Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-26

careful TO avoid church nights. One
day, however on this very railroad, after
it vas built into the town, l fell in with
a travelling theatrical company. headed
for Arapahoe. / made friends with them,
of course. They seemed to be respectable
people enough. The manager a veteran
player assured me, I don't allow any i'm
moral plays in my show We're poor
and have to do bum towns'-I am trying
to quote his elegant phrases-'but / try
to be respectable, myself. and to have
everybody in my company decent-hke
He confided to me in secret that there
was only one member of his present
troupe about whom people talked. and
he assured me that he didn't believe what
was said about her
II made the acquaintance of all OF
them. and they talked freely to me about
their experiences and adventures, and
certainly they had a difficult life and
hard one"
almost as hard as being a peripateic
missionary" I suggested.
bishop, cheerfully. Il enjoy that, so far
as l am concerned: but the two who In
terested me most we're a young man whose
name was Victor Montague-at least that
was his theatrical name-and young
woman who was introduced TO. me as
Miss Carlotta Sylvester. She had been
charminsly pretty girl, although she
looked tired and faded and somewhat
n-aS
her mind which proved upon her and rem
dered her life miserable. 1t appeared to
me that Mr.. Montague was very much in
love with Miss Sylvester, and by all the
sisns-and you know I am a past master
in such affairs laughed the old man.
for l have had so many young couples
on my hands-that she reciprocated his
feelings, but there was barrier between
them quite perceptible to a close OBJ
server. and both appeared to be supremacy
miserable. My loquacious friend, the
manager. confided to me that Mr.. Mon
.taaue which his real name is Henry
Pearce and he is a young man of very
respectable family, is in love with Miss
Sylvester which her real name is Mary
Bates, and it's her as is talked about for
something or other, the rights of which
dOn know, DuI L STAKE my NE vi Hei
honor and honesty.
"She looked like an honest girl. and
would have backed up the managers con-
fdence myself. Well, the day dragged
along somehow. a funny little thing hap
pened at Sewaygc. where we ate. BY
this time l was one of the party, and
dined at the same table With the rest of
them at the railroad eating house. ! fin
ished my meal before the others. rose.
walked over to the cashiers desk and
handed him a ten-dollar bill. You know
| wasn't very strong on clerical cos
tunes in that day, and I was dressed in
an ordinary business suit, very dusty and
much the worst for wear. AS the cashier
took the bill I was astonished to have
him ask, Are you payin' for yourself
alone or for your whole PARTY. sir? IN
the eyes of the cashier l was the manager
of the party. So much for my episcopal
air and authority.
"A few miles from Arapahoe the man
ager of the local opera house, who was
also the warden of the mission and the
city marshal, boarded the train in great
perturbation. He in hard luck, for
it was church night. and he told the
manager of the travelling company that
he and his troupe would have no show
against the bishop, that he had tried to
head them off. but had failed to do so,
and he did not know what to do. The
two consulted in the end Of the car and
finally came back to where I sat.
"'Right reverend said the warden,
we're up agin' it hard. You know, bein'
a religious an a lava bdin' town, we allus
gives the church a hearty support, an
there amt nothin' an nobody as is more
welcome in these yere parts than you be.
We shuts down the saloons, witch the bar
keeps says they wants to so 10 church
as much as anybody. It's allus Sunday
when you comes around. But we've made
a mistake in the dates somehow or other.
an we've got a show billed fer tonight.
Now this yere man., pointing to the man
ager, seq you've been speakin' to him
durin' the day an he SEE you've been
treatin him wife witch you allus does
everybody, I told him. He's down on his
luck, he sez witch he's been in break
downs. an wrecks. an washouts an
has had poor houses, an mobs, an now
he's run up agin the church. He wants
to make proposition to you, an I've told
him you'd deal fair with him if any man
would.
=" Mr. Bishop said the manager, 'wha.
he Gays is all true. We've had terrible
time. This is the last of our season. the
company is goin' to disband as soon as
it gets back to Kansas City an, If !
don't get some receipts tonight and to-
morrow-ben' as tomorroWS Saturday,
we're goin' to have a ma tinee-I don't
see how ! can pay the salaries to those
poor people that's due them, or get them
back to civilization. We're goin' to give
a clean. moral show. No Uncle-Tom's-
Cabin affair." doctor. but it's respectable
an any one can see 1t with pleasure. We
hear from Bill here that there amt no
show for us in Arapahoe unless you help
us out What l propose is this. II you'll
have your show-I mean your services-a
little earlier we'll have our services-I
mean our show-a little late. Say you
have your'n at quarter past seven, an
we'll have our'n at quarter to nine. And