The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-19
The Euenine Story
An Usher.

An Usher.
(By Dorothy Blackmore.)
But my fathers business has been
absolutely ruined by the war;" pro-
tested Anita Morgan. II must help
In some way or other"
Helen oq sensss. ia es 80 ta nsa shum'
Anita gave an impatient shrug to
her shoulders. 1T may be humorous
to you. Helen. To me it is anything
but that My father and mother are
know much Of their anxiety IL for me
since. as they have said. am just be-
ginning my social career! What in
the world is a mere social few years to
mother and father? tell you I shall
do something"
Helen.
Anita shook her head. .'Everybody's
doing that"
| go on the stage? Maybe wen see
something at the matinee today that
will appeal to your" Helen continued
in TESTING tones.
For. of course, a part il mine for
mo. I have no talent for acting. In
fact, since I've been taking inventory
OF my talents I find that I haven't q
single one that could turn to to
emit. Now. that IL the difficult part.
why should you have? You
But that's just it, should have
been taught to do something that
would stand me in good stead in case
Of necessity. 1t isn't the right way
to bring up q girl. We should have
equal opportunity with boys
They were nearing the theater for
which Helen had tickets. and Helen,
beginning to realize that her friend
was in earnest, could find no reply.
II can't even make doughnuts for q
wOman'S exchange. I'm not q good
I mender; I'm not q stenographer. I
have no profession. no work of any
mined to do something to help with
the family expenses, II It's only add
ing q few dollars q week. I have
brains and common sense and know
I'm afraid it will be hard, Nita, !"
said Helen, serious for tho first time.
She was beginning to realize that she,
too, would be helpless when 1t came
to earning money.
Neither girl said anything further
on the subject. but AZ they sat In the
theater Anita watched the usherE
running up and down the atsles busily
seating the guests In the theater. II
was the first time she had taken any
real notice of the ushers. They were
earning their 1iving-those girls. She
began to think of their duties, six
nights a week and two Afternoons in
most theaters That was not skilled
; do that. She was accustomed to late
hours; she was quick and active and
she had good appearance.
In her own mind she decided to try
to get q position as usher in q city
} theater. The ushers interested her
more than the play that afternoon and
she studied each one that she could
see, even when they came down the
: the audience. Every girl looked quite
refined. reasonably intelligent. But
Anita said nothing to Helen about hel
, plans. Helen would scott at the idea
and 1t was not easy to be rfdiculed.
The following day she went to the
management of a theater and found
employment at once an as usher. She
3 was taken to the wardrobe mistress
who happened, in this case. to have
t charge of the ushers' costumes as vel
as those Of the theatrical folk. Il
! seemed strange and not altogether
. pleasant to be trying on gowns thai
: others had worn. but Anita had prom
. Used herself that she would finch Al
nothing that was respectable.
: "Ah, it's mighty becomin' to We
u miss" said the kindly woman WHIT
! helped her to find a costume thai
o would fit And. indeed. as she sur
lveyed herself in the long mirror she
Irealixed that the colonial dress, thu
= Iouaint apron and bonnet and thu
. buckled slippers were anything bu
a ugly. The dfmples lodged into hel
= flooded her eyes She realized nov
: her mother and father would feel 4
: they could see her ina uniform.
= She did not speak of her work t.
friends in the theater. At the end
. Of q fortnight not . person had rec
= ognized her in her bonnet and Will
: her curls and quaint costume. In tact
!. It seemed to her az II the ushers nigh
!, be 10 many wooden. dolls for all thu
!. attention paid them by the audience
q And for this Anita was very thankful
4 She became q mystery among he
former acquaintance. And Antts
4 rather enjoyed being a mystery. Sh'
gave them no sattsfactton-not evel
l., Helen. her chum-
= AT the theater she had many odd
q and amusing experiences, but tn
q most interesting people to her wer'
n the newspaper men and women VIII
K frequented the theater, both In from
4 and behind the footllghts. searching
d for stories. for news for plots ami
3 situations they could turn into spacl
g for which they received dollars.
Anita had begun to have q broas
Il ing to earn honest dollara- In he
"a former mode Of life she had give
le Wage-earners and wase-eaFning 1tttl
1t thought
Perhaps because Of her keen inter
= est and sympathy she made mAn,
10 friends. She was pleasant. cheerful
II earnest and approachabIe- And abou
8 = metropolitan theater oYery one ON
ployed e not Approacnabls, she ha,
j. been told more than onoe. when Nh
a interview with . star or with folk
10 | On and OF the Gtago
n ut tnis inNeEvteu With NJ
So. - ~