Show I Annie s Hit b BY BV GILBERT ILBER P C LEM N Why what a charming g url Oh rats ex exclaimed claimed r Annie Keenan as she flung Clung the manuscript petulantly on the bed and looted looked helplessly over at her mother the matter Ann asked Mrs r Keenan eenan from her comfortable chair near the little wood stove stoe I just ju t cant ray eay it ItI I mean I cahnt say It lute like u does Sh s sour our jur leading lady got of It down like like them English makes It it sound kind o I like 1 What ha t you OU to say sayil Why goll o il just golL goiL oil Heres the lines she she said picking up the manu manuscript script Why what hat a a harming charming goil goll you are to be sure and amid then she he hus hustles hustles hustles across the stage and lifts her Say maw you ought to see th thO embroidery on that Its simply F great She dresses to beat the bind Well VeIl said Mrs Irs Keenan who hav hay having havIn ing in In been born on the old sod had con COll contrived contrived to preserve a pronunciatIon free from the Infectious imperfections of the East Bast Side why cant she say sa urr l an be done wt it An theres to this play wit Oll nu an your our embroidered ered skirts an your comin home late ut II t night an your our face all red as a hf herrin wit tb th paint get geta a Job In th stores an be a docent sales saleslady l lady dy an stay at home at night wit wll your sour mother Whereupon Mrs Keen Keenan an arl with whom her daughters choice of at ofa ofa a profession was a constant though not altogether unpleasant grievance for it her unlimited opportunities for objection and argument withdrew to tr attend tb the washing Annies apartment was about six feet wide by ten long and was disposed i in what was conceived to be a manner 40 suitable to one in iq the profession slon It was as four flights up four very vory dark carpet less flights The right half halt of tho the ground floor was used by Mr r Terrence Sullivan fur for the stabling of his horses and dray dra draIn in the night season and on the left half of ot the ground floor Mrs Keenan and time tile other ther housekeeping ladies ladles of at the tenement had established a sort of com communistic communistic communistic washroom But however de depressing depressing pressing the effect treet of the approach to Annies room may have been the in interior interior z Afforded d a It striking and cheerful contrast C There was a carpet and the windows opening on the th street were bright and comfortable with lace cur curtains curtains On the right as 88 you ou entered the thet i t lima was vas Annies road trunk a huge ubie uble box of the kind to be obtained at a bargain in the department stores store her name stenciled in large black U l letters on either end and New York underneath Annie it is true had not yet et It been beon on the road roar but she had pur purchased purchased chased the trunk with her very ver first earnings in n ord order r to b be prepared AH All artists she had been in informed formed f were thus equipped Between the two windows was the bureau the first fint and antI last essential of ladys lads boudoir This was a small piece of furniture with a mirror that failed miserably to do jus jUP ju juth tue th a to Annes somewhat irregular but altogether piquant style of beauty It was dS rendered formidably decorative however by being made the receptacle fl fc for r a bewildering multitude of photo photographs photographs graphs many of at them pictures of her herc c own wn n pretty face signed across the front v with ith her stage name in an unsteady u I ular hand obviously aiming at the usual eccentric theatrical effect Faithfully yours Dorothy Darrell It is not surprising that to a Ii girl of Annies exuberant fancy ranc the stage should have hae made a strong appeal A number of her acquaintances had al already already ready joined the vast and constantly com growing crowing ranks of the chorus and their wonderful tales of the fascinating life behind the footlights had early settled Ir It Annies mind what her life work should b be She would join a show sho she hl w n v uld work hard and she would wear gowns and have her photographs photo graphs In the magazines It happened therefore that one day ft shortly after arriving at the mature age g of ot 17 li she had through the media mediation tion tn of a Ii former schoolgirl friend who Y had tad been a whole year ear in the business been presented to the favorable notice of ot the manager of a musical inimical m comedy one of those productions that appeal to the eye and in a less leal degree to the ear but are not much concerned with the understanding The manager mana er had looked her over critically Her face with Its half halt comical partly nose with its Irish ayes and fair fall complexion was very at attractive attra tra there could be no doubt of that Her figure though girlish was well proportioned and entirely fit and antI proper for the tho exigencies or oi musical comedy costuming nhe he could hum a n tune and was very ver fond of dancing These particulars eminently satisfied all the most exacting requirements and arid in short order to tu her unutterable delight she had hatI found herself engaged f the chorus of ot the Land L nd of ot Non company at th munificent sal salary salar salary ary ar of 12 1 a week Hek With Willi six changes of ot costume all of ot which were supplied free of or charge by the management Annie could scarce believe her good fortune It seemed as if her most ex extravagant extravagant dreams had been into glorious reality And as sho she had expected she found the work fascinating ing She was always early at rehear rehearsals rehearsals rehearsals Extra matinees served but to whet her appetite for more Annie was ambitious and determined to live up to that pretty little room at home whose artistic embellishment plainly demanded a complete professional professional professional success But it was slow disappointing disappointing pointing work especially so as all the girls In the company were bent on that identical object though none so 50 heartily ly and with such undiscouraged devo devotion devotion devotion tion In one respect at least she was in her element and find fare the superior of at atthe the other girls in the chorus For even evenin evenIn evenin in her girlhood days on the East Side she had been noted as the best dancer in her block and when the dy men came around crowds would gather to applaud her pirouetting and skipping about with all the grace and abandon of or one who had been trained to the ballet A manager would perhaps have observed some of ot these indications of superiority the hardening of the calf of the leg like a boys the easy eay grace with which the knees were bent the absence of f those jerky motions so often noticed in the ordinary chorus and more than all that evident relish and zest for the mu music music music sic the almost irresistible inclination to keep time to the rhythm the swing ing of the head from side to side and the romping yet graceful carriage of the whole body I The play had been running to crowded houses for more than two months but in spite of ot all her effOrts Annie had not yet et succeeded in advancing advancIng advancing ing herself to the favorable attention of the manager She was still a back liner and her salary was still a week But she was not discouraged On the contrary setting to work harder than ever to make her way to the front she had evolved a scheme which h to to one of a less determined and buoyant disposition dis disposition disposition position would have appeared hopeless hopelessly ly Impossible In the Land uLand of Nonsense company compan each leading character had an under understudy understudy study stud These substitutes were chosen on account of at an ability which had al already already l ready been proved by the acceptable ac performance of some minor part An Annie Annie Anale nie ale was well aware that she had very little chance of being selected as the understudy of any particular charac character ter yet it occurred to her in one of exuberant moods that if it she learned the parts of all of the women principals principals principals pals and thus as It were became a second understudy for every female role in the cast fortune would haye have a con considerably considerably considerably larger opportunity of smiling upon her It seemed at first a formidable formidable formidable dable undertaking but in reality was not Constant C presence at all the per ger performances er and close attention to the lines dances music and business soon enabled her to become fairly familiar fa familiar familiar with each of at the four roles con contemplated contemplated contemplated in her enterprise In the spare time at home she supplemented her work at the theatre and made her herself herself herself self by copying out time timelines lines and reciting them to her mother r ra a critical and not altogether inspirits 1 audience At first it did not seem that this thi method arduous and somewhat des desperate desperate desperate though it was would accomplish the desired result though never for a minute did Annie waver It chanced however that one night when the pro production production production was In the midst of a very suc sue successful successful run Miss Flossie Dupree tue th I company soubrette had hall been suddenly indisposed a privilege peculiar to ac actresses actresses tresses and antI prima donnas when artIl ordinary ordinary nary mortals are either sick or ill III It was therefore up to Miss understudy a young oung woman who re rejoiced rejoiced rejoiced In the name of ot Venus Lemonde to take the part This particular young lady unfortunately for the peace of mind of Abe Meyer the stage mana manager manager manager ger had been subjected the week be before before before fore to what she regarded as a highly Indecorous and humiliating calling down right in the presence of all the ladles and gentlemen of the chorus Sh She had in fact been b en chidden for lateness at rehearsals and had further been summarily tined fumed two dollars Therefore There Therefore Therefore fore being already disaffected with her position and prospects as she declared through her tears tear and having a much I better job In view a circumstance eo almost invariable under the conditions she had abruptly terminated terminated her en engagement engagement engagement and taken herself J off in a huff Thus whereas the manager was in possession of a principal and an understudy un understudy tot for r every part partin in the th cast ex except except one for that particular par part he had no one at all ull It the doors had been opened the lights were up Mr Ir Meyer fe er a small gentleman gen gentleman gentleman was fretting and swearing on the stage behind the huge asbestos curtain cur curtain curtain tain walking nervously about in a amaze ama amaze maze ma of or ropes drops drop properties ties and ands s JI 7 general paraphernalia A messenger messenger who had been dispatched to the residence resi resl residence dence d nce of ot Miss Dupree stating the he des dest desperate nature of ot the thee case and urging her to come if it were vere by any means mean possible 1 os had just returned It was out of the question for the lady lad to leave her bed the doctor had absolutely for forbidden forbidden forbidden bidden it itA itA ItA A small commiserating group of stagehands stage tage hands 11 had surrounded the mana manager manager manager ger and offered from time to time var various various ious lolis sympathetic and impossible sug suggestions su suggestions Cut Cutout out her part Abe urged the th carpenter Cut It out Cut it out he ex exclaimed exclaimed exclaimed claimed irascibly as he pranced up and down ducking a drop that suddenly descended from the flies tiles You talk d nonsense How can I cut out the soubrette You might as well cut out the lights and music It was at this crisis that Annie Keen Keenan an arrayed arra to represent ent a gorgeous and totally impossible Imp butterfly with bare arms legs incased in pink strip tights her face f covered with paint and rouge her eyes set in a u aframe aframe frame of unnatural almost uncanny blackness and with two flaps naps of gauze gauz protruding from flom each shoulder to rep represent represent represent I resent her flying apparatus stepped forward to the knot of men and ad addressing addressing addressing dressing tho the perspiring stage manager said in tn a Mr Meyer I 1 tiling thinly I can can do ao the part partHe s sHe He paused abruptly as he was about to whirl around for another reckless dash across the stage and stared at this unexpected apparition of human butterfly In very cry evident astonishment ment not unmingled with Indignation l m n I I t 7 1 I I I i I I 2 1 I i 7 S F J arrell 0 What you ou he said while the crowd circled about them curiously Yes sir Now look here he exclaimed brusquely recovering his wrath I 1 dont want no buttin in I wont stand for tor no Joshin josh In Im in no mood for it And he started to make his way through the throng But Annie knew her chance had come and was deter determined determined determined mined to stick sUck to her guns Well Mr Meyer Me er she replied as calmly as her lter rapidly beating pulse would Ive studied the lines and antI I 1 know em I know the dances too and the business He stopped and looked at her again incredulously though Tie ime was visibly impressed by the bright light of truth that shone manifestly In her eyes You know the lines and the dances replied you learn em you learn em for Annie felt feU herself reddening evell un under under under der her generous varnish of paint that overlay her own pretty complexion Oh I just done it for fun she said in some embarrassment It was w s now nearing 8 S The asbestos curtain had been b en raised Every inch of ot room off are the stage in the wings wing up in the wooden galleries on the star stam eases pases ases leading to the te dressing rooms in inthe inthe the large open space s ace behind the back backdrop backdrop drop was crowded crowd d with a heterogeneous heterogeneous mass of men and women ex extravagantly extravagantly extravagantly and fancifully costumed and made up looking when seen close by b like grotesque creatures from another planet all ready for the open opening openIng opening ing chorus The manager torture of perplexity stepped to do the peephole in the canvas camas curtain that still sUt sepa separated separated separated rated the audience from the he stage and gazed out Into the front The house was filling tilling rapidly The musicians were already in their places He turned again and looked at the butterfly care carefully carefully fully full Sure you ou can c n do it without breaking down Got your our nerve nere e with you youIt youIt It was not perhaps the best bel t way of imparting assurance but Annie who saw fame already within her grasp was not the one to let slip Blip without a struggle Sure she replied Do you know the he cues asked Meyer fe er haunted by persisting doubts The situation was quite beyond him himlIe He lIe could not comprehend how this miracle of a chorus girl trl could come to his relief at the eleventh hour and solve solca a difficulty that threatened to wreck the performance Sure repeated Annie How about the costumes he asked glancing at her figure Guess do though Yell Well V II hurry get set into your clothes And say he shouted as An Annie Annie Annie nie started off ore joyously for the tn wings if you get stuck in hm the dances Just take a few steps will pull you through the chief comedian n was doubled d with nith Annie In the two dances In which she was to take part and the stage manager hur cur hurried curried ried off to put him on his guard Fortunately for the smooth conduct of the performance at least during the thee early e stages Annie was not to make her appearance appear nce until |