The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-26
4 PRHxER.
a STORY.

seIf in the manaecrial office NJ the Fcstal
theatre. To which he had been condncse<
through n dasslinG region OF cnchant'
uent. his knees smote together, his face
0usheSl with excitement and his tongue
heQnn tn swell to such am extent as Ia
seriously impede his u~tterancc.
These phenomena were carefully noted
by Manager HUSTLE, of the well-knowu
theatrical firm of Hustle d Harsiup' as hs
''sised up his visitor and invited him tai q
chair.
II nave here u play" said Mr.. Grass
producing "a roll of manuscript tied with q
pink ribbon. (which I am confident would
prove a great success i'm your Theatre.
wrote IL all myself, and although il is my
maiden effort i'm that direction l have rsa'
son to believe that Il contains the lcmcn
Of popularity. All l want Is "a fair trial.
ssT'm afraid I can't do anything for you
here" said Mr.. Hustle shaking his head
~dubiously. ~ can get plays Till you rant
rest; hut when il comes to paying out
$4,000 for putting il ON the stage. that's
quite "a different matter. Very sorry, SIR
SBut." rejoincd Dolly. ~ am PERFECTLY
willing to hear the expense myself, IL you
consider the play GEL 1;sa enough IN :, na Tor e. 10 y y"a,
employed. A You are busy. now I will
The effect OF these simple words was
magical. They opened to the fertile ana
imaginative brain Of Mr.. Hustle N bright
vtStb Oh IGpSIh'Tty W.
very end of the season. and possibly a
few weeks into the next. In his dream
the ghost walked. the adi lady ceased
% kick, and the printer, gas man. land
lord and costumcrd disappeared into outer
darkness.
~. ''but what I might hc able to do sonlc-
thing with you. Anyway, just sit down
here n minute and well talk il over"
ii.
II Mr.. Grass knees shook on the occa-
sion of his first visit to the Fcstal thcater
they may he said to- have ratified together
like ~castancts on the eventfui day when
he read his play to the members OF the
company. grouped about linn ON the dinly
lighted stacy.
Messrs., Hustle q Hardnp wer. both
expressed their approval with "a degree of
enthusiasm that raised the young author
90 the seventh heaven Of delight. Some
of the players. however, did not seem To
be as favorably impressed. The coInesl-
i'm sulked and observed that there were
lo9ue," TO which Mr.. Hariup rctorted that
there were Zone or two mighty queer act
ors tn read them and MIR. Funniman sub
sided incontinently, while the rest OF the
Rigglcd.
Miss Ma,idc DaIprez, the leading lady.
Eas Also morose, and ~ was h1a .n.i, MI ar
thing like "a cheerful smile. She took
Mr.. Grass aside and made the following
Firrt-That she should have her first
entrance through a hay window I'm ~ rid
Second-That her f~avoritc ballad. SON
" the Pail From My Baby's Bier" should
be in the room
Third-That the part assigned tn Miss
Merton. the Juvenile lady SHOULD he short
lines added to her own. because she did
not intend to he showed under by that
painted thing. who ought tn have been
playing comic old woman ten years ago."
With these trifiing alterations
thought the piece might ''catch on"
The .manaRer. had hut one stipulation
Grass should deposit with them n check
for $1O,0OO to '.cover the expense Of the
Ioss." They also introduced Mr.. Billy
Freelance, the press agent Of the theatre.
who had been thoughtful enough to pre-
of the author and his play. A
~livelier- iris changed ON the FURNISHED
brow Of Mr.. Dolly Grass when he heard
author who had already made u
ieep impression on the hearts OF several
IF the adics Of the Fessal -,
Mr.. F~rselance, with IA jocular wink. sand II
your plays AS big ~ winner as you are
the %actress ladies it'll nc "a go and no
The $1,000 check was paid that after
noon. and used by Messrs. Hustle &
in staving oiy sounc Of their mos, i,npors ,
crettitors.
III.
The evening of the first representation
Of "Thc Maidcn's Prayer" by Adolphtls
ESD, came at last. and at \ o'clock
theF estal theater was packed with an cN-
throng. The audience was large,
the box office receipts were small. In
order to insure "A good free
had been distributed i'm various
by the management, the author
and various attaches OF the house.
The friends of Mr.. Grass. clad in even
ing dress and bearing bouquets of flowers,
seats in the boxes and front
rows of the orchestra. They could be dis
tinRuished from the rest of the audience
10y the expression of blended i~ncredulity
and amazement that adorned their faces.
That Dolly Grass. who had always been
regarded, and with some reason, too. as
hut little better than IA half-wit, should
succeed in having "A play produced at IA
leading thcater. with his name actually
printed on the programme. was something
far beyond the limit of their cofhprclcn-
sion.
The friends of the management. who
occupied IA large proportion of the orctcs-
ira chairs. wore. Counteuances full of
happy anticipation. They looked as IL
they had come there to enjoy themselves;
and SO they had. for the word had gone
forth that the new piece at the Fcstal was
to ''get the guy" and every discngagcd
theatrical person i'm town had made inn
mediate application for seats.
IL was i'm the dull season and there was
NO end of actors and actresses who were