The morning call., 1892-01-03

some time so my first and only thought was
of that | had barely time to reach home
| and get my book, take a glass of sherry
and bit of cracker and hurry down to the
theater-behind the scenes of which had
| never been before-yes, / had thought of
/ my powder box and a few matches that in
tended to make wrinkles with. Rouge
did not need, as the widow was not in the
| bloom of youth. Once in the theater, ex-
! planned my pIedicament to an actor, who
| had in his room a long piece Of gray beard.
! This | took, and dividing Ii in the middle
| laid il over my own brown hair. What to
/ do for a widows cap was the next consider
/ alton. A gentleman present had a large
new brOad-hemmed handkerchief This,
| with the aid of numerous pins, was con-
stTucted into the required article, all the
! brown hair covered and the gray hair show
| ing to good advantage. But what TO do for
1 the black ribbon that always goes with Mrs.
| MelnOts cap? Then / remembered the
uGder-ribbOns to my cloak, which were tied
10 keep the wrap in place.
QUICK AS FLASH
tore them from the garment and made
good use of them. The next thing required
was the Melnot kerchief. There l saw
! trouble ahead. / wet to ms room diScOn-
ISOLATE, when the first thing my eyes rested
on was 4 clean white linen toilet cover.
Eureka exclaimed l. 1t required but
| a little ingenuity to lay il in peaceful folds
across my chest, and with the plain black
skirt from which 1 had taken the draperies
my toilet was complete. l felt as proud and
satisfied as any Indian when in full war
paint
l had barely time to rush on the stage,
take my position and call TO mind the first
words | was 10 speak to my son (whom |
had never seem when the curtain went up.
l had never net Miss Lewis or any of the
CONS any before, therefore had not re-
hearsed with them and knew nothing OF
their stage business; and yet that good
natGred san Francisco audience gave me an
encore.
But after all I must acknowledge | am
enough of a Bohemian to prefer barn
storming" to all other modes OF theatrical
performances. There Is a fascination in the
wild, gypSy-like life; the roaming at ones
VIII. as ii were, and a free life untrammeled
by conventional forms l think too, that
there is more real friendship existing with
this class, on the ground perhaps that mis-
cry likes company"
/ remember a trip full Of adventure | took
once. Ii was in the exciting times of the
BOde mines VIXEN little band Of actors
saw their way to riches without limit If
they could only make their way TO that
mining region. / was one of the number.
Not to harrow up the feelings Of my
readers too much pass over the first
part Of our journey, where some scenery
! and stage-tTappluES were LETT In lieu
Of hotel bills and hall rent and Will
/ come direct 10 the picturesque little hamlet
Of Sonora in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
There we arrived with our belongings
late in the evening How dreary every
thing looked 10 us. Nothing was in ip-tOp
order but oar appetiteS, and, by the way,
it has been my experience through life, the
less | had to pay for meal the more my
ungrateful stomach demanded. As / was
one Of the partners in the adventure, l was
d0ubly interested. No one gave US the
least encouragement. My partner who
went to take advice from the hotel pTOprie-
| tor. while the rest of US clustered on the
! stair-steps, returned with the cOnsoling ad-
! vice that I'VE Tad better take our buds and
move on" My partner, who was man,
/ broke down entirely, and be APP
| piled his handkerchief as frequently
I to his eyes as to his nose. ! at
! once entered into business negotiations
/ with him and bought him out. What
seemed the greatest drawback 10 Us was the
/ large licenses demanded. There was the
/ town, country and State, each Of which de-
maIded a license. After learning these
/ very important facts, like a General !
! sought solitude ~ the SecluSiOn Of my room
/ TO think out my plans for thu next day.
! There we're two very pretty ard modest
! young ladies III the company. 10 these l
! gave a package of tickets with the under
/ standing that If they would ScouT the town
/ for buyers | would allow them percentage.
/ TEen | started for the Town Hall to find
| the Sheriff To him / did a tale Of woe IN
! fold. He was a great brusk powerful lOok-
! ing man with as good heart as ever beat
/ in human form.
HE PATTED ME ON THE SHOULDER.
I f0Tgave him the familiarity, for 1 am
sure there were tears in his eyes as he said
Poor child, so on with your show; ! guess
/ the town can stand the license" Then l
/ Immediately began to shower tickets on
! him for his family aud all his friends, when
! no al ha- m 81 ffr1o and
! said: Keep your tickets, you poor, am
! bilious, little woman; 1 will buy my tickets
like q man." Sure enough, he was there
with bis whole family, children and all
The next day my spirits rose when in
closing up my accounts | discovered l had
cleared nearly S100 We were all jubilant
| and my eX-DaTtner wanted 10 Tebuy his for
| mer interest. Not mu' l." said |. Our sue
! cess was soon nOiSed about. and | began to
| feel and also TO put on the demeanor of
millionaire. The hotel man advised me to
| stay another day, but L told him, with great
! holiness Of carriage, Il would take my
! buds and move on"
| All that day we travelled through the
| mountains, reaching summit after summit
| aud enjoying nature in her rough moods,
| her widest YagaTies and most fanciful con-
! tOrtions, giving US a landscape so varied
! with every phase Of mountain scenery that
| we scarcely knew what next to expect.
| With the noon hour we came TO what was
! known as the Hallway House-that is,
| halfway up the mOuntain-a house where
the saloOn-keeper was on a par socially
with the proprietor and the pretty waitress
! ''as good" as her mistress. AS we had been
/ provided with an excellent lunch the dinner
! at 81 a head seemed rather eXOrbitant
| While we were hestating Gin this case we
were not LOST the proprietor said: Nov,
| lOOkee here. yOu'uns, we aiu't had anything
| like show for the Lord knows how long
! Just give US two or three tunes and we will
! give you bang up dinner, wont we, old
| lady''-this to his wife. So the two pretty
| girls each got out her banjo and guitar
| while one Of the actors tuned up his violin
! The funny man gave some cOmical songs and
| | two or three recltatIOns, throwing IN all
| the love passages l could think Of, while
| mistress and maid cast shy chances at the
actors, and the mixer Of drinks tried to edge
| up to the dark-eyed beauty. | never played
| before a more grateful and happy audience
| than these simple-minded people. We were
| all so merry that we wound up with a qua
| drille, danced under the shade Of those great
mountain trees, while the clear pure air
! brought the roses too strongly to our cheeks.
Even after we had started on our way the
| breeze waited to us their good-bys and
| come again"
| Night overlook us on the very top of that
| noble mountain, where We sOund the poor
est apology of a public house it has ever
! been my misfortune TO encounter We re-
| NAMED IN our wagon, 6hile the moon fell
| clear and bright upon the snOT-cOYeTed
| ground, and one of the gentlemen started
| or tour Of inspection for accommodations.
! We soon learned that there were no rooms
| for US. With a deep-drawn sigh l emerged
| from the bed OF our 'clrryalp' and started
| for that hotel, assuming one OF my most in
gratiating smiles. BY offering to pay for
one nights lodging in advance l secured
ian apartment on the second floor for the
ladies, with a resting place on the straw in
| the barn for the gentlemen. Never shall
forget that night We reached our beds
through a large square opening in the cell
! ing Of the dining-TOOm, up ladder. that
| after we assembled was carried away to the
| barn Tor the use Of the other guests, All
night | lay awake, partly from fear my