The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-25


ITS a mandolin" he said. That's
new wrinkle We've had all kinds OF
fiends in this company since we started
out, everything from cigarettes TO bicy-
cles. Who's the musician, l wonder? Q.
say. jerks. jerks. Who's the band
wagon?"
There was step in the narrow passage
way that led to the dressing-roorns, and
jerks, the property man, appeared in the
doorway. 'rShr' he said. mot so loud.
The old man'll hear you
The leading man started The old man
did you say-not Merriam?
Yes. Merriam" in q whisper.
The leading man sat on his trunk. That
beats me-" ne said. The Ancient Mariner
tinkling mandolin. Now. I'm prepared
10 see Father Time playing sentimental
ditties on a jew's-harp."
jerks did not laugh, fact which help
ed to sober the other man. IT'S no sur
prise to me- said the property man,
gravely. u says TO Mrs. jerks just be-
fore left the hotel, says I, Mrs. jerks,
you know what night this Isl? Thanks
giving she says. Why. right, says l,
and it'll be hard night for Merriam
Poor old man. says Mrs. jerks
wipin of a tear. Poor old man, L suppose
he'll be playing of his mandolin again
That he WILL says l.
He hasn't missed it. as near as | can
judge, for thirty years. As sure as
Thanksgiving night comes. just SO sure
he gets out that old mandolin of his and
tinkIes away And it's always the same
tune. God, But it does make my mind
go back. III never forget the first time
he played il. You see, me and Merriam
have been together off and on so long that
know his story most as well as he does
himself. Not that he ever talks about
it. Tonight, after the show. that instru
mentH so back TO the bottom of his
trunk. and it won't come out again til
This tn next year"
Tie leoding man was all cars.
Thirty years ago I was stage door
keeper at the old California Theater.
Merriam was just beginning TO climb up
the ladder in those days. He had come
into the stock three years before as utii-
i-y, but he was a handsome chap, with
brains and ambition TO back his good
looks, ard it wasn't long before he got
10 playing leads. Say, when Merriam
went on as Romeo at The matinees you
couldn't see three rows in front cf you
for the bOnnets. Mrs. jerks used TO live
IN a regular garden those days, for Mer-
RAM wouldn't have none of the flowers
the silly girls used to send him. When
I'd offer to bring them home TO him he'd
laugh, and tell me he reckoned my wife
cared more for flowers than did.
But l often noticed that he came into
the theater with a big bunch of violets
or roses that he'd bought himself to give
TO the little woman who played opposite
parts TO him. I asked him once why
he didn't give her the flowers the girls
sent him, instead of spending money that
way. ] took a kind of fatherly interest
in Merriam in those days. Lord bless
you, TO look at him now you'd think he
was my grandfather. He looks that old
We'll, l seen how things was going with
him and Nellie Moore. and everybody else
seen it, too. When she was on the stage
he stood in the wings, and his eye followed
every move she made. l remember one of
the women saying that it was worth while
TO have man care for you like that
and certainly Nellie seemed to like it. She
came to me one afternoon-that Thanks
giving I'm telling you about-and said
that she was too tired to go home after
the matinee. She asked me if I'd run
across the way and order dinner for her.
Then she whispered in my ear that she
wanted it served for two. and asked If
1 couldn't fix bunch light on the stage,
so she and Merriam could have a coy
Thanksgiving dinner all alone
'Of course 1 done it for her, and while
they were eatin' 1 went over to my board
in house. There was to be a change OF
bill that night, so L came back early to
get my props in shape, as l had them TO
attend to as well as looking after the
door. When I came back into the thea
ter heard Nellie Moore playin' a mando-
lin. She was always fond of music and
carried the instrument around with her
Now, you'll try she said, and Mer-
Ram answered that he didn't know a
note.
IN teach you she said. There's an
air l want you to learn and remainder
All right said Merriam, and he took
the mandolin from her. She showed him
where to place his fingers. and kept hum
ming the tune until he could play it with
only one or two breaks. Then she went
10 her dressin-room 10 get ready. and
Merriam sat there drumming until the
half hour was called.
THAT night there was a good deal OF
Misunderstanding and the word went around
that there was to be a weddn' at Christ
mas
The next night, on my way to the the
alter, i noticed a crowd around the stage
door. and heard talk OF a runaway
hurried up. and as 1 did so Merriam came
out, his face as white as a ghosts.
For Gods sake. get doctor, Jenksr'
he cried.
AuS4iFu " the utdfES- Qfu2 store, ana
luckily, found one there. When We got
buck to the stage door Merriam was wait
ing. and, without a wori, he lei u TO
a sofa III the wings on which Nellie Moore
was lying. The doctor beat down ever her
for minute. shook his head, aud said
he was too late.
''An understudy played Juliet that night
and Merriam as usual was the Romeo
The audience didn't know the real reason
for the change. but in the tomb scene I
don't see how they could help feeling IT,
Those Of us who saw II from the wings
will never forget It. The women were
in Mysteries and tbs tage hands and fly
men We're nearly as bad. don't know how
Merriam ever lived throug Il, but this I
do know. He was different man from
that night He seemed 10 lose all his am
bltion and he withered up 50 that When
] met him at q rehearsal two years later
1 hardly knew him. He was bent much
as you see him now. and was playing
character old men. Every year he drop
ped down further, until they wouldn't
trust him with anything better than bits
and servants. Yes. sir. and that old man
has played Romeo with the best Ot
them"
The story was finished. but the naudo-
lin SIN tinkled. The leading mans face
vas drawn. and jerks sat thinking. Per
haps the former was thinking Of his own
high TIDE Of prosperity, and OF what the
future had in store for him
But sympathy and curiosity are closely
allied. and soon the TWO men we're tip
toeing through the passagewsy. They
paused before the old actors room \
raw OF light filtered through a crack II
the thin pine door. Merriam Vas dressed
and made up FOR comedy servant HIS
green livery Goa: nGng on a peg OF the
wall. and the red Wig with waica - cCv-
cred lis own white hair Law o. the dress
Ing table before him There. too. Eas
a faded photograph o. a pure faced Eirl
III the dress OF juliet. The 2cto- was benz
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