Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08

could see another OF those Tll-send-
the-money- when -I-get on : the = road
coming up.
But he insisted that he wanted
monoIogue, and named ridiculously
low figure out of fear that had gone
stronger he would have fallen in
faint.
"Perfectly satisfactory said my
customer. Go ahead with It,
But 1 said, I must have half of
the amount as an evidence of good
faith
"'Oh, that's all right was his re-
sponse, and he dug down into the big
gest pocket he had and pulled out
roll of currency big enough to paper
the city hall
'T was the goat all right, all right.
Three days later I submitted the mono
logue. My customer was attired in
neat-fitting tennis suit, immaculate In
appearance, and had racquet under
his arm. He read the monologue, pro-
duced the roll once more and peeled
off the balance in fives and tens with
the same nonchalance that an epicure
peels his artichoke.
"'Say,' 1 gasped finally, you didn't
appear so awfully prosperous when
first met your
HE laughed and replied: I've done
business with you fellows before. The
other day I was made up for the part.
But if I make good money with this,
he added, TIL send you another hum
dred. Good by"
Owing to the unexpected closing of
attractions which were booked at the
Los Angeles theater that house wilt
continue dark until Christmas week.
when Florence Roberts will appear
there in "Zira" Miss Roberts always
T. faynrifa in An
geles, and If any one can do 1t she
should turn the tide in the Los An
geles' favor. The house so far has not
met with the patronage it deserves. 1t
1as had two bad attractions, Richards
e. Pringle's minstrels and Under
Southern Skies" but the others have
each been amply worth the price OF
admission charged.
1t has this against 1t, however. The
early season has recorded consider
able number of dramatic failures and
unless the time can be filled by later
bookings the Los Angeles will have
many dark weeks between now and
the close of the regular theatrical year,
next June.
Since I first called attention to the
cacophony produced by the drum and
other trap" instruments in theatrical
orchestras 1 have received several let
IeTS thc NiCW bhSh oAPi S9oSN-
One which reached me Thursday re-
ferred enthusiastically to the absence
of the orchestra from the Burbank dur
ing last weeks Ibsen matinees, the
writer declaring> that she found the
omission delightful, as it gave her an
opportunity to discuss the play with
her friends without being compelled to
do Violence to her vocal organs. Now
while HSis view bears out what said
I cannot bring myself to approve in
this particular instance. 1t is my be-
lief that anything tending to discour-
age a discussion of Ghosts" should be
applauded. Not that Ghosts" Is i'm
moral. Far from 1t. Neither is bad
plumbing.
s. Miller Kent. who played 'Raffles"
at the Mason last week, was indirectly
the cause of Frank Frayne's joining
the Ulrich stock company. Mr.. Kent
then was in vaudeville. He came to
the Los Angeles Orpheum with a sketch
in which Frayne played a Chinaman.
Now the Frayne Chinaman is more
celestial than Minister Wu himself,
and when Clarence Drown saw it he
was seized with an uncomfortable de-
sire to have this canary of a Chinanan
in his stock company. Frayne was ap-
preached and that night he gave Mr..
Kent his two weeks notice A fort
night later found him rehearsing at
the Grand, and since that season he has
continued, each summer, with the
company.