The sun., 1919-10-12

when they would make a great pro-
duction Of Peg Woffn0ton, in which
Fife Ellsler was to appear with me as
Mabel Vdne, and Eben Plympton and
John Howeson also were in the cast.
The house opened and both the play
of Hazel Kirke" and the company
made an enormous success. 1t ran the
whole season, and all l had to do was
to go into Mr.. Frohman's Office and re-
-ceive $3.50 week and enjoy myself at
my leisure. When | was asked to re-
new my contract on the assurance
that we would open with Peg the fol-
lowing season / informed them that I
had already signed to return to Wal
lacks Theatre. Hazel Kirke' will run
indefinitely" remarked, land l won't
risk it,; l want to act" I was right;
II ran three years.
The following season, 1880, found me
for the third time being greeted by
Lester Wallack. as a member of his
company. There were many changes.
We opened with AS You Like It," l
playing for the first time in my life
Rosdlind. There were two fine look
Orlando, and Osmond Tearle. who had
the choice of parts, opened as JdqneS,
which was for a time a mistake, but
he afterward proved himself one OF
the greatest favorites who had APP
peared at Wallack's. My Rosdlind
became very we'll known in this coun-
try. There were one or two melo-
dram3H produced, some of which ]
played in. One evening Mr.. Wallack
called me into his room to talk to me
about play he had just bought which
he thought might determine my po-
sition ana turn 1t from a leading lady
to a staf of the first magnitude. 1t
was Forget Me Not" play that /
had refused to appear in in London
as 1 was supposed to be woman a
little over 40 and also a mother and
grandmother, which I absolutely re-
fused to be, so had lost the opportunity
of my life. That was in 1876. Now in
1880 I was grateful to have such
part offered to me. I shall never for
get the first night I played the part.
Miss Genevieve Ward, who had ap-
peared as Stephanie in London, also
claimed the rights to its ownership in
hours too late to stop the opening
performance by an injunction. She
took it to court and won, but she did
rot succeed in stopping the play until
we had played it for seven weeks, quite
long enough for Mr.. Tearle and my
self to establish ourselves as being
Lretty good actors.
This was to, be the last season at the
| Wallack Theatre in Thirteenth street
and Broadway: a new Wallack's, on
Broadway and Thirtieth street, was
nearing completion and the announce
ment had been made of the opening
date early in October. There had
been some unexpected delay and when
the company assembled We were In
formed that a road tour had been
booked and that the famous Wallack
company for the first time would ap-
| pear out of New York. We were heartily
welcomed, l remember that I played
| Rosuind in Newark and gave much
better performance than when I first
acted the part st Wallack's. I had not
ceased to study. VS. remained on tour
until January 4, when the op~sing at
wallack's occurred. The school for
Scandal" was the play presented be-
fore distinguished audience. There
were great receptions given to the old
favorites and welcomes to the new.
When Lester Wallack came before the
curtain to greet his friends his re-
ception seemed to shake the very walls.
In his speech he most affectionately
Nreferred to John Gilbert. Osmond
Tearle. Harry Edwards. Nine. Ponisi
and Rose Coghlan. That evening was
never 10 be forgotten. The next day
I received a contract for the three
ensuing years with a hundred dollars
added to my salary.