The Vaudeville Star

by Nicola Italia

  Ruby watched as Zeta completely commanded the stage and everyone was silenced by her. She wore a gown of emerald satin and long black ostrich feathers in her hair. A string of pearls dangled to her waist, and she looked stylish and elegant.

  “The Boy I Love Is Up in the Gallery” was her signature song and had been for almost ten years. It had been made famous by Marie Lloyd, who was a contemporary of Zeta’s. Even though the song was about a young girl and her love, Zeta refused to give it up. She even began to make small changes to the song that made the audience laugh.

  I was a young girl, having just come over, Over from the country where they do things big, And amongst the boys I've got a lover, And since I've got a lover, why I don't care a fig.

  The boy I love is up in the gallery, The boy I love is looking now at me, There he is, can't you see, waving his handkerchief, As merry as a robin that sings on a tree.

  Her voice was not as high and clear as it had once been, but she was well loved in New York, and the audience flocked to see her. As she sang the line about the boy in the gallery, she waved her hand up to it, and several people waved back.

  When she had finished her song, she exited the stage with wild applause following her, not even casting a glance at Ruby. Ruby sighed. She wanted to be exactly like Zeta. Center stage and adored.

  That night after the performance, she lay on her back going over everything she had seen from each act. They all had something that drew the audience in. The magician was mysterious while the comedian made everyone laugh, and the sisters were sexy and fun. The dancing duo danced as most people never could while Zeta commanded the stage.

  She had memorized several songs while at school, but none of them were special. She needed a song to learn and practice so that when the time was right she could perform it onstage. She would ask for Bessie’s help. She would know what to do.

  The next morning after breakfast, Ruby and Bessie ventured to a side street off of Broadway to a well-known music store frequented by many of the vaudeville troupers. The store sold a wide range of instruments as well as sheet music, and as they entered the shop, a bell over the door sounded their arrival.

  “Hello,” Bessie called out.

  A slender man with black hair parted down the middle emerged. As soon as he saw Bessie, he smiled. “Miss Moore. A pleasure.”

  “Please, Ezra. I’ve told you to call me Bessie.”

  “Bessie. How may I help you and your friend?” he asked politely.

  “This is Ruby. Ruby, Ezra. He owns the finest music shop in Manhattan.”

  Ezra grinned at the compliment. “Well, if Miss Bessie says it, then it must be so.”

  “I’m looking for some sheet music. Perhaps something that is not overly used. Something special,” Ruby told him.

  Ezra nodded and moved to the back of his shop. He brought forth an unopened box and set it before the ladies on his counter.

  “You ladies look well this morning,” he said shyly, though his eyes were entirely focused on Bessie, who smiled back at him.

  He opened the box, and a dozen or so sheets of music spilled forth. Together, the three of them began to look through the songs.

  “No, that won’t do,” Bessie said, tossing aside a minstrel song.

  They discarded one after the other until Ezra stopped.

  “How about this one?” he asked, holding up the sheet music to a song called “Mighty Lak' a Rose,” which was very new.

  Ruby looked it over and smiled. “Can you play it? Let me give it a try.”

  Ezra moved to the upright piano and placed the sheet music on it. He began to play the simple piece, and Ruby sang the song but in a lower key so that it was not so shrill and high.

  “Sweetest l'il feller, Everybody knows; Dunno what to call him, But he mighty lak' a rose!

  Lookin' at his Mammy, Wid eyes so shiny blue, Mek' you think that heav'n, Is comin' clost-ter you!

  W'en he's a dar a-sleepin', In his li'l place, Think I see de angels, Lookin' thro' de lace.

  When de dark is fallin', When de shadders creep, Den dey comes on tiptoe, Ter kiss 'im in his sleep. Sweetest l'il feller, Everybody knows; Dunno what to call him, But he mighty lak' a rose!

  “Ruby,” Bessie said softly. “You can sing.”

  Ruby smiled. “Well, that’s good to know.”

  “I think it’s perfect for you. It’s written in the dialect style, but you can change that. Sing it normally, and it will be lovely,” Bessie told her.

  “I agree. It’s perfect for you.” Ezra nodded.

  “I’ll take it,” she said.

  That night, Ruby studied the sheet music for “Mighty Lak' a Rose.” It wasn’t a difficult song, and once it was sung normally without the dialect, and in a lower voice register, it was quite pretty. She didn’t know when the time would come, but when it did, she wanted to be ready. She wanted to show Vernon and the other troupers that she could sing. She wanted to be a true part of the show. She wanted to be a performer.

  She tried to save as much of her wages as she could. She had the savings she had brought with her from Connecticut, and she didn’t spend any money on dresses, hats, or gloves, and though she loved pretty ribbons in her hair, she denied herself this small pleasure. She must conserve her money until she was making more.

  One of the things Ruby loved to do was visit the theater before performances. Sometimes she would go to the theater very early and wander the length of the long aisle and walk the stage alone in the dark. The stagehands ignored her, or maybe they thought she was simple. She didn’t care. It was the calm before the storm that she enjoyed. She never saw any of the other performers. They usually arrived an hour or so before they were to perform.

  As she stepped onstage, she looked around and saw no one about. The audience was dark, and one spotlight was directed at the stage, though Ruby stood to the left of it. She made a small curtsy and smiled to herself. She was behaving silly, but she liked it. The thrill of being watched by so many eyes must be exhilarating.

  When she began to sing, it was as light as a whisper: “Sweetest little feller, Everybody knows, Don’t know what to call him, but he’s mighty like a rose,” her voice trembled a bit, but she kept singing until she grew stronger.

  She only sang another line before she heard voices backstage and moved quickly offstage so as not to be discovered.

  “Christ! He’s postponed our meeting twice, and now he wants me to attend some blasted party tomorrow,” Vernon cursed as he read the telegram out loud to Max.

  A man of very little speech, Max merely shrugged his shoulders.

  “I suppose I ought to invite that damned bitch Zeta and Lou. The two of them are thick as thieves these days, but they might actually help.”

  Max remained silent.

  “Maybe I should bring Ruby along as well. She’s easy on the eyes, and you know he likes the women.” Vernon smiled.

  Max nodded.

  “You’re right! Brilliant! I’ll bring her!” Vernon said, delighted.

  “I don’t have anything to wear.” Ruby was not exaggerating as she looked through her sparse closet.

  “What did he say it was for?” Bessie asked as she sat on Ruby’s bed, flipping through Harper’s Bazaar magazine.

  “Vern said he was attending some party at an investor’s house and that I would be a welcome addition,” Ruby said, pulling out another drab-looking dress.

  “An investor?” Bessie perked up. “I wonder if he’s talking about King Parker.”

  “King Parker? Who’s that?”

  “King Parker? Who’s that? Where have you been living? In a convent?” Bessie laughed.

  “Close to it. A girl’s boarding school in Connecticut,” Ruby said, smiling.

  “Well, to begin with, his name isn’t really King. It’s William. But he owns half of New York and is involved in politics and supports the arts. He has the Midas touch. I’m surprised the newspapers don’t call him the golden boy. Anything he touches turns to gold.�
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  “So what business does this man have to discuss with Vernon?” Ruby asked.

  “Well, even though Vern is stuck in that run-down theater now, he’s always been ambitious. He wants to take the show to London on a grand tour, but he lacks the finances. Maybe King Parker owes him a favor or something. Don’t underestimate Vern. He’s surprisingly creative when it comes to getting what he wants.”

  “I still don’t know why I’m going. I’m a card girl. I’m the lowest rung in the theater world.”

  “Hmmm . . .”

  “Hmmm, what?” Ruby asked.

  “King is known for his wealth, politics, and support of the arts. But he is also known for his love of the ladies. Especially young beautiful ones such as yourself.”

  “What am I, bait?” Ruby asked, shocked.

  “Don’t look at it that way, Ruby. In fact, you should be pleased. This party will bring together all sorts of people, and you will be seen. That’s important. You know you don’t want to stay a card girl forever. So let’s find you a dress. And by dress, I mean a dress! And not here,” Bessie said as she threw her magazine down and grabbed Ruby’s hand.

  Bessie and Ruby walked down the long aisles of costumes inside the theater as Ruby shook her head.

  “Nothing suits, Bess. Everything is too flamboyant. It’s meant for the stage.”

  Bessie heaved a huge sigh as she joined her. “Listen, Ruby. I know you came from a sheltered life in Mississippi, and besides Connecticut, you haven’t seen much of the world, but life is a stage! You have to show your best side and wear clothes that accentuate your curves and make you stand out. Like this!”

  Bessie pulled a gaudy dress from the rack and held it against Ruby. The dress was bright blue and yellow with puffy sleeves and altogether not anything Ruby wanted to wear. Bessie looked down at the gown and seemed to guess Ruby’s thoughts.

  “Well, perhaps this is more Zeta than you.” She put it back.

  Suddenly, they came upon a stunning satin lilac gown with a tight bodice and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The minute Ruby saw it, she smiled widely.

  “Perfect!” Bessie concurred. “Try it on!”

  Ruby moved behind the screen at the end of the costume room and discarded her day dress for the lilac gown. Bessie helped tie the laces in the back, and she was transformed. There was a lavender sash around the waist, and the bodice was edged in tulle, which only served to make the dress seem all the more feminine.

  “Oh, Ruby.”

  “What?” She turned to her friend. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re lovely. We’ll put your hair up and borrow some rhinestone hair clips from the costume department, and you’ll be the belle of the ball.”

  6

  Ruby lay on her back on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She had already bathed, and soon Bessie would come to dress her hair as promised, and Vern would pick her up to take her to the dinner party.

  She was nervous. Besides Vernon, Zeta, and Lou, she would know no one at the party, and she felt out of her element. At home in Mississippi, when her mother threw a party or her family attended one, she knew everyone and had known them all her entire life.

  She was Earl’s daughter, Lucille’s girl, Pernetta’s baby sister, and everyone smiled at her. She was in her element in the South, surrounded by her own people. But New York with its fast ways was foreign to her, and she worried about setting a wrong foot forward and appearing awkward and country backward.

  She wanted to be liked, and she wanted to succeed. There was no alternative. Her mother and sister didn’t want her back home, and there was nowhere else to go. She would play the part of the ingenue, as Vernon had called her, and one day she would actually be the ingenue and play it no more. She must watch and wait for the right moment when she could step onstage and hear the roar of applause that would be entirely for her.

  Vern picked her up promptly in a hired Electrobat taxicab. Ruby’s father had owned an automobile back home, so she had been inside one, but she was still amazed at their speed and uniqueness. Vernon had a different opinion.

  “These things,” he pointed to the car, “a passing fancy, I tell you. They go too fast and aren’t safe,” he complained. “I’m surprised we aren’t all run over on the streets!”

  “Then why did you hire it?” Ruby said, trying to hide her smile.

  “Because we must arrive in style. Appearances are everything. And may I say you look absolutely charming.” His eyes took in her lilac gown.

  “Thank you. You didn’t tell me much about this party. Who is giving it?”

  Vernon winked at her. “Ah, my dear! Just wait! You are about to meet one of the wealthiest men in New York. His name is William Parker.”

  “King Parker?” Ruby asked, remembering Bessie’s words.

  “Just so, Ruby. Just so. He’s quite influential. I met him at a poker game. We got to talking, and he seemed interested in our little theater group. He wanted to meet our newest rising star.” He smiled.

  “Star? Hardly that. I’m a card girl, Vern. Nothing more.”

  “For now. But let’s wait and see what fate has in store for both of us,” he said mysteriously.

  The taxicab pulled up to their destination, and after Vernon paid the driver, they stepped out in front of a brick and limestone mansion on Fifth Avenue.

  “My goodness!” Ruby breathed out as she looked up at the façade.

  “I suspect goodness had very little to do with it,” Vernon murmured under his breath.

  A stately butler greeted them, and once their names were given, they were admitted inside. The mansion was filled with dark wood paneling, marble floors, and footmen moving through the crowd of people carrying silver trays filled with champagne glasses.

  The ladies were dressed brightly with jewels dripping from their throats, hands, and ears while the men looked strangely similar in black-and-white evening clothes. Vernon procured two glasses of champagne and handed one to Ruby.

  “Don’t worry about names and faces. Just smile when you meet King, and for God’s sake whatever you do, don’t get on the dragon’s bad side if you meet her.”

  “Dragon?”

  “His mother. His wife is ill, so his mother often acts as hostess for these events. She’s very protective of her son.”

  “Of course she would be.”

  Ruby sipped the champagne but didn’t care for it. It was sickly sweet, so she just held on to the glass as she looked at the people about her. Across the room was a woman who wore a dark blue dress that contrasted prettily with her darker skin tone.

  “Who is that woman, Vern?” she asked quietly. “She’s lovely.”

  “Hmmm? That’s Lourdes. She’s King’s mistress.”

  “His mistress? You said he was married.”

  Vernon didn’t even bother to contradict her.

  “There are stories that she’s from some eastern land or that she’s half-Spanish and that she’s bewitched him,” Vernon told her.

  Ruby laughed. “What nonsense.”

  A man with black hair graying at the temples approached them, and Vernon seemed to stand at attention while Ruby did as she was told and smiled.

  “Hello, Vern. Glad you could make it. When I told you to bring a guest, I didn’t anticipate she would be quite so beautiful.” His brown eyes were directed at Ruby.

  “Allow me to introduce you. William Parker, this is Ruby Sutton. She’s a singer. Ruby, this is William Parker,” Vernon said smoothly.

  “Mr. Parker,” Ruby said even as the man bent over and kissed the back of her hand.

  “Please. No one calls me that.”

  “William?” she asked.

  “Reserved only for my mother. Call me King. It’s a nickname of sorts.” He smiled.

  Ruby looked into his dark eyes and nodded. “King.”

  “And this lovely jewel of womanhood, where have you been hiding her?” King asked Vernon.

  “She’s from Mississippi originally.”

 
“Aha! I thought I detected a Southern accent. You are very welcome to our party this evening, Ruby.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Come, Vern. We can chat over a whiskey,” King said as he led Vernon away from her.

  Ruby saw Vernon speaking animatedly to the financier as the two men moved away from the crowd. She wasn’t aware she was being watched until she turned slightly to see an older woman standing beside her.

  The woman was dressed in a satin gown of deep burgundy, and the diamonds she wore glittered in the low gaslight. Her brown hair was threaded heavily with gray. She carried a glass of champagne in her hand.

  “Good evening.” She smiled at Ruby.

  “Good evening.”

  “Are you enjoying the party? So many people,” she said softly.

  “It’s very extravagant. And the mansion is breathtaking,” Ruby said.

  “Yes. It is. I believe firmly in doing something right the first time and doing it well.” She nodded to Ruby. “Forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Alice. Alice Parker.”

  “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Ruby Sutton.” Ruby suddenly realized she was speaking to the “dragon” she had been warned about.

  “Ruby? Pretty name for a pretty girl.”

  Ruby smiled, but some reason she felt extremely on edge. “You’re very kind.”

  “Not at all. We give so many parties here, and they are often extremely dull. But William does love entertaining, even if Caroline does not.”

  “Caroline?”

  “My daughter-in-law. A sickly little thing. She brought enough money to the family but little else.” Alice laughed, but there was no warmth in it. “There’s never been any children from the union.”

  Ruby felt a little uncomfortable at the very personal nature of this conversation with a stranger.

  “That’s unfortunate,” Ruby said.

  “Isn’t it though? And then I have to contend with his dalliances with that mulatto. Shocking! But I think he does it only to irritate me.” She smiled at Ruby, though she had said nothing amusing.