The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1926-11-04
HIS
ILLUMINATED
SUCCESS
BY HERBERT L. McNARY
70, 1926. Western Newspaper Union.)

Il ~
downcast in spirit. Allan Ter
nv was a vaudeville actor, and on this
Sunday night he was to play before
an Olympia audience; and yet lie was
possessed of all the trepidation and
self-consciousness of an amateur
about to look across the footlights for
the first time.
There was reason for an actor of
his tried ability to feel blue. Tonight
he was to have his tryout for big
time" If he was accepted it would
mean run in the biggest vaudeville
houses in the country, and beyond
that the "Follies," or a show on Broad
way of his own. He was certain such
possibilities existed because of his
faith in his act but that very knowl-
edge of what his art required made
him certain he would fail tonight.
Twice before he had failed, and this
would be his third and last trial.
The Olympia belonged to the 'big
time" circuit, but was in the suburb of
big city. On Sunday nights this
theater contained an audience that
was unconsciously jury on ambitious
recruits from the sticks" and import
ed celebrities from Europe And such
an audience as it was a cold and IN
different body who packed the Olym-
pia because they had no place else
to go on this evening, an audience of
young fellows and girls who had to
keep their dates and were more in
tereSted in each other than in the bill
offered to them. This was the type
of audience that meant certain death
TO Allan Terry's ambitions
For his act consisted of clever
characterizations, and it required the
cooperation of the audience to recog-
niZe the characters drawn. Once rec
ognized they would acclaim the re-
markable genius of his ability That
was no idle boast. Four years in the
'sticks" had proven that invariably,
and human nature was the same the
world over. But tonight he would not
get cooperation; he would be on and
off the stage before his audiences even
ATTEMPTED to recognize the subtle hui
NOR of his act. His only hope was
that the audience might be strangely
warm tonight or that preceding acts
might wake them from their apathy.
What he really needed but could not
provide was advance publicity-like
that given Vernon Craigie, the Eng
fish monologist, who was also on the
bill tonight The audience would be
warmed to him by the floods of pub
Iicity already given. This was not IA
voritsm, but rather business. Vernon
Creigie meant risky investment to
the big time" people, while Allan
Terry was an experiment. If only he
could have had Craigie's publicity.
He entered the stage door as the
first act went on and took a position
in the wings near the electrician. Al
ian Terry had always been interested
in stage electrical effects and had de-
vised some of his own and had manip-
ulated lights on occasions.
Across in the opposite wing stood
Mr.. Courtney, the man who was to
decide whether or not the acts had
gone over; and as Terry read in this
countenance colder proposition than
ne even expected, his heart sank. AL
ready luck had started TO break
against him. His only hope now was
the audience.
He edged nearer to the electrician,
who worked in shirt sleeves, so that
he might better view the act on the
stage 1t was gOod-very goOd-but
1t wasn't going over. The act ended
and the two performers came off the
stage patiently disappointed at the lack
of applause; but their disappointment
was nothing compared to that of Allan
Terry's. This last factor, the audi
ence measured up to his worst eX-
pectatiOnS.
A lump formed in his throat as he
visualiZed failure, just as he was on
the turning point to success and fame.
. 1t wasn't fair; he had the abilty-oh,
for bit of luck, a ray of sunshine
He was aware that the electrician
was staring at him peculiarly and
forced a smile. Must be wearing fur
overcoats out there" he muttered
controlling his emotion with effort.
always cold on Sunday nights,
answered the electrician as he turned
to flash en- the next number, for on
each side of the stage were frames
with the names of the performers list
ed and Illuminated in the order OF
their appearance. The audience had
programs, but such was their indif
ference that they preferred the simpler
method of reading the flashed names
Now the electrician turned back
"Your names Terry"
Eyes" answered Terry.
"You don't remember me-" declared
the electrician in low tones, "but re-
member you. Ever since | came East
I hoped l might meet you again and
/ thought you'd show up some night
like this because yours is a big time
act. Remember that night in KokomC
you took the lights and let the elec
trician go home because his little CIR
was dying? ] was the electrician with
out any theatres, but | went through
HI that night. You moved on ant
I didn't get a chance to thank you
Just writing wouldn't have done. I've
Just waited because I knew sometime