, 1920-02-26
AMATEUR
NIGHT
By EDWARD W. GILBERT
(Copyright.)

Theater, on the Bowery in New York.
Nothing but the memory of her land
lady's last grim words, Tomorrow l
want the room, or the ren:," would
have given her courage to enter. But
q long sickness, dull times In the pa
per-box trade (making it impossible
for her to get a job), and the end of
her meager savings, had brought her
to the problem of where to shelter
on the morrow, and how to eat; her
last meal having been the previous
evening.
She had often seen the flaring post
don, setting forth the cash prizes to
the best act, and a wild hope had
grown in her mind hat she might win,
not, perhaps, the first prize of five
dollars. but perhaps the second. and
that would mean shelter for another
week and enough food to keep her
fl%uttering soul and frail body together,
and so she stood hesitating on the
threshold of her greatest venture.
She might have lacked courage to
enter, but the doorkeeper, happening
to look out, saw the wavering little fig
ure and asked, not unkindly:
"What dye want?"
Clarsie murmured something in
which he heard the word amateur"
"All right, go on in. Jim, put this lady
wit the amatoors."
She found herself one of a line of
people. mostly boys, standing with
their backs to the wall of a narrow
passage. In front of her was a typical
East Side boy, in little cap, green-red
sweater, and depressed-looking anvas
shoes. Along the line ran a buzz of con-
versation, rough jokes, and Bowery
slang.
This your first time. lady?" asked
the lad ahead of her.
YES" said Clarsie family.
whats your act-singin'T"
She nodded family.
Tn buck-dancin'," said her new ac-
quaintance. This is my fourth time"
A crash of music from the front,
and the chorus trooped past, Off the
stage, and scattered to the dressing
rooms. Clarsie heard dimly, as from an
immense distance, a voice say:
Gentlemen. the amateurs will now
perform. W. have a large list tonight,
and 1 think you will be much enter
tained."
She opened her Eyes and saw stand
ing at the entrance to the stage, a
gentleman with a tired and cynical
expression. Beside him stood n figure
which, to Clarsie's eyes. was the most
magnificent she had v seen. The
lady was of great height and thinness.
Good night" said this apparition to
the man in evening dress. and then.
as her y fell on the line, "Ah. Il.
amateurs. What, a girl, tooT"
"Oh, We have them sometimes" said
her companion.
The white hussar shrugged her
shoulders and walked past them, but,
just as she passed, her eyes met those
of Clarsie, and the look of fright, pain
and helplessness that she saw there
startled. her. She stopped suddenly.
Don't be so frightened, little girl
she said, "or you'll go up in the air."
She gave her a rough, friendly slap on
the shoulder, turned and stepped back
to the wings just as the manager, with
his list, stepped out on the stage. "We
have first" came the voice, Barney
Dooley, buck-dancer."
That's me-" said the youth In the
green-and-red sweater, as he ran on to
the stage.
A noise, like the roaring of the sea,
greeted him. Cat-calls, Kisses, hand
clapping and wild whoops were min
gled In a continued roar.
you here again?" "Ohi Barney,
why don't you die" take 1t away,
take 1t away"
During this Internal concert, Bar
ney gravely footed 1t, and, as a hail
of small coin descended upon the stage,
without losing a beat of his feet, he
stopped and gathered them into his
cap.
"Take 1t away. take 1t away, take
1t away"
"Scuse me-" said a man at Clarsie's
elbow, pushing past her. In his hands
was a ten-foot pole with a red iron
hook on the end. and. while she looked
with horror, he placed II around Bar
ney's neck and dragged him from the
stage, amid sounds like the roar of a
menagerie.
The manager, who had never
changed his expression of weary In
difference, glanced at his list, and
said, coldly owe have next, Miss Clar-
sic Ellis in sonpe1
A cry greeted this announcement.
"Oh, Clarsie oh. Clarsiep
Come out here, Clarsie."
"We dare you, Clarsie."
go on" said the white hussar.
Don't let them buffalo you"
The next moment Clarsie found her.
self facing a whlrling mass of tobacco
smoke.
The leader shook his bow, the or