Rupert's Ambition

"I can go upstairs with you now."

"All right!" said the young guest, rising from his seat quickly. "We will take the elevator, for my room is on the top floor."

"In business hours," said Rupert, "I am not allowed to use the elevator. Now I am no longer a bell-boy, but your visitor."

The room was a small hall bedroom. It was one that was let for seventy-five cents a day, while the better and larger rooms ranged upwards to a dollar and a half. The room contained one chair only.

"Please take a seat," said the young host.

"But where will you sit?"

"I will sit on the bed. I don't know but you will laugh at me," he went on, "when I tell you what brought me to New York."

"Oh, no. I shall not laugh at you. But first, as we are to be friends, let me tell you my name and ask yours. I am Rupert Rollins."

"That is a nice name. It sounds like a story name. Mine is Leslie Waters."

"Where do you live?"'

"I was born and brought up in Rahway. That is in New Jersey, about twenty miles from New York. My father lives about a mile from the village. He has a small farm."

"And you were brought up to work on the farm?"

"Well, it isn't exactly a farm, but we raise vegetables and fruits for the New York market. I went to school till a year ago. Then I graduated, and since then I have worked for my father."

"Did you like it?"

"No, I don't like working on land. I feel," continued Leslie, flushing, "that I was born for something better and nobler. Besides, I don't want to live in the country. I prefer the city. There's something going on here."

"Yes, that is true."

"And I wanted to be in the excitement. I'd rather live half as long in the city. You can live more here in a year than in the country in two years."

"Was there any particular thing that you wished to do?"

"Yes, I am coming to that. When I attended school there was one exercise that many of the boys did not like, but I did. I liked to declaim. I began with such pieces as 'Casabianca'—you know that, don't you?"

"Oh, yes," said Rupert, smiling. "I have spoken it more than once myself."

"But of course I got beyond that after a while. I used to speak pieces from Shakespeare and other dramatic authors. There was one I liked to speak in particular. It begins:

"The warrior bowed his crested head and tamed his heart of fire,
And sued the haughty king to free his long-imprisoned sire."

"Yes, I know the poem."

"I got a prize for speaking it at one of our closing examinations," said Leslie, proudly. "Would you like to have me speak it for you now?"

"I afraid it would attract attention in some of the neighboring rooms, as it is a spirited piece."

Leslie looked disappointed but continued. "Then I have spoken 'Young Lochinvar' also—I liked that."

"Did you never speak any prose pieces?"

"No, I didn't care for prose. I like poetry best. I wish we were alone, so I could speak something for you."

"We will go on an excursion some Sunday—say to Weehawken—and then I shall have a chance to hear you."

"I am afraid I shall not be able to stay in the city," said Leslie, gloomily. "I have met nothing but disappointment since I came here."

CHAPTER XXII.

TRYING TO BE AN ACTOR

"Have you inquired for work?" asked Rupert.

"Yes."

"What kind of work?"

"I wanted to be an actor. So I applied 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 countenance.

"They asked me if I had ever acted. Of course I can't till I get the chance. I told him 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 apprenticeship. 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 pawn 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 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?"

"I shall apply to every manager in the city," answered Leslie, energetically.