“Mr. Edgerton,” I says, “you must know I have never met no Bolshivikis
and don’t never expect to.”
“There is a plenty of them,” he says, “right here in Washington D.
C. some of them is in the Senate and I tell you it puts a grave
responsibility on you and me and other loyal Americans. Because this
is what has happened Miss Riggs right in the middle of the show the
leading Gentleman has went and died and the Understudy has took
His place and it is the most awful job that has ever fell onto a
theatrical management in the entire history of the American drama,”
he says. “Because in this here political play there is no way that
the Understudy can ever have a chance to rehearse with the rest of
the company, one minute He is just a sort of callboy sitting out on a
cracker-box and the next minute He must put on full regimentals and
walk out into the spotlight and make a speech. And that means Miss
Riggs a most dreadful problem for the rest of the cast that has got
to get behind and support Him and for the stage-directors and the
scene-shifters and worst of all the critics that has got to write up
the show next morning. And that is the God’s truth about my job and
why I have got to have help so bad and you as a good loyal citizen and
the daughter of a great actress has got to understand me and help with
your great experience.”
Well Mom of course I am floored. All I can do is to sit there and at
last I says, “Mr. Edgerton I have heard what you tell me and I suppose
it is right but I hope you won’t mind it has shocked me so that I do
not think I can eat no more Chinese dinner,” I says, “but I will go
home and think it over and decide what I can do to help my country.”
Your bewildered daughter
MAME.
LETTER XIV
IN WHICH I GO ON A STRIKE
DEAR MOM:
I have not saw Mr. Edgerton for three days and I am just as glad
because it has give me time to think things over and get your letter.
You are right I suppose if we cannot get what we want in this world we
have got to make out with what we have. I know that you would not of
chose to live in the gas-house district of Camden New Jersey if you
could of had your own way nor would I maybe of had so many brothers and
sisters.
Well Mr. Edgerton did not call up. I have noticed that gentlemen likes
to have you pretty and cheerful and if you take things too serious and
worry them with questions they do not call up so often. But all the
same I had to get over my shock of hearing him say that the work he
does for the Spokesman up there in the big white house is only a sort
of a play and that I have got to get used to the idea of not telling
the truth about the Spokesman. And then too I am wondering what Mr.
Edgerton’s wife is doing and if she is going to tell on him and me and
I am sore because she should think that because I am a manicure girl I
cannot be fit to know her husband and help him with his politics.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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