The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-03-20

ed to the canoe. Presently HOLSTER tossed over
board the empty cracker box, weighted with
stone, because, he said it would be crime to vio-
late the tidiness of this picture book water way;
and looked an Interrogation at the girl, =.
She smiled back at him. You saw the box go
.down?" she said. Well, my last doubt went with
it. I've decided: You needn't worry about me
any more, kind gentleman"
so the ideal is saved?' he CRIED Good"
1T is curious she unused, how much palmer
some. things only fifty miles from town.
can't put it into words; but didn't really make.
the choice myself at ALI. It was made for me while
we were floating up here in this still little boat,
with you sitting in the stern, 500 different, like
tbe boys We saw there in the college grounds It's
;as if different order of2life from mine had just
come and grabbed hold Of me. kind but strsng and
made me do it's way ~: Up. ="
-'''No, said the man, that's not 1t. You had the
different order deep in you somewhere and this life
to-day has just called to it-thats ALL"
Yes. suppose have.' she said, half to her,
self. Il wonder if really that isn't the part of me
through which the big things will come-oh, am
1t 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, I was
born in little city on the one-night circuit, and
q
store. I 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 even if they could have afforded it.
Life IN the store was worse than drudgery-it was
hell. acted at socias and dramatic clubs when
ever could and one day when was eighteen
went to the manager OF musical comedy that
came to town and asked him for job. He said he
needed broilers, and he took me-. Most of the fresh
grls-It mean 1iteral1y-in musical shows are pick
ed up like Twas round through the country Il
told my parents, and they said couldn't go: SO
ran away For the rest Of the season we did one
nights, and learned what theatrical life is All
my dreams of ease and luxury vanished, and the
things saw going in: the company sickened me.
But girl who's worked ina department. store even
small one, knows how to take. care Of herself If
she wants to-, ard wasn't molested much 49, -
=: But didn't want the musical line; wanted to
act: When We get H. the following June + began
the horrid hum1Iiating trot around from one office
to another, waiting beggng suffering all kinds of
Insults. Finally man who wanted somebody for
a tiny soubrette role in cheap stock co1pany took
me. and shipped me sup*to* New England city:
There lived ON next to nothing a week, played
every. afternoon and evening, and rehearsed every
morning: But'<I got a chance to act, and, as
made. good they gave me pretty good parts finally.
learned a lot, too, from our leading woman, who
was kind and helpful: She'd be on the three-sheets
along Broadway if it wasn't for the BOOZE poor
thing. : go"
Then I came back to the Alley, and did the.
round of the offices again, and was again nsulted-
insulted you know, In the worst way woman can
be. began to wonder If that was the price all of
them paid for their parts And then began to
wonder another thing II suppose other girls have
wondered it before me, God help them! began to
wonder, not so much If it wrong, but if; right
or wrong, it wasn't the way to learn thousand
shades of the emotonswe actresses are called on to
express and which I, for one, felt myself so ignor
ant of<expressing. I ambitious, terribly am
btious-you believe that, don't you?" r.. -
+or course said Ho1itster gravely. -: g..
:, We'll, it wasn't the promise Of better parts for
the mere sake of the name, or greater comfort; it
was just this ambition to learn to get ahead this
..". IT, :; - -. ~. 70. d. 80 a-.-' -