The Argosy, Christmas 1912 — page 240: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

226 I believe they are wrong; sometimes the public likes a true tale; that is why I insist upon telling you of the fortunes of a certain Millie Ferguson (no rela- tion to Elsie), who felt the lure of the footlights, and, setting her face to- ward the “ Land of Illusion,” left the sheltering roof of her greataunt in the middle West and came to the great City (which, when spelled with a capi- tal, Edna Ferber says, always means New York). I will not attempt to explain to you why Millie was stage-struck. There was really no particular reason; only I am inclined to believe that some time in the lives of most young people (and some old ones, too) there comes a de- sire to be something which they are not—in other words, to act. And so it was with this little, rather pretty, not especially clever or bright, young person who came to the city expecting to have it open its great arms to her, etc., etc. (for further details read any well-fabricated stage-life novel). Millie journeyed by train, and almost from the start began to have adven- tures. Have you ever noticed how there are some people to whom things always happen? They are usually looked upon with envy by their more prosaic brothers and sisters; but, between you and me (and I am one of those to whom things happen), not one of the adven- tured folk but would gladly change places with a more sedate individual. In the same car in which Millie voy- aged toward the Mecca of all artists were a man and his oldish wife, who turned out to be actor-folk, and so the Thespian aspirant got friendly with the oldish woman; and, although the little person from the middle West was of the timid, clinging - vine variety, she boldly asserted that she, too, was going to be an actress. The woman whose eyes had already blinked into the glare of the footlights looked at Millie, and her expression was not unlike that of the friends at THE ARGOSY. home when Millie had first begun men- tioning her aspirations, and she had listened with none too sympathetic ear. For every one in Millie’s town had felt it necessary to do all possible to dissuade her from her wild idea. There had been in particular a per- son called ‘‘ Bob,’”’ who had been most vehement in his denunciations of tinsel glory, and called down the wrath of Heaven upon the Land of Illusion. Bob’s unkind words had sealed his doom, or hers, or both; for Millie had at once bought her ticket. The actor-woman did not attempt to dissuade the girl, but she asked her questions—questions which to Millie’s mind were startling, because they were about things in regard to which she had never thought. So the girl got nervous, but the actress went ahead asking more questions, and, among others, she demanded where Millie was “ going to stop.” Millie was a little frightened, and for a-moment forgot to reply. Then suddenly it came to her that she had left the book with the address of her prospective landlady at home on the mantelpiece. She told her questioner all .she re- membered. “The number ends in five,” she be- gan thoughtfully. “ And it was east, I think; but I am not sure, although I am certain about the five.” Then the girl nearly cried, and the actress remarked that she knew of a good place kept by a lady named Green. “Tt will be just right for you,” she added. Millie was delighted. “Tt is on’ Forty-Fifth Street, near Broadway,” the woman continued, and gave the exact number (which I could mention. if I wished). Then she loaned Millie a pencil and a bit of paper, so as not to trust this valuable information to her evidently uncertain memory. Arrived in New York, and at the abiding place of the person called Green, Millie engaged a rather nice room. (It is only in stories that the CoOMmicbook CO