The Topeka state journal., 1911-05-05
THE EVENING STORY
A Lack of Temperament.
(By NJ. ]. Phillips.)

(By M. ]. Phillips)
Faith, Langstroth, we were lucky
to get that girl" nodded Junius Bru-
tus Fitzmaurice, stroking his long,
smooth-shaven face.
They were standing in the wings of
the Butterville 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 the
hallmark of regularity and prosperity
among "troupers" overcoats
with fur collars.
Despite his round, cherubic face and
the upward Quirk at the corners of
his comical mouth, Billy Langstroth
was. like most comedians, an incorri-
gible pessimist. Now he thrust a pudgy
thumb into each pocket of his fancy
waistcoat and replied gloomily: 81
don't think so, Junie.''
And why?" rumbled Fitzmaurice,
in his deepest chest tones. Look at
her now, facing the footlights like
Bernhardt. She makes up well;
doesn't know what stage fright is.
study. The part needs no acting. But
she can sing, Langstroth. Listen to
that!'
Trixie MacGowan made a pretty pic
ture on the stage of the dim, cold
theatre 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 f1ex-
ible. Langstroth listened with grudg-
ing admiration until she had finished,
then he trotted out to yammer through
his business with the Juvenile and
trotted back out of the way of the
chorus. He took up the conversation
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 disconcert Fftzmaurice. He
pinched his gaunt upper lip reflective
ly between thumb and forefnger and
nodded slowly. True, Langstroth, an
amateur, yes. But an amateur with
traditions. She is cousin of Jennie
McHenry, you know
being Jennie's cousin don't make
her one of US, Junie," returned the
comedian, stubbornly. "She hasn't the
artistic temperament"
'tTush, tush, Williami' Fitzmaurice
dropped to his chest tones again.
with such a voice, and the stage
sense she has displayed, and Jennie
McHenry her cousin! Tush, tushi'
'FWell, look at her now! You never
saw that smile on the face of one of
our people. you'd think shed just
wandered in from out front. She
knows the company's mad and jealous
because you went outside for a Prin-
cess when Madeline Macauley was
chorus girl up to Toinetta, give her a
dab with their claws every chance they
get.
'She doesn't dab back, Junie. It's
part of the show to her. She's one of
the audience still. They can't make
above them. She's not one of us.
She's an outsider"
'fI' faith, William, you're the wet
blanket" Fitzmaurice smiled, be-
nignantly. ftYou are but giving a sop
to fate. You feel we were too lucky
in getting such girl
''She won't finish the season with
u.s. persisted Langstroth. "She hasn't
the temperament, I tell you"
"And that newspaper chap from her
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 $5 week on my salary
challenged the comedian you pay
me five more from now on if she
goes; you cut me five If she stays"
"Done!" doomed Fitzmaurice.
Trixie MacGowan went on her Sc
rene way with 1.-The Singing Princess"
That she should jump from private life
to the lead in a good second-class road
company was not a matter for mar
Yelling though she knew many chorus
girls and minor actresses had Slaved
for years without attaining such emil
nence. That was as it should be; they
couldn't all be Trixie MacGowans.
They had not been the prettiest girls
in their home towns; they did not
have a good soprano voice.
Leading roles in amateur theatricals
had come to Trixie as matter of
course ever since she was in pima
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 always
"they'-never "we." The men were
when they tried to make love to her;
the women loudly dressed cats whose
jealousy was childishly impotent.
"Trouping'' was 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 ridicu-
lous incidents.
The most important thing in this
wandering life was the daily letter
from Jerry Valentine, back in dear old
Arcadia.
Jerry's vague, mysterious hint that
he might drop in on her some night
WAS freouRnfIv reiterated and proved