The times., 1897-06-20
of power. which was made right here in
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stone that looks like the Chinese jade. 1t
was sent TO the Grismers by Clay NJ.
Greene, the dramatist. while he was in
the Orient on his way around the world.
1t reached them in San Francisco just be-
fore the production of The New South"
Whether MIR. Greene knew or even s,ls-
pected the charm OF the memento he was
sending his friends is not a portion of
this history. MIR. Grismer innocently put
il on his finger for his friends sake and
went on the stage the first night to play
the star part in sThe New South" The
play made a hit.
The lllame of the success was jestingly
put On the ring. hut n supersutious jest
is a religious actually to an actor. That
ring became forthwith more precious to
players than Penates to Romans or tin
Bi,ddhas TO the Brahmins. 1t was the
first Thing and the last thing thought Of
on first nights, and the Grisners would
as soon have produced a play without it's
hero as without the ring.
Mr. Grisner was much interested in tue
outcome of the recent production of
"A First Offense." He gave up the seclu-
sion, rest and infinite JOY OF his home at
Bayside, Long Island, to come to the cap
new play. He had scarcely arrived when
il occurred TO him that Joe Holland had
the ring. A dispatch was sent TO MIS-,
GrisIper, and she hied herself into New
York to the Lyceum Theater, and secured
the treasure and expressed IT to her hus-
band. Though Mr.. q. was not in the cast,
he took Mr.. Barrows aside just before the
curtain went up, and placed the ring on
the comedians finger. Those who stool
in the neighborhood and fancied 1t was
wedding rehearsal without the bride are
now informed better Well. the reception
given the piece vindicated the ring, and
brought out chorus of Il told you SOS"
from the superstitious player folk.
But for faith that is child-like and bland
take Joe Hollands confidence in that ring.
tits his rule OF three, hishope his confidence,
his onliest one. This reposeful dependence
on jewel came TO Joe just before the
widow" days. Things hadn't been going
right for him. One day the Grismers gave
him the ring to wear, Just to change his
luck" Next morning he had the offer
from Charles Frohman to play MIR. Perrin
in "Wilkinson's Widows" He Wore it
on the first night and the piece was great
go. Things went along smoothly and joe
and the ring drifted apart . I hen came his
starring days He forgot the ring, hut
his troubles never forgot him Finally
he drif,ed into The Mysterious sir.
Bug!e" The epremier of that piece was OF a
happy, but un-enthusing character here in
Washington. Joe was becoming desperate.
He foresaw sIeedy closing, perhaps a -
other starring tour, and the prospect was
alarming.
In his last hope he sent for the ring. IL
did not reach him up TO the time of the
overture the first night of "Bugle'' in New
York. Holland was frantic He knew the
piece would fail Washington had said
and Washington is always right" Be
sides, how could it succeed without the
ring. The other players laughed. bat there
was a hollow unsubstantiality about the
laugh. Secretly each wished the ring had
come In his dressing-room Joe put on
his makeup andcostumeS in a sorry temper.
Then he went on the stage 10 wait for the
curtain. There was no balm in his Gillead.
He was irritable and not To be nonkeyed
with. A youthful sprig of boy venturedto
approach him and was nearly annihilated
by one glance from the COMEDIANS black
eyes. Then-then, he saw a parcel in
the boys hand The boy said il was from
Mr. Grisner. The scowl faded, smile
sprung from it; Joe was radiant. He
grabbed the parcel, broke it open, and
fairly shouted TO the circle which had
gathered: The comedy will be 20.
surep' He had the ring again.
He swere nothing would ever induce him
to part with 1t. And he was obstinate in
living up to his unregistered oath In her
q fTs ri to
him to secure the taIisman for "A First
ofrense.'' Joe said No and he said 1t
IN his delicious farcical earnestness, but In
real life be is earnest He said ne was
sure thatif he parted with the ring he would
loose an eye, or break leg, or forget his
part. or attendance would fall off But
finally his big heart got the best of MS oath,
his Judgment, and even of his superstition
Then Mrs. Grismer decided to get even
She went to one of the gentlemen of the
company, who went to the treasurer OF
the Lyceum Theater. and with q blbulois
bribe induced him to saunter back ON the
stage every night that Mr.. Holland was
separated from his ring, and make dis
paraging remarks about the business Then
Joe would look at the unadorned finger,
where the ring had been, and gloornily re-
ply: II told you 50! 1 told you soi'' He
has the ring again and is happy No one
believes it safe to ask him for it, Welded
they are and not even death will them part
Bert Riddle is thinking seriously of en-
balrning the narrative of his last sea ason's
experience in red ink and consigning it TO
the archives of some society for the gath
ering of the curious and unprecedented He
is proud oft. He wades around in the glory
of it, even if there is a substrata of hope,
sort Of bedrock trust in providence, that
history won't repeat itself and do the
same thing over again.
As his friends all know a nd nearly every
body else in the South, he was in advance
of Eugenia Blair, who is Americas favor
ite emotional actress, just as you will
remember that Robert Downing was
Americas favorite traSedian. Miss Blair's
performance only appeals TO the serious
minded, to the reading public and the
scholarly-inclined. A large percentage Of
this class resides outside the metropolitan
centers- Considerably outside. So far
outside of Atlanta, for instance as Wam-
buga, and of New Orleans as Gallipopolis.
As railroad facilities and McKiney's elec-
tion made it impossible for the public to
reach the centers, Miss Blair, in her :aud-
able ambition to propagate the emotional
drama, took it to tie pubhc-even of VAN