has won this distinction at the hands of Charles Frohman by the excellence
of her work in the support of Sam Bernard during the exploitation of "The
Girl from Kay's" and "The Rollicking Girl."

I called on Miss Williams the other afternoon and found her not in the
least exalted in mind over her approaching launch into stellar spaces.
Indeed, seldom have I encountered in the ranks of Thespis a more modest
young woman.

Although she has been in musical comedy almost continuously throughout her
career of thirteen years, she admits quite frankly that she cannot sing,
and that she has placed herself in the hands of a good master to learn
how. You see, she sets her standard of vocal attainments considerably
higher than do those who talk their songs in the musical plays.

At Fifteen Dollars a Week.

"Yes," she said, in answer to my reminder about her start, "I began in the
chorus of '1492,' at fifteen dollars a week. How did I get the job? Why, I
was simply stage-struck. I saw in the newspapers that Mr. Rice wanted
chorus-girls for his new production, so I went to the theater and asked
for him. He saw me at once, and engaged me.

"You see, I was a Boston girl, and knew something of the show, as it had
been given first by our crack regiment, the Boston Cadets. I remember
among the girls with me in that special chorus group, which afterward made
up the Daily Hints from Paris, were Grace Rutter (now Grace Elliston), who
is the _Mouse_ in 'The Lion and the Mouse,' and Minnie Ashley, who married
Mr. Chanler a while ago and left the stage.

"When the show was brought to New York, the management gave me, in
addition to my chorus specialty, the small part of the _Infanta_, and my
pay was advanced to thirty-five dollars. Then A.M. Palmer, in whose
theater we were having our long run, offered to make me the dancing girl
in 'Trilby,' and I accepted. After that I went into the Hoyt farces and
got up next to leading woman. And this reminds me of a funny
experience--funny now to look back on, but rather exasperating at the
time.

"I had been understudy to the lead in 'A Day and a Night' one season, and
was getting fifty dollars a week. The next year they wanted me to go out
as leading woman in the same piece, and offered me the same money. I
naturally thought that I ought to have more, and told them so.

Those Elusive Sleepers.

"'Look here, Hattie,' said the manager, 'I tell you what we'll do. I'll
make it fifty-five a week a