"Yes."

 

"What kind of work?"

 

"I wanted to be an actor. So I applied¹ at Palmer's Theatre and Daly's this forenoon, and this afternoon I went to others."

 

"How were you received?" asked Rupert, in considerable curiosity.

 

"They wouldn't talk with me," answered Leslie, indignantly. "One of the managers laughed at me when I asked if he would let me speak a piece, so that he might judge of my ability."

 

"Perhaps they had no vacancy," suggested Rupert, trying to keep his countenance².

 

"They asked me if I had ever acted. Of course I can't till I get the chance. I told him[Pg 206] I would be willing to work for five dollars a week till I got some experience. I told them they might try me in small parts. One of them asked me if I had ever played Hamlet. He must have been in fun."

 

"I should think so."

 

"Of course great actors like Booth must have served an apprenticeship³. I was reading an account of Booth's early life lately, and he began just as I want to begin."

 

"I expect the profession must be crowded. There was an actor staying at the hotel last week. He is out of employment, and I think he must be out of funds, for he got me to go out and pawn⁴ an overcoat for him."

 

"I am sure I could succeed if I only had a show," continued Leslie. "You don't happen to know any manager, do you?"

 

"No. Perhaps you would stand a better chance of getting into a variety theatre. Can you sing or dance?"

 

"No; I should not be willing to. I don't think Booth ever did, or Irving, or Forrest."

 

"No. I don't think they did."

 

"And I'll get some time to be a famous[Pg 207] actor, so I wouldn't like to have it mentioned in my biographies that I ever played in a variety theatre."

 

"Are you going to make any more applications, Leslie?"

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