The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-11
HE BRATTLERORO DAILY REFORNIER:
jIMMY'S PREPAREDNESS
BY FANNY GRAY.

lHeaIeT. ne Udu bSSh pat "oJ
through college, and had had to stop
because of the necessity to earn more
money. The first job he took had been
that of elevator boy in a summer ho-
tel, but when the summer came TO an
end, he found he must try to get some
thing which would give him few
hours off each day for study A play
wright, who had been staying at the
hotel and had become interested in
the ambitious young man had spoken
word for him in the Star theater,
and he had made good in his position,
so that after two months he had been
promoted to be head usher. Thus he
could study part of the time, and SO
hasten the day for taking up college
work again.
There was more than one reason for
his application to work and his desire
| to make something worth while Of
himself. Louise Drake an attractive
and desirable young girl, was watch
ing his fight, and he looked forward
to the day when he might ask her TO
| marry him.
| For while the work Of usher was
/ interesting, and listening to the plays
was good fun. But when a decided
/ success settled down for an indefinite
run, this became monotonOus. Having
/ an always active brain, Jimmy cast
i about for some way TO pass the time.
One day he discovered that he had
/ heard the stars lines so often that he
/ could anticipate almost every speech.
This gave him a thought Of something
further to do. He would memoriZe
the part.
/ 1t was not very difficult, and. having
| accomplished it, he turned his atten-
ton TO the part that interested him
| most next to that of the star. 1t was
that of young man who figured rath-
er prominently in the play, and was
more or less Jimmy's ideal of young
manhood. He became so absorbed in
it that he frequently found himself
standing before his glass, making the
gestures to fit the lines as he had seen
the actor do. At the end of the third
week, it seemed to him he must know
the play by heart.
One Saturday night, the young ac-
tor, Il man named Langdon, was taken
violently i'll an hour before the per-
Torrance. His underStudy had been
allowed q leave of absence over sun
day, and had just left town. How
could the play go on? The man in the
box Office, who knew Jimmy and had
had many chat with him about his
stunt Of learning the different parts
laid a seemingly absurd proposition
before the manager and was criticized
for his pains.
Twenty minutes later, however, the
; manager, In desperation, reconsidered
and sent for Jimmy. For half hour
he heard him say the lines, and then
asked him if he was afraid his nerve
would give out. Jimmy, inwardly
quaking, said no" Then he was hur
ried to a dressing room. The clothes
fitted, and someone came and made
him up"
: The audience began to assemble
Among them was girl who scanned
5 the face of each usher, evidently look
ing for one she knew
At last the bell sounded, the light:
, slowly grew dim, and the audience set
tied itself for the first act, little know
ing that behind the scenes a youn;
amateur actor was waiting for his GU,
with shaking knees and fast-beatin;
heart. The most thrilling moment o
Jimmy'S life was at hand, and he fel
he could not go through with it. Stag,
. fright had seized him, his courag 9,
! 4 ebbed away, and he leaned against tn,
} scenery for support. The manager
0 close at hand. alternately swore ant
0 encouraged. The success of his eve
Q ming was at stake.
The cue came. Jimmy, more dea,
: than alive, stepped out on TO the stage
= And, behold! With the first word o
his part, all embarrassment departe
and confidence returned.
The curtain fell on the last act. L
Z the dressing room the manage
y grasped Jimmy's hand. BE in the Oh
flee on Monday morning at ten O'CLOCK
: and We'll talk things over You're t
O have the part till Langdon gets wei
I and by that time there'll be somethin
else" he said.
4 Too happy and excited to know h
) was tired, Jimmy washed the greas
t paint off and put on his own clothe
t as in dream. AS he passed out tn
Q stage door, the pretty girl who had S
U eagerly watched for someone in tn
theater seized his arm. Jimmy jim
= = my, | was there all the time! Didn
y you remember l was coming? l locke
< for you and looked, and then when yo
4 came on the stage-Oh, Jimmy, it wa
70 great!"
o
y 1t was great, although it did M
y lead to college. The money earned thi
= season made it possible to begin tn
3 kind of study that would develop til
0 abilities of a growing young actor III