The Vaudeville Star Read Free Page A

the other girls chatted about their trip and the items they had purchased in New London. Ruby’s mind was too occupied with her future. She needed to find a way to make her dreams come true. She received a small allowance from her father, but that only covered her clothes and other small necessities. She needed to save money so that she could afford the train ticket to wherever she decided to go. She immediately thought of New York.
    Though other cities had theaters and music halls, New York was the center of it all. She knew she would be new and very green, but she planned to work hard and become a star. A shiver of anticipation raced through her.
    When she returned to Miss Porter’s, she asked to speak to the Head of School. She had worked hard and caused no problems since she had been enrolled, and she was well liked by both teachers and students. With the Head of School’s assistance, she was able to secure a job helping the teachers with chores to earn a bit of money. She would put every penny aside and only purchase a new hat or gloves if absolutely necessary. Everything must now go toward her goal of New York.
    She heard from her father monthly, and he kept her abreast of the news back home. She was not surprised to learn that Pernetta remained unmarried. Her mother never wrote to her, though her father always included her love in his letters. He never mentioned Ford, and she never asked, but she continued to write to her friend Jessbelle, who would sometimes mention her brother. They had traveled together to Europe, and though Jess wrote that the trip was exciting, she didn’t elaborate.

    * * *
    E verything had gone according to Ruby’s plan, and suddenly three years had flown by and she was now in the final month of her time at Miss Porter’s School. The school, which she had once looked on as a prison, had become a haven. She had worked hard in her studies and was an excellent student. More importantly, she had cultivated a fine singing voice that everyone agreed was special.
    The school gave seasonal recitals, and Ruby had been the star of the last three. She loved the attention and the applause that came with being onstage, and she lapped it up. Long denied any sort of affection at home except from her father, she suddenly found herself basking in the glory of it all. And she knew it was not enough. Not enough by half. She had diligently done her homework and now had the money she needed for the train trip to New York as well as money for a room in a boardinghouse for at least two months.
    She planned on finding a job onstage once she reached New York, and from there she would work her way into a troupe. She wanted to find a small troupe where she could slowly climb the ranks and become the top performer on a vaudeville bill. She had grand ambitions, and she knew it. But she was extremely determined and knew that she could be patient.
    In the final month of winter, she received a summons to see the Head of School. She immediately set off to the large office, where she was told that a family member wished to speak with her in the front parlor. She knew it must be her father. She hadn’t heard from him in over a month, and they had last seen each other when he had visited her before Thanksgiving.
    Her family life had all but dissolved since the disaster at the engagement party. Pernetta had completely turned her back on her, and her mother had followed suit. Her father, not wanting to stir up more problems, had sided with his wife, though he continued to write to Ruby and sent her money. He had visited her several times, but they never spoke about her mother or sister, and she had only once asked after Ford.
    At eighteen years old, Ruby was ready to face the world and everything that lay in New York, but she was saddened that her own family seemed bent on turning their backs on her.
    She touched a hand to her hair and paused before the looking glass. Her blond hair was pinned back, and she wore a light pink