Earl Derr Biggers

“ Madge assured her. "How's that granddaughter of yours? It must make you feel old to look at her."
"I'll never feel old, dear; not while I've got my figure. Baby's well. Just at present we have all we can do to keep her off the stage. Every manager on Broadway is after her. I guess they figure she's a good deal like me."
"Oh, they want youth, Nell. Youth's the ticket. You can't get by without it." She glanced complacently at her mirror.
"That's why I always say you're such a wonder, Madge," said Nellie sweetly. She stood up, a triumphant figure, proud, successful, smiling. "I must run along. ”

“ It is an alien land through which they wander now, a "show me" country where the cry is ever for youth.
On a humid August afternoon Nellie Wayne was walking up Broadway—our Nellie of the magic voice. Your father will remember her if you do not. At the old Fourteenth Street Theater early in the 80's she first flashed on the town, and thereafter for twenty years her name was synonymous with beauty. Lady Teazle, Viola, Rosalind, Camille—it mattered not in which guise the young men saw her first, from that moment her portrait adorned their bureaus and her lovely face often haunted their dreams. ”

“ Nellie, how you have changed!"
"I play in the picture."
"You—you—in the picture! At your age! What you thinking of, Nellie? We got to get a young girl for your part."
"Of course. I'm not insane, Lew. I play the grandmother."
"Oh, the grandmother! Well, that's all right. Only naturally you understand we don't pay much for a little part like that."
"You'll pay me! Think of what my name will mean! Nellie Wayne and The Midnight Flyer billed together again! All over the country are millions who will remember——"
"Millions—yes—in the graveyards." ”

“ And then Nellie Wayne realized—it was eight o'clock for Chum!
He was not in this shabby little parlor—he was in the wings of a theater. The overture blared louder, and Chum's nervous bark rose above the music. He leaped against her, fell away, leaped again. It was time to go on. Time for his act.
"All right, Chum," she said. "Go to it!"
He tumbled into the center of the room as though into a spotlight's glare. He rolled over, played dead, did his drunken bit, walked on an imaginary ball, counted with sharp staccato barks as Joe had trained him. He had it all wrong, the routine twisted ”

“ Don't old times mean nothing to you?"
"Not where money is concerned, Lew. I'm like you that way. Now make up your mind, for I'm going."
"All right—go! Ungrateful! Nellie, I hate to say it, but you're ungrateful. Charlie wouldn't like it."
"Charlie wouldn't be so easy." She opened the door. "Good-by, Lew."
"Fourteen thousand dollars!"
"Good luck on the Coast!"
"What do you think you're selling—Ben Hur?"
"I'm not selling. You're trying to buy, that's all. Acting like a piker too. The Midnight Flyer—the most popular play of its generation!" ”

“ I ought to be a very happy woman, Nellie."
"You certainly ought, dear. Everybody's not so lucky. I met old Frank Shore in the alley." Madge's face clouded.
"Is he still out there? You wouldn't believe, Nellie, what a woman in my position is up against. The appeals for help, the panhandlers——"
"I can imagine, dearie. I've been through it all myself, as you may recall. And I always tried to be kind—ours is such a precarious profession. One never knows what one's own finish is to be." ”

“ A beardless young press agent followed.
"Anything I can do?" he inquired. She explored her bag and offered him her card.
"I'd like a seat, please."
He read the card and glanced at her coldly.
"In the profession?" he inquired.
In the profession! Nellie Wayne! The insult set her heart thumping with indignation.
"My name is rather well known," she said haughtily, "to any one who matters."
Johnny McCarthy, fat, bald, genial, bounced out of the auditorium past the ennuied ticket taker.
"Nellie!" he cried. "You stranger!" ”

“ The dress rehearsal's tonight."
Nellie Wayne stood silent, staring at the costume with a sort of contempt.
"Nonsense!" she said suddenly, and tossed it into a waste-basket.
With a little cry young Nellie rescued it. She faced her grandmother, trembling, flushed, determined.
"How dare you?" she cried. "How dare you interfere? It's my life, I can live it as I please. I'm going on the stage. You had your day, you had your fun; you can't stop me. I'm going on the stage, I tell you! I love it! I want it! I'd die if I didn't!"
"Baby!" Nellie put her hands on the girl's slim shoulders. ”

“ Trained as he was in the old artificial comedies, the exit line did not suit him. "A meal and a bed," he added. "And dreams of the old Broadway where we were young together."
That was better, and he shuffled off into the crowd. Nellie turned toward home. The theatergoers filled the street, shining limousines drew up to the curb, expensively dressed people alighted. Inside, the orchestras were tuning up, the actors were strolling about in the wings; presently would come the rise of the curtain. The rise of the curtain! ”

“ Gracie pushed the cards aside. "Talking against Joe—and you living on his money for two years past."
"His money! That's good, that is! A fine time I'd have had of it on any money Joe could earn. The dog's money, you mean. And do you think I'm proud of it? Do you think I want to be reminded of it? Me—Nellie Wayne—supported by a trick dog in vaudeville!" She took out her handkerchief. "If Charlie Farren were alive to see me now——"
"Oh, Mother, don't cry! Things are bad enough as it is."
"I'll cry if I like. I met Tom Kerrigen on the street—you remember him. Your father's old friend." ”

“ Nellie sighed. It would not be easy to walk into Madge's dressing-room, and there amid the many evidences of her old associate's success and prosperity confess her own plight. Still, the situation was desperate; she must face the ordeal; she owed the sacrifice to Gracie and to Joe.
She arrayed herself in the best she had, and at 7:30 was on her way up Broadway. The theater crowds were not yet on the streets; only occasional pedestrians, many of them actors hurrying to their work. Their work! ”

“ McCarthy's smile faded as he looked at the press agent.
"You lost your bib somewhere," he said. "Go back to the nursery and find it. Nellie Wayne in the profession? You poor bonehead!" The young man beat a hasty retreat. "They make me sick, these kids," continued Mr. McCarthy. "They think they invented Broadway. How many you want, Nellie? Are you all alone?"
"Just one, John."
He went to the box office and returned with the coupon for a good seat.
"How's all the folks?" he inquired.
"Oh, Gracie's well. We all are."
"I caught Joe's act over in Philly. The dog's good, but Joe sort of crabs it." ”

“ Prices have reached the peak and they're going down every minute we stand here. I know, because I've been dabbling a bit in the movies myself."
"That so, Lew? Well, I'll go along." She opened the door.
"Wait a minute, Nellie. Come back here and sit down." She hesitated, seemed reluctant, but obeyed. She was wishing she had borrowed baby's wrist-watch for this encounter. Lew sat down too—on the edge of his chair. "Now look here, Nellie," he began. "It seems to me that if anybody makes pictures out of Charlie's stuff it ought to be me. I produced all his plays and I loved him like a brother. ”

“ What does worry get you? Something will turn up. I can pawn that collar of Chum's for a few dollars. Then I'll look round. I'm going into business. Where I should have been long ago, with my talents. If I'd only gone into that broker's office when I had the chance! Oh, I'll find something. It's up to me of course. Nobody else will lend a hand."
"I'm going on the stage," young Nellie announced.
"Sure, you're old enough," Joe approved. "And you got what they want—you got youth."
"Mother doesn't think she ought to," Gracie began.
"Oh, is that so?" Joe turned and glared at Nellie Wayne. ”

“ Karger, throwing his straw hat on to the table. "A long, sad story." He sat, but added nothing. Like all small souls, he enjoyed keeping others in suspense. It tickled his vanity.
"But, Joe, things are pretty bad here. The agent for the landlord——"
"Things are worse than you think," Joe assured her, and still he held back his news.
"Father!" pleaded young Nellie.
Joe Karger pointed to Chum, who stood trembling slightly and looking exceedingly guilty.
"It's the dog," said Joe. "He's laid down on us. He's quit us cold."
"What? What do you mean?" Gracie's voice was terror-stricken. ”

“ A knock on the door interrupted him; and, opening it, Nellie admitted Tom Kerrigen. Mr. Kerrigen was in a gay mood, and if he found his old friend in surroundings that surprised him he gave no sign. Presently they all retired and left him in the parlor, while Nellie Wayne made ready for dinner. As she passed through the dining-room on her way Joe resumed their argument.
"Don't you try to interfere!" he warned. "If baby wants to break into the profession it's no business of yours. Somebody's got to work round here. Somebody's got to support you, now that the dog's quit." ”

“ Gracie admitted. She picked up the cards and shuffled them. "I've heard interior decorating is a splendid profession for women. If you could take that up, Baby—or even stenography——"
"Nonsense!" said the girl. "I'm going on the stage."
"Listen to her!" cried Nellie Wayne. "Gracie, have you no authority——"
"Oh, Mother, do stop!" Gracie was dealing the cards. "What ails you anyhow?"
"I'm upset." She sat down again and wiped her eyes. "Upset, and I can't help it. Seeing Tom Kerrigen and remembering the old happy days—and a young fool of a press agent asked me if I was in the profession! Me! ”

“ He was through with the theater.
"Know a guy up in Columbus Circle sells automobiles," he said. "Three years ago he tells me I'm a born salesman. I'll just walk in on him this morning and ask when do I go to work."
After the meager breakfast Joe put on his hat and called to Chum. The dog ran to him eagerly, barking his joy, anticipating a happy stroll in the sunshine. Joe stooped and removed the rhinestone collar from Chum's neck. ”

“ She seemed breathless with excitement; her big brown eyes were glowing. "I've got a part too! Levy's rushing me into his new comedy—a maid rôle, only a few lines, but a beginning. The girl who had the rôle was fired, and we're trying to make her costume over to fit me. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1933, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 90 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works. ”