Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-19
49, -
Useful
Hints
The Morning Story
An USHER.
by Dorothy Blnckmore.


"You-help' laughed her chum:
Helen Bennett. lis SO funny"
Anita gave an impatient shrns to
her shoulders. 1T may be humorous
TO you, Helen. To me il IS anything
but that, My father and mother are
drcadfully depressed over it and know
much OF their anxiety Is for ne since,
as they have said, am just begin
ming my social career, Social career
What I'm the world is mere social
few years 10 me. compared with tha
Worry OF my mother and father?
tell YOU shall do something
Teach dancing perhaps laughed
Helen
Anita shook her head "Everybodys
doing that"
Go on the stage? Maybe we'll SEQ
something at the matinee today that
will appeal TO you?' Helen continued
in testing tones
For, OF course. a part is mine for
the asking" added Anita sarcastically
No. have no talent for acting. IL
fact, since I've been taking invcn-
tory OF my talents | find | haven't a
single one that could turn 10 TO make
myself economically independent Now.
nat is the difficult part.
Why should YOU have? You"
Blu, that's just 1T should have
been taught 10 do something that
OF necessity. 1t isn't the right way
TO bring up a girl We should have
equal opportunity with boys"
They were nearing the theatre for
which Helen had tickets. and Helen,
beginning TO realize that her friend
was in earnest. could find no reply.
Il can't even make doughnuts for a
woman's exchange. I'm not good
inender I'm not stenographer. !
have no profession. no work OF any
l. Ind
mined to do something 10 help with
the family expenses. IL it's only adding
few dollars week. have brains
and common sense, and know can
find something"
I'm afraid II Will DE hard. Mia"
said Helen, serious for the first time.
She was beginning To realize that she
too. would be helpless when /, came
TO earning money.
Neither girl said anything further
On the subject. but as &ley sat in
the theatre Anita watched the ushcrs
running up and down the aislcs busily
seating the guests in the theatre. 1t
Was the first time she had ever taken
any real notice OF the ushers They
were earning their livnc-those girls
She began to think OF their duties
six nights week and two after
moons in most theatres. That was not
skilled work-cvcn she. Anita Morgan,
could do that. She WAS accustomed to
!a'e hours; she was quick and active
and she had good appearances
In her own mind she decided to try
10 get position as usher in a city
iheatre The ushers Interested her
more than the play that afternoon
aud she studied each one mat she
could see, even when they came down
the aisles between acts to offer water
to the audience. Every girl looked
uuIie refined, reasonably Intelligent
But-Anita said nothing IN Helen about
her plans Helen would scoT at the
'dca. and ii WAS not easy TO be rid-
culcd
The following day she went to- the
manaG ement of theatre and found
employment at once as an usher She
was taken tn the wardrobe mistress
who happened. in this case, to have
charge OF the wshcr's costumes as well
rs those Of the theatrical folk II
seemed strange and not altogether
pleasant 10 be trying ON gowns that
others mad worn, but Anita had prom
istd herself That she would ninch at
nothing that was respectable.
IN. It's mighty becomin' To We
miss said the kindly woman VINO
helped her TO hnd e. costume that would
III And, indeed, a., She surveyed her
self IN the long mirror she realized
That the colonial dress, the quaint
apron ana bonnet AMI the bucklcd slip
rcrs were anything but ugly The
4
moment and tn,,.: sea-s Hooded her
eyes She rcalL,.d hor her mother
and father would feel If they could see
her ina UNIFORM
She did not sG-=ak OF her WORK to
.ny one. but She saw many III her
friends in the tincatre. Al the end
"f fortnight not a person mad reCog-
b!zed her in h"r bonnet and with her
urls ana quaint costume Ia fact.
II seemed to her as II the ushers
might be 80 many w-uodcn dolls Tor all
me attention paid them by the audi
nee MA for This Anita was ,<rv
rankful.
she became q myHery among her
iormer acGuaintances and anita
rather enjoyed being a mystery She
save them no -satisfa ctIon--nut even
Helen, her Cnum.
At TIA. theatre she had many odd
and amus.n:; experiences, but the most
interesting people To her were the
newspaper men ana women who fire.
Guentcd the theatre, hnlh III 'front.' aud
behind IN" foothghis, soarcning for
fiories, for news. Tor plots ana situa-
lions they could tuui into space for
which they received dollars
ANITA had begun to nave a broad
sympathy Win any one who was try
ing 10 earn honest dollars In her
former mode OF life she had g!yei!
wage-esrners and wage earning l!tlle
thought.
Perhaps because Of her Keen inter
est and 81 mpathy. she made many
iriends. she was pleasant cheerful
earnest and approa enable And about
metropolitan theatre every one en-
p!oNed is not approachahle, she had
heen to!d more than once when she
mad been of service in securing AN
interview with d star OF with folk :
on and of the stage
III set this interview with Nine
I.u'ache2 young newspaper man
i"ld her one afternoon. and land IL.
Won't YOU break Your rule and com,
10 lunch with me. just so that can
81 YOU no" mucn / appreciate your
t'ps?"
Nniia shooH he, head. smiling so
"a IKE TO. but mustn't begin" sno
aid.
YOU'D not be beginning ANYTHING
'ouid YOU"
anita did not answer II Was he
Ween the acts al :, matinee perfor,n
nee and she was not busy