Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-12

a swelled head she tells me to go over
to Broadway and see the people look
ing for work. / don't do it, though.
Even when I'm over there | give For
ty-second street and Broadway a
wide berth, Cor I'm afraid the passer-
by will think I'm out of a job, too.
"And the girls / know are SO care
less with their money. They tell
you about the suit that cost $3.50, the
hat $50, and then~ they ask you
for a loan of 5000 for the summer.
'It brings before my eyes my w
Inexpensive wardrobe and the money
/ don't have to borrow. Even the
children nowadays don't have to save
any of their good clothes for Sun
day, but can adorn their little selves
with their laces and ribbons every
day in the week. Woe was me in
my youngster days If / dreamed of
appearing in my .Sunday-go-to-meet-
ing clothes on any but very SPECIAL
occasions aarrs
First Txyout in Melbourne.
Miss Tracey first opened those big
eyes of hers out in Melbourne. Aus
tralia, where I'VE don't have sub
ways or elevated trains, but where
the people get there just the same.
where you can buy a whole sheep for
10 cents and where the salary of a
very good chorus girl is s. a week
Father Tracey was manager of one
of the vaudeville houses there, but
had no desire that his little daugh-
ter should follow a stage career. One
day the little girl next door, who was
a few a Miss Tracey's senior, was
leaving for Her Majesty'sAT Theatre
to rehearse for the pantomine that
is given there for six weeks during
the Christmas season. Stella's nurse
took her three-year-old charge and
accompanied the neighbor child to the
theatre.
when we got there the stage man
asked me what / could do. I
told him I could sing Wal Till the
Tide Comes In and l could dance.
He gave me a "try-out" and hired me
to lead the march and sing the bal
lad. OF curse my fa<her objected to
the idea, but my tears did more than
anything else to convince him of my
talent. That was the beginning of
my stage career.
Papa said She Was Homely.
poor father didn't have much hope
for my looks when he first gazed
upon me. He said I was actually the
homeliest child he had ever seen. I
guess I outgrew 1t a little in the first
six weeks, for | was Judged the win
ner of the Mellen's Food Baby prize
at that time, but I didn't grasp the
reward of beauty. for the committee
changed its mind when 1t learned
that father was an actor. I felt ome
thing like Minerva and Juno rolled
into one when, Paris gave the golden
ample to Venus. And that was the
only time / ever had the, ghost of a
once of ~rivaling Lillian Russell.
For eleven years Miss Tracey and her
family have been in this country and
they have been eleven years of hard
work for the little coincidence. Her
roles have included prima donna with
..The Three Twins 1.-THE Soul Kiss
..The Fascinating Widow" 1.-THE Chi
nese Honeymoon" Johnny Jones' and
a headliner in vaudeville, during
which she played this city.
stage Names Real, Too.
And is Stella Tracey your real
name?p | asked.
Good gracious, yes; you don't think
I'd choose 1t, do you? Tracey's an
awful name to give a girl to try to
make famous. It's something like
Maggie Reilly. Now if I had had
anything to say about it ] would have
been Young and Handsome Dupont
or Tried and Returned o Sickle"
Married."
mo, never married. engaged or in