Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-10
The Manicure
Lady
By WILLIAM F. KIRK.
ut AMT going to be a actress"
declared the Manicure Lady.

IA
declared the Manicure Lady.
you ain't?" said the star
tied Head Barber. Most girls is, if
they are young and shapeful like
thee. Why amt thou going to be
actress ?"
Il have saw the time when 1
dreamed of being on the stage day
and night. | don't mean l wanted to
be on the stage day and night; mean
/ was all the time dreaming that !
wanted to be. l got it all kicked out
of me last night, George. Farewell,
stageland. Not for you is my girlish
beauty and my melting voice. ! am
going to keep on reducing nails until
] wed and toll no more"
You act a little balmy this morn
ing" remarked the Head Barber, look
ing curiously at the girl What's
on your mind?'
"Oh. I went to a dramatic CLUB last
night" answered the Manicure Lady.
There was enough talent there to
make fifty grand stock companies,
and enough young playwrights to
save the F'rohmans and changers
fifty trips to Europe. 1t was awful
amateur bunch, George. The actresses
hadn't ever seen an honest to- good
ness stage and the actors the same.
The play they played for the benefit
of members only was wrote by a
young gent named Harmon Balm
bridge, who had uncle once that
wrote a sketch for a vodeville team
and got part of his pay. outside of
that and his long. curly hair the kid
didn't have no claim to real greatness,
as Joe Blow used to say about some
race horse that he didn't like.
Was Nea+ Him.
Il happened to draw the seat next
to him when the play was being put
on, and as ] was the only girl there
that wasn't up on the stage doing
some line or two he and me had
very nice chat, me doing the listen
ing. | didn't even have my fool
brother Wilfred to help me get away
from the writing kid, as Wilfred is
member of the dramatic club. too, and
was up there on the stage as big as
life playing the part of a sailor on the
raft. There was only one other
sailor besides Wilfred left on the
raft. They had been shipwreCked,
and after they had got so hungry
they couldn't stand il no longer they
had ct up the other gents one by one.
But that amt what / was going to
say. ] was telling you about Harmon
cambridge, who wrote the play they
was playing.
Il always supposed that geniuses
was kind of quiet folks, George. The
only one ] ever met was George AIDE,
and, goodness knows, he was quiet
enough | couldn't hear him say
word about himself all the evening.
But this Mister cambridge certainly
didn't hate himself. George You have
no idea how proud / am tonight he
: says TO me when I think of the sue
cess which is at last within my grasp,
after so many patient years of tOiling.
a queer lump comes into my throat. A
great vista of glory now stretches be-
fore me. Harmon cambridge he
says to me. Nothing but a short life
can keep me from becoming another
Christopher Marlowe' he says. I sup
, pose ne meant Julia Marlowes broth
er or husband or something. Any
how. that's the way he kept rafting
along until I was ready TO rap for
help. He wasn't a bit more stuck up
than the actors and actresses i'm the
club. though. After they had did their
punk show they sat around telling
each other how good they was. Even
brother Wilfred got praised for lookin
SO hungry in the raft scene"
Hopeless.
so you don't think youm be a great
actress some day." said the Head
Barber,
mo, George" replied the Manicure
Lady. Il don't love myself enough for
shat. And l amt emotional, either
If l could be emotional and quake
convulsive every time l was spoke a
word Of love to, and if I cherished my
dear self with all the ardor of a warm,
girlish heart. 1 would join that there
dramatic club and some day ] would
be heard from. But / amt fitted
George ] amt gated right so | sup
pose I'll have to bury my sweet dead
dream and keep on fussing with finger