Show The Evening g Telegrams Telegram's Daily Short Story I AN AN- USHER By DOROTHY BLACKMORE Copyright 1913 b by the tho M l Cluro Clure News Nowa paper ti Syndicate But Dut my fathers father's business has lias been absolutely ab ab- ruined b bytho the tho war protested Anita Morgan I I must elp In some someWay someway som e someway way or other You You help help laughed l. her chum Helen Bennett Ite It so sO funny Anita gave an Impatient shrug to her shoulders It h tt may bo humorous to you Helen To me it Is is' anything but hut that My Mi h father and mother are arc dr dreadfully de depressed the the- pr pressed over it and I know much of their anxiety Is for Cor me since as aa the they havo have said I f am Just beginning my social ca- ca rear Social career What in Iii the world is a mere social few years cars to mo me compared compared com corn pared with th the vort worry of ot my nty mother and anO father rather I tell you I shall do something some some- thing Teach dancing perhaps lau laughed he 1 Helen Anita shook her head E doln doing that that Go on tho the stage Maybe Jaybe well we'll sec cc something at tho matinee to today lay that will appeal 40 o you OU Z Helen Belen continued In Jest- Jest inc tones For of or course a a. part put Is mine for the asking added Anita No o. o I have hac no talent for acting In fact tact since I Ivo vo Men been taking Inventory of or my talents I t find rind 1 haven't ha a single one that t I could turn to to make nahe lie myself economically in In dependent Now No that is the tho difficult part Why should j you ou have ToU ToU- ToU But that's jut Just It I should l have bc been n taught to do something o that would stand mo me in good stead In case easo of or necessity It Isn't the tho right way VR ay to bring up a a. girl Irl s We e C should havo o equal l opportunity with boys bos The They were wiro pro tho tle th for which Helen lund had tickets and Helen lichen be beginning bc- bc ginning to realize that her friend was In earnest could lint lId ho reply I 1 cant can't even doughnuts for a fl woman's womans etch exchange n e Im I'm not a good mender Im I'm not a stenographer I havo have no profession slon no work vork of or any kind to turn to An And yet I 1 am determined to todo todo todo do something to hel help with the tho family ex expense x CX- pense if It Its It's adding a few dollars a H. week I haVo hao brains and common sense and I r kno know I r can find something som Im afraId it will ho bo hard Nita said Helen Holen serious for Cor tho Clr first t time She ho was beginning to realize that she too would b bo ho helpless when It camo came to earning earn earn- In ing monc money Neither girl said asid further on onUle the Ule subject ct but as ns the they sat Eat In tho the th theatre theatre the the- atre atro Anita watch the tho ushers running up and down the tho aided busily bulI seating tho fU guests In th the theatre It was Wis the tho first tm time she Imd ever o ta taken en any ony real notice of ot th the tho ushers usher They Tho were earning their living l those e girls She began to think of at their duties six duties six s-six six nights night a n t week ol and two t afternoons In mo roost most t theatres s. s That wan as not skilled work work even even she he Anita Morgan Mor Mor- gan aiu an could do that t She was accustomed fo to o lute late hours hour eho sho was quick t and active and Fh lie had hod a good appearance In her own mind sh sho iho decided d to try tn foget to fo get et a n position n as usher in a city thea thea- tre The rhe usher Int her more than tho the play pIa that afternoon and she studied each o one c that she he could sec ace even w w tn wen en enthey tho tha they camo came down tho the aisles between acts t to offer r water r to the audience nce Every etT girl looked Quito refined n reasonably Intelli gent But But- said Mid nothing to Helen about her plans Helen would H scoff at atthe atthe atthe the Idea Idel and It was tot not easy t to bo be o ridiculed ridi ridi- Tho The following do day she W went nt to the hue management man man- a ment of or a theatre and round found employment employment employ employ- ment at one Once us an all uh usher r She was as taken to the tho wardrobe ml mistress tlell who happened III u this e. e case to hA have havo C charge chargo of ot tho the ushers ushers' costumes a ail as w well veIl lI as of tho the th theatrical folk It seemed cem d strange and not altogether altogether alto alto- gether pleasant to be bo trying oti gowns gowns' that others had worn but An Anita ta had bad promised herself that she would flinch at lit nothing that was r respectable Ah Its It's mighty might ht to ys f mlp j. said the kindly woman oman who helped Ther r tl to find a a. costume that would fit h indeed as she he herself In the time long mirror mirror- she realized that the time colonial frets dress the tho quaint apron and bonet a and I th the buckled slippers were anything but ugly Tho dimples dod dodged ed Into her checks cheeks for tOI a a. moment and then thep tears flooded her eyes Sho realized how her mother and father tather would feel If Ir they lucy could see ace h her r In Ina Ina ina a a uniform She Sho did not speak ot of her work ork to anyone any In- one but she Bho f saw haw man many of or her friends frienda In the tIme theatre At the tho end of or a fortnight tort tort- night not a L person had reco recognized her in her bonnet and lOd with her curls cuds and quaint costume In fact It Jt seemed to her as if Ie tim the ushers might bo so 0 many wooden dolls for all the tho attention paid them by the audience And for this Anita 4 was very thankful She became a Ii mystery Amon among her f former form form- rm- rm er cr acquaintances And Anita Anith rather en enjoyed en- en joyed being a mst mystery ry Sho She gave them no satisfaction not satisfaction not even en Helen her chum churn At the hue theatre she sho had man many odd and amusing experiences but the tho most Interesting Interesting in In- In people to her were the tho lIew paper nt men n and women omen who frequented Jo the tho theatre both In front and behind tho the footlights searching for stories for news for tor plots and situations thc they could turn Into for which the they received cd dollar dollar dol- dol lar Anita Aulta had b begun sun eun to have hr a broad broa sym pathy path with lh anyone who was t trying to ca earn rn honc honest t dollars In her former modo mode or of life she had given wage wago earners and wage a e earning little thought Perhaps because of ot her kc keen n interest and sympathy she made many friends Sho was pleasant 1 Cle cheerful rul earnest And Il approachable Mud And about a a. metro metropolitan theatre everyone o emPl employed l is m not net t ap aI she had been told more than Once when whan sho had been or of servIce In an interview with a a. star or 01 with folks on omi and oft off the stage It Jf J I get set tIlls this interview with Mme Lu- Lu a jr n newspaper newspaperman iap w man told hor her one break brcak afternoon and land nd It ont wont you O l your rule and nd comO come to lunch with me that I can n tell you ou how much I apP Our tips ij Anita Sno shook K her hor head smiling No UNo T- T Id I'd Tut ut- ut like Uke to to but I mustn't raid paid begin she Bho ou not be bc b beginning S an thing would r you OU 7 hue Anita acts dl did at not ot ans answer nS' nS r r- It It win was between a matinee p performance neil torm and she I was not bus busy Would you your the young man pe Is Think It fair attitude youve toward me meT You wont won't tell who tue 1110 ou are where you ou live anythIng about I you Tou Toti wont let me call on you ou wont won't yoji 01 como comno out with mae me What h t anu am I to do ho aSked liked Anita ho ie was Waft beginnIng r to for Cor she ho I I iu K n v aper man nHUt than luau h better she had Im ulm ever eer admitted d to 10 0 l r elf an usher ush r Ui In n the Sphere and nd you ou nUl mi see eee me mc al t ammee she said 13 any per Consolation Isn't It hiS hiS' Roger Morrow asked I 1 dont don't belle believe that interview Inter it If Ill I'll try tn- to 10 got get OU wont won't favor from mn Inc Im I'm Im I'm hanged I If Ill I'll capt an any from you ou accept nc- nc Anita him In surprise your ou carf r our pride In iii And difficult your OUr to pa t n r Sh she ake asked l 8 for tor your our Tho man aa away i r dont don't care CAro nn anything about career ld d Is It It If itt In It itt I pursuit you ou a eirl ciri mee a bully bull girl Irl you you you-we well Sea See hi here t Im I'm t tell you all about It here 5 g drig to and now Ir if wont wout promise aromise to you OU como come to with lunch with tomorrow Shall 1110 I 17 h he asked and anti 9 searching her face tace facing Cd her lier san a Anita that looked he was waR a at t terribly him 0 or A a n. n m moment and Ih earnest I but will you ou may not tell until you OU have o COlne to nw house nit me m my mother to meet do RIl tiny afternoon stud but father Cother hl you ou i ma KE II ho said lol kY and 7 Sat And Amid ion 1 0 are are arc Ill J tell 9 nt InterrUpt Shi the K ne he at l lunch she nhe up going oln It r I.-r for is-for r a fact act I d Ro her hand t for moment el n a nT moment Mien 1 ho he said I Till nd Anita let bin lm her hel e es 11 at prospect see the tho s In |