The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-08-30

THE DILLEY BENEFIT.


| yes" replied Thomas. you know
they got up a benefit for the brass
band last spring, and made most 500.
Maybe they could make as much for
the Dilleys."
1.-THE very thlngw exclaimed Miss
Jane. claDping her small, thin hands
together. How lovely OF you 70 think
Of IL, Thomas, dearw
IL annoyed Thomas 10 have Miss
Jane call him dear" and he had q
boys honest contempt for anything
savorlng Of gusb.
"a benefit entertainment for tho
Dilleys will be simply charming" said
Miss Jane. I'VE haven't had any kind
Of an entertainment In town for ages!
And every one will be so ready to vol
unteer for such a good cause that we
can get up lovely program! / have
two new songs j would be willing 10
sing, and could recite something.
And perhaps we could get up llt.ic
play."
"Ob, don't go to have any play.act-
ing, or lots OF US church people won't
patronize the benefit" said old Mrs.
Briggs, who had very decided convic-
tions regarding such matters, and who
was opposed to anything savorng Of
the theatrical.
Perhaps II would be best not 10 at
tempt a play" Eald Miss Jane, "for
we shall want to have the entertain
ment free from anything the most con-
scientlous wouldn't feel free to patron
lze But we simply must carry cut
Thomas Jefferson's lovely idea. !
ELow that IL viii take everywhere"
In fact. the suggestion Of q benefit
for the Dilleys in the town hall Of Mel
Vile met with general hearty approval.
Thomas Jefferson himself was not
In the least averse to taking part In
the proposed benefit. Indeed, his will
ingness and even cagerness to appear
in public gave his grandmother no lit
tie concern, for she thought that she
saw in IL a tendency toward "play-act-
ing" and she frequently declared that
she would rather have him become n
garbage gatherer than to have him the
biggest play on earth" Thomas
did not share these views, but he said
little about them to his grandmother.
He was. however, n wilful boy, and
not easily moved when he had made
up his mind to do thing.
He had visited some cousins In the
large town OF Kingston n short time
before he proposed the benefit for the
Dllleys. While In Kingston he had at
tended an amateur minstrel show, and
had come home eager TO initiate some
Of the performances he had seen.
From the moment the Dillcy benefit
was planned Thomas was determined
TO daze the little town of Melville. He
was fond OF dramatic effect, and he
was determined to keep every one i'm
ignorance of the exact nature of his
contribution to the program.
"Tll tell you what you do" he said
to Miss Jane Crane. when she asked
him If he would not speak piece like
THE Polish Boy" or "Bingen on the
Rhine" 81 tell you what you do. You
just put on the program. Surprise
Number and don't say who It's going
to be by or what II is going to he. and
that'll give them something to wonder
about"
"Oh how nicer said Miss Jane.
And / know that we can depend on
you ID give us something perfectly
lovely. You are dear, anyhow
Thomas Jefferson WINGED. but was
too polite to give expression to his
pent-up feeling.
The patronage given the Dilley ben.
eft was all that could be desired, since
every seat in the house was sold and
every foot of standing-room taken.
sympathy for the Dilleys, combined
with desire TO break in on the mo-
notony of life in Melville. sent nearly
every resident to the town hall on the
evening OF the benefit.
The Dilleys were there in a row of
seats reserved for them. and Grand
mother Briggs. having been assured
that there would not he any "theatrl.
cal goings-on' in the program, was an
interested spectator.
IL was her conviction that Thomas
Jefferson had learned a new and &C.
ceptable piece entitled. Advice to n
Boy" that she had long wished him TO
recite at school-a prose composition
o. great length. written by some one
who had evidently quite forgotten his
own boyhood.
Eager interest was manifest in the
faces and actions OF the audience when
the Surprise Number" was reached
on the program. No one knew what
IL was TO be, nor by whom II was TO
a. given.
The curtains were parted. and there
suddenly gllded upon the stage a dane
ing, whirllng figure in somewhat short
and filmy pink and white tarlatan
skirts and black bodice laced with
pink. with bare arms akimbo. The
dancing figure plroutted around and
| around the stage. the curls of the very
palpablc yellow wig bobbing up and
uown and her tlnscl ornaments tink.
ling as she whirled around.
IF that amt scandalousw ejacu.
lated Grandmother Briggs to the lady
sitting beside her. "Who In the land
can the brazen creature be? She ought
10 be put right outI'
why. don't you really know who II
isT" asked the lady.
"0f course DON'T I don't associate
with such charactersr'
why. Grandma Briggs, that is your
Thomas Jeffersonr'
"Hey2 WhntY,