The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-24
HE NET HER.
But It Was Doubtless Under Painful

washington Starr
a newspaper man of this town who has
to work o nights took mis- wife TO the
Columbia theatre on Monday night last,
and left her there, saying that he'd be
back by the time the show was over to
take her home
Then he went TO his Office, took OF his
coat and cuffs. and sat down to write two
! columns 10 his string of western news
papers Republican, about the good inten-
/ lions OF congress with respect TO Porto
Rico, dwelling with particular emphasis
| upon how the whole people would rise up
and love the Porto Rican tariff when once
they understood it, etc, etc.
<lOng toward 10 o'clock ne suddenly re-
M nDered that had a wife, and then he
rubbed his weary eyes and wondered if he
Oh IN have an appointment to take her
somewhere or other, or something like
that. Then il gradually daWned uDOn him
that not only did he have a wife. but that
she Was at the Columbia theatre, and that
ne would soon be due TO 20 after her and
escort her home. He looked at his watch
/ The dial read 10 o'clock.
Plenty OF time" he mutteTed TO him
self. and then he wrote a letter to a man
] aging editor out west, giving his person
ally-conducted view that a certain great
R2utlcaI party was making a jay of itself.
When he had finished his ne looked at his
/ watch again Still 10 O'Clock
"Derned watch has stopped" said the
newspaper man TO himself, but it's not
/ more quarter after 10, and I've got
plenty of time"
Then he put on his cuffs and coat Ieis-
ureIy, and started for the theatre he
stopped at a brother newspaper mans Of
/ nee on the way 10 tell him (his brother
newspaper mani what dTiVel he Ibis
brother neWSDaDer mani had been writing
Tor his (hiS brother newspaper man >
string OF papers of late. Then he slowly
and thoUghtfully wended his way in the
direction of the theatre He could see
when he was still a block away that he
was in plenty Of time, for there was no
! body about the theatre entrance. He had
seen the show in New York, and so he
pulled out cigar and started a smoke
standing IN front OF the theatre He no.
! uced that there weren't any carriages
! ABOUT the theatre, and this struck him
as odd.
Il guess the vile weather told on Dan
1elS opening night said he to himself
Only crazy people nd come out on a
night Ike this, not saying any hard
things about the wife of my bosom
Then he went on smoking his cigar and
looking I'D and down the dark quiet
street.
1T must be poor house inside for fair.
though he unused, after peering through
the theatre storm doors and noticing the
deserted lobby. 4 can remember when
Frank Daniels used TO get all the money
every time he came along with his bum
plug hat and fraZZled cigar and PIGGY lit
tie humorous mug Wonder if Frank s
losing his grip around this neighbOrhOOd2
Should think there nd have been enough
people bought seats in advance last week
before they knew what the weather was
going TO be tOVe made a better showing
than this Oh, we'll, it's the same with all
stage favorites, I suppose-thev have
their little garish day, and then they be-
gin TO flicker. and finally. people can't be
Gagged TO see EN- cavOrt. not by wild
horses
Whereupon he fell to musing of all the
celebrated theatrical stars he'd seen rise
and set. and il all seemed mighty dismal
musing. He pulled his oVercOat about him
and buttoned it, and tugged impatiently
at his cigar.
This is about as raw a night as grin
mlcroDe I'd care to be abroad on he
said shiyeringly- BY ling, l wish the
derned old show ud wind uD and let my
wife out There are a whole lot worse
places than bed on a night like this -
Ihen ne took another peep through the
storm doors opening into the lobby
We'll. this must be a frosty night for
the little man with the SaWed-Of shape -
he muttered. Looks like mOrgue in
side there Wonder how Daniels likes
10 get the cold storage this way? I'll bet
II makes him sore. Funny 1 don't hear
any wild. vOciferOus applause out here
too didn't think the Washington folks
ud give Daniels the frozen face like this
than eighteen people in the house, judg-
ing by the deadly solitude that seems to
reign around here, and
Just then a smOOth-faced man with a
cigar in his face emerged from the box
office inside, locked the door and strOlled
out Of the lobby. 1t was Mr.. joseph
Luckett. the manager of the Columbia
Hello. joe" said the newspaper man
See they've passed you The raped mitt
tonight"
Why; hello there; pal, said Mr. Luck
EFT Been inside?'
Mop" said the newspaper man. Saw
the show over in the big town. Just wait
ing for my wife. Pretty tiny house. eh -
'Tiny?' said Mr.. Luckett. I'VE stood
EN- on their heads in the aisles. PLAYED
to capacity and several hundred over"
That's funny" said the neWspaper
man. Pretty funereal around here for
such a huge cOnclave, sin't it2''
MY bow" said Mr.. Luclett, going over
to the newspaper man and laying his
hand affectOnately on his shoulder. go
home and see if you can't sleep it of by
tomorrow morning. It's after midnight
and the shows been over for about an
hour and a half.