The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-12
TIE EVENING STORY
Retained in the Role.
(By Carl Williams.)

(By Carl Williams.)
Melrose was agog with excitement
The local bill poster was hanging the
paper of the Denham Repertoire Com
pany for a three-night run. And Mag
gle Denham hailed from Melrose.
Margaret Denharn'' she was billed, but
Melrose recognized her.
It was the first time that what Mel
rose called "a real theater troupe" had
visited the little town. This in itself
would have meant much but Maggie in
addition created an epoch in town his
tory.
Melrose could not know that she was
to be a star only for this brief engage
ment in Melrose. Maggie had happen
ed to mention that she had been born
in Melrose, and the astute manager
had changed the name of the company
from the Metropolitan to Denham Rep
ertoire Company for the three-night
stay.
He we'll knew the value of a local
name in small town. Occasionally
Maggie had let fall some scrap of in
formation as to her departure from the
town that told the rest Of the old story
of the girl who had run away from
home to go upon the stage.
Maggie's story differed from most, for
she had succeeded in achieving her
ambition. She had become a fairly
useful player of parts in the smaller
companies.
This was her second season with the
Metropolitans and she smiled confident
ly when Quinlin, the manager, asked
her if she felt strong enough to play
the star part for three days.
It involved a little extra rehearsal,
but Maggie was delighted. She would
show Tom Chambers and the rest of
Melrose that she had made a success.
Tom came ahead of the rest of Mel
rose, because there had been a time
when they two were almost engaged,
and she still thought tenderly of those
courtship days.
She looked about eagerly when the
company arrived, but though every one
else in town appeared to have come to
the train to stare curiously at Maggie
Denham's troupe, Tom was not there.
Maggie climbed into the ramshackle
bus that was to convey the company to
the hotel Her triumphant entrance
into her home town had gone for
naught just because one man was not
there.
ize that she still cared more for Cham
bers than she had ever admitted when
he had tried to win her.
She had not long to wait, however,
for information about the recreant enc.
Presently a string of callers came 20
the hotel and all of the friends of her
schooldays crowded the hotel parior-
all talking at once.
From the babel of voices Maggie
gathered that Tom had left town the
lay before with the evident purpose of
wedding her. The blood throbbed in
YER temples.
It was to give Tom a lesson that she
anted to show to Melrose how we'll
ne had succeeded Now he would not
illness her triumph, and she turned
-rangely depressed until the manager
ersed in the handling of the erratic
omen of the stage, senSed the situation.
Anyhow, you can do your best,
Quinlin reminded her, land leave be-
hind a record that he will be proud
OFF,
And who may he be?" demanded
Maggie truculently.
IT don't know confessed Quinlin
promptly. tbut there is usually a he
somewhere, and since he does not seem
to be around, thought you might like
my suggestion s.-
Maggie waved him off with a testing
remark but her heart was lighter. Here
was something that she could do. So it
happened that even her fellow players
wondered that evening at the brilliancy
with which she played her part
You'll land on Broadway yet" they
assured her, but even this promise of
reaching the ~oal of all actors did not
ance was over, she hurried back to the
hotel, only to creep into bed and cry
herself to sleep.
On the third and last day of the
engagement Tom appeared suddenly
in town, and though she could not see
him in the badly lighted auditorium
that night, Maggie felt that he was
there, and she acted with touch of
tenderness that lent new beauty to a
naturally sympathetic role.
John Benjamin, one of the import
ant eastern theatrical men, had
stopped over to wait for a train, and
had drifted into the opera house,
where the manager overwhelmed him
with attentions. AS he watched the
girl work he nodded his head.
'aI'd like to steal your leading
woman" Benjamin said to Quinlin.
at can place her in a road company
for a year under one of my good stage
directors and then bring her to New
York"
go ahead and steal,' invited Quin-
lin. "She's a nice little woman. and
if you can place her, the contract she
made with me won't hold her back.
I'll tell her to write to YOU"
The big manager nodded his thanks,
looked at his watch and hurried off
to make his train
Maggie only nodded carelessly,
when Quinlin hurried back with word
that the way to Broadway was open
to her at last.
she could not think of business
when Tom was out there in the dark
ened auditorium watching her. She
needed to give all of her attention to
her performance, and she played the
last act with a rich sincerity that won
the audience completely.
Not until the curtain had fallen
and the other players crowded around
to congratulate her upon the oppor-
tunity she had earned did she seem
to realize what it all meant, and then
she accepted liStleSsly what the other
women Of her profession would have
given years of their life to attain.
She slipped from the stage door
alone to go to the hotel. but as she
emerged Tom stepped forward with