Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1910-02-14
MARY AIMS CAREER
BY CLARA MORRIS.


Torrance almost ruined by single
Interruption.
1t was domestic tragedy Of English
rural life. and one act began with
tableau copied exactly from a popular
painting called "Waiting For the YER
dict" which was also the title Of the
play.
The scene gave an exterior view of
the building within which the husband
and father was being tried for his life
on a charge of murder.
The trembling old grandsire leaned
heavily on his staff. The devoted wife
sat YEARLY by the closed iron gate.
with a babe ON her breast. tired. but
vigilant. A faithful dog stretched him
self at her feet. while his shaggy
shoulders pillowed the head Of the
sleeping child who was the accused
mans darling
The curtain rose on this picture,
which was always heartily greeted. and
often, so we'll it told its pathetic story.
a second and third round of applause
greeted it even before the dialogue be-
gan.
The managers little daughter. who
did the sleeping child. contracted a
cold and was advised not to venture
out of the house for fortnight. so
substitute had to be found. And a
fine lot Of trouble the stage manager
had. He declared half the children Of
Columbus had been through the sieve.
And there was the trouble-they all
went through. There was no one left
to act as substitute
But at last he found two promising
little girls-sisters they were and very
pOor-but the mother vowed her chill
dren must be in bed at 0, theater or
no theater. Yes. she would like to
have the money. but she'd do without
it rather than have child out OF bed
at all hours. At first she held out for
0 o'clock. but at last yielded the addl-
tional half hour. and. to the great dis
appointment of the younger child, the
elder one was accepted for the odd rea-
son that she looked so much younger
than her sister.
The company had come down from
Cleveland. and there were the usual
slight delays attendant on first night
but the "house" was good. the star"
Mr.. Buchanan, was making fine i'm
preston, and the play was evidently a
go"
The big picture was looked forward
to eagerly. and when it was arranged
we had to admit that the pale, pinched
little face of the strange child was
more effective as it rested on the dogs
shoulder than had been the plump,
smiling face of the managers little
one.
The curtain went up. and applause
followed Those loi.ind the scenes
crowded to the wings" to look on. No
one noted that the hands of the clock
stood at $40 nor heard through the
second burst of applause the slam of
the stage door behind the very small
person who entered and, silently peer
ing this way and that, found her stern.
avenging way to the stage and that
too favored sister basking in the sun
light of public approval.
The grandsire had just lifted his
head and WAS about to deliver his
beautiful speech OF trust and hope
when he was stricken helpless by the
entrance upon the stage of q boldly
advancing small person of most amaZ-
ing appearance. Her thin little legs
emerged from the shortest of skirts.
while her small body was we'll pinned
up in q great blanket shawl. the point
OF which trailed fully a quarter Of Il
yard on the floor behind her. she wore
a woman's hood on her head. and from
its cavernous depth, where there
CLEANED pale, malignant small face.
a voice issued. the high. farreaching
voice of a child that triumphantly com
manded
You, Mary Ann, you're ter get up
out Of that an come home straight
away, an you're ter 80 ter bed too.
Mother says sol" And the small Mem
csis turned on her heel and trnilcl
off the stage. followed by laughter that
seemed fairly to shake the whole bui>.-
ing.
Nor was that all No sooner had
Mary Ann grasped the full meaning Of
this dread message than she turned
over on her face, and, scramblin% IN
by all tours. she eluded the restrain
ing hands of the actress mother and
made 4 hasty exit to perfect shrieE9
of laughter ana storms Of applause.
While the climax was reached only
when the dog. trained to lie still SO
long as the pressure of the child's head
was upon his shoulder. finding himself
free. rose. shook himself violently aui
trotted off. waving his tail pleasantly
as he went.
That finished it. The curtain had to
fall. A short overture was played,
and the curtain rose again without the
complete tableau. and the action of the
play was resumed. But several times
the laughter was renewed. 1t was
only necessary for some one person 70
litter over the ludicrous recollection
and instantly the house was laughing
with that person. The next night the
managers child. swathed In flannel.
with mouthful Of cough drops. held
In two tn,