The Dickinson press., 1890-12-20
A MISER SEES SATAN.
THE DEVIL. CAUGHT HIM STEALING
AN ACTORS FlREwooD.

His Satanic Majesty Was Only Impcr-
sonnted, but the Hotel Keeper Thought
1t wns n Real vision-Milton Mobiles
Reforms n Penurious Landlord.
Milton Mobiles is n brilliant CONVERSE
tionalist and a good story teller. Among
the many anecdotes credited to him, the
following experience which he relates
will prove interesting reading:
In 1867, during my first year of the
atrical life, l was q member of n small
travelling "Black Crook" company, un-
der the management of tho late Tom
Davey. We were playing small towns
in Wisconsin and Minnesota. One cold
January night found us in a little town
in Wisconsin. where the theatre and ho-
tel were under one roof, and owned and
run by Il man.
The man has been in, recent years we'll
known to professionals, and there are
many stories eXtant of his peculiaritics.
He was very wealthy, but a confirmed
miser. A stranger entering his hotel
would invariably pick him out as the
porter, and indeed lie performed the
most mental offices, ven to backing the
boots of his guests if asked to do SO.
Yet he always kept Il good hotel. On
"show" nights he cleaned out tho dress
ing rooms and acted as j%anitor in gen
eral.
From the second story of this hotel
there was Il hallway leading to the stage.
The actors were usually assigned to the
r,,D,,c D1orr 41ic lD11 or1 1t,,,,11 fNrno
%sionally use their rooms as dressing rooms
at night, q proceeding to which the old
man seriously objected. The old man
would watch the doors like IL cat, and as
soon as a room was vacated lie would
let himself in with a pass key, and if tho
gas was left burning he would turn it
out. He would also gather every stick
of wood from the rooms and releposit
them i'll the big box ut the top of the
office stairs.
l was playing two or three characters
i'll the piece, among others that of Z;micl.
My room was near the stage door, and |
could hear the orchestra and SO tell just
how long l could safely remain in the
room before my scene would ON on. l
finished my first character, and taking
my costume for the Devil went to my
room to make the change. The dress
was a combination of flaming red, black
and green, tight fitting, with big bat
wings. The feet were long and pointed,
with clovcn boots; there wasa close fitting
skull cap with two protrudiny horns. l
made the face u flaming red, with large
pieces of green foil paper under the eyes.
There were a large skull and cross
bones on my breast, with red foil paper
set in the eye sockets. The long scarlet
tail was forked at the end and illuminat-
cd with foil papers. AS 1 completed this
satanic toilet l could hear the orchestra
playing the ballet music of the grotto
scene, so 1 knew that l should not DO
wanted for at least twenty minutes. l
dropped two or three pieces of pine wood
on the open CRATE fire, and drawing a
big chair to IL side of the CRATE seated
myself comfortably for u short snooze,
placing my feet in another chair directly
i'll front of the CRATE, and hitching Ia
miel's forked tail gracefully over my
right shoulder.
l was just dropping off when the door
was opened softly, and by u reflection in
the mirror I could see the old landlord
sneak into the room. His eagle eye
missed Inc, half hidden in the big chair,
but lit on the single gas jet burning at
full head. He turned it off quickly and
moved toward the we'll filled woodbox;
he filled his arms full. leaving two or
three small pieces as a blind. and turned.
This movement brought him face to face
with the apparition in the big chair.
The darkened room illuminated by the
glare from the burning pine added Il
weird effect to the scene. The wood fell
from the ~nerveless arms, and his lower
jaw dropped to the point of ~dislocation.
I remained motionless, staring at him
through my green foil eyes.
MISER SCARED.
The old miser seemed to have grown
to the floor; he must have stood for
thirty seconds without breathing. Final
ly his breath came with a gasp and a
gurgle. With one hand ] gently shook