Show fJ j J t I II t I I Em i iQ Q a Q a cJE nO c r a av aO Q f v Q O dm o oEm t I f What Happened When the Prettiest f 1 Girl in London Let the Noble Noble- y d l i man Wrap Her in a t tys Ermine Coat and other ys IA II k fascinating Reminiscences by h II J the Keeper o the Famous I q t a ti tia r p d Theaters Theater's Stage door I f fI I I I r r a M i s 74 2 I 1 x I et Y ti f C Cj j 4 y H y- y yI I I A y 7 n Nr i n nA A C I II I j I Ii Ie j Sy I i e j i v V l I The swift I w iF t I r C Cinderella i in n d de e rella- rella I like tike transformation transfer transfer- fr motion mation mat ion of many a Gaiety beauty beauty- t changed almost i over night from a timid and shab- shab shabbily 1 bily clothed work work- ing girl tirl into a luu proud queen of f luxury wealth w e a I t h and and fashion the more than lh fluffy l i y DURING D I years he stood guard over the stage door of the famous old GaIety Theater in London James Jupp saw many remarkable things but none noner r Was as more extraordinary than the sWIft J lIke Cinderella transformation which a chorus girl often underwent so soon after taking her place in the theaters theater's array of beauties Many of the recruits to the tho Gaiety's I chorus came like Gertie Millar from the homes of humble working people Until theIr youth and beauty attracted the tho attention of Manager George edwardes I they had been earning their hung ining 11 Ing m in stores or mills and sometimes in m domes domes- domestic domestic domestic tic service When they stepped through the stage door for the first time they were not at all well ell dressed and often theIr clothes were sere positively ely shabby Usually they were shy timid little things qUIte inexperienced v with Ith life and love nervo so nervo s 0 offer er their of success on the stage age and dazzled by the strong light d cf publicIty that began to shine on them them the instant they were engaged for the Gaiety But within a few f w weeks frequently wIthin a few days after beginning theIr new and strange life they were sere mare mar mar- marJ mar J transformed by the magic that e the Gaiety's footlights seemed to pos pos- pose possess possess l l i e sess more than any others The cheap ill fitting often shabby clothes of the working giR would gIve place to Paris gowns and nd coats of ermine and sable Diamonds gleamed on theIr once stained stained oil fingers ani nJ pearls I encIrcled their now snow now snow throats They no longer came and went on root oot 1 but in luxurious carriages or motor cars sith Ith men in livery to drive them Am And Anda a ways says there sere ere cre men of wealth and tItle to sho shower er them with Ith flowers fio ers bone bont bon bon- bon bons t e bons and other gl tJ and to vie lie Ie with vuth Ith oio I another for tor the privilege of ting them wherever they might wish to go Even when these beginners came from positions pos in life Ide where they had hun been able to afford fine clothes and amI jewels je j they were able to deck themselves In Int instill t still sull finer filler ones very oon oon after theIr It charms had been revealed fo for tor the first firstA J 4 A time lime to the th thousands of appraising eyes 4 that were continually watching the tle I GaIety stage But these girls who became queens of o wealth and ury lu almost our o wh who were transformed almost as magical magical- mag magically cal cal- cally ly as Cinderella herself did not all at- at attain attain attain tain the lasting happiness that carne came cameto to the little heroine herome of the fairy story In th the book of o reminiscences which tames ames Jupp the keeper r of the Gaiety I stage door has ba recently published there thero are many incidents calculated to ion the girl who aho v ho thinks the life ite of ot a amous 15 1110 footlight beauty beauty always alays a per per- safe sate and easy road to luxury I and love I i ii i t 4 Q y o 11 There was a beau beau- beautiful girl who came cameto cameto cameto to us when she was about two twenty twenty years ears of age says Mr Jupp I wont won't say she used the Gaiety to find a hus- hus husband bus hus husband band but I remember she left the stage because she believed she was in love and afterward d regretted the fact She was if a tall fine looking girl with a lot lotof lotof lotof of fair hair and a soft sweet voice and was 83 a mannequin in m a West End establishment establishment establishment If I gave you its name you ou would all know it and many of you would re- re remember remember re remember member the name of the girl too The establishment is patronized by people of great wealth and naturally toe manne manne- mannequin mannequin quin came into contact with them She was a s sweet unspoiled girl but so 50 remarkable was as her beauty and so 50 vIVId her Personality that My Lady ThIs and My Lady That would talk tall of her herand and at one period if the subject of beauty cropped up in the fashionable West End one would be sure to hear thIS mannequin cited as the most beautiful beautiful beautiful ful girl in London She became the topic o the Ch smart dubs clubs and Park Lane dr dra drain l in rooms and It was not surprising that her fame reached the theatrical agents At last one of them went lent to her and said that he could get her ber a job lob It at the Gaiety It was OS a long time before she could be persuaded that the otter was made molde In earnest and Sher her she khe agreed she looked upon it more as a joke JOIe than any any- anything anything thing else and stipulated that she the would stIll follow her work ork as mannequin George Edwardes upon he the application application cation of the agent agreed to see tee Ier and after one look 1001 offered a J po position lIe Ile was amazed when hem she stated that she still sull wanted to keep her mannequin loll JOI during the daytime but thinking that the whim shim hIm would soon boon pass he consent consented d So this young girl who could have become one of George ids Id ardess ardes's great great- greate greatest e est t star stars paraded exclusive eJ e citations before aristocratic West End ladies in inthe inthe the daytime and at night appeared in yet more gorgeous go gowns gons go ns atthe at the Gaiety for Tor or a little while she was not affected by the great success she met from her first appearance She bhe hc would come quiet quietly ly and go quietly But very soon my lIttle office began to swarm with floral trIbutes for her and invitations to sup sup- supper sup supper per She seemed amazed at the furore she created and at first refu refused ed to have any any- anything thing to do with her admirers Of course her reserve attracted them the themore themore th more and one evening she the drove up to the theater with an enormously wealthy Italian count This nobleman had haunted the stage door for days day and days until at last he had found a mu mutual friend who had introduced him to our new girl I think the Count s swept sept ept her off her feet I heard that the she had relinquIshed her job as mannequin and soon one on of ol A t tr n r oar Gaiety girls za told me that she sh had become en- en engaged en engaged to the for for- for for- foreigner foreigner foreigner eigner Very soon she was literally literally covered with the w aY most costly jewels and her gowns g 0 w n s were equal to any anya a fit of the wonderful creations she hadj had j worn v worn orn on the stage or tags tag's g or in the fashion fashion- atle aUe W West est e s t End establishment sensation There was a a sensation over a i magnificent ermine ermin coat she had been seen wearing on l one or two occasions occa- occa occasions and there iwas was a lot of dIs- dIs dIscussion dis discussion m the girls dressing i rooms as to what it had cost I made a guess and J backed my judgment with a small stake Eventually E there were quite a number of bets a resting upon the price of this coat and I was deputed f to get the tho matter settled I was very ery friendly with Ith I the new beauty and the next time she arrived wearing the ermine coat I told her about the bets we had bad made regarding the th cost and asked her herto herto herto to settle ettle the matter Tor or a moment she looked amazed but then burst out into laughter la and saId Of course I will tell you iou ou Jupp There is no secret about it and nd as I am gOing to marry the Count and am very much in m love with him Iam I am sure he ont mind The coat cost 1000 gUineas It was as a much larger sum than I had estimated but I won my bet That incident led to a 11 further con con and and I could tell that the girl was deeply in m love with the man who professed so great an admiration for her herand herand herand and loaded her with presents I really believe that the she knew very little of the world orld when she the first came to the Gaiety and I 1 ask you v whether hether one girl in a thou thou- thousand thousand thousand sand suddenly transformed from a man mannequin to a 11 Gaiety favorite 3 would have kept her head any more than she The car she rode in also a present from the wealthy Count was a perfect wonder Although the girl never got beyond the ranks of the show girls at atthe atthe atthe the Gaiety I have seen star stars whose hose names name were blazoned outside the theater look with astonishment and envy as the tho time theone-time tIme one mannequin stepped from her royal car and passed on to her humble dressing room One evening she did not check in at ather ather ather her usual time and we had given her lop ip when ren she the dashed in excited and out of breath 2 t S 'S J f y d a 5 1 t i dt Jr f f vi lj h r vir 1 a Ss g I t I f n tl d 1 v D a r The former w Denise once a singer r and dancer on the Gaiety 7 stage and now Lady Churston Before the show was o er word went around hat sheal she was al not coming back That night I missed seeing her but next day I heard heard that she had canceled her contract with the Gaiety I learned that the Italian Count had persuaded he he- he heto to go or on a yachting trIp with him and loving and trustful wi a ashe she was the one au time one mannequin au thrown up everything at hi hl his behest Pie next time I heard from her she had landed at a fashionable Italian water water- watering ing mg place and place and then there was a long silence One morning I was taking down a telephone message when ben a girl walked aUed into my office and stood quietly while I completed my business As I replaced the receiver I looked at her and my mind was stirred by ague vague memories She was dressed quietly in iii a serge costume whIch had bad lost its smartness and as 1 looked at her more closely I saw that she was as haggard and worn She did not speak for a moment and andI I vainly tried to place her ber Then he he sn and in a moment I knew her ber stripped of all her finery fin ry her once sparkling eyes dimmed with weariness of life was the tho beautiful mannequin who might have become a Gaiety star n Yes Jupp I have come back ehe saId in ID the quiet voice I knew so sell welland ell and I want you to help me Then she the sat down and any hysteria or passionate tears but witha with Ith Itha a pained note in her voice which h hurt me more than anything else she told me what bad had occurred I suppose I nu was too 1 J 4 n nI I vi n q l r y 0 y kix y J w a- a wa I I 6 44 r rt rt j I Iq t a 1 y t ty q iS i rn s r k ar I x A a s C Ct t S 4 Ae I I II z a f t a 3 t ii iia a tt f fA 4 q 4 A b i j 4 r S 'S ti 1 I i t f fr KYe r w I II I p I I f f Z 4 r rZ r ra a e et t i fak v tL I It k t ac l a I lI Kitty Gordon who won the heart of the Hon Charles Beresford across the Gaiety's footlights simple and believed too readily she said sImply Then she sh told me how bow on ar arrival ival In Italy the Count bad had turned out not to tobe tobe tobe be so 50 generous as everybody in London ondon believed belie him to be That would not have mattered to me she went on but other things occurred and I saw law him In hIs true light It was the shock of my life and I thought my heart was broken when I discovered that his love for me had been only pretense Gradually I learned the full facts and aad it jt turned out that the man who had loaded her wrath with costly presents present pre and whom hom the she expected to marry had left her stranded in an Italian resort She was m in a fashionable hotel when she S 5 w ered d the desertion and to her ber consternation consternation tion she found that practically all her valuable jewelry was as gone It may have been the work of some hotel thief but be b that as it may noth noth- nothing nothing ing mg was recovered reco and with only a little money she returned to London The Tho Guvnor always had a high re- re regard regard re regard gard for her and he consented to give her an engagement with one of his tour tour ing Ing companies The charming beauties who filled the G CI Gaiety stage stag sometimes had royalty m- m lf at their feet In these pages page next j neck eek will be told how one monarch tried har hard to carry pretty Madge off to his palace harem barem To T Bo B Continued rr rt r rl t l r r It Q I t i r T |