Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-02-20
THE Bitter BIT.
How S0thern Retallaied on One or Billy
FiOrence's Practical Jokes.
81. Louis GlObe- Democrat,

III
had the laugh put on him on his own
stamping.ground, and in The very face
of an audience that was admiring him
ms the model mirth maker of the times
1t was at the Olympic, last night, and in
he second act of "Our American
Cousin" Lord Dtmdredyy was lisping
and stammering through the story in
which he tells how he escaped being
married to n girl by getting up later
than the other fellow. The audience
followed the comedian through the
torturing narrative, and broke into n
loud laugh when the tag was reached.
The laugh was hnslled almost instant
", however, for Billy Florence rushed
upon the stage in his "Mighty Dollar"
rig, and, grasping the astonished Soth-
ern's hand, said Excuse me old boy,
but Pm in hurry" and in an instant
darted out. Sothern was unable to col
lect himself; the audience, who knew
Billy Florence was playing Mt Popes,
nearly d dozen blocks away, wondered
first, and burst into the most rapturous
and enthusiastic applause afterwards.
L0rd Daadreary and the other actors
were 30 demoralized, and the house
was in such an uproar, that the play
was forgotten. Cries Of Florence r
rang from all parts Of the house; Dun
dieary reeained sufficient consciousness
to hurry after the flying member from
Cohosh; Geo,gitt,,a left the stage; every
body before and behind the stage was
looking for the practical joker, but
Florence had jumbed into u hack at
the stage entrance ana vanished like
dream The play was proceeded with
without ringing down the curtain, after
an intcfmission Of about ten minutes.
Florence got back to Pope's in good
time, and In u few minutes had his
whole company bursting with laughter
over tho elegant p. j.--practioal joke
which no played upon Sothern. The
curtain rang up upon the Mighty Dol
lar" and the play went on, the audi
cnce being completely in the dark ~
TO tho cause OF tho spasmodic witches
which played around SiOie's lips and
eyelida, and wondering TO themselves
howthey could have remained 30 long
ignorant OF tho great good humor with
watch tho Cohosh politician Is over
bubbing. TO them Florence seemed
funnier than ever, and, indeed, 30 he
was, for the recollection Of the manner
in which no had, 30 TO speak, Knocked
Lord Duni,cary, sde-whiskers, eye
glasses and all, into II hoap came back
to him every few moments, and every
time he saw, in his minds eye, the
paral yzed Englishman, and heard roar
ing ia his cars the denfening shouts and
plaudits OF the Olympic audionce,h he felt
twenty year2 younger, and tackled his
part with rejuvenescence and interest
TINT increased in geometrical progress
sion with each recurring remembrance
Of the event. Ho made love like man
who meant business, and Ms. GiVmy
forgot tho shades OF tho late lnmented,
and thought Billy had been tapping the
wrong fount Of inspiration. The actor
and actress were IN tho zenith of their
Courtship again, when tall. long-coat-
I'd and blaok.whiskered Englishman
skipped in from the back of the stage,
adjusted his oyeglnss, gave the sable
Christmas-tree that fringed his left jaw
twinge, took his bearings, and with n
hop, ekip, and II jump arrived in front
Of Siote md Mrs. GWo,y just in time to
interrupt tho love.making. There IL an
Englishman in "The Mighty Dollar, "a
Lord Cdirngorm, --an awkward, short.
coated, light.breechosed aud iair-llesh.
cd gentleman. II this had been LORD
GairngorNl, the Cohosh momber would
have torn his anatomy to pieces and
disseminated IL like lmedust to the four
quarters of tho city. But it was not
LORD CdirRgorm. II was tho eccentric,
tonguo.tied, and hrain-bereit Lord Dun
Rreuy, who had fled his "bwotha" Sam
and everybody else NJ the Olympic, and
hnd como to pay his respects to the
American couple Mt Popos. Slote aaw
this, and tho mercury IN his spirits IAN
down into his boots, and began rolling
ont through tho toe-tnps to the foot
lights. The audience may have Thought
these were tears; they were not.
lilo looked around for soft spot
whereon to lilo down and dhn. His face
blanohed his eyes shrunk, and his
shape collapsed until his clothes tapped
IN the wind throughout the open stage
door like flag ut half-mast over glib
bet. For two minutes he was an incar-
nate ghost, and during the rest Of the
interval no was the "purtiest corpse"
An admiring coterie of friends ever geat-
cd over. Mrs. GRti0ry threw her hands
and eyes up toward the particular por-
ton OF ceiling from which the shades Of
CEN. q, are supposed to look down IN.
on her, and was lost Ia whirl Of
anlazemont. The audience greeted Dun.
dredry with II hurricane of applause,
and shouted, and shriekcd, and whstled
until il seemed rs Il tho top story OF
Pandomonium bad BEEN torn oil, aud
every noise of the neither region had
rushed ont through the opening. Lori
DunaVarV advanced amid all the up
roar and told the exquisitely funny
story about tho dog mud rabbit. The
audience laughed atitwith even greater
vohemcnce than usual. but BurdWtR
Siote did not laugh. twas not his place
TO laugh, you know. Al. K.-gin cock.
tail-eould not have brought smile to
his face. II was funeral for the Slot
family, and any hilarity on the occasion
would not be tolerated. Probably had
the audience known what serious oc-