THE TRY OUT
"Will the young lady on the extreme right please come forward?" said Mr.
Southard pleasantly, indicating Marian Barber, who rather timidly
obeyed, taking the book he held out to her. At his request, she began to
read from Orlando's entrance, in the first scene of the fourth act. She
faltered a little on the first two lines, but shortly regained her
courage and read on in her best manner. When she had read about a dozen
lines he motioned for her to cease reading, said something to Miss
Tebbs, who made an entry on her pad, and beckoned to the girl next to
Marian to come forward.
Straight down the line he went, sometimes stopping a girl at her third
or fourth line, rarely allowing them to read farther than the eleventh
or twelfth.
Nora was the second Phi Sigma Tau to undergo the ordeal. As she briskly
delivered the opening lines, the actor stopped her. Taking the book from
her, he turned to the part where Touchstone, quaintly humorous, holds
forth upon "the lie seven times removed."
"Read this," he said briefly, holding out the book to Nora.
Nora began and read glibly on, unconsciously emphasizing as she did so.
Down one page she read and half way through the next before Mr. Southard
seemed satisfied.
Then he again held conversation with Miss Tebbs, who nodded and looked
smilingly toward Nora, who stood scowling faintly, rather ill-pleased at
attracting so much attention.
"It looks as though Nora had made an impression, doesn't it!" whispered
Jessica to Grace, who was about to reply when Mr. Southard motioned to
her. Grace, who knew the scene by heart, went fearlessly forward, and
read the lines with splendid emphasis. Marian and Eva Allen followed
her, and acquitted themselves with credit. Then Eleanor's turn came.
Handing her coat, which she had taken off and carried upon her arm, to
Edna Wright, she walked proudly over, then, without a trace of
self-consciousness, began the reading of the designated lines. Her voice
sounded unusually clear and sweet, yet lacked something of the power of
expression displayed by Grace in her rendering of the same scene. When
she had finished she handed the book back with an air of studied
indifference she was far from feeling. She had decided in her own mind
that Rosalind was the part best suited to her, and felt that the honor
now lay between herself and Grace. No other girls, with the exception of
Nora, had been allowed to read as much of any scene as they two had been
requested to read.
But Eleanor had reckoned without her host, for there was one girl who
had not as yet come to the front. The girl was Anne Pierson, who in some
mysterious manner had been all but overlooked, until Miss Tebbs spied
her standing between Grace and Nora.
"Can you spare us a moment more, Mr. Southard?" said Miss Tebbs to the
actor, who was preparing to leave. "You have almost missed hearing one
of my best girls. Come here, Anne, and prove the truth of my words."
Grace drew a long breath of relief. She had eagerly awaited Anne's turn
and was about to call Miss Tebbs's attention to Anne, just as that
teacher had observed her.
As most of the girls present had heard Anne recite, there was a great
craning of necks and a faint murmur of expectancy as she took her place.
They expected her to live up to her reputation and she had scarcely
delivered the opening line before they realized that she would not
disappoint them.
Her musical voice vibrated with expression and the mock-serious
bantering tones in which she delivered Rosalind's witty speeches caused
Mr. Southard to smile and nod approvingly as she gave full value to the
immortal lines. Her change of voice from Rosalind to Orlando was wholly
delightful, and so charmingly did she depict both characters that when
she ended with Orlando's exit she received a little ovation from the
listening girls, in which Mr. Southard and Miss Tebbs joined.
"She's won! She's won! I'm so glad," Grace said softly to Nora and
Jessica. "I wanted her to play Rosalind, and I knew she could do it.
Look, girls! Mr. Southard is shaking hands with her."
True enough, Anne was shyly shaking hands with the great actor, who was
congratulating her warmly upon her recent effort.
"I have never before heard an amateur read those lines as well as you
have to-day, Miss Pierson," he said. "I am sure Rosalind will be safe
with you, for few professional women could have done better. If I am
anywhere near here when your play is enacted, I shall make it a point to
come and see it."
Shaking hands warmly with Miss Tebbs and bowing to the admiring girls,
Mr. Southard hurriedly departed, leaving his audience devoured with
curiosity as to the chosen ones.
Anne stood perfectly still, looking rather dazed. The unexpected had
happened. She was to have not only a part, but the best part, at that.
The girls gathered eagerly about her, congratulating her on her success,
but she was too overcome to thank them, and smiled at them through a
mist of tears.
"Look at Eleanor," whispered Nora to Grace. "She's so angry she can't
see straight. She must have wanted to play Rosalind herself. I told you
she'd sulk if she couldn't be the leading lady."
Grace glanced over toward Eleanor, who stood biting her lip, her hands
clenched and her face set in angry lines.
"She looks like the 'Vendetta' or the 'Camorra' or some other Italian
vengeance agency, doesn't she?" said Nora with a giggle.
Grace laughed in spite of herself at Nora's remark, but regretted it the
next moment, for Eleanor saw the glances directed toward her and heard
Nora's giggle. She turned white and half started toward Grace, then
stopped, and, turning her back upon the Phi Sigma Tau, began talking to
Edna Wright.
Just then Miss Tebbs, who had been busy with her list, announced that
she would now name the cast, and all conversation ceased as by magic.
Miriam Nesbit was intrusted with the "Duke," while Marian Barber was to
play "Frederick," his brother. Jessica was in raptures over "Phebe,"
while Nora had captured "Touchstone," Eva Allen, "Audrey," and, to her
great delight, Grace was told that she was to play "Orlando," with
Eleanor as "Celia." The other parts were assigned among the sophomores
and freshmen who had made the best showing, Mabel Allison getting the
part of Jaques.
"You will report for rehearsal next Tuesday afternoon after school, when
typewritten copies of your parts will be handed you," said Miss Tebbs,
as she was about to leave the room.
The moment Miss Tebbs ceased talking the girls began, as they gathered
in little groups around the lucky ones and gave vent to their feelings
with many exclamations of approval and congratulation. Several girls
approached Eleanor, but she fairly ran from them and hurried out of the
gymnasium after Miss Tebbs with Edna Wright and Daisy Culver at her
heels.
"There goes Eleanor after Miss Tebbs," observed Marian Barber. "What do
you suppose she's up to now?"
"Oh, never mind her," said Nora impatiently. "You'll see enough of her
during rehearsal. It will be so pleasant to rehearse with her,
considering that she isn't on speaking terms with any of us."
Had the girl chums known then what Eleanor "was up to," it would have
been a matter of surprise and indignation to all of them. After
imperiously commanding her satellites to wait for her in the corridor,
Eleanor overtook Miss Tebbs just outside Miss Thompson's office.
"I want to speak to you, Miss Tebbs," said Eleanor as the teacher
paused, her hand on the doorknob.
"Well, what can I do for you, Miss Savell?"
"I want to speak to you about the play. I wish to play Rosalind," said
Eleanor with calm assurance.
"But, my dear child, Anne Pierson is to play Rosalind," replied Miss
Tebbs. "Mr. Southard particularly commended her work. Did you not hear
what he said?"
"Oh, yes; I heard him complimenting her," replied Eleanor complacently,
"but I feel sure that I can do more with it than she can. I did not do
my best work to-day. Besides, Miss Pierson is too short. I am certain of
making a better appearance."
"What you say about appearance is quite true, Miss Savell," replied Miss
Tebbs frankly. "Beyond a doubt you would make a beautiful Rosalind; but
I am convinced that no other girl can enact the part with the spirit and
dash that Miss Pierson can. Your part of Celia is very well suited to
you, and you can win plenty of applause playing it. You must understand,
however, that once having given out a part, I should not attempt to take
it from the girl I had given it to simply because some other girl
desired it. That would be both unfair and unjust. The only thing I could
promise you would be to allow you to understudy Rosalind in case
anything happened to Miss Pierson. Would you care to understudy the
part?"
Eleanor was silent for a moment. Miss Tebbs, looking a trifle impatient,
stood awaiting her reply.
"I should like to do that," Eleanor said slowly, a curious light in her
eyes. "Thank you very much, Miss Tebbs."
"You are welcome," replied the teacher. "Be sure and be prompt at
rehearsal next Tuesday."
As Miss Tebbs entered the office, Eleanor turned and walked slowly down
the corridor.
"So Miss Tebbs thinks I ought to be satisfied with 'Celia,'" she
muttered. "Very well, I'll rehearse Celia, but I'll understudy Rosalind,
and it will be very strange if something doesn't happen to Miss
Pierson."