The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-26


body could dotr
Jmmy's shamed silence gave con-
sent also TO this unfilnchlng interpre-
tat,on of his thought.
But Davic remained doggedly robust
and so Jimmy still walked IN darkness.
He often argued the matter out with
his superior, maintaining that they
ought to toss for the posltlon-'head or
tail. Failing to convince Davie, he
offered him fourpence a night for the
accommodate On. but Davie saw In his
extravaganza evidence of a determined
design to suppant him. In despair
Jimmy watched for a chance of slip
ping into the wire framework before
Davie. but the conscientious artist was
always at his post first. They held
dialogues on the subject while with
pantomlmic license the chorus Of
Egyptian lasses was dancing around
the Dragon as II II were Maypole.
Their angry messages to each other
vibratcd along the wires of their prison
house, ending the Dragon with intcs-
t,nal war.
The silent hopeless longing, the
chivalrous devotion yearnlng dumbly
within Jimmy, did not stop his beer;
he drank more to drown his thoughts.
Every night he entered into his part
gladly, knowing himself elevated in
the geological scale, not degraded. by
an assumption that made him only
half beast
Only Davie knew that in that Ora
gon there were the ruins of man and
the making of a great actor!
why are We sac anxious to stand
in my shoonY" he would ask, when
the hind legs became too obstreperous.
IL don't want to be in your shoes;
] only want to see the stage for once"
But Davie would shake his head in
credulouslX making the Dragons mask
wobble at the wrong cues. At last,
once when Sabra was singing, poor
Jimmy, driven to extremities, confessed
the truth, and had the modification
of feeling the wires vibrate with the
Scotchman's silent laughter. He blush
ed unseen.
But it transpired that Davies amuse-
ment was not so much Scornful as
skeptical. He still suspected the tail
Of a sinister intention to wag the
Dragon.
mae, nae" he said, "ye shallna get
me to swallow that. Ye're an unco
pu!r crea ture. but ye're not sa daft as
to want the moon. She's a bonnie
lassle. and | wilma be surprised If she
catches n coronet in the end. when she
makes a name in Lunnon; for the
swells here. though see a wheen fool
ish faces NIGHT after the nicht in the
stalls, are but a puir ,ot. oh, but it's
a gey grand tocher is a pretty face. In
the meanwhiles, like canny girl, She's
settin' her cap at the chief"
"Hold your tongue" Kissed the hind
legs. She's as pure as an angel"
"Hoot-too" answered the head.
"Dinna leebel the angels. It's no an
angel that let's her manager give her
sly squeezes and saft kisses that are
nae in the stage directions"
Then she can't know he is a mar
red man." said the hind legs hoarse-
".
'Dinna fash yourself-she kens that
full wcel and a thocht or two more.
bod! Ye should just see now she and
st. George carry on after the death
scene, when he's suppOsit TO ha' res
cued her and rhey fall a-cuddlin'."
You're larr' said the hind legs.
Davie roared and breathed burning
squibs and oapered about and jimmy
had to prance after him in involuntary
pursuit. He felt choking in his stuffy
hot black rollicking dungeon The
thought of this bloated sexagenarlan,
faxed up as jeune premier paving
at the sweet little girl s,ckened him.
'Dom'd leear yerselr resumed Davie
coming 10 Il standstill. Il meaun be-
lieve my own eyes, what they tell me
nicht after nlcht."
Then let me see for myself, and III
believe you"
"Ye dinna catch me like that" said
Davie. chuckling.
After that poor Jimmy's anxiety to
see the stage became feverish. He
even medltated ma,inger!ng and going
in front of the house, but could only
have got a distant view, and at the
r.sk of losing his place in an over
crowded profession. His opportunity
came at length, but not till the panto-
mime was half run out and the actor
manager sought to galvanize it by a
second edition." which in sum meant
a new lot of the variety entertainers
who came on and played copophones
before Ptolemy did card tricks in the
desert, and exhibited trained poodles
TO the palmtres. But David, deter
mined to rise to the occasion, thought
out IfeSn conception or his part, In
volving three new grunts, and was so
busy rehears.ng them at home that
he forgot the flight of the hours and
arrived at the theatre only in time TO
take second pace in the Dragon that
was just waiting, half manned, at the
wing He was so flustered that he
did not even think of protesting for
the first few minutes. When he did
protest, Jimmy said, 'What are you
jawing about? This Is the second edi-
ton, isn't it?" and caracoled around,
dragging the unhappy David in his
train.
'T'1l tell the chief" groaned the hind
legs.
"All right let him know you We're
late" answered the head cheerfully.
'Bh, but it's pitmirk, here. l Gamma
see Onything."
You see I'm no har. Shall 1 send
squib your wayf"
Nay, nay, nae larking Mind the
business or you'll ruin my reputa-
ton"