Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-12-01

Now I'm prepared to see Father Time
playing sentimental ditties 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 to Mrs. jerks
before / left the hotel, says l, Mrs.
jerks, you know what night this is!'
Thanksgiving, she says. why, right,
SAYS l. and it'll be a hard night for
Merriam
Poor old man. says Mrs. jerks,
a-wipin' of tear. Poor old man, l
suppose he'll be playing of his mando-
lin again That he WILL says l.
"Ile hasn't missed 1t, 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 l know his
story most as well as he does himself.
Not that he ever talks about it. To-
night, after the show, that instrument
III go back to the bottom of his trunk.
and it wont 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 I'M
important as some folks think. There's
mighty little goes on that he don't
c..,,,nfhsror ohnx,f 10 Tho
flowers first, and he usually sees the
cards. He's good friend to the actor
when the actors friend to him, and
he can do a favor now and then that's
worth the while.
Merriam was just beginning to climb
up the ladder in those days. He had
come into the stock three years before
as utility, but he was a handsome
chap, with brains and ambition to back
his good looks. and it wasn't long be.
fore he got to playing leads. Say,
when Merriam went on as Romeo al
the matinees you couldn't see three
rows in front of you for the bonnets
Mrs. jerks used to live In a regular
garden those days, for Merriam would
not have any 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 he did.
"But / often noticed that he came
into the theatre with big bunch OF
violets or roses that he'd bought him.
self to give to the little woman who
played opposite parts to him. / asked
him once why he didn't give her the
flowers the girls sent him, instead OF
spending money that way, / took q
kind of fatberly 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.
"Well, seen how things was going
with him and Nellie Moore, and every
body else seen it, too. When she was
on the stage he stood In the wings, and
his eyes followed every move she
made. l remember one of the womer
saying that 1t was worth while to have
a man care for you like that, and GER
tainly Nellie seemed to like 1t. She
came to me one aftrrnoon-the Thanks
giving I'm telling you about-and said
that she was too tired to go home after
the matinee. She asked me IL I'd ruT
across the way and order dinner FOL
0er. Il 0en sue WutspeEcu III NY eskl
that she wanted it served for two, and
asked If couldn't fix bunch light on
the stage, so she and Merriam could
have a cosy Thanksgiving dinner al
alone.
"Of course I done 1t for her, and
while they was eatin' went over Il
my boardin' house. There was to b.
a change of bin that night, so I came
back early so as to get my props In
shape. as / had them to attend to al
well as looking after the door. Wher
I came back into the theatre I heard
Nellie Moore playing mandolin. Shs
was always fond of music and carried
the instrument around with her.
" Now. you try she said. There.
an air want you to learn and remem
ber.'
" AN right said Merriam, and b.
took the mandolin from her. Shs
showed him where to place his fingers
and kept humming the tune until b,
could play 1t with only one or tive