Pringle invariable
| answered the post cards, and invaria-
| bly, smiled when the indignant mana
| gers enclosed his post card in their re-
| ply letters 1t was while he was an
| swering a bogus advertisement, in
| deed. that John Pringle met his fate.
John Pringles fate was young and
slender, with fiuctuating color an
| Overstrained heart, and a sensitive
mouth. Within month John Pringle
had married her. Their joint incomes
at that time represented the interest
ing sum of 35 shillings a week. During
| their waits at rehearsals they would
sit and hold hands in corners, and
whisper together what they should do
when John Pringle got his chance. He
was to play Hamlet, and she was to
wear white satin and diamonds, and
sit in box and applaud.
Meantime, Mr.. and Mrs. John Prin-
gle starved
At the end of a year John Pringle
became father. Basing his claim to
consideration on the merits of that in
teresting fact, John Pringle said his
long apprenticeship before the man.
ager and asked him for raise. The
manager clapped John on the back,
gave him a whisky and soda, and told
him not to talk such rot. John Pringle
refused the whisky and soda and went
home to Mrs. Pringle and lied. He
said that by virtue of becoming a
father he had been raised to ten bob
week Mrs. John Pringle had beef
jelly and oysters to celebrate the oc-
casion, and chatted gaily in the twi-
light 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 himself
to a shadow, tainted at rehearsal and
was sent home in four-wheeled cab.
The shock upset John Pringle. 1t
also upset John Pringle's wife. A
week or two later John Pringle went
about birmingham in brown coat
supplemented by band of Grape. A
week later, the little John Pringle, not
finding a patent food as administered
internationally by an intermittent land
lady sufficiently interesting, most con-
veniently died. The ladies and gentle
men of the company and the manager
sent a wreath of orchids which, con-
verified into beef jelly and oysters,
would probably have saved John Prin-
gle's wife. They said it was quite a
romance"
The day after the baby's funeral
John Pringle got his chance.
He played the part of boy of TWEEN
ty who came in for large fortune and
married the girl of his heart. A great
dramatist who unexpectedly witnessed
the performance went round after the
act and enthusiastically demanded his
name.
1.-THE very man I have been looking
for!" cried the great playwright, look