Home > Authors Index > Horatio Alger > Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret > This page
Five Hundred Dollars; or, Jacob Marlowe's Secret, a novel by Horatio Alger |
||
Chapter 28. Bert's First Appearance On Any Stage |
||
| < Previous |
Table of content |
Next > |
|
________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER XXVIII. BERT'S FIRST APPEARANCE ON ANY STAGE Bert eyed the actor with amazement, rather disposed to doubt his sanity. "Do you mean me?" he said. "Certainly." "Has he ever acted?" asked Pearson, the second actor, doubtfully. "No, but he can act. I'll undertake to train him." "There isn't much time. Hazleton can't appear to-night." "Don't worry! I'll see that he is not missed." As Pearson went away, Orville said: "You'll help us out, won't you, my boy?" "What do you want me to do?" asked Bert, his heart beating with excitement. "Take the part of a newsboy. You've seen and heard them in the streets of New York, haven't you?" "Yes; but it seems sudden. I should have to learn the part." "All told there are not more than twenty lines, and you won't come on till the second act. You've spoken pieces, haven't you?" "Yes, and I like it." "I was sure of it. Then you accept?" "If you think I can do it, and will tell me exactly what to do." "Come round at once to the stage entrance. I will give you your lines and tell you the business. We'll speak about terms later." As Bert followed Orville round to the stage door he asked himself whether he was not acting foolishly in accepting, at such short notice, a position to which he was entirely unaccustomed. If he had not liked declamation, and felt moderately self-possessed before an audience, he would have promptly refused. As it was, the prospect, while it somewhat daunted, also pleased him. Besides, he saw that, though he might not be able to fill the place of Bob Hazleton, it was imperatively necessary that the part should be taken by some one, and there was no time to lose in hunting up another boy. If he did poorly, he could limit his engagement to one evening. He was not at home behind the scenes, and at the outset came near tumbling through a trap door. He followed Orville to the general dressing-room, where the manager assisted him to attire himself in the costume provided for the newsboy. It is needless to say that it was not of a costly description, and would have been dear at a dollar and a half. "I'll dress you first, and give you the lines afterward." In five minutes Bert surveyed himself in a cracked mirror, and wondered if he were the same boy. Orville ruffled up his hair, taught him the free and easy walk of the typical newsboy, briefly instructed him in the "business" of the part, and then gave him his lines to commit. "Read them to me," he said. "I want to see if you've caught the spirit of the part." Of course Bert needed a little coaching, but "caught on," as Orville expressed it, with remarkable quickness. After a few minutes' rehearsal, his teacher said: "You'll do; that is, if you don't get rattled." "What's that?" "Get an attack of stage fright, and forget your lines." "I won't do that," said Bert confidently. "Then you'll have no trouble. Now, stay here till you get a summons from the call boy. I must make up for my part, though I don't appear, either, till the second act. Remember that we rely upon you." "I'll get through," said Bert confidently. By this time our hero looked forward eagerly to the moment when he would appear on the stage. He felt excited, and yearned to distinguish himself. He wanted to justify the stage manager's hasty, and, it must be confessed, rather imprudent, choice. He waited in the wings till he heard the call boy's summons, and then made his entrance as instructed by Orville. He glanced at the audience, but only got a confused impression of hundreds of faces. He did not allow himself to think of them, but addressed himself to the business of his part. A part of this was to rescue a little girl from the abuse of a tyrannical old woman. He recited his lines with spirit; and so enlisted the sympathies of those present by his manly bearing that he received a tribute of applause. The scene came just at the close of the second act, and when the curtain fell there was prolonged hand-clapping. Bert did not know what it meant, but Orville came up to him, and said; "Go before the curtain, leading Maud by the hand. Bow to the audience." Bert was a little bewildered, but followed directions. The corner of the curtain was moved aside, and Bert walked across the stage, leading little Maud (who was a daughter of the leading actress) by the hand. Children are always well received, and there was plenty of applause. When Bert reappeared behind the scenes, Orville said, "Barton, you did yourself proud! Keep it up when you appear again in the fourth act, and you may consider yourself an actor." In the fourth and last act Bert went on the stage in his street dress. His circumstances and his social position were supposed to have improved. At the close of the performance Orville introduced Bert to the different members of the company. "Do you mean to say you have never acted before?" asked Mr. Pearson. "This is my first appearance on any stage," said Bert with a smile. "Then you have done yourself great credit. I was myself trained at Wallack's Theatre, but had been a year on the boards before I could acquit myself as well as you." "Thank you. I have done better than I expected." "You more than filled Hazleton's place." "Has he been long with you?" "A year." Bert felt this was indeed praise, that on his first appearance he should have equaled a boy with a year's experience. "Of course you will play with us the balance of the week?" said Pearson. "If you wish me to do so." "What salary will you expect?" Bert smiled. "I hardly know what will be a fair price to ask." "We will give you the same salary that Hazleton received, fifteen dollars a week, and you pay your own board. Is that satisfactory?" Bert opened his eyes. Fifteen dollars a week seemed to him a large sum, for evening work. He found afterward that he was expected to appear at rehearsal; but even with this additional duty, the post appeared to him an easy one. "I accept the terms," he said. "All right; where are you boarding?" He gave the address. "Please be at the theatre to-morrow at ten, and Mr. Pearson will hear you rehearse and give you a few points." Unknown to Bert there were two persons present at the theatre that night who recognized him. One of the male boarders, prompted by a rather significant hint from Miss Angelica, had invited that young lady to accompany him to the performance. They sat in the sixth row from the stage, though Bert, who attended only to his duties, did not see them. When he first came on as a newsboy, Miss Stubbs said: "How much that newsboy looks like Mr. Barton, ma's new boarder." "He does look some like him." "But of course it isn't he. I wonder if he is here this evening." "I don't see him anywhere," said the escort. When Bert appeared in his own clothes in the fourth act, Angelica exclaimed: "Why, it is Mr. Barton, after all! Is it possible that I know a live actor? Why, I was talking to him at supper, and he was really quite attentive to me." "He is put down on the bill as Bob Hazleton," said the young man, consulting the programme. "That must be his stage name. I will get him to tell me all about acting to-morrow. Do you know, Mr. Cutting, I should like to go on the stage myself? I should so like to play Juliet." "If you do, will you let me be Romeo?" "Yes, if you desire it," said Angelica, tapping her escort coquettishly with her fan. It's safe to say that Mr. Cutting, who was barely five feet in height, and Miss Angelica, who was tall, thin, and angular, would have made a very remarkable Romeo and Juliet. As Bert left the stage door, a boy touched his arm. Looking round he saw that it was the one who had guided him to the theatre. The boy's face wore a respectful look as he said: "Say, you didn't tell me you was one of de actors." "I didn't know it myself," answered Bert. "It was you that took off de newsboy," continued the boy. "Yes, but I'm not the regular actor. He's sick and I took his place." "It was tiptop. Are you goin' to act to-morrow night?" "I shall act all this week." "I'd like to see de play again. It's a boss play." Bert felt in a liberal mood. "Here is fifteen cents," he said. "Tell your friends to come." "I'll bring 'em. I'll tell 'em I know one of de actors." It may be remarked that Tom Roach, for this was the boy's name, gave such glowing accounts of the play to his intimate friends that no less than ten of them accompanied him to the theatre the next evening, and were especially enthusiastic when Bert was on the stage. Their liberal applause raised Bert in the good opinion of the management, who felt that they had secured a prize in the new actor. _ |
||