Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-15


s..
Jimmy Benton was usher in the Star
theater He had been part way 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 summer hotel, but
when the summer same to an end,
he found he must try to get something
each day for study. A playwright, who
: had been staying at the hotel and had
become interested In the ambitious
young man had spoken a word for
him in the Star theater, and he had
! made good in his position, so that az
ter two months he had been promoted
to be head usher. Thus he could study
la 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 been
his boyhood love, was watching his
tight, and he looked forward to the
day when he might ask her to marry
him. l a-
For a 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
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 thought OF something
| further to do. He would memorize the
part
It was not very difficult, and, having
accomplished It, he turned his atten-
tion to the part that interested him
lmost next to that Of the star. 1t was
hat of young man who figured rather
prominent in the play, and was more
or less Jimmy's ideal of young man.
hood. He became so absorbed in it
! that he frequently found himself stand
ing before his glass, making the ges.
lures to fit the lines as he 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
on which he might exercise his facul.
ties. ~
One Saturday hight. the young actor,
man named Langdon, was taken vio-
lently i'll an hour before the perform
ance. His understudy had been allow
ed leave Of absence over Sunday
and had Just left town. How could the
play go on? The man in the boxoffice
who knew Jimmy and had many chat
with him about his stunt of learning
the different parts, laid seemingly
absurd proposition before the man
ager 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 II he was afraid his nerve
would give out. Jimmy, inwardly
quaking, said mo" Then he hurried
to a dressing room. The clothes At.
ted, and some one came and made
him up"
The audience began to assemble
Among them was girl who scanned
the face Of every usher, evidently
looking for some one she knew. Very
| evidently 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
settled itself for the first act, little
knowing that behind the scenes a
young amateur actor was waiting for
his cue with shaking knees and fast
F., beating heart. The most thrilling
moment Of Jimmy's life was at hand,
hn fo1< ho or vuh
with it. Stage fright had seized him.
against the scenery for support. The
manager, close at hand, alternately
swore and encouraged. The success
of his evening was at stake.
The cue came. Jimmy, more dead
than alive. stepped out on 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
unusual in the rendering of it.
The curtain fell on the last act. In
the dressing room the manager grasp.
ed Jimmys hand BE in the Office on
| Monday morning at ten o'clock. and
we'll talk things over You're to have
the part tilk 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 of and put on his own clothes
as in dream. As he passed out the
stage door, the pretty girl who had 80
eagerly watched for some one on the
theater, seized his arm. Jimmy!
Jimmy! I was there all the time!
Didn't you remember l was coming?
i l looked for you and looked, and then
when you came on the stage-Oh,
Jimmy, 1t was great"
! 1t was great. although 1t 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 growing young actor.
Uphill work 1t was sometimes, but
always steady. And when, after sew
eral years of hard work. the night
came on which Jimmy saw his name
emblazoned in lights above the door
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