Evening star., 1922-06-11

world series. After that he
more popular than a neighbor
-, plenty of prewar stuff. and as
~. known as the president. So
=. and l.. people signed him up
trenty weeks in vaudeville.
q Mat kind of stuff do l get to do"
inquired after affixing his sig
. to the contract that called for
money week than many col
professors make in a year.
theatrical manager looked at
Sc. and sighed. Let us worry about
Speed" he suggested. We'll
UP something for you.
D., theatrical manager then called
amy Fliesher. a clever young
act Of Broadway. who wrote
: in much the same way that
makes suits. You showed Dan
Il actor or some one who wanted
20 an actor. and said: something
.. It this, Danny: we want to start
rcarsals tomorrow night"
s2nny would nod measure his Gus
..-. ~ with a wise eye, and come on
following night with something
..,Yoxfms ting a passable fit.
we signed up Speed Gallagher.
,lny,s the theatrical manager said.
amy nodded approval. Good
-,iness: he ought to draw.
lie ought to-" the theatrical man
r agreed God knows. he won't
able to do nothing else. Fix us
something for him. Danny. About
anty minutes: to close in one act.
What can he do?" Danny asked.
pitch" the manager said briefly.
II mean. has he got any stuf' is ne
roofer? Can he sing?
r don't know" the manager said
.hout interest II suppose not.
ter have a talk with him. I'll get
.rshaI kendrick to carry him.
Ey that the manager meant that he
ould engage Marshall kendrick, a
IL known comedian. to amuse the
rlience and keep them from realiz-
~ that they had been stung when
.,,ev maid money to see Speed Gal
CHER do anything but play baseball.
t'or this service the actor wouid re-
live about one-fifth the salary paid
e pitcher.
X X
THE act opened at Atlantic CITY.
In II were Speed. his catcher. Red
Martin and Marshall kendrick.
Just do your stuff. kid. Martin ao-
vised Speed reassuringly as they
stood shivering in the wings. Just
before the curtain went up. Never
mind this hoofin' and singing they've
-ung in on you. You just stan
through that any old how .'and then,
whom vou come to burnin' 'em across
20 me. Just do your stuff. That's all.
.Tus. do YOUR stuff, and we'll get
by"
The act went with a whoop. For
tunately Speeds hoofng and singing
were so bad that the audience of ad-
miring fans rocked in their chairs
and laughed until the tears came at
sight of their gangiy. raw-boned ia
yorite TRYING to make his feet and
throat behave.
When. near the close of the act,
-hev struck the set and Speed on the
hare stage took a base ball in his big
fist and began burning over curves
and shoots TO Red Martin. the roars
Of applause that answered his efforts
had nothing of ridicule in them.
While the audience clapped and
shouted approval Of his illustrations
of how to pitch three straight, shut
outs in the world series. stumpy lit
tie. bow-legged Martin, crouching
low. thumped his big mitt and shout
ed his customary chant of encour-
agement:
DO your stuff, kid. Alta boy: Do
your stuff
When Speed reached his dressing
room, after taking enough bows to
suit a tenor, he was flushed with tri-
umph. II guess l didn't do so bad,
huh" he crowed to Red Martin.
We'll. your fast one wasn't break
in so WELL" Martin demurred.
81 don't mean my pitchin',' Speed
explained. My other stuff"
What other stuff" Red snorted.
"why. you big. overgrown. goggly-
eyed sap. you amt got no other stuff.
You don't think your hoofin' and
singin' was any good. do you"'
They seemed to like it," Speed
erumbIed. They laughed when I
done it,"
Laughed. Why wouldn't they
laugh Wouldn't you laugh if you
seen Ban johnson in pink tights try
ing to Go a toe dance? Wouldn't you
laugh if you seen John McGraw play
in Hamlet" Well, you was just as
funny as either of them things"
is that so?" Speed retorted. bel
ligerently. Il guess you think l can't
do nothin' but play base ball, huh?"
"Nothin' but" Red agreed. AT
anything else you're worth dime a
dozen"
THE critics in New York were too
subtle for the suddenly stage
struck Gallagher. They damned him
with superlative burlesque praise,
and he did not realize that they were
kidding him. He knew only that his
name was up in electric lights on
Broadway and conspicuous on the
billboards of the city; that at every
performance he was cheered and
cheered again; that he was getting
more money for appearing on the
stage for a few minutes twice a day
than he had ever made pitching his
heart out on the diamond. He felt
like the man who went to a horse
race for the first time. cashed lis ini-
tial bet at 10 to l. and inquired:
How long has this been going on"