Most of the seniors assembled promptly at 9:30 o’clock that morning for the tryouts. A few of them, feeling that they had no chance, did not come, but Janet noticed that Margie and Cora were well to the front of the room where Miss Williams would be sure to see them.
“I want you to do your best this morning for on your work now depends whether you will have a place in the play,” she warned them, and Janet felt a little twinge. School was near an end and the senior play was her last chance. Of course it wasn’t as important to her as it was to Helen, but it would be nice to have the part of Abbie, for Abbie was such a delightfully irresponsible character.
Miss Williams called for tryouts for minor rôles first and Helen sent an anxious glance toward Janet and nodded toward the hall.
They slipped out of the assembly quietly and Helen voiced her fears.
“Perhaps I’d better try for one of these minor parts as well as for the lead. Then if I don’t get to play Gale Naughton, I may win another rôle.”
“I wouldn’t,” counseled Janet. “Concentrate on the main part. I think you’ll make it all right.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
“I’m not confident about winning a part myself, but I’m sure you will,” replied Janet. “Let’s go back and watch the tryouts.”
“Perhaps I ought to go over my lines again?”
“Nonsense. You can even speak them backwards. If you work on them any more you may do that, which would be fatal. Let’s see the mistakes of the others and then we’ll know we aren’t the world’s worst actresses.”