The Actress Page #5

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into boston

to attend mr. Jones'

gymnastic exhibition.

What happened

to you?

You got a telegram.

Why, i did not.

Let me see it.

I hope it's

nothing dreadful.

It's good your

mama's right by.

Oh, mama.

Oh, fred, well...

my knees are shaking.

I kind of wish

we were home.

Doesn't seem

appropriate,

opening up

a telegram

right here on the

station platform.

Is it bad news?

I don't know. I never

got a telegram before.

Now, ruth,

don't get excited.

I once knew a girl

who had a telegram...

oh, mercy. Oh!

What on earth

is it?

Mama, it's a telegram

for me to go

on the stage!

Oh, darn, i left

my glasses at home.

What?

From hazel dawn!

Inviting you to

become an actress?

Just as good as!

Telling me mr. John craig

will see me in his office

tomorrow, saturday,

at 2:
30 p. m.

Oh, mama!

Oh, child!

Oh, good night.

Oh, mama, tomorrow,

saturday, 2:
30 p. m.,

i might

be an actress!

Oh, ruth, don't

say such a thing.

You know your father's

disposition.

Why, if he found out

you were going calling

on mr. John craig,

to say nothing

of miss hazel dawn,

i don't know

what he'd do!

You know how

he threw around

those cantaloupes

when all i said

was i wish they

were peaches.

If he finds out

about all this,

goodness knows what

he'll throw around!

Of all the people

in the world to choose from,

mr. John craig

went and chose me.

Well, so did i.

What?

Choose you.

Mercy,

here it comes.

Ruth, put that

darn thing away.

Good-bye, fred.

Thank you.

Now drive careful

so as not to have

an accident.

Oh, i don't care

if i do, mrs. Jones.

Please don't

talk like that.

God will hear you.

I don't care

if he does, mrs. Jones.

Well,

good-bye, fred.

I'll let you know

about class day.

Honest i will.

Excuse me.

I'm sorry.

Excuse me.

Excuse me.

Ruth, pay attention

to the exhibition

and stop peeking

at that darned telegram.

You swore

three times tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the next treat

will be the variety show

by our

married men's group.

The exercises will be

accompanied on the piano by...

on the piano

by mrs. Clara howe

of the waltham

first methodist church.

Mama, please.

Oh, my!

Look at that

old fella go!

Where?

Right there.

You see him?

The old fella in

the swimming suit!

Ha ha ha!

Did you see him?

The old fella!

Huh!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh, don't, clinton.

Don't, don't, don't!

Oh!

Has he done it yet?

He's done more

than do it.

That was a corker!

Did you see him lose

his britches?

Isn't that dangerous?

I must remember

to fix those.

Now, wasn't

that enjoyable?

I wish i was dead.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we now come

to the distaff side.

Miss emma glavey

will lead her group

in an indian club drill

as practiced

in the scandinavian countries.

This is the part papa

wants you to watch.

I'm watching.

Watch miss glavey.

She's the best.

I may throw up.

Look at her sweating

right in front

of everybody.

Well, maybe

so does hazel dawn.

Mama!

Pardon me.

Excuse me.

Clinton.

Ain't this

some night?

Oh, you were

remarkable! Truly!

Hey, yeah,

there's miss glavey.

Keep your eye

peeled for her, now.

Yay!

Good girl!

Papa, please!

Oh, it's all right.

She's just like

one of the family!

That miss glavey,

ain't she a daisy?

I liked the cut

of her jib

the minute

i seen her.

Come on.

Let's get going

on the application.

Clinton, couldn't we

just wait until morning?

Now, mama, come on.

Sleep ain't vital.

We got a daughter

going to enroll

in the boston

physical culture school.

Cast anchor here,

snuggy.

Oh, uh...

clinton...

now, now,

now, now, now.

Name.

Name of

ruth gordon jones.

Ruth.

Age.

Uh, clinton, 17 is

very young to be...

date of birth.

Date of birth.

October 13, 1896.

Sex.

Female.

Female.

Uh... weight.

Weight.

What do you...

well, i guess...

you'd shift the scale

about 115

with all your duds on.

Uh, clinton.

Weight. Height.

Height. Height.

5 feet, 4.

5 feet, 4 in.

Past schooling.

Past...

oh. Wollaston

grammar school

and quincy high school.

Quincy high school.

Now, sports

in which you excel.

Sports in which

you excel.

Which sports

in which you excel?

Clinton,

ruth is upset.

What about?

Well, she doesn't

want to be

a physical

culture teacher.

Why not?

Well...

well, some people

get inspired

over some things,

and others

over others.

You got inspired

to be a sailor,

not a carpenter

like you said

your father was.

Well, just what

do you think

you're inspired over?

I don't know.

Why, yes,

you do, too, ruth.

You tell papa.

I don't want to be

a physical culture

teacher.

What do you

want to do?

Tell papa, ruth.

He wants to know.

I don't want to be

a physical culture

instructress.

Well,

why don't you?

Because i'd

rather be dead.

Don't say that, ruth.

God will hear you.

God's listening

to everybody.

I know, i know,

but i'm just

listening to her.

Why? Why?

I have to

do my homework.

Why, no,

you don't.

Ruth!

Well...

oh, don't stand there

like a dying cat.

If you got something

to say, come on.

Spit it out.

I want to go

on the stage.

Well,

what makes you think

you got the stuff

it takes?

I don't know.

What give you

the idea?

Well, there's

a chance.

I wish i could be

like you want me to be,

but it's like if you

asked me to be a giant,

and i'm not a giant,

and i'm not a physical

culture person, either.

What makes you think

you're an actress?

She's not statuesque,

of course,

but she looks

all right

when she remembers

to stand up straight.

When she smiles

and doesn't look

like a thundercloud,

ruth can be

very appealing.

She has all sorts of

artistic leanings,

and, mercy,

i guess some things

you just got to

trust in the lord.

I know, but when

you get up at meetings,

you got to deliver

the goods, too.

I know that

from being an audience.

I seen actors and actresses

all my life,

pretty nearly.

But i never seen

nobody look like you.

I ain't denying

that i always

enjoyed the theater.

Whenever my ship

was in port,

i always went to whatever

attraction was playing.

I been in some places

i wouldn't ask no lady

to accompany me,

but i seen

the best, too.

I seen booth and barrett,

majeska.

I seen lotta.

Once when my ship

was laying in frisco,

i even went over

and served as a stagehand

so i could

see her close, too.

Fine woman,

everybody that was

associated with her

told me,

and i certainly

didn't see nothing

that led me to

believe any different,

but she or none of them

looked like you.

Papa,

i didn't know

you ever worked

in a theater.

I did it

another time, too.

I went over and

shoved stuff around

for mr. Booth

one time.

His first wife

lays buried

right over here

at dorchester.

Oh, i guess there

are decent people

on the stage,

same as

anywhere else.

I ain't objecting

to it from that end.

Maude adams they say

is very lovely,

but would you say

she seemed actressy?

Papa, please

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