The Benson signal., 1920-02-28
By EDWARD w. GILBERT
(Copyright.)


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"
"Got your name DOWN." asked he.
Cali 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 canvas
shoes. Along the line ran buzz of con-
versatiOn, rough jokes. and Bowery
slang.
"This your first time, lady?" asked
the lad ahead Of her.
EYES," said Clarsie family.
''What's your act-singin'?'
She nodded family.
"I'm 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, voice say:
"Gentlemen, the amateurs will now
perform. We have large list tonight,
and I 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 a figure
which, to Clarsie's eyes, was the most
magnificent she had ever seen. The
lady was Of great height and thinness
Good night" said this apparition to
the man in evening dress, and then
as her eye fell on the line, "Ah, th>
amateurs. What, a girl, too?"
"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"
Lhe said, cor you'll go up in the air"
She gave her 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?" "Oh! Barney,
why don't you die" "Take it away,
take it away"
During this internal concert, Bar
ney gravely footed it, and, as hail
Of small coin descended upon the stage,
without losing a beat of his feet, he
stopped and gathered them into his
cap.
"Take it away, take it away, take
it away"
"Scuse me-" said 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 it 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: "We have next, Miss Clar-
sic Ellis, in songs"
A cry greeted this announcement.
"Oh, Clarsie oh, Clarsie!"
"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.
sell IdCIuS WHlIllIlS LHdSS Oh IODdccO
smoke.
The leader shook his bow, the or
chestra played. and she stood dumb.
Her lips opened; her throat worked
convulsively, and she went through the
motions Of singing, but was still dumb.
She would have run, but she was an
chored with fright. Something struck
Clarsie on the cheek and fell tinkling
to the stage. With the clearness of
sight that the dying are said to pos
sess, she saw that 1t was a silver coin.
ooh how cruel" she said and rage