The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-06

was transformed by saving out the joist
of the second floor. leaving enough at the
sides and front 10 form a gallery sup
ported by frequent posts from below. This
gallery is partitioned of in stalls with a
p~assagervay next 20 the wall. The front
OF these is covered with fly screen wire to
prevent the occupants throwing things on
the people below.
a small upright piano in front of the
stage has the top thrown back. the front
taken of both above and below the key
desk to increase the sound. The player.
in a revolving office chair, sits with one
foot under him and the other free to work
the damper pedal. On the woodwork above
the treble keys are many sticky rings
showing prints of beer glasses, and the
worries of the last two or three keys of
the bass are scorched from lighted cigar
cite butts. The player is in his shirt
sleeves and his eye wander aimlessly over
the crowd. waiting his cue 10 begin the
overture.
THE SHOW AND THE AUDIENCE.
The place is nearly full. The hum OF
conversation is occasionally broken by a
hoarse laugh, a shrill whistle or stamping
of feet in impotence for the curtain TO
rise, or a scream of merriment from one
of the girls drinking in the stalls above.
The room is already filled with smoke, and
through it the electric lights hanging on
cords seem far away; and the whole
smells of perspiring humanity, stale beer
and the burning of cheap granulated to-
bacco twisted up in papers. Suddenly there
is a loud rapping back on the stage. The
Miami nIavar wheels around in HE chair
starts to play a medley of ragtime and all
other noises cease. After another rapping
is heard the pianist eases off the overture,
improvises into another key and plays
some Introductory measures. There is a
creaking noise, the curtain rolls up and
reveals a little dinky stage. The floor
slants toward the front and the proscenium
arch is so low that the figures and objects
on the stage appear taller than they are.
The scene is a parlor. A young woman
is seated beside a table doing fancy work.
When the curtain reaches its full height
the woman drops her work with a vexed
expression, stamps her foot to indicate i'm
patience and says: IT wonder what keeps
my husband; its way past quitting time,
and he should have been home long ago"
A noise is heard at the rear of the stage.
There he is now" she exclaims. rising,
and. turning from the audience. reveals
two holes in the elbows Of her dress. A
figure in working clothes. carrying a din
ner pail. staggers in the door and looks at
her with a maudlin grin. There she
shrieks in a rasping voice, you are drunk
again. and have probably spent all your
weeks wages" The crowd bursts out in a
hoarse laugh like the roar of a huge AMI
NAL and every eye glistens in glee. They
laugh at the portrayal of what has been
and will be many times in their own
homes. Many men in this place spend
quarters while their wives are at home
working TO save nickels.
All the acts are the kind which appeal 10
the character of the audience. Toward the
end Of the evening the curtain rises on a
tall. willowy figure of a young. beautiful
woman The applause is Ioud-it is the new
girl. The plano player lights a fresh cigar
cite. takes a pull at a fresh glass of beer
and plays the introduction. She BOWS with
natural grace and sings the hit" OF the
season of a year or two ago. with a sim
To one side of the stage under the gallery
a low-browed fellow is seated at a table
With a bleer-eyed, haggard-visaged girl.
whose hair is bleached TO the color of the
moon. She pulls az a cigarette and TOYS
with stained Singers an empty whisky glass.
When the new girl has finished her turn.
she sits down with them lights a cigarette