"'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.