The evening world., 1914-09-15

Joan 7hurSda

-'@@N@ "SNoS>>NrS'S'S"~N-"OS
head and across his glasses: an In
credibly thin, energetic and efficient
and masterful intelligence. Not In
frequently. taking the typed part
from the hands Of one OF his pup
pets, he would himself give vivid
sketch OF its requirements through
the medium Of intonation. gesture
and action. And to Joan. at least,
the effects he created by these means
were as striking In the feminine roles
as In the masculine. Utterly devoid
Of self-consciousness. he had the fac
ulty Of seeming for the moment actu-
ally TO be what he sought to sug-
gest; one forgot the man, saw only
what he had In mind.
Joan was hardly happy In her en-.
deavor to please. Having unwisely
formed her own premature coneep-
ton of her part, and lacking totally
tho technical ability to express Il, she
ran constantly afoui Of wnbrow's no.
lions. She was called upon frst to
erase her own personality, next to
forget the personality which he had
meant TO delineate. and finally to SUBJ
stituto for both thero one which
Wilbrow alone seemed able to SEQ
and understand. She strove patient
ly and without complaint. but In .
Supplying welter Of confusion.
After plodding through her first
scene ono day. Joan was about to
90 of when wilbrow called her.
Miss Thursday" he said. quietly.
''one of three things has got to hap
pen-now: either you'll follow my In
structions. or you'ii quit. or I will.
I've told you what want % many
times that I'm tired repeating myself.
Now we're going to 60 over that
scene again and again, II II takes all
afternoon to get what I'm after. But.
before we start, will ask you to
bear one thing in mind: this isn't an
ingenue part: there's no excuse for
acting II like a petulant school girl.
Even pretty stenographers are busi-
nass-llke In real iife--sometimes-
and we're trying to secure some SOM
blance OF real life in this production.
In other words, I want you to forget
human being who's a little sore on
her Job and her employer. but not
sore enough to chuck Il just yet.
Now. II you pleass--besin right at
the beginning"
For an instant Joan stood hssitant
on the verge Of refusing. There
seemed to be no satisfying this man;
he either didn't or wouldn't under
stand: she tried desperately to please
him-and her sole reward was to be
help up to the derision Of thS entire
company! 1t was intolsrablb. And
Of q sudden she hated wiibrow with
every atom Of her being. But II she
were to talk back or refuse TO 90 on,
Matthias would be forfeited from her
life.
She choked down her chasrin. re-
sisted the temptation to wither VIII
brow with a glare, and suikily re-
sumed her place In the chair beside
another chair that was politely pre-
sumsd to be her typewriter desk.
She ratified through the scene with
tho manner Of . youthful termagant.
When she had finished. Wiibrow
said nothing beyond: again. please"
Tho demand served only to deepen
her resentment. and the second rope.
tition differed not materially from the
FIRST.
Ceasing to speak she fiounced away.
but Wilbrow,s voice brought her
back.
very good. Miss Thursday" he said
mildly-''very good indeed. But why
In the name of Mike!-if you could do
it-why wouldn't you until now7"
Because" Joan stammered-"be-
cause"
But she didn't dare say what she
wished to. and checked her tongue In
q At Of sulks moro eloquent than any
words she could have found.
Wilbrow waited an instant, then
laughed quite cheerfully.
1.-The usual reason. eh? might have
guessed YOU had a sure-'nough one
concealed about you . That's
all for to-day. Tomorrow at o.
Privately pondering this experience,
Joan surprised Its secret. and drew
from II a conclusion that was to
have an important influence upon her
professional future: In order to act
convincingly she must herself feel the
emotions accredited to her part. Az
applied to her individual tempera-
ment. at that stage Of it's develop
ment. this rule had all the inflexi-
bility OF an axiom. Others misht--as
others do--act In obedience to the adj
monitions of their intelligence; Joan
could at that stage act only accord
ing to the promptings Of her ono
tional self.
During the third week It was an.
nounced that 1.-THE Jade God" would
open In Altoona on the following