The silver lance., 1899-01-06
A BLUE COATS CARE.
LONE WOMAN FOUND A FRIEND
IN A POLICEMAN.
He Seemed to Enjoy the Joks-Found
Protege's Husband and Took Him
Over to the Thcater Where His wife
Was Enjoying the show.

II Is a favorite retort to suggest to
one who is boring you with his woes
that he go and tell policeman, says
the New York Tribune. The police
are, as rule, unknown quantities. and
many conflicting stories are told OF
them. Some denounce them as brutal
and discourteous and others make
them out to be gentle and obliging.
This is probably because in policemen.
as in every other class of men, there
are varying types. Without trying to
explain this problem the following lit
tie incident is told to cite just one
case OF what a policeman did when a
woman went to him with her troubles:
IL was the opening night at the Irving
Place theater last week. In the audi
ence were a man and his wife. This
man Is a particularly busy man and
much of his work is done at night In
this instance he had taken his wife to
the theater because she was anxious to
see the piece. although he was unable
to stay through the performance. He
arranged with her that he would leave
her there at $50 and return for her at
IL O'Clock, naturally supposing that
would be the closing time. Then he
went away. The woman's dismay may
oe imagined when at 1920 the play
came to an end, the audience passed
out, the ushers closed and locked the
doors and she found herself in the
street. 1t is not pleasant for a woman
TO md herself at 14th street and Irving
place, near Tammany hall and across
from the Dewey theater, at 10 O'Clock
at night and alone. This woman
didn't know what it was best to do.
put having plenty of courage and re-
membering some instructions she had
once received, she looked around for a
policeman. She saw a big, burly blue
coat across the street leaning against
the Dill board in front of the Academy
OF Music. She marched over. walked
up to him and explained her case. Her
lip was quivering as she finished. for it
was trying position. The big police
man Strengthened himself up and said
cheerfully: Bless your heart. little
woman, don't you feel bad about that.
Why, Lord love you. lots of women
find themselves in scrapes like that.
Now, I'll tell you Just what to do. You
come inside the academy and see the
show and I'll stand outside here and
watch for your husband and tell him
where you are" The woman de-
INJURED; said he might miss her bus-
band; she would wait with the police
man, but the policeman said stoutly:
Now, If you are in my hands you obey
orders. You just go inside and | will
watch out here. Your husband won't
get away. 1 will spot him the minute
he comes up" With this he marched
her up to the door, waved his hand to
the doortender and said grayely:
Friend OF mine" This open sesame"
was all that was needed, and she
passed into the warm theater and took
a seat in the last row. In a few mo-
ments the policeman came in and he
was highly indignant over the seat she
had secured. He called I'D an usher
and gave him fits. and told him to take
"his friend" down in front. The
woman protested and was finally al
lowed to retain her seat II was about
10:50 when the husband in the case
that the theater was closed. He
glanced around anxiously, and not see
ing her, was at loss what to do. when
big policeman accosted him and said
humorously; Lost anything?" The
man explained that he was looking for
his wife. The policeman said cheer
fully: We'll, I've got her." The man
wanted to know what for, but the Do
liceman only laughed and took him
across the street to the Academy of
Music. Here he called his friend
put. and the case was explained. The
policeman seemed to enjoy the Joke as
much as any one, and when he was
heartily thanked he said brusquely:
That's all right. 1t amt any more
than I would want a man to do for
mine"