The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-02-20

lyon bet-er-indeed 1 do. How
often does an understudy play?'
las rarely as possible" Z
Daphne's Joy turned to lead.
Rehsn added: "But we don't pay by
performances. I'll pay you twenty
five a week. You wanted money.
There's q little OF 1t for a start. Do
you want itT'''
viii it lead to anything better7"
1T might" W
"Am I to understudy Miss Kemble?''
"Yes, and all the other women
roles" \ .es
"And when do you suppose TIL get a
chance to play Miss Kernble's part?
Soon?" Y
"Never, / hope" h h
That's encouraging! !" r..
1T Miss Kemble fell i'll we'd ordi-
narily refund the money, because she's
the star. But sometimes we might
have to give q performance at short
office. Chances In the other parts
might, come any day" ~
"And you'll give nae q, better chance
when you .acan2" 4
Indeed I will. n.yous have, the gift,
the sooner I find it out and the harder
I work It the more money j make.
The more you earn the more I make.
I'd like to pay you ten thousand q
week " 49,
I'D like to have you. All right,
I'll try :ssss$> }#sEs} s 54s !
He pressed a button on his desk
once, then twice. The Office boy APP
peared, followed by the s~tenographer.
Reben said to the boy: us MI. Bat
terson here? Send him to me-" ITO
the s"tenographer he said: "Fill out a
contract for Miss Kip-Miss- What's
the first manner Miss Daphne Kip.
Salary, twenty-five. Make it a three
year contract" ,
Reben moti0ned her absently to her
chair and said, rather for Duane's
sake than for hers, she felt E"Sit
down, won't you, till the contracts
come? and pardon me II t.
he finished the phrase by. the deed.
The Office routine went on and Daphne
might have been the chair she sat In,
for all the attention he paid her: She
felt rather ungallantly ignored. Still,
she had asked to be treated on q
business basis. He was taking her
at her word. p
Before the contracts were ready
Mr.. Patterson appeared. He was one
of Reben's stage managers, a worried,
emotional little man, worn to .shreds
with his task Of stimulating and cor
recting the emotions by which others
earned their wages and fame. ~ !,
Reben Introduced him to Daphne
and explained her new Office. Batter
son seemed none. too well pleased with
the news that Daphne was ignorant
Of stage work to the last degree. He
had found 1t hard enough to- make the
experienced actors read their lines as
they must be read ana keep on read.
ing them SO. To teach this dramatic
infant how to walk aud talk was an
unwelcome labor. s.S#
He took Daphne, Into his Office and
pulled out q set of parts. When she
stumbled over them he cast his eyes
heavenward In his swift impotence.
He explained them with a vinegary
g~entleness. He talked to- her Of the
canons OF Interpretation. He walked
through her scenes and spoke her lines
for her again and again and vet again.
But somehow he could not teach her.
He tried everything but beating
her. He battered her. wheeled her.
parodied, satirized, febuked her, and
occasionally he cursed her. She did
not rebel event agaiast his profanity,
because she had no confidence In her
sell. to support her resistance. She
felt that she was Tar worse than he
said she was when he said she was
worst. She used all her funds OF res
olution IN keeping from throwing down
the part and running away In tears.
She had none left FOR asserting her
right to p%oliteness.
Once Daphne was out in the street
kasain and released from the ordeal Of
pleasing Patterson, youth and ambi-
ton brought hope back again. Broad
way nj twilight was athrob with en-
thusiasm and she caught zest from the
crowds. She was going home, to study,
carrying her little set OF TEXTBOOKS like
schoolgirl. But slle felt the wings
of conquest hedging at her ankles 81
the wheel Of fortune spinning under
her toes.
Her very first effort had succeeded.
She was = woman with q SALARY. She
would be- no longer 4 parasite on any
man. She had 4 career and 4 business
a.! well as the best Gt them
Her mother WAY at home alone.
Leila had gone from that ten party
"a another 70 which Mrs. Kip was not
invited. Daphne's mother greeted Her
with reltef. she told her news with j
gpsh sc enthusiasm. II LEFT Ars. KIP
Ecold. very cold.
She was q pious. church-goiny WON
an.sMrs. KIP. She had always looked
upon ths.theater 81 i training school
fofSthesstiu lower regions HhA went
to playy occastopall3, hut nsulllyswith
TNaAlno IN 6tsNafnnAaOm ond ~