Evening journal., 1899-11-27

c.shg he said. not so loud. the Old
man will hear your
Now I'm prepared 10 see Father Time
playing sentimental dttles on a jews
harp
jerks did not laugh, fact which
helped to sober the other man. ITS
no surprise to me-" said the property
man. gravely. 81 says 10 Mrs. jerks
before ] left the MOTEL, says |, Mrs.
1enks, you know what night this isf|
Thanksgiving she says. Why, right
says /. and it'll be n hard night for
Merriam.
Poor old man, says Mrs. jerks,
a-wipin' Of a tear Poor old man, 1
Suppose he'll be playing OF his mando-
lin again That he WILL says ].
"He hasn't missed il, 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 tinkles away. And it's always the
same tune God! But it does make
my mind go back. I'll never forget
the first time he played 1t. You see
me and Merriam have been together
off and on, so long that 1 know his
story most as well as he does himself
Not that he ever talks about it. To
night, after the show, that instrument
II 90 back to the bottom Of his trunk
and it won't come out again till this
time next year"
The leading man was all ears.
Thirty years ago l was stage door
keeper at the old California Theatre
Now, the stage doorman amt so un
important as some folks think. There:
mighty little goes on that he dom
know something about. He gets the
flowers first, and he usually sees tn,
cards. He's a good friend to the actoi
when the actors a friend to him, anC
he can do a favor now and then that
worth the while.
Merriam was just beginning to climl
up the ladder in those days. He haC
come into the stock three years befor
as utility, but he was a handsome
chap, with brains and ambition TO bacl
his good looks. and It wasn't long be
fore he got to playing leads. Say
when Merriam went on as Romeo a
the matinees you couldn't see thre
rows in front of you for the bonnets
Mrs. jerks used to live in a regula
garden those days, for Merriam wOul
not have any Of the flowers the sill
girls used to send him. When I'd offe
20 bring them home to him he'd laugh
and tell me he reckoned my wife care
more for flowers than he did.
"But i often noticed that he cam
into the theatre with n big bunch 0
yiolets or roses that he'd bought hin
self to give to the little woman VIII
played opposite parts TO him. l aske
him once why he didn't give her tn
flowers the girls sent him, instead q
spending money that way, l took
kind Of fatherly interest in Merriam
those days. Lord bless you, TO loo
at him now you'd think he was m
grandfather FIe looks that old.
"Well. ! seen how things was goin
with him and Nellie Moore, and ever,
body else seen it, too. When she wa
on the stage he stood in the wings, an
his eyes followed every move 81
made. / remember one of the wome
saying that it was worth while to haN
n man care for You Ike that, and ce
tainly Nellie seemed to like it. 81
came to me one afternoon-the Thank
giving I'm telling you abOut-and sal
that she was too tired to go home aft
the matinee. She asked me If I'd III
across the way and order dinner 4,
her. Then she whispered in my e;
that she wanted II served for two, an
asked if l couldn't fix bunch light {
the stage, so she and Merriam cou
have a cosy Thanksgiving dinner a
alone.
e "Of course l done it for her. al
Z while they was eatn' 1 went over
3 my bOardin' house. There was to
/ a change of bill that night, so I can
back early so as TO get my props
shape. as 1 had them to attend 10
well as looking after the door. VIII,
: l came back into the theatre I heai
' Nellie Moore playing a mandolin. 81
4 was always fond of music and carri,
3 the instrument around with her.
) Now, you try, she said. There
an air I want you TO learn and remei
her.'
AN right said Merriam, and
took rae mandolin from her. s.
showed him where 10 place lis hngei
and kept humming the tune until
could play Ii with only one or t.