The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-24
THE EVENING STORY
Bill and sE 49,"
(By colin S. CoIlins.l

filed in and the house lights went up.
Then the music and the rush of arri-
walls made a delightful stir.
These We're busy moments for the
ushers, because in the ten minutes
preceding the rise of the curtain half
the house had to be seated, and it was
hard for Billy to bear in mind the
managerial caution that the right
hand aisle was not cinder track laid
for his amusement.
1t is hard to walk when the music
plays lively air, and there were
times when Billy would sprint I'M the
aisle as though bent upon breaking all
records for the hundred yards.
These ten minutes, twice a day, re-
paid the boy for the rest of the work
and it was work for all who were
employed about the Century theater.
Calkins, the manager, had spent his
days devising a system that was al
most perfect in its schedules. Every
body cleaned house in the morning,
with just time for a hurried lunch be-
fore squeezing into the uniforms for
the matinee, and as soon as the rush
was over all but two of the boys were
taken off to perform other duties.
Those who remained were water
boys. parading the aisIes with trays
Of glasses, which they offered to the
patrons. Now and then a penny or
even a nickel or dime fell to the
water carrier, but Billy was content if
the ladies smiled their thanks.
All this was before &c 112" came.
After that there was but one wo-
man in the world for William, just as
there is but one woman for each of
US at some stage of boyhood.
&c 1872 was worthy of his worship.
Even the box office boy had confided
to Calkins, the manager, that it was
"a dead swell dame who took up the
seat for Tuesday mats" and the man
ager had condescended to approve the
statement, though Ca1kin'S own pre-
ference was for blondes. "E 112" had
dark hair of the soft, wavy kind that
makes fellow long to stroke softly,
admiring1y.
But Billy remembered nothing but
her eyes, after he had received one
direct glance. He could look into
those liquid depths clear down into
the untroubled soul beyond.
Every Tuesday afternoon the girl &C.
cupied the same seat. The Century re-
served seats for its regular patrons by
the season and once when the head
usher sought to shift Billy to the bal
cony, where there was a better chance
of making tips, Billy promptly forgot
the fact that it was supposed to be a
favor and pummeled his benefactor I'M
til the latter promised to put him back
on his old aisle.
p To such an extent had Billy become
enslaved that he even rejoiced in the
water job. He would work the front
rows very slowly, waiting with patience
for each patron to finish with a glass,
would stand in rapt admiration, ignor-.
ing the request of others for glasses
from the tray until she had returned
hers, and there was no longer any ex-
cuse for standing at her side.
Long before the middle of the season
Eleanor Golden, otherwise 'E 112" had
come to know the earnest freckled lit
tie face, and the day that she passed
him in the street and gave him a nod
and a bright smile was golden one in
IL ian 7o-
Then came the day which even now
Calkins hates to recall, because of its
one moment of nightmare. There was
an act at the house that opened with
the supposed explosion OF an auoo4 .a
bile off the stage, the comedian enter
ing with tire and part OF the rim OF
a wheel hung about his neck.
The effect was obtained in the time
honored fashion of firing into the air q
shotgun loaded with salt instead OF
shot. The salt scattered harmlessly
and vet the report was louder than
when powder alone was used.
On this day a tiny bit of the wadding
was carried into the air and Huttereo
against one of the huge drops hung
above the stage.
There were four of these hung close
together and no one noticed the spiral
of flame run up between this drop anu
the next The scenery was hreproored'
but the rough surface of the canvas
carried the flame.
A watchful fireman discovered the
smoke and turned in an alarm While
he gave the signal to the stage man
ager to lower the fire curtain.
AS the great asbestos shield de-
scended one of the actors stepped be-
fore the curtain line and made an an
that an accident mad oc-
CURED.
There is positively no danger he
assured, "but merely as a precaution
you are asked to leave the house as
quickly as possible"
The band was still playing and the
people in the rear of the house were
moving toward the entrance when the |
stage hands in the flies cut the ropes
and permitted the scenery to fall to the
stage, where the fire could be fought
with greater ease.
Until then there had been an order |
y movement. At the speakers sug- |
gestion the people in front were wait |
ing until those in the rear seats had |
gone that there might be no crowd1ng: |
Billy, watching over "E 112," had
his sharp eyes on the people in his |
section, and as the heavy battens from
which the scenery was hung came
era shing to the stage one man sprang
20 his feet.
He was sitting in the fourth row.
and in a flash Billy realized that
should this man break the order of
departure there would be a crash IN
which many would be hurt.
Billy carried his own useless tray.
md quick as flash he pretended to
stumble and fall against the panic
stricken man. In falling he thrust the
fellow back into his seat and the ice
cold water drenched the mans face
md neck and trickled down inside or
lis clothing.
Those near by laughed. and the
crowd, which had been upon the verge
# a panic, cooled down. The panic
vas averted.
But Billy had slipped on one of the
hick tumblers rolling under his feet.
n an instant he was on the floor OF
he aisle on top of the clutter of
broken glass, and his face and arms
II, 1