“I regained consciousness, surrounded by friends; all I could see as I slowly opened my eyes, was a little gold locket. The picture which it contained was that of my father.
“No amount of coaxing or force would cause me to tell what the cause of the shock was; as soon as I revived sufficiently to talk, I asked for Leon. When he came I signified a desire to be left alone with him and told him all, then the dear, generous brother, that he was, insisted on taking my mother into the secret. That is where I blundered. In order to spare my poor mother the pain and anguish which I knew the news would bring, I objected. Leon and I argued the matter, he contending that he could at least go on with our plans in regard to the show business; he could at least assist me on to fame, but no, I would not agree with him. He finally left me in as much misery as he himself was surrounded with. I have seen him twice since then, once, soon after I came to Chicago and adopted the stage, for I was compelled to seek employment. My fainting spell which occurred while all alone with Leon was food and drink for the ‘I told you so’s’ of the little town where I had sprung into popularity in spite of the fact that some of the more conservative residents insisted on saying that ‘nobody really knows what she is.’
“I left mamma there; when I arrived here I applied to one of the most fashionable play houses in the city. They were in need of chorus girls; my voice was tried and I was told to go to the costumer’s for my wardrobe; that worthy gentleman handed me a large paper box, saying, with a sardonic grin, ‘if they are too tight be careful about stooping in them, for they might split and we are short on outfits right now.’
“They. I wondered for a moment what he meant; tears sprang to my eyes when I unfolded the silken tights, which the box contained. I proceeded to take each article from the box, tights, fancy hose, girdle, etc., hardly enough clothes to make a respectable suit of underwear, still I was to appear under the glare of strong lights, before hundreds of pleasure-seeking people in this scanty array. I thought of my mother, then Leon, and with a shudder of indignation I thought of my father as I had seen him the last time. I cried some, then with the feeling that it was not all my fault, I managed to get into the abbreviated garments and reported to the stage manager for full-dress rehearsal.
“‘Zound!’ I heard the musical director say, ‘where did you pick that one up?’
“‘Oh, from the country,’ replied the manager.
“A giggle ran along the rows of girls at this sally.
“I took naturally to the work, and at the end of the rehearsal was told by the director to ‘come on’ for that evening’s performance, ‘but mind, my little scared dear, make up some.’ I failed to understand him, for if the clothes which I wore were supposed to fit a good figure, I felt that I filled the bill, for the costume was very snugly fitted; at last it dawned upon me that it was my face, so I asked some of the older girls to make me up. I was sent from one to another, until one girl, who seemed to be a little new, told me to go to Dollie Squires. ‘She can do it and if she does, the director is sure to be pleased, for she is Prof’s pet, and she knows what will please him.’