The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-07-10
BOX NO. IL.
In the personal column of daily pa
per there appeared one day this seduc-
tive announcement:

|
per there appeared one day this seduc-
tive announcement:
gentleman who is guardian of young or
| phan lady 20 years of age, very pretty, very
stylish and with fortune of $4,000, 00O de-
sires to marry his ward to a distinguished
| looking gentleman between 25 and 40 years of
| age. His fortune is no object. Address W. 3D.
office of this journal No agents need apply.
1t is useless to say that Immediately
on the appearance of this announcement
letters poured in upon the W. 81 box at
the office of the daily paper i'll such
quantities that one wearied clerk was
specially detailed to empty the box and
put them into large bag The first
two days more than 500 letters came.
Some days afterward one of the 500,
Captain Castle, received the following
| letter:
MY DEAR SIR-The particulars that you
| have taken the trouble to furnish me concern
| ing your social position, ETC., satisfy me COM
| pletely. AS to the wishes Of my ward, shall
| only say that the sight of your photograph has
| seemed to give her no disappointment-very
| much to the contrary. Therefore / have de-
| termined to bring about an interview between
| you and her. Will you therefore make it con-
| venient to go next Wednesday, the 18th of this
| month, to the Folly theater, wearing white
rose in your buttonholef Ny ward and will
occupy box No. IL, and we shall be charmed
| to receive you between the hrst and second
acts Very truly yours, w.. ~.
Captain Castle shot out of his chair
as if impelled by spring, and did not
pause until he had reached the ticket
office of the Folly theater. Give me
an orchestra chair for the 15th," he de-
manded.
"None left. The whole house is sold
out for that day"
Captain Castle insisted, but in vain.
The countenance of the ticket seller did
not soften, and he finally pulled down
his wicket and turned again to his daily
paper, while Captain Castle walked out
of the lobby, much cast down. AS he
stopped on the sidewalk shabby gen
teel individual with shocking bad hat
approached him.
"Want an orchestra seat, mister?"
"Go to the devil"
II got good seat for Wednesday,
the 18TH
"What's that?"
"It's a good seat, mister, in the first
row.
"I'll take it. How much?"
Fifteen dollars +"
"Great snakes" said the captain,
edo you want to rob a MANI"
"You can't have it for a cent less, -
said the ticket peddler. 1.-The whole
house is sold
The captain made wry face, but he
wound up by paying the money. The
evening of Wednesday, the 10Th. was
one of the most notable in the annals of
the Folly theater. The auditorium was
packed like Market street car, and the
orchestra was quickly populated with
gentlemen in swallow tailed coats, each
one wearing a white rose in his button
hole. Every box was filled, with one
exception-Box No. ~. Between the
acts the swallow tailed gentlemen
swarmed through the lobbies, but it was
particularly around the door of box
No. 10 that they We're thickest. 1t was
like a human anthill. The second
act commenced. Yet box No. IL re-
manned Theoretically closed, full of
nothing but air And yet toward this
box there were cast anxious glapces ever
and anon from the well dressed crowd
in the orchestra. While all this was 60
ing on in the theater, band OF actors
we're seated around table in beer sa-
loon at the back of the theater, swal-
lowing mountains of frankfurter and
sauerkraut, AMI washing it down with
gallons of beer. At the head of them
was old Bagot, the Dutch co1nique, who
was presiding in the most paternal man
ner over this feast. 1t Was Bagot for
whose benefit the show was given that
night.
Eat all you want, boys" said he.
Drink all you want. Old Bagot has
money to burn tonight y
"You bet your sweet life you have"
replied one of the actors. why, such
a benefit as this will enable you to re-
tire on your money"
At this moment, Miss Tottie, the
Parlor Patti, who had just finished her
turn in the second part, burst into the
beer saloon, pale and disheveled.
whats the NATTER" cried the con-
vivial band
"Oh, it is terrible, said the parlor
Patti "They are fighting in the orches-
ira. "
Fighting? Who?"
"Oh, all those swells in swallow
tails. They are beating one another
over the head with canes, and nobody
knows why"
81 know why" said old Bagot tran
gully. Its all ON account of box
No. r." 1
"But there is nobody in box No. 10, y
said the paralyzed Parlor Patti. s
Exactly. That's why. " 4
And old Bagot added as he slowly
closed one eye: BOX No. ~ is little |
snap Of my own. l wanted to be sure
that the theater should be filled, and, by