Trevor told the audience it was none of his or Joanne’s intention that’s Phoebe should sing at our club. “Phoebe was strictly our guest and any influence from Joanne and I in that was strictly a no no. It would’ve been an imposition on our part. We would not be guilty of such an imposition. It so happens that two of our church members who had heard Phoebe sing in church could not resist the opportunity of possibly having her to sing in our club. They came over to our table and had a chat with Phoebe. They asked Phoebe, if it could be arranged, would she favor the club with a song. Phoebe said, ‘That is I tricky one.’ “
“After some negotiation, Phoebe asked Joanne and I for our opinion. Joanne said. ‘Phoebe, this is one time when Trevor and I would like to stay neutral.’ Trevor said. ‘Mrs. Campbell, you and Mrs. Forrester are both on the church U.C.A. Why not give her a buzz.? Trevor said that ‘Phoebe was in our trust and that we do not feel like telling Phoebe what to do’.”
“Mrs. Campbell phoned Mrs. Forrester and told her what they had in mind. Mrs. Forrester said, ‘Isobel, I think that Phoebe is in good company. It’s her night out so let her enjoy herself but, Isobel, be careful how you handle her. She has that Irish streak in her.’ Isabel told them at the table what Mrs. Forester had said. Isabel said, ‘Phoebe, if you favor us with a song, I feel that you will be well rewarded.’ Phoebe said, ‘Now hold it a second. If you mean money, that’s a out. I do not sing for money.’ Isabel said. ‘That throws a wrench in the works. Well. Tell me, Phoebe, can you give us one reason that you would sing for us?’”
“Phoebe was unusually silent, then she said, ‘Mrs. Campbell, our little church has been damaged inwardly by fire. But do not get me wrong. I’m not here to beg for money. Everyone just put a little change in a pot, that’s all I would ask. Now get this straight. I’m not here to beg. If I sing, it’s from my heart.’”
“When it was arranged that Phoebe would sing, she took our M.C. to task or, in other words, surprise. He found out that he had underestimated this young lady. When Phoebe and her mentor and our M.C., Mr. Pelky, were in the wings preparing for Phoebe’s debut. Mr. Pelky said to Phoebe, ‘Young lady, this better be good.’ Phoebe looked at Mr. Pelky right in the eye. ‘Mr. Pelky, I’m not under contract to sing here. Are you threatening me? If you think for a moment that I will embarrass you, it’s not too late to call it all off.’ Poor Isabel was shaking in her shoes. Mr. Pelky apologized and said, ‘Get out there.’”
“Facing the members, Mr. Pelky said, ‘This is a Miss Croiner visiting Toronto from down east. Mrs. Isabel Campbell here said to Mrs. Sheila Connors we are missing a treat if we let her slip through our fingers. She has voluntarily agreed to oblige us with a few numbers. She wants to explain something to you before she begins.’ Mr. Pelky said, “’hoebe, it’s all yours.’”
“Phoebe, in her eastern drawl and her world approach, was very impressive. ‘Now members of this club, I’m not here to sing for money or to beg. Our church down east has been damaged by fire and all I ask is when you are leaving the building, Mr. Pelky said that he would place a container. Now if you would put a little change in it. And if you do not have change that’s still okay with me. Where I come from, sometimes we are down but like the sun we are sure to rise again. Now once again I sing for you with all my heart. How about ‘Danny Boy’?’”
“The big piano was pushed out to center stage. The pianist struck a chord and Phoebe was off to the rafters. Mr. Pelky told Mrs. Campbell, ‘Boy, that girl has get up and go in her.’ Trevor said that he could keep on going in Phoebe’s praises. She could have gone on singing for a week, the requests that she fulfilled.”
“The audience just loved her. At the beginning of her songs she presented herself as just a country girl and visiting Toronto for the first time. I can tell you, people and friends of Phoebe here tonight, that she didn’t have to take that approach. With her eastern drawl and humble presentation, that was enough. We have heard the disc jockeys on radio presenting their country and western. Well that was Phoebe inadvertently presenting village and city and, incidentally, Phoebe was not expecting us here tonight.”
“I could tell you some more of Phoebe’s exploits in Toronto. It was all done for the love of her church here in your village, I could tell you how she came to get the material for your pageant costumes.”
Trevor looked at Phoebe. She shook her head from side to side and showed him a clasped fist. Trevor said. “Phoebe, I’m sorry. I know I’m out of bounds on that one but someday, Phoebe, it might leak out. Phoebe, I’m going to close on this one. I feel that your congregation should know of your dedication to your church.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, the same night that Phoebe sang at our club, there was also a health club on the same program demonstrating how recreation and gymnastics added to health and flexibility. They had a male and female all dressed up in their gym suits doing their stuff. Also a Phys. Ed teacher directing the cast. They brought out a very heavy mat and the muscular males demonstrated their prowess with the barbells. Afterwards, a well-built young female came out and demonstrated her skill and brawn with a different set of barbells. When she dropped the barbells on the mat, the audience gave her a big applause. The instructor stepped forward and said, ‘’This is a challenge. If there is a lady in this building that can come here and hoist these barbells above her head like Stephie, this club will donate $500 to the charity of their choice.’”
“Phoebe whispered to Joanne, ‘I think there is a little fraud here. I’m going to have a crack at it.’ Joanne said to Phoebe, ‘You are you going to look foolish if you can’t do it.’ Phoebe stepped out and whispered, ‘Here goes, Joanne.’”
“Well the instructor looked surprised. ‘Over here, lady.’ Phoebe stretched her arms above her head and around and worked her shoulders like a professional. She wanted to get a feel of the barbells. She lifted them to her knees and then dropped them. The instructor said, ‘Good try, lady.’ She lifted the barbells to the height of her stomach. The instructor said, ‘Lady, you better give it up before you hurt yourself.’ She picked up the barbells again as high as her chest send dropped them again. The instructor took a slight hold of Phoebe’s shoulder and said. ‘Lady, you better give it up. I’m afraid that you may injure yourself.’”
“It was very plain to Phoebe and others close by that this fellow had ulterior motives. Phoebe told the guy that that didn’t worry her. She just wanted to see if she could hoist the barbells. He stood between Phoebe and the barbells. While Phoebe was flexing her shoulders, she bent over several times and touched the floor with her fingers. Then she slipped off her shoes.”
“The instructor still stood his ground. The Irish streak in Phoebe this that was was getting hot. Mr. Pelky, who was watching in the wings, came over to see what the holdup was all about. The instructor told Mr. Pelky that girl had disqualified herself out of the charity money seeing that she had failed so many times to hoist the barbells. Mr. Pelky was very hesitant to make a judgment. Phoebe said, ‘I failed the charity challenge, so what. I just wanted to see if I could hoist the darned things.’”
The instructor said, ‘If she should rupture herself, our insurance might not cover it, saying that she was not one of our troop.’ It was plain to Mr. Pelky that this fellow was hedging for some reason or other. Mr. Pelky said, ‘Very well. If this girl isn’t it one of your troop and is entertaining in our club, our insurance will cover her.’ The instructor said, ‘How can I prove that?’ Mr. Pelky, who always carried a notebook in his hip pocket just for such emergencies handed it to the instructor. ‘Write down your grievances there and I will sign it.’ Phoebe stood by wondering just what kind of controversy that she had got herself mixed up in.
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