Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-01-06

not see much point In them. Today, on
the stage. when they were rehearsing
ne new revue, Signor Posetti insisted
on Bert singing his song. -.
"Ow can learn myself the chune when
I can't read the music7 'Owever----''
| He turned his eyes upward. Tho or
! iestra struck up
"Blowed IL I amt orgot the words as
well as the chune now!'
| She gave me bouquet Of roses,'"
said the signor. because she loved me
so!'
"Ah, that's it," Bert began.
you haf the tune not got" said the
slgnor.
II told you I 'adn't," Bert said.
| He made another start. This time,
II possible, 1t was worse than before,
tween Rule, Britannia - and Little
Grey Home in the West"
Some one laughed. Bert looked round.
| u wish you 'ad this job!" he said
Il didn't arst for 1t. neither. she gave
me ryo booksy nS kay, of roses; becapse---"
setti said.
He was laughing himself, shaking,
| and the tears were rolling down his
good-natured little face. Looking at Bert
| only made him laugh the more. The ex-
preston of Intense misery on Bert's face
was. beyond description, funny
A few minutes and the whole stage
S.,,,, was in roar. Sunny herself was
against the wings laughing, while the
tears ralned down her ace
Look ere - Bert demanded in a
loud voice. rs this q comic song, or
Don't take any notice. Continue. 1t
Is excellent" the signor said
"Oh dear, oh dear!" he sighed, when
Bert had got to the end. IF dis does
not bring down re house I don't know
Glad I've amused you all I" Bert said
singer. II Il Dragged about my singing
t I'D ave been different, but / didn t.
never said l could sing. wish to
'evings-"
Say III Say it" said Jakes the
stage-manager, SAY it. man; get it
off your chest!'
Well, ! do wish to 'evings was back
at the pickles !" Bert said.
=, The girls Of the chorus, who had seen
stranger. a small, ragged. red-haired
girl from the slums. from a pickle fac
tory, and had seen her thrust herself in
% part, make part for herself ana
achieve success in 1t. had looked with a
certain amount OF amusement at her
heck. Now Sunny Ducrow was to play
amused.
She's the limit" Miss Kitty Ben
nlngton said. She ought to be put
down. A jumped-up little gutter SPAR
row -
Sunny had met with frlendliness from
the other girls till now. Now there was
visible change in their demeanor to-
ward her. No one was eager to lend
her their sticks Of grease paint; no one
seemed at all anxious to help h in
trtfiing matters. She got cold glances
and harsh speeches.
Sunny smiled.
Poor dears!" she said. "It's Just as
l expected they can't help it. It's a
on In this world without other girls get
ting sore about It."
But Sunny's sweetness and good ma
ture never deserted her. She smiled in
response to harsh word. She never
20 grow worse. The other girls shun-
ned her as though she had the plague,
put the smile never left Sunny's lips.
They had confidently counted on her
the part Of Lady Maud.
"A gutter-snipe like that play an
arlstocratic part It's rot" Miss Ben
nington said. You see, she'll come an
awful cracker"
They waited for Sunny to come the
awful cracker" but she did not. She
drlfted into the, part. 1t suited her as
was Lady Maud, dainty and dignified,
full OF fun. Never a vulgarism came
from her lips. The girls stared at her.
-, She's as common as dirt, really"
Miss Bennington said. How does She
manage it?'
She played the part Of the well-born
girl as though TO the manner born, and
as though she had been highly educated
and had been finished off at an expen-
Siye school-.Eastbourne or Tunbridge
Wells way. for all that any one could
II from her accent. She never dropped
an 'h."
No one knew Of the hours of study she
put In with the patient old Mr.. Glib
bins. who had come to regard sunny
Ducrow as the apple OF his eye. He was
poor and shabby. he had neither kith nor
KIN, and the very few sh.llings a week
that he earned barely kept body and
soul together under his thin, worn coat
lie came every morning 10 find a nice.
hot breakfast waiting for him. At first
ne demurred; lie said that he had break
tasted.
You've got to eat your breakfast or
l don't take no lesson" Sunny said
SO Mr.. Gibbins took his breakfast, and
after that 1t became a settled thing
TITS like this" Sunny said. 1--WE
got to know how to speak properly, so
as I can speak all right when I'm on
the way l speaks is good enough for
me every day. See? l come out of |
pickle factory. I wasn't nothing and |
lont mean to pertend I ever was but
I'm going to get, on, old dear; and you
are a-going to 'elp me-"
He nodded. Yes, he wanted to help
her and Sunny wanted to learn. The
result was satisfactory. Sunny learned
whole pages of Shakespeare She could
stand up and recite them with impress
slve gestures and perfection of speech
hat would have surprised Bill wilkins OF
'ohnson's Pickle Factory II he could
have heard.
So, unknown to any one but her aunt
and old Glbblns,. and perhaps Bert,
Sunny studied hard morning after
nglnary conversations with her old tu-
or. In a thousand and one ways he
her in his gentle manner, and
sunny never forgot the correction,
never repeated the mistake Never
had a man a more willing more in
ll'gent pupil. She learned to reclte
with feeling and expression most of the
1peeches OF the greatest of Shakespeare's
leroines-Rosalind and Juliet. Portia
nd ophelia-and no one. to hear, her,
yhat the inside of pickle factory was
ike.
1T isn't because I once worked in a
PICKLE factory" she said to him, that
m going to spend all my life smelling
he boiling vinegar. See? I've left that
'ehind me for good"
She laughed and flung her head back,
md the old man laughed. too. because
L did him good to see her progress.
You are the most wonder ul child In
he world" he said. II never knew an
>thsr girl like you. One day--there is
no knowing-one day you may reach
great heightS"
That" said Sunny. "Is what I am
,fter all the time. They thought at the