Picture Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1916)

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The Catspaw 71 WANTED. — An actor to play the part of a double in new play. Must be tall, fair, and with clean-cut features. Five feet ten inches in height. Man of refinement and education absolutely essential. Good salary. Rm. 204, Xelson Building, Broadway, X. Y. C. "It's good stuff," said the second man, "but I couldn't fill it. If the right man turns up. it's a cinch." Bayard, who had been gazing out of the window, turned abruptly. He had been watching some one come slowly down the street toward the club. It was Roger Sturges, a young college man, who had been trying to get into the theatrical business for two seasons without much succcess. The actor at the table turned to his confreres. "There's a lad who'd just fit the part,'" said Holt, as a tall, rather poorly dressed form passed the window. "Roge Sturges." The next moment, Sturges lounged into the room. He looked ill-kempt and down on his luck, so that even the breakfasters, themselves without work, felt sorry for him. They quickly put the proposition before him. "Yes, why don't you take a chance?" they all asked him. Sturges could see no harm in trying, so he hurriedly took the subway to the address mentioned in the advertisement. There was a long line ahead of him, and it seemed impossible that he would ever even be interviewed. Finally his chance came. "Say,'" exclaimed the agent, as he entered, looking first at a picture he held in his hand, and then at Sturges, "you ain't a fellow named St. John, are you?" "No. My name's Sturges. I was in the "Red Slipper' company last. What's the idea?" "Well, the idea is that if you ain't St. John himself, then I've found what I didn't think there was in the world, an ab-so-lute double ! My Lord ! I couldn't teli the difference if I had you two together ! Sure you ain't fooling me ?" "Of course not !" answered the other impatiently. He could not understand the actions of this agent, "Well, St. John is the man who wants to hire the double. Only you've got to grow a beard and mustache. If you'll do that, you're hired. What do you say? It will mean a hundred dollars a week." "Done !" wras Sturges' answer, as he grasped the agent's hand. "It's a beard and mustache as soon as I can. Then what?" "Then you get into a suit of dress clothes and go to the address on this card. I'll tell 'em you're coming. That's all." And he rose, smiling. Sturges walked away from the office unconscious of all that was going on about him. A hundred dollars a week ! It seemed too good to be true. But before the beard was hardly grown he received another message from the agent. That individual asked for another interview, and. when Sturges called, greeted him with the statement that a new turn had come in the matter, and that there were a few more things which had to be settled. Sturges' heart sank, for he was sure that he was to lose the position. However, the agent reassured him at the outset bv telling him that he was eminently satisfactory, but that there was some new information to be imparted to him. "Yrou see.'' began the agent, "there has been a slight misunderstanding about what you are to do. Y'ou are not to play a part on the stage at all ; this is a confidential matter with one of the foremost men of Eastern society. \\ "hen you were here before. I mentioned the name of Kittredge St. John. Do you know him?" Sturges admitted that he had never heard of him.