Striking the Iron While It Was Hot.
"You see, if I had turned up earlier he would simply have told me that he had a man for Tony, and there was nothing doing. As it was, he looked at me, and then asked:
"'Are you a Spaniard?'
"'No,' I answered, 'I am a Jew.'
"'Can you sing?' he went on.
"'Oh, yes,' I replied easily.
"Then he told me that Gus Thomas, the author of the play, had a big finger in picking out the people for it, and that I would have to see him.
"'Where is he?' I inquired.
"'In New Rochelle.'
"I left Mr. La Shelle and went straight down to the telegraph office in the same building, and wrote out this message to Augustus Thomas:
"'Be at office ten-thirty to-morrow. Important.'
"And I signed it boldly, 'Kirke La Shelle.'
"Well, the next day, a few minutes after ten-thirty, I turned up at the La Shelle offices, and there, sure enough, was Gus Thomas, with one of his boys in tow. I was introduced to him, he looked me over, and finally he and La Shelle agreed between them that if I was willing to go out to Chicago at my own risk and give a performance of Tony, they would promise to engage me for the part if I made good in it.
"'That's fair, Selwyn, I am sure,' added Mr. La Shelle.
"'Ye-e-s,' I answered hesitatingly. One of my hands was in my pocket; then I drew it out and deposited about twenty-three cents in silver on the desk.
"'That,' I announced, 'is my sole cash capital, gentlemen.'
"They saw the point and finally arranged to give me transportation to Chicago, declaring that it would do no good for me to give a reading of the part there in the office, which I wanted to do.