Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-14
AT THE BOX OFFICE
Many Rough Places in the Life of the
Ticket Seller.
NOT EASY TO SATISFY EVERYBODY
People Who Make Trouble for Him
and for Others.
WHY HIS HAIR IS GRAY
NOT EASY TO SATISFY EVERYBODY
WHY HIS HAIR IS GRAY

| Written for The Evening Star.
| Forty-two persons. mostly men, were lined
| up, Indian file, before the window of a
| theater ticket office during the noon hour a
| few days ago, They all looked like
persons who had Jobs to hold down.
But each had dropped quietly into
| line. and they all patiently awaited
! their respective turns at the ticket
| sellers chart. Then a beauteous young
| thing. regardlessly raimented in a tight
| fitting gray taiIor-made suit that diffused
the aroma of Sicilian violets, sailed through
| the open storm doors. with much frou-frou
of silken dust-ruffie. She regarded the long
| line Of silent walters in Indian file with
| quite a whole lot of disdain, totally I'M
! mixed with amability. 1t was quite plain
| to be seen that she didn't approve of In
dian files. nor of waiting. She fioated right
| up to the window. a man was just turn
ing away with his tickets 1t happened that
| an humble non-assertive man was next in
| line He made the initial moves toward
| stepping up and taking look at the chart,
| but the beauteous young thing was too
| sudden for him. She calmly but determined
| ly squeezed herself in front of him. and be-
| gan her cool, deliberate examination of the
| chart.
| Justifable growls- muttered. but distinct
| from all hands in the line except the
humble man who was crowded out.
|
| Wouldn't that quake your
| what dye think of that!'
| Il wouldn't leave my happy home for her,
! no-oh- oh-ohr"
| These, and few others, the men emitted
| in short choppy growls.
| well, like her facet exclaimed the few
women in the line. THE tacky thing! 1
| wonder If she thinks" etc, etc.
| Can't Rattle Her.
| The beauteous young thing never much
as turned her head. She pointed with a
daintily-gloved finger at the glass-covered
| chart.
| 81 want these two seats" she said to the
ticket seller. indicating couple on the
middle aisle about seven rows back
| They're taken, miss said the ticket
seller
The beauteous young thing looked real
| put out.
How annoying said she. 81 suppose
I'll have to take the two aisle seats in the
next row back
Those are taken, too miss" said the
| ticket seller. whole orchestra sold out.
A few left in the orchestra circle"
| Now, isn't that exasperatingr' exclaimed
| the b. y. t. Are you sure of that?"
| "Yesm.' said the ticket seller.
| She thought for while with finger at
her lip, while the long line of people be-
| hind her changed to the other leg.
| Aren't there some people that telephon-
| ed for seats in the orchestral she inQuir-
| ed after the pause.
| "Yes'm,' said the ticket seller.
| And that haven't called yet for the
seats?"
well. couldn't you let me have a couple
of those2'
Knows What She Wants.
| The ticket seller looked as if he wanted
| to say: Not on your pastel portrait-do
you want me to lose my job?' but he only
replied,
Impossible to do that, miss. Regular
patrons Have to hold seats telephoned for
| by people we know until curtain rise"
| She put another finger to her lip and
| gagged in further thought, while the long
| line behind her sighed dsmally in unison.
Il don't think you're one bit accommo-
| dating" she said then Cant l pick out
| any two seats l want for tomorrow night?"
| Hardly that, miss. Pretty big sale for
| the rest of the week.
''Oh, well, 1 suppose I'll manage to ex-
| list without coming to a theater where the
| people are rude and unaccommodatng"
she said, loftily, and then she slowly turn
| ed about, directed what was meant TO be
| a freezing and naughty stare at the people
"Ah doan' caiuh eff she nevuh comes
| backf' hummed some of the men in the
| line.
| The above is no weird imagining. 1t hap
| pened. Moreover, 1t happens right along
wherever there is a box office for people
| 20 line I'D to.
The Lovely Matinee Girl.
Then there are the lovely matinee girls
| who take their places in line all correct
| enough, but who desire many distinct as
| surances from the ticket seller before they
| invest their substance in pasteboards.
| Are you positive that Swaggerblade the
| regular leading man. will appear at the
matinee? Don't the people they call under
studies always take the principals parts at
matinees?'
DO you really and truly think they try
SO hard at a. matinee?"
THE paper said this morning that Miss
| Stelarino has cold. Does it interfere with
her acting, and do you think I'd better go
| to the Wednesday matinee, or wait until
Saturday, when maybe she'll be better?"
Don't you think the seats in the middle
| Of the first row in the balcony are just
as good as seats in the orchestra circle?"
rs there going to be big audience? /
| do so hate to go to the theater when there
| isn't big audieneei"
tits dark when the matinee lets out
now, or nearly dark, isn't t?''
Thus, and otherwise with many varfa-
tons, the lovely matinee girl who desires
to procure the worth of her stamped metal
She does not inject tranquility into the
souls Of those behind her in line.
The Pussy Man.
Nor does the fussy man at the box office
window implant peace in the bosoms of the
Indian-f1lers in the rear.
Him. he says, when he gets up to the
| window. ''Er-how are you fixed for to-
night p
Few good ones left" says the ticket
seller, indicating them on the chart.
II nl-ha, says the fussy man. and he
begins an elaborate search through his
pockets for his glasses. He finally finds
them in just the pocket where they ought
to be, where he has been carrying them for
untold years, but where he fails to look for
them until he has exhausted all the rest of
his pockets. Then he undertakes a search
for his handkerchief that is seemingly
futile and utterly hopeless until he eventu-
ally, when he appears to be about to give
1t up, finds 1t in the pocket where It be-
longs and where he always carries it. With
the handkerchief he carefully wipes the
first layer of dust from the glasses. Then
he breathes upon the glasses and wipes
them some more. and holds them up to the
light. Then he looks around calmly for a
while. Then he adjusts the glasses to his
nose. There is still, he discovers, speck
of dust on the upper corner of the right
glass. He breathes this away, deposits his
handkerchief carefully I'm the pocket where
1t belongs, adjusts the glasses again, and
takes his initial glance at the chart