unemotional, nor peaceful moment), this was never from a pang, nor qualm of conscience. Her trials lay only in the unkind fate which made her place her affections this year on a drunkard, next year, perhaps, on a man who either tired of her or had some other to claim him; this latter fact, however, not being, as a rule, of much importance in her ethics.

But the crowning enigma to me then, was her sincere belief in her own, not only respectability, but purity. I am positive, had any one accused her of moral wickedness, she would have been as incensed and wounded as any Penelope. This was clearly demonstrated in her attitude towards me in the first stages of our acquaintance. I was a much talked of "freak," if you will, who had, as yet, not learned the ways of the world, and Miss Melloweye gave me to understand in all our earlier talks, that she was the same kind of commodity. It made very little impression on me then, for any suspicion to the contrary had not entered my mind.

Of the men, I have dealt with but four, although the company boasted ten. But they were "birds of a feather and so flocked together." If there was one of a stamp any better than the rest, he did not, in the weeks I was with them, see fit to show his true character. On the traits of Mr. Temper, the stage manager, I will not dwell now. I have others to write about later. Mr. Nevermind I knew but slightly. I could only judge of him from his conduct as I observed it from day to day. I think

his, too, was an unfortunate case. He seemed to drink from the same reason that he had brown eyes. I do not believe he was a vicious man, and he was unmoral in precisely the same way as was Stellabecause he knew no higher ideal than his own desires.

Nor do I consider Billie a dangerous type, which might be placed under the head of "temptations which beset a young girl launching out on a theatrical career." He was too palpably vulgar and coarse to be anything but repulsive to almost any well brought up young person. His thick, sensual lips and bloated face would hardly have deceived a baby, but what was really his one redeeming quality was, as I had heard him say, "he knew a good girl when he saw one" and I add, to complete my statement, with firm conviction, he did-and he had absolutely no use for her. She inspired in him no emotions whatever. She was simply beneath his contempt. That he was connected with the management and a chum of his might count on some special favors, I found to be true, but as far as following Miss Gaily's advice and "being nice to him" was concerned, it would have availed me nothing had I chosen to do so. To advance one in her profession might have been in his power, but it was of no use to a good girl to apply.

No, men like Billie are not dangerous. But the type under the head of Steele Softlee most decidedly is. His own words are more than volumes. "I wait until she is tired or ill and her whole nature cries for a comforter." Great Powers! could the

proposition be more unfair? A bird charmed by a snake has almost a better chance for life. If mine were an isolated case, this man the only one of his kind, I would not even have gone through the humiliation of recording these incidents-But I am anticipating. My retrospection is supposed to cover only my own experiences as far as I had gone that

season.

As I stepped from the train at Jersey City, my backward look had been so black that I kept saying to myself over and again, "There are none righteous; no not one"; and a sore and heavy heart bade me go on in my journey until I reached the little place up in the snow covered hills of New England, called home. Then I saw the lights and heard the hum of the great city and remembered with what a thrill I had first met them as, full of hope, enthusiasm, and aspiration I had entered that great throbbing metropolis to seek a career. Go home defeated after a few disappointing months? I could not explain my reasons, and every one would say I had failed from lack of talent. Oh, that fiendish pride which fears to feel itself wounded! How it keeps us at our task in spite of everything! I felt my possibilities were as great as they had been the day I chose my profession; that I must justify my faith in my ability and show to those at home that my talent was great

and would surmount all difficulties. Why should I turn back at my first disappointment?

As I entered the ferry, I began a new line of reasoning and one which had a more charitable aspect and was, to me then, much more full of wisdom. My experience had been limited. Here I was with only about fifteen weeks to my credit, judging all seasons, and, what is more, some three or four thousand people, by the paltry twelve or fourteen representatives I had the misfortune to be connected with so far. How small! How narrow! How perfectly absurd! I almost laughed aloud. Of course, I had only happened to strike that kind of company. There were undoubtedly splendid people in the profession. Excellent companies, and I must now do my utmost to become proficient so as to associate only with the best. That the company I had just left was one of very fair standing, was not conclusive evidence that all were of a like calibre. I had simply been unfortunate in that selection. Of course, I would gladly have accepted any position at the time this one had been offered me. I would probably be able to do a little better now, for I was not entirely an amateur.

By the time I reached the hotel where I had roomed before, I had argued myself into quite a cheerful frame of mind, and the trials and disappointments of the past weeks were memories only and not very poignant ones at that.

CHAPTER VI.

GETTING ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT AND THE

OTHER GIRL.

How little I knew when I boarded that midnight train what it really meant to be out of an engagement in the middle of the season! After I had experienced this soul-trying situation, I often asked myself if a girl who did know what it meant, and with no other resources, would not have been compelled to stay on with the company even under those severely trying circumstances; perhaps eventually having to accept the situation in an assumption of the manners and life of those around her for the sake of a semblance of harmony if nothing else.

The agents looked at me blankly those winter days when I stated my desire for work, and I soon found there was nothing to do but wait until the spring opened when, I was told, some companies would be forming for the summer, or a few spring attractions would be put on, and, novice-like, I wildly hoped I might get into a New York production.

I have not before gone into the details of seeking an engagement in New York as my second effort was largely a repetition of my first and I felt to tell both would be tiresome. That it is full of unutterable