The San Francisco call., 1903-12-20

W eve one at nome ike them, cor
rected.
well. amt it surprising?" Hart
laughed, his eyes only a blue chink of
fun under their dapper eyebrows.
Why, one night they're piping high
C's and the next they're rumbling down
in the basement, and big enough to put
grandpa over their knees!'
How old are these boys?"
Fourteen and sixteen, though they
don't look it. It is difficult to get them
clever enough to catch on to the parts
ard able TO sing so as to be heard, and
yet young enough to create the illusion.
They're nice boys. Having an awful
time just now, though. Their mother
sent them a Christmas box, and to be
sure it got here early enough she sent
it this week. They're on their word of
honor not TO open it. But at the pres
ent rate Of whiting I don't see much
Of that box left for Christmas"
Lovely I'd like to know the end" 1
owned, then asked: Weren't you at
the Orpheum the last time you We're
here?'
And the only time I've worked for
salary for good many years" Mr..
Hart acquiesced.
Mrs. Hart's sister was on at the
same time, I remember, Fleurette"
The comedian looked pleased at my
remembrance of his sister-in-law. and
observed: "Florrie almost always trav-
els with US. Nice girl, good girl. You
know they're not a bit like people think
stage folks are. Religious, you know.
They leave me in bed every Sunday
morning and go off to church-say my
prayers for me-"
You don't go?"
NO. But I like it. Those traits are
something one should cultivate in ones
family. I encourage it all I can"
Peer Gynt and his lady of the
prayer-book / murmured
Let me tell you something pretty"
Hart said suddenly. His dark, rugged
face, the color of smoked ivory, and
quantity askew in its drawing, was
almost shy here I'VE were travelling
out to California and my wife and
sister-in-law had gone to dress one
morning and the old porter began to
make uD their beds. But he soon
stopped for some reason or other, and
then he looked over at me with a
ANNIA AANNAN GlAtAiE anu liFAh UP d u u
ciix and little sanity picture my
wife carries around. She'd left them
in her berth. That's the sweetest
thing I've seen on this line for many
years, sir, he said. Your wife and
sister. sir? You are a lucky man, par
don me, sir and the old gentleman
just beamed. I think so, too" the
lucky man concluded.
could only nod a convinced as
sent to the old gentleman's opinion.
and then I said: "Fleurette was dane
ing the last time l saw her.
She is going to appear in a mus
ical comedy of mine pretty shortly, L
think" Mr.. Hart informed me, mot
until after the election, though"
Does that make so much differ
ence?"
You're pretty wise to take sure
things round about election time, ="
the comedian said. remembered
then that Hart was not only a come
dian, but a successful manager; not
only a successful m3nager, but a sue
cessful writer of farce. 1t was the
manager talking. There's too much
fun and business outside at election
lAlt. n BoOu utdl OL lOOSe money
flying round. too; cigars and wine and
things. And when there's something
for nothing to be had something for
something is not going to be on top.
II is just as well to postpone your
something until after November I'd"
Times have been pretty bad late
ly with the theatrical brethren in the
East"
Yes. but-well," Hart decided.
thrusting his hands in his pockets.
4 don't think the managers have
been giving the people what they
wanted. And what they want now, by
Jove-" Mr.. Hart tlapped his knee to
emphasize--"is 10 cents on the dol
lari But I'm sure anything they do
want they'll buy. It isn't a case of
financial shortage. It's because they
didn't want what the managers had to
sell. The theater's a luxury, not
necessity, and people are going to
look round before they buy. You
ean't force productions. It's the same