The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-08-31
EVENING STORY
Jinmy's Preparedness
(By Fanny Gray.)

y
theater. He had been part way thru
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 hotel,
but when the summer came to an end,
he found he must try to get something
which would give him few hours off
each day for study. A playwright,
who had been staying at the hotel and
had become interested in the ambi-
| tlous young man had spoken a word
| for him in the Star theater and he
| had made good in his position, so that
after two months he had been pro-
| NOTED to be head usher. Thus he
| could study a 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, who had
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. Hav-
ing an always active brain, Jimmy
cast 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, hav-
ing accomplished it, he turned his at
tention to the part that interested him
most next to that of the star. 1t was
that of a young man who figured
rather prominently in the play, and
was more or less Jimmy's ideal of
young manhood. He became so alb
sorbed 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
and he began to wish that a new one
would come along on which he might
| exercise his faculties
One Saturday night, the young ac-
tor, a man named Langdon, was taken
violently i'll an hour before the per
formanee His understudy had been
allowed leave of absence over Sun
day, and had just left town. How
could the play go on? The man in the
boxoffice, who knew Jimmy and had
had many a chat with him about his
stunt of learning the different parts,
laid a seemingly absurd proposition
| before the manager and was criticised
for his pains.
Twenty minutes later, however, the
manager, in desperation, reconsidered
and sent for Jimmy. For a 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 some one came and made
him up"
The audience began to assemble.
Among them was a girl who scanned
| the face of each usher, evidently look
ing for some one she knew. Very evil
IDENTIFY disappointed, she took her seat,
Keeping her eyes, however, on the
boys, as they showed the people in
At last the bell sounded, the lights
slowly grew dim, and the audience set
tied itself for the first act little know
ing that behind the scenes a young
| amateur actor was waiting for his cue
with shaking knees and fast-beating
heart The most thrilling moment of
Jimmy's life was at hand, and he felt
| he could not go through with it, Stage
fright had seized him, his courage
ebbed away, and he leaned against the
scenery for support. The manager.
close at hand, alternately swore and
| encouraged. The success of his eve
| ming was at stake.
The cue came Jimmy, more dead
| than alive, stepped out on to the stage
And, behold. With the first word of
his part, all embarrassment departed
and confidence returned. ONLY those
who had seen the original actor in the
part would have noticed anything un-
usual in the rendering of it.
The curtain fell on the last act. In
the dressing room the manager grasn-
ed Jimmy's hand BE in the office
on Monday morning at 10 o'clock, and
Wen talk things over. You're to have
the part till Langdon gets we'll, and by
that time there'll be something else. -
he said.
Too happy and excited to know he
was tired, Jimmy washed the grease
paint off and put on his own Clothes
as in dream. AS he passed out the
stage door, the pretty girl who had so
eagerly watched for some one in the
theater seized his arm. Jimmy, Jim
my! 1 was there all the timei Didn't
you remember 1 was coming? 1
looked for you and looked, and then
when you came on the stage-Oh,
Jimmy, it was great"'
1t was great, altho it did not lead
to college. The money earned that
season made it possible to begin the
kind of study that would develop the
abilities of a growing young actor
Uphill work it was sometimes, but al
ways steady. And when after several
years of hard work, the night came
on which Jimmy saw his name embla-
zoned in lights above the door of the
Star theater, his thoughts went back
to that night in his past when pre-
paredness'' had enabled him to seize
the opportunity knocking at his door
And the pretty girl who had waited
for him at the stage door that event.
full night now sat, proud and happy in
the managers box and applauded her
actor husband as he achieved his star
dom. She. too, believes in prepared
ness.-(Copyright 1916, by the Nc
Clure Newspaper Syndicate
Look here, Mr.. Editorr' exclaimed
an irate caller; you referred to me
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