The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1895-12-25

ed the leading female parts, down to lit
tie Kitty Sullivan, who was only7 years
old and was in the depths of despair be-
cause fer fully three weeks she had been
ont CT Tie bill. In shcrt, every member
Of the company was in condition of
mingled uncertainty and curiosity in re-
gard to the future Of the playhouse and
the projects of its managers, who as yet
had given no sign of their intentions
and had, in fact, been invisible to the
members of their artistic staff ever since
the last day on which salaries became
due.
On this particular night, which hap
pened to be one Of storm and rain, two
or three of the principal actors had
gathered together for a serious talk
about the situation, when Tom, the
programme boy, appeared suddenly be-
fore them in an almost breathless con-
dition and exclaimed: "Mr. Freelance
is back from Chicago. He's in the Office
with Mr.. Hustle. They've got both
doors locked"
"Mr. Freelance!" cried Miss Living
stone, her face lighting up with joy,
precisely as it does in her scene in the
second act whero her lover comes back
from India, or rather as it did light up
in that scene before the business became
SO bad. care you sure it was Mr. Free
lance, Tommy"
"Sure ~ rejoined Tom, with emphasis.
~ seen him mesef when he come in. "
"Tben, Tom, you be sure and sec
him when he comes out and tell him
that am particularly anxious to see
him back here as soon as the curtain
gees down On the second act. Here's q
quarter for you, Tom, and you'd better
keep it as curiosity, for it's getting to
be very rare sort Of bird in the Jol-
lty theater preserves.
"Thank you, num-" said Tom as he
pocketed the coin, with grin.
II fancy I sec CLEAN of light on the
distant horizcn," remarked the vener-
able Mr.. Borders in tone similar tc
that which he assumes in the great
melcdrama called "Tho Ocean Blue,
in the scene IN which he is discovered
sitting on raft in midocean cn the
lookout fer passing sail. "In the
meantime" he added, II think we had
better wait and hear what Billy has to
say before we take any further action
in the matter. I"
Up to that moment they had taken
no action whatever, but the phrase
sounded we'll, and SO Mr Borders en-
ployed it.
Now, Mr.. William Freelance, called
by his intimates Billy, was and is today
one of the best known figures in the
theatrical affairs of the town, and, as
every member of the stock company
knew, he had Oh moro than one previous
occasion come 10 the rescue of his old
friends, Messrs Hustle and Hardup,
and that, too, when they were in even
more deplorable financial straits than
they were at the present moment.
Itwas his reputation as & mascot fully
as much rs his remarkable taleEts which
caused the whole avant scene to brighten
up at the news Of his presence in the
theater, for playfolk are notoriously su-
perstitious and have an unbounded and
childlike faith in the efficacy of a mascot
as well as in the destructive qualities of
a "jcnah. p"
Just as the curtain fell on the second
act Mr.. Freelance appeared behind the
scenes and received the rapturous greet
ings of the company. Then Miss Liv-
ingstone took him by the arm, detached
him from the little group which sur
rounded him, led him gently but firmly
into her dressing room, placed him on
her zinc trunk, and standing before him
with folded arms said, Billy, what
going 10 hanpen?"
"My DEAR replied Mr.. Freclanc,
persuasively, "everything is all right,
and ] just left Hustle for five minutes
to come back here and tell you so. We
are going to put Oh new piece, and
there's part in it that's simply great
out CT sight, in fact. We are not quite
sure who'll be cast for the part because
its very heavy emotional one, and If
we put woman in it who didn't know
how 10 read lines she would 60 all It