The evening world., 1914-09-15


to Joan. She rose at once
from an abyss Of discour-
agement to sunlit peaks OF happiness
Installing a rented typewritins ma.
eAins In the room adjoining her own
Temporarily without . tenant and
willingly loaned by Nine. DupraO,
che tapped away industriously from
early morning till late at night. sedu-
Iously transcribing into clean type
script the mangled manuscripts given
her BY Matthias.
Refusing an OFFER Of public stenos-
raphar rates, she had asked for $io
o week. This Matthias paid her,
under protest that the work was
worth more to him. The arrangement
was, however. . fortunate one; Tor
. though at irst Joan earned more than
she received: after rehearsals Of This
Jade God" had started she was seldom
able to give moro than two or three
hours q day to the copying.
These rehearsals furnished her with
impressions vastly different from
those garnered through her expert
snce with THE Convict's Return"
Tho company assembled for the
first time on a mid-August morning
d. In the authors study. There were
present eight men. aside from Mat
thias and the manager. his producing
director and his press agent, and four
women. including Joan. After brief
introductions, the gathering disposed
itself to attention, and Matthias
rocking nervously In his revolving
desk chair. read the play aloud. To
most OF those present the work was
new and unfamiliar: they listened
with intense interest, keenly alive To
the possibilities OF the various parts
for which they had been cast.
Rideout, the man financially re-
sponsible for the production. was an
English actor OF reputation and con-
siderable ability. The producing man
Ager, Wilbrow, was a Short lean
bodied American. with lantern Jaws
large intent eyes and nervous
frown. Joan was impressed WITH
the aloof pleasantness OF his man
ner; she was to know him better.
= The reading over. the company
was dismissed with Instructions te
report at 10 the next morning At an
obscure dance hall masqueradinS I'M
der the name of an opera house. stu
ate In the immediate neighborhood
between Eighth and Ninth avenues
Several fingered to affix signatures
10 contradiction OF their NUMBER
and when these were gone there re-
manned in conference the star. the
leading woman, Matthias, Rideou'
and Wilbrow.
Going out to dinner that might
Joan passed Matthias bidding good
by to the leading woman In the hall
way. He seemed tired and wore
harassed look: and later. when tn'
siri delivered the outcome OF bel
days copying. he had manner new
to her, of weary brusqueness.
The first rehearsal proper was hello
IN q stu1y and ill-ventilated room, 81
dark that II was necessary to use th'
electric lights even at noon. The DAY
was fortunately cool, otherwise thu
Mace had been insufferable. There
was little attempt at acting. INT
company devoted itself. under VII
brow's direction, to blocking In I'M
action. They had 20 stags-simpi'
that bare, four-square room. HAN
dozen chairs and a few long benches
were dragged about to Indicate en-
frances and properties. Nobody pre-
tended to know his part-not ever
Joan, who knew hers perfectly. INT
axample of the others, who merel.
uumbled from tho manuscripts II
their hands, made the girl fear to be
tray amateurishness by discovering
too great an Initial familiarity VIII
her lines. So she too carried he
'script" and read from 1t. When no
thus engaged she sat watching ant
noting down what was going ON Will
eager attention.
But she took away with her a de-
pressing sense OF having engaged II
something formless and incoherent.
But succeeding rehearsals-oesin
ming with the second-corrected thu
MISREPRESENTATION. That afternoon DO
,veioped Wilbrow suddenly into
mild hammered. semi-apologetic AM
humorous tyrant. He discovered ar
Individual comprehension OF wha
was required for the right develop
ment OF the play and an invincibl'
Tdeterninati,n to get 1t. He nevel
lost either tenn CT Of patience, neithe'
,swore nor lifted his voice; but hav
ing indicated his desire, wrought pa
tiently with its subject. sometimes
for as long as an hour. until no ha'
succeeded In satisfying IT. III
worked contless. with his long blaci
hair struggling dowD over his fore
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