The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-26
THE PRESS AGEvT's RIDE.
Raced Against Time and Robbers,
But Brought the Singer.
From the New York Tribune.

Raced Against Time and Robbers,
But Brought the Singer.
From the New York Tribune.
One swallow does not make summer,
and one press agent does not make a the
atrical season. But when the robin comes
everybody knows that the spring is com
ing. and when the press agent does what
he did yesterday it is fair to assume that
the drama still has good days before IT,
and that a new season Of them is not far
or
The trouble began about an actress. It
is remarkable how much work and worry
are caused 10 the press agents by women
and how little by men. She was not ex-
aeGy an actress, either; she was a music
hall singer. She is singing this week al
one of the halls in the city and she is stay
ing at her villa on The Hudson" That is
what the press agent called il when he
told the story afterward. Yesterday aft
ernoon, some three hours before the time
for her to appear on the stage the door
keeper told the press agent that she had
not yet come in. What was to be done?
Not an instant was TO be lost. The audi
ence would come in an hour or two, and
the press agent scarcely dared TO Chink
what would happen if ne were to go be-
that the singer was at her villa on the
Hudson, and could not appear. Il was not
at all likely that the insurance company
would pay his policy without being sued
for it.
But with him TO think was to act. He
leaped upon his tandem bicycle and turned
it toward the Hudson. Ii seems that he
had never heard about the New York
Central and Hudson River railroad. No
one man can be expected to know every
thing, and this mans learning stopped at
the duties of a good press agent The man
who knows even his own business is above
the average of intelligence Before his
mind was but one need, that the singer
should be at the hail on time, and in the
whirling OF his wheel but one purpose,
scorching. as it were, into The road as it
flew behind him--to reach her villa on the
Hudson and bring her back i'm time.
He reached the villa on the Hudson Chat
is such good name for the house up the
river where anybody live that it is worth
repeating). left his tandem bicycle impa-
tiently paving the ground in the court
yard, made his way TO the great hail, past
the guards and the servants, stricken
dumb with amazement and found the
singer dressed up for the journey. You
have come for me?" she cried, i knew
you would. l could not go without you,
for no horse could carry me so fast and 50
far as We must go tonight.
Past the pale guards and trembling ser
wants again they went He swung her to
the pillion before him and turned his BIZ
cycle, as fresh. to all appearances, as if it
had stood resting all day toward the
south. The villa on the Hudson was
far behind; the struggling houses of vas
sails and the novels of churls seemed but
indistinct streaks as they shot by them,
and they entered lonely wood. Then.
as if out of the ground. rose the tall and
broad forms of two men before them. The
press agent and the singer instantly slow
ed up, for, theatrical people and bicyclists,
though they were, they hesitated to take
human life.
The act was near being fatal. for in an
instant they saw that the men were high
waymen, quite capable of punctuIing the
tire with knives and stealing the singer s
diamonds. For one instant the press
agent was at a loss what to do, but in
that instant the singer cried to him over
her shoulder: Keep on! Fast" He kept
on. knowing that she must have some ef-
fective plan. And she had. She was,
armed with weapon that the miscreants
little suspected. 1t was a H-yL
A ki-yi is an instrument that squirts am
monia, and il is intended to keep imperti-
nent dogs away from bicycles. The singer
was also accus toned to use it as a per
fume bottle, for music hall people like to
take things strong. In an instant she sent
a stream of ammonia in the faces of the
two highwaymen. and they rolled in the
bitches. The singer and the press agent
sped on without a scratch or puncture.
The manager was waiting for them
striding impatiently up and down the
stage, behind the scenes. Had they not
slowed up when first they saw the thieves
they would have been m abundant time
AS it was. another act had been put or
out of its turn. The audience was begin
ming to mutter. If another act should have
to take the place Of the expected singer
the manager had the gravest fears fol-
what might happen. But now all was safe
IN five minutes more she was on the stage
and the audience that applauded her it'll,
knew how well she deserved its applause
or how much of it was also deserved By
the unknown press agent. After ALL it i:
noble deeds that inspire. not the names Of
those who do them
And so the names are here omitted.