The sun., 1897-12-12
ONE NIGHT AS AN ACTOR.
BLANK LIVED TO REGRET THE DE-
CEPTION VERY HUGH

I Was Some Fun to Amusc tho Pretty nTInsea
Brown with Fake "Reminiscences or Bosth.
but when ne Met Them In nis Own
GniSc Later There Were Iciciea In the Afr.
circumstances have forced mo on several
occasions to appear under falsc prctcnces, and
for each such occasion I have paid nm exors
bitant penalty" said guest at the Lambs,
Club one night last wook. being hero has re-
called worry vvidly one OF these experiences
that was exceedingly amusing at tho time
and just as annoying in its consc cqucnccs. Rob
ert Write, that is ncar enough to his name and
his company played q weeks engagement In
Williamsburg seven years ago, and as knew
Write and George Frederick Onkos OF his COM
pany, went over on the opening night TO shake
hands with them. We had u little supper aftoP
tho play, and Write said that the Consolidated
Club had bought up nearly tho whole theatre
FOR his Saturday night performance. and 10
had rendered reception to the entire com.
pahy at the clubhouse after tho theatre. The
club is eihinently respectable, and after tho
fashion OF many OF the German clubs in this
city, its privileges arc enjoyed on special occar
sions by the wives Of tho members.
Now. Write is good fellow, and he 10
really funny on the stage, but his social oppor,
tunities have boon limited. and had o suspiI
cior that hc would bo oven moro amusing al
tho club reception. 1 was anxious to go, but
there seemed to bo no way In which I could
get urged Ono OF the members of Writes
company, Piper by name, " as smoothly shaven
ana about my size. In n very vague fashion
we rcsemblcd each other. / am In no way con.
nectcd with the stage, you know. but have
had somc good friends who were, and know
something of Piper's characteristics. Write
had duly impressed upon the members Of his
company his appreciation Of the sosial dis.
tnction that the Consolidated Club conferred
him Inv INVITING hia f,
clubhouse and he announced that every mem.
Der, mon as well rs women. must be in evening
dress. Piper played character part that
didn't call for evening dress, and tipped my
friend Oakes off lttlo scheme that I
thought would work. 1t was a success. 40
o'clock on Saturday evening received telo.
gram which read:
Piper can't beg. borrow, or hro dress suit Write
innites invite you to be his undentudy. Be az theatre
dated Club as Mr. Piper of his company, and
AS remember the clubhouse it was large and
vel sppointed, and when Mr.. Writes refined
were led With men man and Women me s anxious @ to s see
what real actor people looked like Off the stage.
wS erow ot M nervous it z because fSrs that IN
| who knew me. There wasn't. AS we filed
through and up to tho dressing rooms there
where. Yes, that's Clara Goodeyes, his leading
nay aaa pia, she , Is pretty Hero is oakes and
II felt relieved aud sailed in with oakes to
of our wraps Very dignifed elderly member
OF OF the club asked ns to go up to the ballroom
sd up in ro% a%d wr
his ms finest Williamsburg manners for the occae
1t With esy tho hS him dsSIs hS
acted as master OF ceremonies took oakes and
mo in tow and introduced us to his wife and
atptf1 ivnitt tnn 60 hon, tn
take care Of us. it wasn't until then that I
Logan to feel uncomfortable at all Mrs. Brown
this was the first time in their lives that they
hs had h met g stage people they proposed to make
told told them that had begun my stage career
| with Booth and that was one of the most
s Ss al aSou n Mr. e BooS MIRA
nSss sss ssf hsss osss toll Hsa ss Sfs ii s Es9s
You reaiiy y" asked % Z The SSf Misses @ Brown
a STEPPED heavily on oakes,s toe, STAN.
mereed BIT. and then seeing that was i9
Booth that never had been heard of before. 10
wasn't nice thing to do. but Oalies had let mo
| Piper had to proceed. After I had started
the fertility Of my imagination pleased NE, and
Brown an and her 1H two daughters. s. and and what % we
failed to tell them about tho stage wasn's
oa teln Thsy 50 much
to cal. AL and when Mrs Brown said to me: 49,
Mr. rrsr did dda5 5noT that
rule. Mrs. brown. Now. oakes here has
though. IN two or three years, il we keep him
The Consolidated Club did the affair up in
good shape, and when supper was announced
The stairway leading to the dining room wa9
packed with people, who stood thore and
II never expected to hear anything more from
this experience. That was because was fool.
ish. just about n yenr later an old friend in.
by some people whom was anxions to meet.
He had received permisson to introduce me.
and for good and sufficient reasons was
anxious TO make good impression.
The The Misses Brown tTo no very very pretty girls:
friend, as We entered tho house: coudnt
place the Misses Brown, though vaguely re-
aS met %t ssy % 5o dpawn h
bad beFHn gum neat @ iitts speech When 'e some one one
:" why. there is Mr. Piper of write's com.
hany. Don Don't YOU. romcmbcr tho interesting
dressed, and then Coming forward. Tho dis:
held out her, hand frankly, with the greeting:
" Why, how do you do, Mr.. Piper ! an ana
Ing Your hostess @ ; how w You entertained us last
year; She never said that she knew you
~ understood that you were MIR. Blank, said
my hostess.
" and so ho Is.' said my friend. very much
bewildercd.
And 80 am. added.
80" But didn't / meet you rs Mr.. Piper, q
actor, last year9, said Miss Brown.
p" 'T.y.yes. and lin
Are You Mr.. Piperf
"'E.n.no. but
And you nevor played with BoothT
Never ! said, hoping that tho ceiling
iEht fall bat want to SsEp;sn i WAS h
away, the hostess looked at inc coldly. and my
SEQ here Blank. don't understand thiI
| thing ut all, but tho iCiCles are beginning 70
| form on the chandeliers and think We had
better get into our overcoats.
| There was nothing else to he done. ex'
| plained the situation 10 my friend. and he OF,
! | plained 10 our hostess and presumably she eX
| planned 10 the Misses Brown. II bores me even
10 this day to think OF that experience. IT wal
| my first and last appearance as an actor. and
shalI always shnn Williamsburg. ] paid the