The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-24
STORIES OF THE STREET.

There are few more thoroughbred
practical jokers in the current function
aries Of the American stage than Ann
brose M Miller Jr., who Is just now in
advance of Quo Vadis."
Miller, better known as "Musty'' Mil
Ter, has 'ktdded' a continent to a pho
tographic starrdstill, and will shortly
He wishes he had sailed day before
yesterday.
If there are two old cronies in the
ranks of the impressarios, they are
"Musty' and Fred Peel, who is now, by
a singular coincidence, in st. Paul as
one of the proprietors of "A Wise Guy"
A few days ago letter came to PeePs
hand. 1t was largely irrelevant, but 1t
wound up something in this wise:
Il will be in st. Paul Wednesday, at
1O:lo p m' and will proceed immediate
~ TO the Grand opera house. Yours
truly, "a. NJ. Miller Jr.,
representing Only Dollar and Half
Shows"
Now, the fact that Peel's show is play
Ing at popular prices may or may not
have animated Miller. and the fact that
Miller tackled this on may Or may not
have been taken as a personal matter
by Peel, but somewhere, by some one, 1t
was carefully arranged that Mr. Miller,
on his arrival at 1915, should be made
the recipient ofSa good tiIne-tfle better
the better ~ - u. ~. -
Miller arrived at 1915, union depot time
at 1927 he was at the Grand opera house
At 1040 the telephone rang, and FEM
mine voice inquired If Mr.. Miller was
there. He was.
It was singular that she so soon detect
ed Mr. Millers arrival, or 1t would have
been, if there had not been a number of
young fellows Of the theatrical, neWspa-
per and other bohemian professions hang
ing around, and they did not seem a BIT
surprised at this 1mpulsive manifestation
of MiHer's local popularity with the fair
sex.
Swinging the fair damsel with the
arts that are almost essential east Of
Hoboken "Musty'' broke even on the
first conversation.
Again the telephone bel rang. Again
the lady wanted Mr.. Miller.
II wonder who that can be- he ex-
claimed, almost petulantIy, for, like all
theatrical advance men, and other men,
Ambrose can detect q pretty woman az
Tar as he can see one, and he wanted to
know which Of the legion in ST. Paul this
one was.
But she did not tell him. Some one
must have told hero to. Peel says he
did not
How could she know was here?" IN
quired the puzzled, impressario, pulling
nervously at his mustache.
Must have sent soma of those press
puffs to the wrong address, absent mind
edly," suggested one Of the newspaper
fraternity. Got your dates mixed, eh9'
third time the telephone bell rang.
Again Mr.. Miller was wanted. Again he
was to be had.
few moments parley, and he snap
ped his fingers with vigor that made
them almost as scintllant as his mean
descent Identification"
Its Maud -"
mo-" interposed one of the bystand-
ers, who may or may not have been in
with the original joke. She's not In
town"
A look of scorn was the best he got
from ''Musty."
Huh! Her voice in q minute. She's
got baritone voice. I'd know 1t any,
where"
The conspIrators needed no more In
few minutes delicately tinted and dam
ttly perfumed notes were coming carried
by property Inverted messenger boys.
'St Paul always was good to me-"
soliloqulzed "Musty'' in a bas-relief whis-
per, as no counted on this new testimo
NAL to the measure of his popularity.
'T want to see you SO bad I hope YOU
can call and see me the first thing in
the morning. / have been wanting to
talk over old times for so long"
That was what the note said.
"Musty' called the first thing in the
morning. The lady was not at home.
She had been called away. So sorry, and
all that sort Of thing, but couldn't he
meet her In Rice park, near the fountain.
at p. m.
OF course he could.
He had body guard all day Singular
It was, but as least one of the bunch
that had met Him the night before insist
ed on sticking at his coat tails every
minute. Finally, at, 2:3O, he broke away
to get shaved il
At 2:54 he was onshis way to the park
He had the fountain beat to death at 2:59
The debonnair irnpressario sat on one
bench awhile. Then he sat on another
bench Then be twirled his cane in the
airy by-baths. NJ
Meanwhile the steps of the Steele row
on WashfngtoDBtreet were terracad with
theatrical managers Of all sorts and
sizes; newspaper mel, on various errands,
hied themselves through the park. near
the fountain. or ambushed behind con-
venient doorsteps or lilac bushes
Still he idly twirled his cane He shook
one tan pedal nonchanlantly over the
other. He waitsd-far Maud
Three-ten came Three-hffeen was onlv
five minutes behind Three-twenty was
a good third. At S:25 It was a question
whether "Musty'' would quit first or his
unperceived observers give up the game.
Finally when $3.50 was imminent Miller
rose, brushed the wrinkles out of his
trousers. and sauntered out of the mark
4 r7D0Jre and