madam,” the clerk said.
“And I wish to send a telegram to Phineas T. Barnum in New York.”
The clerk handed her a yellow pad and pencil. “If you will be good enough to write it out, Madam.”
“Yes,” she said, taking pad and pencil. She thought a moment, then wrote: “Unhappy dispute between myself and Peter. He has left Washington. Will somehow try to keep company going without him. Advise immediately about replacement. Fanny.”
She gave the clerk her message and he read it back to her and was well trained to the point that he betrayed no surprise at its contents. He simply told her, “I will see that it gets off at once, madam.”
“Thank you,” she said. “And if the reply comes when I’m at the theatre send it there by messenger. “
She walked hurriedly to the theatre where a morning run through had been scheduled for Richelieu which was to be the evening’s play. When she arrived she found Nancy Ray backstage talking to the stage manager, an elderly actor named Leroy Barnes. Fanny lost no time in joining them.
“I have bad news,” she said.
Nancy stared at her. “What now?”
“Peter has left us!”
The gray-haired Barnes showed disbelief on his lined, aristocratic face. “You’re saying that Peter Cortez has left the company without any notice?”
She sighed. “I’m afraid that is it.”
“How could he!” Nancy said angrily. “How could he let us all down?”
She told the blonde girl, “He was annoyed at John Wilkes Booth coming to see me last night. It developed into a personal argument and he decided to make me suffer by walking out on the company.”
“That is shameful!” the pert ingenue said. She then asked, “What will we do?”
Fanny said, “I’ve given is some thought coming over. The understudy should be able to get us through the matinee. And we’ll either have to find another actor able to play the Cardinal in tonight’s performance or cancel it.”
Leroy Barnes showed concern on his ancient face. “In my prime I could step into a role at short notice. But now my memory is not up to such a quick study.”
Fanny said, “I have sent a telegram to Mr. Barnum asking about a replacement. But whatever he does, no one will get here in time to do the play tonight.”
Nancy said, “The understudy is bad in that role but surely better to give a poor performance than cancel.”
Leroy Barnes turned to Fanny and said, “You’ll forgive me, Mrs. Cornish, but it seems to me you’ve overlooked the most hopeful possibility.”
She said, “Oh?”
The old man nodded. “Yes. You mentioned John Wilkes Booth having been here to see you. He is well known for his playing of Richelieu . If you could get him to join you it would be an extra attraction.”
“I’d forgotten,” she admitted. “But even if he does know the part I’m not sure he is still in Washington.”
“We can send someone to find out,” the old stage manager told her. “What do you think?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” she said. “See if you can find him.”
Nancy said, “We may as well run through the play with the understudy. Then if worse comes to worst we can use him.”
“That would be wise,” she agreed.
And so it was arranged. The company ran through the plan quickly with the understudy reading the Cardinal’s lines. Not only was he too young for the part, he didn’t know the lines well. He begged off the last act to go to his dressing room and firm himself in his lines for The Rivals , which was the afternoon play. At least this part was within his range.
The first report on John Wilkes Booth came just before the curtain went up on the afternoon play. Leroy Barnes came to Fanny’s dressing room and informed her, “We found the hotel where he is booked and he hasn’t checked out.”
“Did you talk to him?” she asked, already made up and in costume
“And I wish to send a telegram to Phineas T. Barnum in New York.”
The clerk handed her a yellow pad and pencil. “If you will be good enough to write it out, Madam.”
“Yes,” she said, taking pad and pencil. She thought a moment, then wrote: “Unhappy dispute between myself and Peter. He has left Washington. Will somehow try to keep company going without him. Advise immediately about replacement. Fanny.”
She gave the clerk her message and he read it back to her and was well trained to the point that he betrayed no surprise at its contents. He simply told her, “I will see that it gets off at once, madam.”
“Thank you,” she said. “And if the reply comes when I’m at the theatre send it there by messenger. “
She walked hurriedly to the theatre where a morning run through had been scheduled for Richelieu which was to be the evening’s play. When she arrived she found Nancy Ray backstage talking to the stage manager, an elderly actor named Leroy Barnes. Fanny lost no time in joining them.
“I have bad news,” she said.
Nancy stared at her. “What now?”
“Peter has left us!”
The gray-haired Barnes showed disbelief on his lined, aristocratic face. “You’re saying that Peter Cortez has left the company without any notice?”
She sighed. “I’m afraid that is it.”
“How could he!” Nancy said angrily. “How could he let us all down?”
She told the blonde girl, “He was annoyed at John Wilkes Booth coming to see me last night. It developed into a personal argument and he decided to make me suffer by walking out on the company.”
“That is shameful!” the pert ingenue said. She then asked, “What will we do?”
Fanny said, “I’ve given is some thought coming over. The understudy should be able to get us through the matinee. And we’ll either have to find another actor able to play the Cardinal in tonight’s performance or cancel it.”
Leroy Barnes showed concern on his ancient face. “In my prime I could step into a role at short notice. But now my memory is not up to such a quick study.”
Fanny said, “I have sent a telegram to Mr. Barnum asking about a replacement. But whatever he does, no one will get here in time to do the play tonight.”
Nancy said, “The understudy is bad in that role but surely better to give a poor performance than cancel.”
Leroy Barnes turned to Fanny and said, “You’ll forgive me, Mrs. Cornish, but it seems to me you’ve overlooked the most hopeful possibility.”
She said, “Oh?”
The old man nodded. “Yes. You mentioned John Wilkes Booth having been here to see you. He is well known for his playing of Richelieu . If you could get him to join you it would be an extra attraction.”
“I’d forgotten,” she admitted. “But even if he does know the part I’m not sure he is still in Washington.”
“We can send someone to find out,” the old stage manager told her. “What do you think?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” she said. “See if you can find him.”
Nancy said, “We may as well run through the play with the understudy. Then if worse comes to worst we can use him.”
“That would be wise,” she agreed.
And so it was arranged. The company ran through the plan quickly with the understudy reading the Cardinal’s lines. Not only was he too young for the part, he didn’t know the lines well. He begged off the last act to go to his dressing room and firm himself in his lines for The Rivals , which was the afternoon play. At least this part was within his range.
The first report on John Wilkes Booth came just before the curtain went up on the afternoon play. Leroy Barnes came to Fanny’s dressing room and informed her, “We found the hotel where he is booked and he hasn’t checked out.”
“Did you talk to him?” she asked, already made up and in costume
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