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Show FORGOTTEN STAGE LINES. Miss Dressler's Jailer. My first chance to sing a part came while I was in the chorus of Offenbach's Offen-bach's La Pcrichole. In those days none of us even knew the color of money, except the manager, for nobody no-body was getting any salary. In the company was an old German called Carlsbad at least, that was the name that clung 10 him and Carlsbad was bitter at the close money market. He was utility man, and as chief speech spoke three lines as the jailer But those three lines, as I heard them night after night, seemed very important. And Carlsbad was very important, too, when he said them. One night, the prima donna ill, I was cal'cd from the ranks to replace re-place her. The beginning and the end of my idea of a prima donna was fine clothes. I thought with tli.m on I would be beautiful, tho I have learned better since, and that, when I came out into the searchlight, search-light, the whole audience would fall in a faint. But they didn't. Presently, Present-ly, I got over the surprise, for their was plenty to do; but Carlsbad had a worse one in store for me. He was always what nice people who sleep with the dictionary under their pillows might call "somnolent.'' and it was not from tea. That night he needed rest more than usual. Being Be-ing in the way, somebody put him into a wardrobe trunk and carelessly forgot for-got all about him. On I came for the scene with Carlsbad's long spcec'.i in the prison. The tenor, as prisoner, lay on the straw. My line was, "Jailer is he violent?" His reply ran, "Oh, nol but should he make any attempt, three strong men will chain him to the wall." I waited, but there was no jailer there to talk to. Suddenly, behind the scenes, there found Carlsbad and were getting him vias an awful thtimpj. They had out of the trunk. But I didn't know that then. On he flew. Somebody had thrust his lantern into one hand, and his bunch of keys into the other. "Jailer is he violent?" I asked. But Carlsbad only blinked; he was getting over the shock. There I stood, trying to look like Blanche Walsh. "Jailer, is he violent?" I repeated. Carlsbad found his tongue. "I don't know," he shouted, "and I don't care I" That wasn't all he said, oh, dear nol for he was talking about salaries salar-ies and the manager. It was shorr, but vivid. When he stopped I didn't know who I was or what I was playing. Now, I could talk a whole book if a thing like that happened. But that was my first appearance as a "star," and it ended just there, for the curtain cur-tain was rung down. MARIE DRESSLER. |