The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-20

1 shall dc 1t at all hazards. Permit ms to present to you the real author oi "A Moral Dilemma as it is at present played in London. l surrender the
 laurels gladly. Come forward, Ravens
 worth; you need not be so bashful, old man."
 slunk away, Instead, two gentlemen 1 in uniform entered the box; the taller tapped my shoulder.
 Managers orders, sir" he remarked
 genially.
 Certainly" replied; "but there is a friend of mine"
 He's waiting outside" answered my
 interlocutor with, I thought afterward,
 suspicious promptitude. I turned to
 go, but paused, struck by new idea.
 "Where is the manager?" I asked
 imperiously.
 Up stairs,' replied the courteous of
 ficial; he'd have come himself, tnt
 there's some disorderly chaps inter-
 ruptin' the performance, maxim imper-
 tlnent remarks on the young ladies'
 sayin' as how they're disimmodest.'
 This was the last straw I swung
 round and looked back The stage was
 blaze of light the dancing figures
 were jggling to the music the music
 was jiggling to them. Through it all
 the people were laughing still and call ing Author, author'
 I scanned the tigurantes carefully, but could detect no improprety in their costume until l saw a tight clad limb suddenly flash forth from the line and disappear again, when I observed that if the ladies' morals were not cut upon a Spartan model their robes undoubted- ly were.
 Naturally, I was scandalized, and 1t was with this foolery my name had been associated I said the manager should hear of 1t, and meant what I said. Then the incoherent absurdity of the whole thing made me laugh and was yet laughing when I stepped, quite suddenly, Into the street. It was rain ing. I could not remember where l had left my mackntosh, and attempted to button my evening coat over my shirt front, but seeing the futility of such a proceeding, I was vastly amused.
 Somebody took my arm rudely-it was 
 from nowhere. lem is relative of mine; he possesses no literary tastts, has, in short, a cad whom I tolerate be- cause he has a happy knack of describ- ing his possibly apocryphal adventures in Australia and elsewhere, thus un- supplying me with local col or for my well-known sketches of colo nial life told him all this in SO many words; he laughed also.
 "All right, old chap" he remarked; "I was born young. Never mind about that now In with you"
 The door of cab yawned before me. I caught one of the handrests and ad jured him solemnly to seek for Ra- whom I missed.
 Its Nat Ravensworth,' I said, ear nestly, addressing Jem and the cabby; 'an old pal; knew him ages ago; he and I were at the theater together. I'm afraid he's bit on; been following him nto every pub we came across since we left the club--hest fellow in the world, but too fond of his liquor"
 "A good mans case" remarked the ehu with disgusting familiarity. Bet CT get in, sir, the policeman says we're blocking up the way
 A few seconds later we were in tie cab that is, Jem and I-my hat having in ome unaccountable manner got under ny feet I allowed it to remain there, 1 ny head feeling cooler. l was, howev- Y, still solicitous about Ravensworth, | md had quite forgiven him the ugly | rick he played me, now that had | heckmated him so cleverly; but to my | urprise, he unexpectedly appeared | lose to the window on the off side; he eemed quite unruffed, and appeared 10 ave no difficulty in keeping up with he horse. but would on no account ome in, nor did l press him to do so, what an unsuitable companion ueh an unlicked cub as Jem would ba or a man of his attachments HoWey- r, lest poor old Nat should be incon- I warned the driver I woulG eport him if he did not go more slowly, his arrangement suited remarkably Tell, and, ignoring Jenl, I began to raw Ravensworth out on various sub ects, talking myself with what felt to 2 sustained brilliancy until the cab topped at my own door.
 Next morning while sitting at break lst and striving, I confess with some ihlculty to reconstruct the previous l vening from very insufficient data, em Travers was shown into my room. That was pretty bad break of ours last night at the Empire!" he ob- ,rved cheerfully, as he shook out my orning paper.
 I looked at him severely over my asses "I was there, and never saw anything Se it," he went on. ''The Two Macs e nowhere! Cad! I couldn't believe y eyes when I saw you in the box, l ith your hair mussed over your head Id your tie under your ear, exhorting e audience and showing all that bosh bout ideas on 'em. They took it kind though-you were so jolly polite. At l st I thought it bit steep; but they .ught on somehow. Heavens! you did ay it low down when you began dis Z aiming the performance and apolo- zed for the ballet; but, takin' 1t all I und, they treated you damn de ,ently gave you rope enough ! T was never at the Empire in my e." sar I gravely. s lem eyed me curiously.
 Come, that's cool!" he remarked i What neXt?'
 I dined at the club and afterVari 1 i