The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-12-25
BETTY TRIES A
STAGE CAREER
By KATHLEEN THOMAS
90. 1924. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)

lty none Knew Detler thhn Cnurlle
Bridges, its proprietor. HIS favorite
post was behind the wire cage of the
cashiers desk, where he would beam
genially and admire the high color that
flushed Betty's cheeks as she flew
about her duties.
In time Charlie, good business man
that he was sought to make the ar
rangement permanent. There were
other arrangements besides business
for Charles wanting to marry Betty.
She planned, in time, to have a career,
and Charlie was given the small con-
ISOLATION of knowing that she was serv-
ing as waitress only as preliminary
to great things.
Just what definite form these high
ambitions of Betty's took she had
never confided to Charlie. But any
body with half an eye could see that
she was extremely solicitOus about the
needs of the stage folk that came to
the Pewter Bowl, and might have con-
cluded that Betty was stage-struck.
Which was true.
For her the romance of the day be-
gan shortly after noon. when the pro-
fession begins to bestir itself abroad.
Chorus ladies, frankly made up for
matinee. would drift in then for Il
combination breakfast-lunch, and Betty
would serve 1t much as Greek hand
maiden might have offered sacrifice to
the gods. There was theater gossip
tossed from table to table, and Betty
would listen breathlessly. And some
times, in lieu of tip, customer
might leave complimentary ticket to
a performance at his theater. And
once-the thought of it still thrilled
her unspeakably-once Joy Barry
sneaked her behind scenes to a corner
where she could watch things unno-
ticed.
Joy was super at the theater
across from the Pewter Bowl. She
was blond, pretty and. Betty privately
thought, deserving Of more recognition
than. an undiscerning public had yet
accorded her. She was possessed OF
the mercurial temperament common to
the successful and unsuccessful of her
profession. which, as 1t happened. was
of vital Importance to Betty, whose
whole career had been altered because
one day Miss Barry entered the tea
room completely out Of sorts.
Stage life, it appeared. was every
thing that was detestable, she was
today's performance she would get
good job with easy hours, waiting on
tables or selling toilet articles.
Betty listened to this high treason
with heart that beat in painful ex-
element She knew Joy Barry's part
she had to skip lightly across the
stage with group of village girls An
the third act. and to decorate the back
ground. smiling naturally, in the fourth
act. Easy enough! Would She
would Joy. dear JOY let her take her
place just this once. Joy smiled
cynically at Bettv's excitement, but
she agreed willingly enough. She
would write n note to one Of the girls
in the act. so that there wouldn't he
any trouble about It. Nobody else
would notice her.
And so 1t happened that Betty Best
found herself, for one night at least,
n part of the life she had so long
dreamed about In the pigtalls and
abbreviated skirts of village girl she
waited in the wings for the cue. Her
throat was distressingly dry and her
tongue Glove to the roof of her mouth.
She was terrified. for no reason at all.
Her knees trembled and she smiled a
sicklv resnonse to the girl who tried
to cheer her up.
All too quickly came the cue for the
entrance. The other village girls
skipped by her and left her behind in
her hesitation She copied their mo-
tions as best she could and forced her
self upon the stage. The audience,
that vast sea of faces out there, rose
and receded dizzily before her She
swung her arms stifIly beside her and
hurried as fast as she could to the
haven of the wings.
The other girls were sympathetic.
Everybody felt that way-why, some
people never got over it In that mo-
ment Betty's career was sealed, and
Charlie might take heart.
The fourth act came all too soon.
In tights and ballet skirt that made
her feel more miserably self-conscious
than ever, Betty waited in the wings
as though for her doom. Her cue
1t was time to go on again She set
her stiff lips into determined smile
and walked upon the stage. The
same dizziness, the same freezing of
all her powers! She managed to get
into her place in the backgrouhd-and
then tainted dead away Joy Barry
had played the part for months with
out being able to attract notice. Not
so Betty Rest
We don't have to say much about
the furore 1t caused, because Betty
wasn't there to hear 1t, either. She
slipped Into the Pewter Bowl little
shamefacedly, her natural color put
ting her grease pnint to shame.
Charlie greeted her reprOac chfully