Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-21
BETTER THAN HIS MONEY

This fy-by-night theatrical outfit" said
the old secret service man, "fel into woe
at Gallatin. Tenn. It comprised twelve
persons, not including the manager nor the
| baby belonging to the ingenue and her hus-
band, the leading heavy They had been
giving 'repertoire'-any old thing from
Box and Cox to The Ticket-of-Leave
Man and 'Virginius'-on Tennessee's Uncle
Tom circuit. and just barely getting from
town to town Some baggage. 1 suppose,
had been let out of hotel windows under
the dim starlight in other towns, but Gal
| latin looked IKE the end of the route. Some
forty persons had attended the Ingomar
performance, at 25 cents per, in Gallatin.
and the manager had accumulated the
whole $40 and taken the local special, leav-
ing the Twelve people-and the baby-1n the
ruck. He had been missed after the show.
and the members of the company gazed into
each others faces blankly. They under
stood Hotel bills, railroad fares-nothing
IN sight for the squaring thereof, and the
manager skipped. The women dissolved
comedian offered to assume the manage
ment, but his offer was received with dis
maj means. His financial imposSibility was
100 wen Known Meanwhile the hotel bills
and the fares to the next town-also. con-
densed milk for the baby; and nary
sou-marQue in the crowd.
L nc pOOT unl0rtOnateS washed OH tHcl1
paint and returned to the hotel in g. stale
OF gloom. committee of three of the
men went to the hotel keeper, German
whose soul was surcharged with sktptlclsri
with reference to all members of the theat
rical profession whomsoever.
The outfit they told him, SIS up against
II. The manager is heading NORTH nor
nave we the price to telegraph for his ap-
orehension. We have several dates ahead
which look promising. We shall send the
money back to you. with perhaps a bonus.
can we nave our baggage and depart under
these conditions
6 1 want my pill paid now was The reply
OF the tavern keeper I know you vellers
too veil, nod? Dots too thin abou;d de
manacher It's put-up chob to peat NE.
NO money. no baggage
They tried to argue 1t out with him.
send an agent of your own along with
us to the next town, and he can attach our
baggage and scenery and props, If we
don't hand him the amount OF your bill
at the conclusion of the performance they
demonstrated with him, desperately.
want nod baggage or Drops or sken-
cry. ain'd it?' was the firm reply. Pay me,
una you ged de baggage.
Despair was written over the cJunte-
nanceS of the whole outfit. The women
took turn at pleading with the remorse-
| less Teutonic boniface. They were still en-
gagged in pleading with him when a large,
| ample, well-dressed man, with flowing side
Whiskers. heavy gold watch chain and
huge diamond ring, not to mention an
immense diamond stud. strobe in. grip in
hand, and registered. He had just arrived
| on the northern midnight train.
- want two rooms and BATH, sail
the new arrival to the obsequious German,
who waddled behind the desk 10 wait OH
the prosperouS-looking just-arrivei guest
While the large, ample. swagger looking
man was waiting before the desk to be
shown to his rooms, the women res med
| their pleading with the German.
l want no more tawg aloud Id, said
the German. All l want is de MONEY!
'Ho. Here. What's the trouble? Such
language to ladies'! exclaimed the new al
rival. with aql Indignant glance at the Ger
man hotel NAM
| ''One Of tEe{ mon of the company stepped
| forward aad- explained the predicament
and how their appeals to the German had
| been III vain. The baby. cudGIed in the
| weeping ingenue's arms, crowed softly.
The large, ample man bridled over the
| recital. "7
:" Who evbr heard of such cursed hard
heartednessy he exclaimed, wrathiIy. y on
! ought to be thoroughly ashamed of your
| self, my mani! to the German hotel man
| If all men had so little consideration for
the troubles of others as you seem
Veil broke in the German, APOLOGIZE
| cally, all l want is vat belongs to me,
| und-'
What is the amount Of this miserable
| bill of yours? demanded the guest,
reaching for his wallet in his inside breast
| pocket.
The hotel keeper told him It was SIS
/ " And tor a bagatelle like that you would
render the hearts Of twelve Of your fellow
men and fellow women heavy and sorrow
| fui? was the virtuOusly indignant question
! of the large, ample man, and, opening his
| wallet, he tossed $500 bill on the desk as
| if the same were SO much manila wrap
| ping paper. The hotel mans eyes stuck
| out over the size of the bill.
| HAT you holdings smaller?' he in
| CURED.
| No, l have not was the imperious re-
| ply. 1 am not in the habit Of numbering
| my money book with shinplasters.'
| The German went to work at his safe
| combination, while the large, ample man
| engaged in sympathetic conversation with
| the grateful theatrical folks. The Ger
| man placed a drawer containing a large
| pile of bills on the desk, and laborously
counted out a1lO in change to the gen
| erous guest. The latter picked up the
| money and stuffed it into his wallet as II
| it were so much junk-all but a $50 bill,
which he CALAMITY handed to the young
woman with the growing baby.
| " Madame, said ne to her with low
| bow, 1T gives me pleasure to make you the
| medium of assistance to your unfortunate
| associates
| company that brought the dampness to
| their eyes.
g Be of brave heart and good cheer he
| said, and all will be well with you L wish
! you every manner of luck and happiness
| They all shook hands with him. and he
| retired to his rooms with the ali OF a
| man filled with happiness over his accom-
! pHshment of a generous deed. The com
pany, with all the baggage, LETT on the 2
am. train for the next town. The large,
| ample man slept all night and departed on
| the am train.
| We'll. we didn't run that smooth one
| down for long while. You see, on account
| of the large size of the queer bills he
| showed, he didn't have to put so many Of
| 'em over the plate in order to make The
| business pay the showers of queer ILLS
| of smaller denominations, so that his rail
was hard to follow up He planted the
| phony green papers in widely separat ted
| communities. But we corraIled him al
! last. and he is still doing his bit fJe's out
| next year. II remember correctly. He
| hasn't got bad heart, at that"
| Pleasures of PIayinu Wbf~4