The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1898-11-24

reput 4on III performinga piece upol
such short notice, and those that wer,
willing were not fit to Successfully ren
der the lowest part in the whole drama
"This was the state ofaffairs when
came upon the stage
"The manager was in q perfect
frenzy, and Louisa Dietz st near one
of the fats, silent and paleas marble.
"This was her first appearance al
this theater, and to hare an accident
occur like this was enough to stupefy
any one nder similar circumstances.
81 pitied her from tkebottom Of my
heart.
II was standing at she prompter's
stand, when suddenly swild thought
shot through my b, bin.
"Wby eeulSSsEss -. - .Ass;y sAs;yTs< eAparti For,
having such number Nof rehearsals,
was as perfect in his part as was in
my own.
"No sooner had the idea entered my
mind than acted upon it, and going
up to the manager / said:
"'I know this part, and / have nc
! doubt if you will intrubt it to my care
1 can go through with il satisfactorily.
'He grasped me warmly by the hand
and said:
Thanks, thanks, Mr. Thomas. ]
have every faith in your ability
"But l cared more for the grateful
look in Louisa's eyes as she walked by
my side and said:
"I, too, will ever owe you service,
which will be impossible to repay
$50 it was decided that l should as
sumo the principal role while person,
after some trouble, was obtained who
could, no doubt, by gagging and being
followed closely, put through my part.
Well, at last the evening arrived and
with immense crowds that f1ocked from
all quarters.
At a quarter before the manager
stepped before the curtain and narrated
the accident to the audience, and then
JeggI .. Cheir kind indulgence in my
behsNSs' who at the last moment, rather
than have them disappointed, had vol
unteered to play the part.
II, all this time, had been looking
through a small hole bored in the pros
cenium. -:
"The house wa3 packed from parquet
to dome with as refined an audience as
ever have had the pleasure to play to.
cat 8 o'clock precisely the curtain
was rung up and the play commenced.
Neither Louisa nor appeared until
the second scene.
81 was standing in breathless anxiety,
leaning against one Of the fats, upon
the prompt side, while she stood slight
ly flushed,-bnt perfectly collected, upon
the o. P. side.
''I had perfect co 49, So ;.;.,z-,vself, 4,
but every actor. no asten noI bo,r 1u ny n0rfaot =
Re Epay be. will fek, ;nIo"oL;hasio IL" p9llsIS
sSt0chn an Andescrlbable
sensation Of you Z llly Ey
when he is about tostSke bis reput atien
in new role before the public.
"Well, at last TIE first scene was
called in. y.
"And amid a deathlike silence the
star of the evening walked on.
Instantly storm Of applause greet
ed her, and echoed and re-echoed around
and among the scenery like the rum
bling of distant thunder.
"The scene represented a garden in
which she was soliloquizing as to
whether her lover (me) was true to her,
or whether he was playing her false.
AT last / received my cue, and went
on.
My entrance was again the signal
for deafening applause. which was con-
tinued for nearly FIVE minutes, and it
gave me time to fully think over what
l was about to say.
Finally all was once more quiet,
and commenced my delivery.
'It abounded in Protestations of my
undying fidelity and love for her.
"As continued | warmed up with
the subject was almost carried away
by the intensity of my feelings.
II forgot that hundreds Of eyes were
critically watching every gesture aud
that attentive ears were devouring the
words as they fell from my lips.
II saw only before me the woman I
loved. And the passion which 1 was
outpouring to her ears was not the love
of the hero of the play, but simply the
love of Harry Thomas for Louisa Dietz.
+When ] had finished, the curtain
descended amid showers Of bouquets
ami deafening applause
"The latter was contih ed until we
both appeared, before the curtain.
II need not dwell upon the remain.
der of the performance. Let it. suffice
to say that we both received perfect
ovation.
"And that night when the curtain
had descended for the last time, the
manager eame hurf fying in to where I
..ssGs en- Tn. and seizing me
bv the g. Iad hid, his voice trem-
bling witKenotlnu:
Z. t'You have saved the reputation Of
my house
"And thereupon he drew up papers
Of agreement trebling my salary and
engaging me to play leading business.
81 need hardly add that my fame
was at once established, and short
time afterward Louisa and were mar.
ried."
And now the names Of Mr.. and
Mrs Thomas displayed upon the bill,
boards of any theater are sufficient to
cause the manager (long before the
hour Of commeneing) to put out the
sign of ''Standirg room only Min
neapolis Tribune.