The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-23
THE NATIONAL.
Hattie Williams.

After several engagements in musical
comedy, Miss Hattie Williams made her
Washington debut i'm the straight comedy.
Detective Sparkes." at the National last
night, and the audience seemed much
pleased with the performance and the
way that the star, with her excellent
supporting company. rendered the piece
Miss Williams has not lost her ability 10
please in the least, and, although the way
that she carried of some Of the situa-
lions last evening was reminiscent Of
some Of her former roles, she succeeded
in lending them added charm and cap
tivating the audience with just a hint OF
The Little Cherub' and her other sue
cesses.
Her vehicle this year is a comedy OF
the better class, and though the action
lags just a trihe in spots, the interest is
more than sufficient 10 keep the audi
enCe keyed up TO the point Of eXpec-
fancy as 10 what Is going 20 happen
next The plot concerns itself with the
indiscretion Of Lady Administer. who
goes on a ballooning trip with a man
known TO be rather fond Of her. The
balloon Is wrecked and found later
empty. In IL is found a brooch which
Athol Forbes, Lady Administers sister.
recognizes as belonging 10 the lady her
self In order TO save her sisters name.
she telephones Lord Administer that HIS
house is about 20 be robbed. and recon-
monds that he place entire confidence in
Detective Sparkes, who will take charge
Of the affair
Sure enough. his lordship was robbed
that very niEht-but by Athol who steals
his miniatures IN order 90 divert his mind
from thinking OF the whereabouts of his
wife When discovered by one OF the
guests OF the house. who Is I'm love with
her. she COncocts another story further
duplicating the mythical detective. and
the chase goes ON 10 the hotel, where
Lady Administer has been taken by the
man iu the balloon. There, 10y a clever
ruse Athol Outwlts the reporters and the
real detectives. and gets Lady Administer
ont of the hotel without their discover
ing who she is. But. iu SO doing. she
throws suspicion upon herself and IS ac-
cused Of the theft Of the miniatures and
n broOch-the duplicate OF the one found
In the balloon. But everything comes
out all right In the end, though. TO save
her sister. she has to- confess that she
was tho mysterious woman in the bal
loon Her sister declares that she was
with her fance. and, as Detective
Sparkes had declared earlier I'm the even
ing that the man was Fred C0leridye.
the man in love with AthoL the only
thing left for her to do Is to declare
her engagement % him. But she is not
so adverse 20 this as az the beginning
Of the pl and the curtain falls on the
happy le and the end OF the "mys-
terry
Miss NIliams, I'm the role Of Athol-
and tho erstwhile Detective Sparks-natu-
rail- carried on the honors OF the even
ing Ter work was excellent throughout
t. pay, and especially so Ia the scene
IN the second act with Coleridge. where
she practices all her arts upon him %
gec the letter. II was I'm these moments
OF iiattery and cajolery that she made
her art most apparent. and quite won
the audience. Julian Royce as Fred
Coleridge succeeded I'm making a rather
unnatural part seem natural-no easy
task-and his portrayal Of the English
man OF breeding was well done but not
overdOne. Among the others Frank Bur
beck as Lord Administer and Kenneth
Hin as the reporter. who Is determined 20
ferret out the balloon mystery" were
the oest Detective Sparkes." although
De never appeared az all. seemed 10
please. and the comedy ought 10 keen
up the records established by Miss VIII
hams in other lines Of work