The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-01-13
One Night as an Actor.
DLANX LIVED TO REGRET TIE DEcIP-
TON VERY MUCH,
CIRCUMSTANCES have forced m

VII Sc'eA4Ai OccdSlOIlS 70 appear
under false pretenses, and for each such
occasion I have paid an exorbitant
penalty" said guest at the Lambs
club one night. Being here has re-
called very wildly one of these expert
cnces that was exceedingly amusing at
the time, and just as annoying in its
consequences. Robert Write, that is
near enough to his name, and his COM
pany played a weeks engagement in
Williamsburg seven years ago, and as
knew Write and George Frederick
Cakes, OF his company, went over on
the opening night to shake hands with
them. We had little supper after the
play, and Write said that the CONSOLE
dated club had bought up nearly the
whole theater for his Saturday night
performance, and it had rendered re-
ception to the entire company at the
clubhouse after the theater. The club
Is eminently respectable, and after the
fashion of many of the German clubs in
this city, its privileges are enjoyed ON
special occasions by the wives of the
members.
"Now, Write is a good fellow, and he
is really funny on the stage, but his So
cial opportunities have been limited,
and I had suspicion that he would be
even more amusing at the club recep-
ton. l was anxious to go, but there
seemed to be no way in which could
get urged. One of the members of
Writes company, Piper by name, was
smoothly shaver and about my size.
In very vague fashion we resemb]ed
each other. I am in no way connected
with the stage, as you know, but have
had some good friends who were, and I
knew something of Piper's character
istics. Write had duly impressed upon
the members of his company, his ap-
probation of the social distinction that
the Consolidated club conferred on him
by inviting his"entire company to it's
clubhouse, and he announced that every
member, men as we'll as women, must
be in evening dress. Piper played
character part that didn't call for even
ing dress, and tipped my friend Cakes
off on little scheme that thought
would work. It was success. At six
o'clock on Saturday evening received
a telegram which read:
Piper can't beg, borrow, or hire dress
suit. Write invites you to be his under
study. Be at theater 1890 sharp"
II turned up on time in evening
clothes, and Write told me that was to
go to the Consolidated club as Mr.. Piper
of his company, and that if I gave my
self away I would ruin him. AS I re-
member the clubhouse it was large and
we'll appointed, and when Mr.. Writes
refined comedy company filed in, the
halls and stairs were filed with men
and women anxious to see what real &C.
tor people looked like off the stage.
was bit nervous because I suspected
that in crowd of that size there might
be some one who knew me. There
wasn't. AS we filed through and up to
the dressing-rooms there were whis-
pered comments of:
"'That's Mr.. Write. Oh, I'd know
him anywhere. Yes, that's Clara Good
eyes, his leading lady, and she is pretty
Here is Cakes and that's Piper with
him!'
II felt relieved, and sailed in with
Cakes to enjoy the evening. AS soon
as we had taken off our wraps very
dignifed elderly member of the club
asked us to 60 up to the BALLROOM and
receive the clubs members and guests
We were lined up in a row and Write
put on his finest Williamsburg man
ners for the occasion. 1t was lovely to
hear him discuss the drama with big
d. The elderly man who had acted as
master of ceremonies took Cakes and
me in tow, and introduced US to his wife
and two daughters with an injunction
to them to take care of us. It wasn't
until then that I began to feel uncom-
Portable at all. Mrs. Brown and her
daughters were very nice people, and as
this was the first time in their lives that
they had met stage people they pro-
posed to make the best of it, and find out
a lot of things. Cakes told them, that I
had begun my stage career with Booth,
and that was one of the most promis-
ing young men in the profession.
"'Do tell us all about Mr.. Booth
said Mrs. Brown.
"'Yes,' added Cakes, tell the ladies
about the night that Booth was taEen
i'll in Three Rivers, Mich. and you had
to play his part
"'Did you, really?' asked the Misses
Brown in chorus.
II stepped heavily OF Cakes toe,
stammered bit, and then, seeing that
was in for it, started string of
"reminiscences of Booth that never had
been heard of before. It wasn't nice
thing to do, but Cakes had, let me in for
1t, and unless confessed that wasn't
Piper had to proceed. After I had
started the fertility of my magma
ton pleased me, and kept on. We sat
in a corner with Mamma Brown and
her two daughters, and what we failed
to tell them about the stage wasn't
worth telling. They were SO much in
terested in my "reminiscences that they
invited me to call, and Mrs. Brown said
to me: ., .:s. ,s.. sss.l ..a5
why, Mr.. Piper, I didn't know that