Show HALL Born Dorn in Ira the profession Jack Flesh Flesh- ant int in had roughed it In tho the provinces or years going to London and hero hero as was as po riot not a n trick of ol tho stage stae 0 a n nove no oatlie oathie theatrical boards or or a apart part art from from Hamlet down with down with which x to e was not thoroughly familiar lie lb had versatility too and could joth OthI sing and dance as well velI as ho he ou act Ho EIo had made good pro pro- ress in his profession and was then it one of the Strand houses receiving I i I. salary of 8 per week To 10 those who imagine actors' actors salar salar- salares es reach fabulous us sums stuns this will not a l princely income but I 1 lean can them that the tho actor who can 8 a week week not not unusually magnified to 18 for lor professional purposes must must have climbed a very avery ong way ny up from the bottom of tho the adder But Dut Jack was like Oliver Oliver lie he want want- id td more and believing it was un un- in his own profession to the variety stage state to teak seak t. t With this object it in view he be be- ook himself one Saturday morning o 0 a certain music hall ball where they eld day dllY shows and interviewed red the orthy manager thereof Into the managerial ear he lIe poured lis is plans and when he be concluded the al mouth opened and th get al aloice voice oice said You actors seldom make much of I v fist of our biz bir youre you're not used to single But Dc if you ou cally eally want to have a 11 shy at the game I can Rive give ive you yon a show any aisy day fleming next month and will ViII try to ook in while you OU are on This was not atall what want want- d and lie he told the thc manager he had hadeen hadeen jeen een at ac great grent trouble and exp expense expanse nse in iii etting some suitable songs written ind md eccentric ups get get made a de and ond felt sure his show would catch eaten on lut but ho lie going to trot it out to a tl- f heads dead at a day show The manager shook his head hend Its ts t's not the show laddie that I Iare Iare Iare are a han hang about it dont don't mat matter lnater er to tone tono I no ne if it It aint up to its it's hether your name annie is good enough h to that's that's all Ive I've got to think hink When hen you can draw a n bun bun- Ir Ired d quid a n week eek you OU can command t b And all th the best halls are bou d bou d to 0 lavo tave you you Some Somo one calling the tho mana manager er 8 sway BJ ay it lot this moment Jack was left to his wn reflections and these not bein of oft i t very pleasant nature he lie turned end and eft cit the hal hall Ill not give up without a jilly try said Jack Jaek to himself Per ler saps Japs after all the managers are arc Lothe Lot he best people to go to Ill I'll have ha a II hot at the tho agents and see ee w vIat at they've got cot to say for themselves es He lie made the best of his way to lo Waterloo Bridge Dridge but hut hardly had he lie heet Ie et Jet his foot upon it before beCore a a. voice at t atlis atti ti lis elbow exclaimed Oh Mr how fast youre you're He lie turned in surprise and Jeco nh- nh td d in the Pet Partridge i t sprightly little serb serio who had been bern ed with him him in a burlesque that an ian a n hundred nights at nt a n West En Eul Ent i The usual greetings over ho where she was going oin To fo the agents agent's replied Pet And FO am mn I I. I said Jack Sho Slut tood still for a n. moment and looked it st him Youre coming into our biz Mr FIt are Indeed I am ant Miss Partridge he ho that is if I can get an au en en- And Ard do you yon think you'll like it I 1 dont don't know yet Candidly I Ilont Ilont lont c care its care its it's its it's the money that lures 11 But Dut what about your Art with Art with i 1 big bigA A All Humbug with Humbug with a big II IL Which of the the tho agents are you going 01 o I have not decided I am going to sample them all round Oh then come with me to mine mine mine- Mr 11 hes he's really genuine and a II business ss man Jack thanked ier er for her advice and to together ether they that worthy mans man's office They found Mr n a a stout lark spectacled man mait about 50 60 deep ii 11 a mass of correspondence surrounded sur sur- rounded ou by books papers ledgers and etters strewn about the room in busi busi- ies-hiko ies confusion He lie put his pen a aside and listened at- at to all Jack had to say So you want to have hn a fling at the Sails balls he lie said Well ell I dont don't toe see seewhy why you Of course you B ont lOUt take my advice but Ill I'll give it ill the same For kor a n man of your ability abil abil- ty ity there'd always be bread and heese at the game but to make snake a n really eaIly big hit and get your name up und talent talent and talent only only only-is is no DO good Its It's all chance Your chance may mayome mayx x ome me mo at nt the first go off or you mt may y wait ait tW twenty years for it it- You ge get et i of a tOng with a good rush push chorus chorus it it catches on on-it on it be be- omes th the rage rage and and I could shop you or or a n year right off ofT and almost on your pour own terms Now ow my advice ice is is-don't is don't dont touch London yet take a run r round und the prove pros and try trl your Wins wings among the fite yokels Look here and he broke off to pick up a letter that lay layon on sn n the desk Netty Jims you Jims-you you know her Ml ev of course the tho greatest of the ser- ser ios has os has taken the Steam Clock and nod Little Barsley and she's going to urn uru it into a Peoples People's Pala Palace e. e Now r I can shop you yon there for fora a a. fortnight Ill I'll ask Netty to throw your name ap Ip in iii the bills you'll h have ve a n t good how and therall therell be notices in in the locals of the tIle Grand Inaugural Open- Open lag ing ng and all aU that sort of thing so that youl you'll have ha as good a a- chance as as ever 2 get t. t C COlDS Coffin What do tu OU r t 1 k W Somehow this the Steam Clock Netty r Jims and end Little Barsley seemed a n long longway longway longway way off 80 a n week Jack shook his head Oh do n accept c pt put in iii Pet Pec Im going goin wont going wont won't that tempt you and a 0 mischievous twinkle coming coining into her bright oye eye she sho and Jack had always got on well together together together-he ho was fain to yield and finel settled the tho tho thoen en engagement there and then Tho The Steam Clock Little sley Bai-sley had beena a song sing then a n full fledged music hall and nd now a palace it was a n public house always 8 The Tho only entrance to the tho palace was through the public bar bar nit an admirable arrangement e ent for thirsty Little but one that did not favorably impress Jack whon whoa a n Week weck or so Inter later lat hat er no ho made his first acquaintance of the tho behind the scenes of l provincial music hall life Miss Nettie Jims Tims met him kin kindly lv and introduced him to a II big fat oily young man one man one Sol eol Moses whom Moses whom Jack concluded was t Mr Jims Tims though it ii is very doubtful if either of pI their sin had ever been a ap 1 appended to tho the registrars registrar's roll of tIlls thus or 01 any other country The leader header of ol the tho orchestra orchestra- distributed distributed dis dis- Jacl Jacks Jack's 8 amon among his subordinates and having run through h tho the melodies made macic a few fuw general remarks and wound up by alluding to the tho perpetual thirst that thiat sits nightmare like on all music music- music music- hall hail orchestras At night Ja Jack k found lound his way to the dress dressing room dressing n room a vile hole beneath the tho stage that thiat no respectable pig could have b bc been n expected to inhabit inhabit- and found Cound it occupied by two gentlemen gentle gentle- men of the persuasion who were busy blacking for a chair turn They had bad apparently lingered at nt the tho Palace bars and were ere quarreling quarrel quarrel- ing as fiS he lie entered Words running bi highs high h they appeared to bo be on tho thio point of comi coming coining to blows s and Jack interfering had them both on him in inan inan inan an instant the elder of the two dubbing dubbing dubb dubb- ing hug him an the younger threatening to knock hi his two eyes into one if it he didn't hold hoM his jaw Not caring to brawl just at tho ho moment mo mo- ment mont Jack was silent and bu busied himself with his isis makeup When lien dressed he lie went up stairs and was sta staggered ered to who bad pad just come off of from froma a skirt dance dunce cooly divest herself hersel of her hr outer clothing in iii the wings and nimbly stepping from he her skirts be be- lighted and trip lightly on the stage o again as Prince to round after round of applause At len lengths length th his turn came and suppressing sup sup- pressing essing pi a strong desire desue to bolt he ho Vent Went on the stage But nut somehow the novelty of his surroundings the noise of tho band the hurry and the tho bustle of the whole thing tho the new experience ence of ha own words of the chorus bawled back at itt him by hr the gods o s the difficulty of finding something to todo todo todo do with himself dul during ng the symphony f between each verse and the night Bight of Sol Moses at nt him him from the stalls stalls all all the these things and a n thousand thousand thou thou- sand other things took every particle of spirit out ont of him and when he left the stage he was conscious of or having made one of tho the most dismal I on record I Oh do to little try put a go into your work said Pet lct ag ag- indy to him But Dut it was no use tise Jack had lost all he heart rt n l-n and his other son sm Lin with no better vetter fate fato he retIred ed to his fully persuaded that the alls ails should know him hini no more snore A special license till had been obtained to celebrate the Grand Inaugural Opening Night ight and when the sh show ow was over n a number of townspeople gathered together to do honor to the tho occasion Sol in an offensive e vulgar dress suit and ana I ett Netty Jim Jims in a n pale green freen satin ball dress decorated with for lor- br- br nots me played host and bost hostess in r regal resal nl fashion Drinks werts both frequent and lIce fice and the hellicose corkers burnt-corkers having hav V ing paid due attention to Illiquid c till liquid le- le fell to quarreling ln ag and noticing Jack and Pet sitting to together gether ther turned their attention to them Smarting under r his own o def defeat tt Jack was in no iio mood to be bo mado made a butt of and when n one ne of his assailants assail U ants made some onse insulting remark concerning Miss Partridge he lie v vy quickly received a blow in the eye eyo that tendered rendered the blacking lacking of that particular organ a Jar tor some Iome nights to come A general free e fi fight ht followed in iii tho the cour o of which a spirit lamp Jamp US d a for fr cigars ls and and- pipes was overturned over turned and und fell on ou Pets Pet's dress In an instant jt there was a n cry of fire and anti all 1111 became confusion Cursing his folly oIly for fr beginning time the disturbance Jack pulled off clI his coat and wrapping g It round Pet extinguished the flames antI and carried her outside To 10 place ll coher her in a cab and drive to the hospital was the work of a ff few W moment but Jack lingered without for more than an hour homo till a a- message wits was brought him that the poor girl gj was out of dnn danger er It was several w weeks b before befort Pet was waa allowed to leave tho time hospital and it ft was as a n very sad Bad t journey that these ese two made mado to London a wee week Ii JaU later l' l for both knew that never again agai 1 would pretty Pet s Patr be seen upon ulon the stage stag the nature of her ber injuries rendering her a cripple for life Jack unceasingly ly blamed himself f fir r being the cau cause e of the accident t but Pet drawing his head upon IMF heir said Never mind Jack dearl Id I'd willingly will wiil go through it all over again U-n U hundred thousand times if I bt it would win mo me your dear love lo C C a Some years Jears have rolled by since ince tb the narrated above events occurred u. u 1 and ad you will not find a n couple in mit or out of the profession then thenN N 4 l t and d Irs Mrs or a II prettier troupe of little romps than the two tiny Pets and the two valiant Jacka Jache who call cali them mamma and papa para 1 Papa apa Jack does not get 80 a u we week k but his market value alue on the le legitimate ti mate boards has haB gone up considerably of late and nd he ho has never r regretted bb bit conversion to matrimony |