The Penn's Grove record., 1911-06-02

" CIV o
tus Ftzmaurice,
They were standing in the wings OF
the Butteville opera house. the man
ager of the Singing Princess COM
pany, who also did heavy" and Billy
Langstroth, the comedian. There was
a rehearsal on. The opera house, OF
course, was cold. Both men wore he
hallmark of regularity and prosperity
among "troupers"-long ~overcoats
with fur collars.
Despite his round, cherubic face
and the upward quirk at the n
of his comical mouth, Billy Lang
stroth was, like most comedians. an
in~corrigible pessimist. Now he thrust
a pudgy thumb into each pocket OF
his fancy waistcoat and replied
gloomily: II don't think SO. Junie."
"And why?" rumbled Fitzmaurice,
in his deepest chest tones. Look at
her now, facing the footlights like a
Bernhard. She makes up well;
doesn't know what stage fright is.
Trixie MACEDONIAN made a pretty
picture on the stage of the dim. cold
theater. She spoke her lines clearly
and correctly, without tremor and
without boldness-quite in keeping
with the character Of the girlish
princess. The orchestra struck up
the preliminary bars and she launched
into the Welcome Song"
Trixie MacGowan did not have a
great voice, but she did have a good
one. 1t was clear and full and fexi-
BILE. Langstroth listened with grudg-
ing admiration until she had finished,
then he trotted out to yammer
through his business" with the juve-
nile and trotted back out of the way
of the chorus. He took up the con-
%versation with the manager just
where he had left off.
What you say is true, Junie," he
agreed, "but-she's an amateur"
Fatal words on the stage! But they
did not d~isconcert Fitzmaurice. He
pinched his gaunt upper lip reflective
ly between thumb and forefinger, and
nodded slowly. True, Langstroth.
an amateur, yes. But an amateur
with traditions. She is a cousin Of
Jennie McHenry, you know"
"Peing Jennie's cousin don't make
her n of us, Junie." returned the
comedian, stubbornly. "She hasn't
the artistic temperament"
flush, tush, William" Fitzmaurice
dropped to his chest tones again.
with such a voice, and the stage
sense she has displayed, and Jennie
McHenry her cousin! Tush, tush!"
well look at her now! You
saw that smile on the face Of one of
our people. You'd think she'd just
wandered in from out front. She
knows the company's mad and Jealous
because you went outside for a
princess when Madeline Macauley
was taken sick. The women, from
the last chorus girl up to Toinetta,
gave her a dab with their claws every
chance they get.
"She doesn't dab back, JUNE. It's
part of the show to her. She's n of
the audience still. They can't make
her angry, because she feels she's
above them. She's not n of us.
She's an outsider"
"P faith. William, you're the wet
blanket" Fitzmaurice smiled, be-
~nignantly. you are but giving a sop
to fate. You feel we were too lucky
in getting such a girl"
"She won't finish the season with
us" persisted Langstroth. "She hasn't
the temperament, l tell you"
And that newspaper chap from
her home town will be along some
day to carry her off. He made me
give him our route. She writes to
him every day."
"Tush, William" smiled the man
ager again.
bet you five dollars a week on my
salary she leaves before the season
is over!" challenged the comedian.
you pay me five more from now on
stays"
"Done!" doomed Fitzmaurice.
Trixie MACEDONIAN went on her Sc
rene way with 1.-THE Singing Prin-
cess" That she should jump from
private life to the lead in a good
second-class road company was not
a matter Of m~arveling, though she
knew many chorus girls and minor
actresses had shaved for years with
out attaining such eminence. That
uyoc DC n ch0y1I hn. fh4ry o1,IJ~yk III
be Trixie MACEDONIAN. They had not
been the prettiest girls in their home
towns; they did not have a good
soprano voice.
Leading roles in amateur theatri-
Gals had come to Trixie as a matter
of cours yer since she was in pima
fores. So a regular lead on the real
stage was nothing to cause comment
or undue excitement.
She regarded actors as queer and
amusing people. In her mind the
Singing Princess company was al
ways "they"-never. we" The men
were egotistical poseurs, most divert
ing when they tried to make love to
her; the women loudly dressed cats
whose jealousy was childishly impo-
tent.
"Trouping' vas a lark, like camp
ing out in summer She made light
of the poor beds, the Indifferent
meals and the early trains, as she
had made light Of camp discomforts.
Stage door ~"Johnnies," who formed
SO large a part Of the lives and
thoughts of the other girls, were to
her merely ridiculous incidents.