Read Online A Stranger in the Mirror by Sidney Sheldon - Free Book Online Page A

and said, "I'll bet. A lot of them must try to crash in here." ''Quite a few," Mrs. Tanner agreed. She glanced at the card she held in her hand. "Toby Temple." "You probably haven't heard the name,'' he explained, "because for the last couple of years, I've been -- " "Playing repertory in England." He nodded. "Right" Alice Tanner looked at him and said quietly, "Mr. Temple, Americans are not permitted to play in English repertory. British Actors Equity doesn't allow it." Toby felt a sudden sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. "You might have checked first and saved us both this embarrassment. I'm sorry, but we only enroll professional talent here." She started back toward her desk. The interview was over. "Hold it! " His voice was like a whiplash. She turned in astonishment. At that instant, Toby had no idea what he was going to say or do. He only knew that his whole future was hanging in the balance. The woman standing in front of him was the stepping-stone to everything he wanted, everything he had worked and sweated for, and he was not going to let her stop him. "You don't judge talent by ruies. lady! Okay--so I haven't acted. And why? Because people like you we-i'r give me a chance. You see what I mean?" It was W. C. Fields's voice. Alice Tanner opened her mouth to interrupt him, but Toby never gave her the opportunity. He was Jimmy Cagney telling her to give the poor kid a break, and James Stewan agreeing with him, and Clark Gable saying he was dying to work with the kid and Cary Grant adding that he thought the boy was brilliant. A host of Hollywood stars was in that
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    ion! and they were all saying funny things, things that oby Temple had never thought of before. The words, the kes poured out of him in a frenzy of desperation. He was man drowning in the darkness of his own oblivion, clinging Va life raft of words, and the words were all that were keep- a him afloat. He was soaked in perspiration, running around ie room, imitating the movement of each character who was Bring. He was manic, totally outside of himself, forgetting here he was and what he was here for until he heard Alice aimer saying, "Stop it! Stop it!" Tears of laughter were streaming down her face. "Stop it1" she repeated, gasping fur breath. And slowly, Toby came down to earth. Mrs. 'I anner had :aken out a handkerchief and was wiping her eyes. "You--you're insane," she said. "Do you know that?" 11 Toby stared at her, a feeling of elation slowly filling him, Kring, exalting him. "You liked it, huh?" Alice Tanner shook her head and took a deep breath to amtrol her laughter and said, "Not -- not very much." Toby looked at her, filled with rage. She had been laughg at him, not with him. He had been making a fool of _mself. "Then what were you laughing at?" Toby demanded. She smiled and said quietly, "You. That was the most Erenetic performance I've ever seen. Somewhere, hidden ineath all those movie stars, is a young man with a lot of lent. You don't have to imitate other people. You're naturally any." Toby felt his anger begin to seep away. "I think one day you could be really good if you're willing to work hard at it. Are you?" He gave her a slow, beatific grin and said, "Let's roll up )ur sleeves and go to work." Josephine worked very hard Saturday morning, fielping her mother clean the house. At noon. Cissy and some other friends picked her up to take her on a picnic. Mrs. Csinski watched Josephine being driven off in the
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    long limousine filled with the children of the Oil People. She thought. One day something bad is going to happen to Josephine. I shouldn't let her be with those people. They're the Devil's children. And she wondered if there was a devil in Josephine. She would talk to the Reverend Damian. He would know what to do. 9
    Actors West was divided into two sections: the Showcase group, which consisted of the more experienced actors, and the Workshop group. It was the Showcase actors who staged plays that were covered by the