MACSKIMMING THE THESPIAN

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12203, 25 May 1905, Page 4

MACSKIMMING THE THESPIAN

W. Stevess, IN "LimKCOTfB -ADAHM'" He was a person from whom youth had flown, but who had not noticed its flight; he still held up his head with an air of worlds-to-oonquer, but a certain stringiness of the neck seemed to indicate that they wero not for him. He was pallid, clean-shaven, and haughty, bridling at a jest as if his dignity were trod upon. His manner of speech was that of a continued peroration. As for his story, we did not notice its beginning; he talked, and the talk flowed into the tale. At the point where we first discerned the opening of the coil he was saying: " 'Hold on,' I said to Maymie, 'don't you believe I can act?' " 'Mcbbe you learned to handle hash on the stage,' which wounds mc. "Anyhow,' she goes on, 'you're a waiter now, ain't you ?' " 'Maymie,' I groans, 'yon fill my heart with desolation for the future of the fair sect, which is growing more cruel and obdurate for every summer that wings its fragrant flight over their heads.' "But in spite of Maymie's nonsense, which was mainly on account of her fiery female jealousy, I went that morning and interviewed Mademoiselle Aileen Doucello about my engagement with her company. . I knocked on the door —slow, three times, just to let her know I was an actor; she said, 'Come in,' very sweetly as I took it, recognising what I must be by the knock. I opened the door and came in, bowing low. She threw her cigaretto into the wash-bowl and said, 'Oh, it's the waiter. What do you" want?' Rather coquettish, I thought. "'First. I'm hero to calm your apprehension as to mc being a waiter. It is true that I am, temporarily, in that menial caparison, but by blood and birth I am a follower like yourself, Mademoiselle,' and I bows again. "'Ob, you are?' Fays she, and she goes and fishes out the cigarette again. I took that as a friendly act, for it showed that she recognised the bond of equality between us. "'I am,' says I, very courteous, though not without a touch of pride, 'nnd it is now my humble and devoted duty to lay my talents at your feet. I have seen your Juliet, and I, which was for some years on the metropolitan boards with" Salvini, tho Elder, would consider it an honour to play Romeo with your company—or such parts in other plays as your stage manager may see fit to cast mc into.'

" 'We have a leading man already, you know,' she purred. " 1 know it. He gave mc this, to breakfast this morning.' and I tossed a nickel into the "wash-bowl. 'A nickel,' I says with blithering scorn. 'That's the sort of leading man you've got, Mademoiselle.' '"My good man,' says she, and I saw I had made a fo-pah, as the French have it, in calling her attention to my state of occupation. So I began again : "'Ah, Mademoiselle,' I cried, 'won't you try mc ?' I went down on one knee before her.. 1 only long to spread my gossamer wings in the snmmer sun of opportunity, in the moonlight of your presence, in the starlight of your smile.' "Sho fanned herself wjth a newspaper, and I knew she was about to grant mc my desire. Then, of a sudden, a shadow came ncross her snow-drift brow, and she said, as if she wero afraid of waking up somebody, 'If you want a job with the company, you'll have to sec the manager. He's Mr Josslyn, that plays Friar Laurence.' She sighed very sorrowful, as if she wero under the heel of the manager's iron oppression, which most likely sho was. After a minute she went on, her voice getting harder a-; she thought of her own powerlessnew?: 'It's no nse for you to fool around here. There's too many guys as want to do Romeo, and not enough for the stipe-extra Gentlemen. Your game is too old. I'm on. It won't go.' " 'Lady. I •humbly take my leave. Adieu—adieu,' I says emotionally. "At supper I lay low and watched for Mr Adelbert Jenks, who. though he was leading man in Mademoiselle Doucelle's company, was never heard of before or since, and rightly so. "I brought his order, and when he was all through, which took him some time, though ho was very active, he asked for the wine list, and ordered a California claret. I slipped a powder (whose efficationcy was well known to mc) into the glass, poured the wine in, and he drank it, wanted more, gave mc a nickel, and went out. "I hastened with feet of light up the back way to tho top floor where was Adelbert's room. "Presently he stumbled off the elevator and staggered down tho hall with his eyes shut, muttering. I steered him into room 434, which was empty, laid him gently on the bed to enjoy a dreamless slumber, and locked the door rt ith Maymie's pass-key. Then I turns and faces Maymie, the gleam of a high resolve lambent in my eyes. She recognises this gleam, and bows low in spirit before it; I raises her—in spirits— leads her to Adelberf s room, and gives her a not© to put on his dresser. "I went to my room, fourth floor, rear annex, turned to my library and took therefrom my well-thumbed volume of him which it is the hope of all the throng of Thespis to interpretate. "There, beneath that humble roof, I rehearsed the words that all the pits and galleries have rocked to hear, and I found my frenry no whit abated. Presently Maymie knocked. " 'Oh, 6ays she, they've started for the theayter a'ready 1' " "By my troth, is the day so old ?' " 'Old as you are, and getting older every red minute,' said Maymie rudely. " 'Peace, maiden,' I said abstractedly. 'Peace. I must consider. I must be alive. Maymie,' I carols, 'Opportunity beckons at last. Fie on tbe man who

drinks not when she lfgb- tbe fire!' "'Stuff!' says Maymie. It a ««»«* the stairs with stately tread. I entered tho lobby. "Riot, Confusion. . TJproar. and the rustle of feminine skirt* from the side stairs, where the chambermaids had gathered to the tocsm of impending war. Bell-hops rushedl to and fro. 'To the devil with you 1 hollers the night-clerk, at last.™»ki n g himself heard, 'break door if you can't fincf tbe key. Climb over the transom. Curee that chambermaid! Which last he continued to do, as 1 will not further specify. "'Four!' cried three bell-hops, all holding on to the axe. and all jumping at once into the ek™* ol "-. %?„ lowed a silence, ruffled only by the continual muttering* of the night-clerk and the swishing of tongues on the side stair. Then came a bell-boy, three steps at a time. ' f A note!' he gasped. , " 'Gimme it,' says the cleric, and he reads it, for all it was addressed to Mademoiselle Aileen Doucelle in a firm, round, manly script. Then ho turns to the telephone; the lobby hangs speechless on his words. " 'Hello!' he hurls at the instrument. 'Hello! gimme the Royal Grand Opera House.' A drummer, coughing, _ was hushed into silence. 'Hello! gimme Mi™ Douoelle. Hello! this Miss Doucelle? I have a note from Mr Adelbert Jenks—-yes—yes, just a moment —I'll read it: •""Mademoiselle Aileen Doucelle (well—l know I said that before—but—-ell): Have been called to Keokuk. Life and death. Back 10 - mOrr ° W - ADELBERT JEXKS." ' "I turned and hastened from the "'Admit me,' I said sternly to the man at the door. 'I come to play Romeo in place of Mr Jenks. He led mc forthwith into tho tumultuous presence of Mademoiselle and Friar Laurence, which was Josslyn the manager. The atmosphero was electric. . , - . • " 'That cur!' said the Friar in most unsacerdotary tones. 'He's played us this trick once too often. Just one too many ' " 'John,' said Mademoiselle domestically, 'don't bo so-—' " 'His distinguished.understudydont know a line—not a line. Now who's to do Romeo I don't know ' " 'Unless,' says I, sternly still, 'unless you come to me.' " 'Who in tho name of ' " Why, it's the ' begins Mademoiselle, but I foresees what her :n----oarnadined lips wero trembling to utter, and I forestalls her. " 'I am ,David Mac Skimming, the actor, late v of the company of Tomaso Salvini, the Elder, and letter perfect in the lines of Romeo,' I says, and waits. "Friar Laurence looked long. Inwardly I trembled, but outwardly my mien was calm and high. 'Friend o' yours?' he asked of Juliet at last. " 'Well,' she says, 'ho claims to bo able to play Romeo. I guess there ain't no other Romeos in this town— as I've seen.' "There was a moment of silence. Then we heard a scraping of chairs in front of the curtain, and a clear, sharp cat-call from the gallery. " 'I guess that settles it,' says the Friar. "And so they took mo. I got my costume, went upstairs rear left to my dressing-room, donned the bravery of my estate, and stood again in tho splendours of Verona. Pacing thus, though the place was too small to do justice to my stride, I harked back' in memory to the rapture of my last appearance in the role—at Higginsville, Indiana; how long ago I dared not. reckon. I took my stafton in the wings. The street scene began. I shivered a joyous tremolo—the play was on. I turneel not a thought to tho poor drugged churl asleep in room 434. "Whether woll or ill went the drama I know not. I saw nothing, henrd nothing, save the tragical business of tho time. My ears caught the fatal words:— "See, where he corneal So please you, s*op •side. . . „ I'll know his grievance, or be much denied. "I loosened my sword; in front there was a murmur, followed by a thunder of encomiums when the whole house knew that it was really Romeo which had arrived. "So blows my wind of dreams. I wanders, and sees, and loves, and wooes. And Juliet, she responds, and glows, and tho flame is in Jur souls, the spoHight following mc whenever Juliet was off. And parting's pang was right with us as I said, in a magnificent passion:— "Farewell, farewell! One kiss, and I'll descend!' "Then from the wings it came—the Voice. Gruff and uncertain it must have been, but loud and temerarious it semed to mo. I forgot Juliet, and gazed at the door. There, clinging to the sill, blear-eyed and dishevelled, shaken with the terror of the drug, Stood tho reeling form of Adelbert Jenks. . "Ho lurched heavily against a little stage-hand, who fought desperately, be-

rag so much outweighed, and called in ft screechy whisper for Friar Laurence). My tongue was true to tradition in cleaving to the roof of my mouth. I stood, dumb, waiting. Luckily, Juliet had a speech some lines long, and she said it slow, with many gesturings. "As the last word was out, the madman at the door broke loose; his bead wabbled as he started to tome on. I saw a long, grey arm reach out and take Adelbert by the collar, violently. I gathered courage enough to say 'Farewell' again. At which Juliet, seeing I had forgot the rest, let mo down the rope ladder. "The play swept on, till Juliet died upon my prostrate corpse. "There was a curtain-call a* we lay there prone. And then the footlights went out;—the dream was done. I disentangles Juliet's arms from mine and turns to face Adelbert Jenks, which I had drugged and wronged. The Friar again holds him by a pacifying grip around the throat; anyways, it was meant to bo pacifying, but it seemed to enrage Adelbert more nor ever. Sparks flashes from his blood-sbot lamps. "'Dog!' he bowls, 'dog, you drugged mc. I'll have your life 1* And he comes for mc with hands like twitching claws of some vultureous reptile. I hastily drew Romeo's sword and menaced him with it. " 'Back, rash youth,' I clarions forth, 'one step farther and I spit you. Say your say in peaoe, but bewaro how you anger me.' "'Shut up, Jenks,* said the Friar hoarsely. 'Not a word, or I'll dock you twenty. As for you, young man, what you may have done I don't know, and I "care a damn sight less; but I'll pay you four dollars for to-night's work, and—out you go. SeeP "I gazes around mc. On all Bides curious faces. 'Sir,' I says, slow and solemn, 'I here and now make appucation for the position of leading man in this troupe, instead of that inconsequent, which,' I says, 'I won't name no further. You have seen mc act. I here and now ' " 'Bosh,' he cuts in cruelly, 'take your four and got!' "I looked about mc again. Threo men were holding Jenks. Taking my sword in both hands, I knelt and laid it at the feet of Juliet. 'Mademoiselle,' I said, 'I lay Romeo's sword and my talents at your feet—yours to command. If you bid mc go, I go. But if— ah, Mademoiselle—if my art haa awakened the slightest answering spark -' " 'Tell your friend to cut it,' said tho meddling Friar. 'I'm hungry.' " 'My friend,' said Aileen, 1 Bid you farewell. Shall wo ever meet again? I know not. Only, farewell.' "Some time later I came out the stage door. A shadow lurked in the corner of the alley, the which, as I approached, resolved herself into Maymie. She touched mc, very timid, on tho arm. " 'What wouldst thou,' says I sadly, my heart still in Verona, 'what wouldst thou, girl?' " 'Dave,' says Maymie softly—the word gave mc a start; we were walking back to the hotel—'you done noble,' says Maymie. "I stopped and passed a hand oyer my brow to clear my brain. OLittle girl,' said I tenderly, being touched hy her submission, 'I must go away from bere. My art calls mc. I must go." "She clung to mc. 'Come on back to the hotel/she pleaded., 'You'll have to come back to get your grip, anyhow.' A vision came before me—the vision of D. Mac Skimming, waiter, calling at the Saint James for bis grip and ins pay—the filthy hire of Mammon. I tapped the breast of my coat; the precious book was there. I slipped my band into my trousers pocket; it touched tho earnings of the night. " 'It's no use, little girl,' said I. 1 am wedded to the Drama, and the Drama is a jealous mistress. I'm off for New York. Good-bye, Maymie.' "She sniffled a little, the sorrow of my departure etching its way into her soul. 'It's a long way to walk,' she said. " 'I am not without resources,' says I. " 'Dave.' There was a pause. Then, 'Oh. well,' says she, petulant, and tosses up her head. So I left her.