The circle banner., 1917-08-10
CHAPTER XVII.
Rose Keeps the Path.

or why she was "the girl upstairs"
During the entire period she neye
saw a bar of music except what stoo'
on the piano rack, nor written wor'
of the lyrics she was supposed to sing
Rose couldn't sing very much. Sh
had rather a timorous, throaty littl
contralto that contrasted oddly witt
! the fine, free thrill of her speakin;
voice. But nobody had asked he
whether she could sing at all. Sh'
picked up the tune quickly enough b.
little uncertain about.
She finally questioned one of hel
| colleagues in the chorus about thi:
| haphazardness, and was told that back
at the beginning of things, they had
had their voices tried by the musical
director. They had never had any
music to sing from; there had beer
half a dozen mimeograph copies OF
the words to the songs, which the
girls had put their heads together
over, and more or less learned. What
had become of this dope the girl
didn't know.
She was a pale-haired girl, whom
Rose thought she had heard addressed
as Larson.
Rose made a surprising discovery
when, with friendly pat on the sofa
beside her, for an invitation to sit
down, the girl began answering her
question. She was real beauty. Only
you had to look twice at her to per-
ceive that this was so; and what she
lacked was just the unanalyzable quail
ity that makes one look twice.
81 don't know what you should wor-
ry about any of that stuff for" she
said. "How you sing or what you sing
don't make much difference"
Rose admitted that it didn't seem
to. "But you see," she said (she
hadn't had human soul to talk to
for more than a week, and she had to
make a friend of somebody, "you see
I've just got to keep this job. And
if every little helps, as they say, per-
haps that would"
The girl looked at her oddly, almost
suspiciously, as if for a moment she
doubted whether Rose had spoken in
good faith. you've got as good a
chance of losing your job," she said,
"as Galbraith has of losing his. Dave
tells me Galbraith's going to put you
with us in the sextette."
Dave was the thick pianist, whom
Rose had found in the highest degree
obnoxious. His announcement was en-
titled to consideration, even though it
couldn't be banked upon. There were
three mediums and three big girls in
the sextette (Edna Larson was one of
the mediums, and so needn't fear re-
placement by Rose, who was a big
girD. Besides appearing in two num-
bers as a background to one of the
principals, they had one all to them
selves, a fact which constituted them
4 sort of super-chorus.
But the intimation that Rose was to |
De promoted to this select inner cir
lie, didn't, as it first came to her,
give her any pleasure. Somehow, as |
Larson told her about it, she could |
'airly see the knowing, greasy grin
hat would have been Dawes comment
IN this prophecy. And, in the same
lash, she interpreted the Larson girls
ook, half incredulous, half satirical.
Il haven't heard anything about be-
ng put in the sextette," she said quick
y, 'and I don't believe I will be-"
"Well, don't know why not" There
vas a new warmth in the mediums
oice. Rose had won a victory here,
nd she knew it. you've got the
ooks and the shape; you can dance
etter than any of the big girls, or us
lediums, either. And if he doesn't
ut that big Benedict lemon into the
ack line where she belongs, and give
ou her place in the sextette, it will be
ecause he's afraid Of her drag"
Rose forebore to inquire into the
ature Of the Benedict girls drag.
Whatever it may have been, John
albraith was evidently not afraid OF {
, because as he dismissed that very S
ehearsal, calling the rest of the +,
lorus for twelve the following morn i
lg. and the sextette for eleven, he 1
Id Rose to report at the earlier hour.
The chorus was probably unanimous, S
it's view of this promotion. When t
rant came back and ate her humble q
e in vain, and later, when Benedict t
as relegated to a place in the back v
le, the natural explanation was that n
albraith was crazy about the new y
RI. The only way she had of refut-
g the assumption would be by max F
g good so intensely that they'd 0
compelled to see that her promo h
IN had been inevitable. l,
1t was In this spirit, with blazing 7
eeks and eyes, that she attacked a
e next mornings rehearsal. At its Il
d Galbraith said to her: you're do is
: very well indeed, Dane. II could s.
We caught you ten years ago could t.
We made a dancer Of you" d
It was very real, unqualified COM u
ment, and as such RISE understood h
Because. By q dancer. he meant al