Omaha daily bee., 1882-12-02

= oRSaSe hhS eSoa - 80 pSAkSA thAV
young lady to some in, which she did
unconcernedly enough, and placed the
bottle on the side.board.
81 hear your are a lawyer, Mr..
Smith" said she, CHANGING around the
room.
"Not yet, Tn only at the bar" 1
returned, modestly.
.'But l suppose you are awfully
clever, and all that" she added sim
ply. "Anyhow, you are very kind"
ooh! don't talk like that, please,
And you, l hear, are an actress"
II don't know" and she looked
quite pensive; II am on the stage"
"It must be q very jolly life,"
suggested somewhat nervously, for I
had never spoken to an actress before,
remember.
cit is a very hard life," said she.
"But you cannot have much expe-
rience," 1 returned, glancing at her
youthful figure.
IT began when l was twelve, and l
am now fifteen. l have played Arthur
In King John, Mamillius In the Win
ter's Tale, and Prince Bright Eyes in
the pantomime. Quite q wide range
of parts, isn't it,"
eyes, I suppose 80, II remarked,
sand may I ask where you are acting
now7"
She laughed. "Such is fame! why,
I am playing in the new burleaque at
the Fortune
apologized fo- my ignorance, and
assured her that I would 60 and see
her on the following night.
"Do," said she, sand mind you ap.
plaud my song. l was encored last
night, so contrlve that / aIa again to-
morrow. Good. by" she continued,
moving towards the door. ~ never
talked to q lawyer before"
"And l have never spoken to an ac-
tress until to-day" quoth I.
"How do you like it2" asked she.
"Immensely; pray give me another
opportunity. What do you think of q
lawyerq"
II don't think of him at all just at
present. have something better to
do" and with that she vanished.
Yes, she wa born piquant and re.
polling; but the novelty of the &C.
quaintanoe was pleasing, and the next
evening found me seated in q stall at
the Theatre Royal Fortune.
The performance was dull and In.
sipid. Perversions and contortions of
the queens English In the shape of
puns never inspired me with a pro.
found sense of the educational use of
the drama, and I was then neither
young enough or old enough to ap-
3reciate an exhibition of shapely
limbs. painted faces and dresses Of an
impossible hue. Still / applauded
Miss Minnie Mays song, and was
somewhat disappointed that she never
bestowed upon me so much as a glance
of recognition. l went back to my
rooms Immediately after the curtain
fell, and prepared for q couple Of
hours spell at "Taylor on Evidence
I had been seated at my table but q
few minutes when q light rap sounded
at my door. I opened 1t, and there
was..Miss Minnie May.
swell" she said im~patiently, show
did you like it? How did it go?"
81 don't know much about bur
lesques, Miss May, but the audience
seemed amused"
"Yes, they encored my song.
have made a hit, / feel certain. Yol
didn't applaud, though, I was watch
ing you"
"Indeed I did; / split my gloveI
over it. Look here" and l showed
her ciroumstantial evidence of m,
zeal.
"Oh, / dare say you split them ap
plauding somebody else; that frigh
that plays Prince Camaralzsman, Will
the padded legs"
"No; / agree with you that she is
fright. / didn't applaud her."
mind you never do. She Ia
wretch. And now l shall expect yor
to come to the Fortune at least tire,
day a week. 1t will do you good
you spend far too much time owe
these abominabIe books" And ther
she asked demurely whether I woult
not 20 upstairs and be introduced t.
grandmsmma, who was anxious t.
thank me for my prompt sympathy O
the previous day. "You won't be to,
shocked, ! suppose" she laughed, as
followed her upstairs.
Grandmamma was q faded old ladJ
dressed in black, and her conversation
generally received itself into uninter
esting "reminiscences of bygone tri
umphs. For she had been the dsrlin,
Of provincial theaters years ago, poo
old soul, and lived as comfortable a
she could on reoollections of the pas
and q pittancs of the present.
Wo had a cheerful little supper o
poached eggs and brown stout. Mis-
Minnie prattlsd away, grandmammi
was Eilently appreciativs and listened
and learnt. Afterward Minnie showed
me her album, and her aged relativ,
showed symptoms of impending sleeI
In her arm chair. / admired the pho
tographs as well as l knew how.
"But you haven't told me what you
think Of my acting2" she exclaimed
suddenly.
"Haven't II Well, you are younl
yet. Are you sure that you like tn,
stsgeF For, to tell the truth, Mis
Minnie May had not inspired me will
any belief in her histrionlc genius.
"Like the ~stase2" she inquired, sur
prised. "Why, I'm a born actress
Ohio! you don't think 500"
Imodsstly deprecated any such idea
! Never mind, Mr.. Smith, befor,