The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-27

quired the play for Mr.. Figman and
has retained the original cast and
production. Mr.. Figman's date at the
Fargo operahouse will be Friday eve-
ming, Dec. 8.
husband of a lady printer, and one
day he drops in on the editress OF
the Gospel Clarion to get introduced
to the children. That sounds almost
like the prelude in a problem play
but wait; father is not tragedy. He
is gentleman and scholar, a unique
type of the literary tramp. a vagrant
wit: a diletante gypsy, and an en-
cyclopedic humorist. He mad not alb
seconded eleven years ago for the vul-
gar purpose of deserving his wife; he
had merely heard the east a-caHing,
and had irresponsibly answered.
why did he skip out that way?''
she asks. with justifiable indignation,
and ne answers: Pardon me, left, I
departed, I migrated, but, believe me,
/ did not skip" When he compli-
ments his wife upon her improved APP
pearance and receives a rebuff he
merely says: II am not flirting with
you, my dear" Now what can you do
with a man like that?
Mrs. Perkins--that's the name
though it makes the Grant esthetic
shudder-is in the mood to turn him
out. and he debonairly takes his hat,
but then she softens and offers to
engage MIN for general homework,
wages $40 a month, board and lodging
and Thursday afternoon off. Cooking
has been one of his specialties, so he
accepts gleefully, only STIMULATING that
he shall not be addressed as Hiram,
which was the cognomen with which
his thoughtless parents had inflicted
him He runs down a list OF pos
sible titles, for he is as finical and
exotic in his choice of names as w.
J. Locke's "Paragot''-indeed, me is
blood brother to that beloved vaga-
bond. Shall it be Horatio, from the
Latin, meaning welcome" or Icabod.
meaning something else? No, upon
mature reflection 1t shah be Nabal,
from the Hebrew, meaning ''fooI'-and
SO Mabel throws towel over his arm
and begins to do the dishes.
Well, the plot thickens duly, for the
editress has sutton, a daughter who
wants to run away with an actor, and
at once, and the irresistible Nabal be-
gins to prove himself somewhat USE
full after ALL In the second act he is
seen helping his wife get out the
paper, after the conspfrators have
''pied" the type on a STORY" that viii
put some undesirable candidate out
of the running. A very handy man Is
Nabal, but his persiflage never loses
it's amusing flavor. His little daugh-
ter, Mary Jane, who doesn't know
that he Is her truly begotten father,
is becoming very fond of MIN and the
self reliant Mrs. Perkins shows signs
OF weakening. Nabal himself having
had his fling, having listened to the
tinlxling bells OF Muscovy and the pat
tering feet OF Geisha girls il begin
ming to feel STRINGS OF domesticity
and the paternal instinct In his heart.
And SO you laugh on until the third
act, to discover that the neighbors are
beginning to talk scandal about this
'man hired girl"
But before the outburst the ingra-
tiating gadder tells little Mary Jane
the wonderful story OF Dippy Doldub.
which is to be his swan-song before
ne bravely disappears again down the
long trail and frees Mrs Perkins from
his unfortunate presence. The fable
Of the Doldubs runs something like
this:
"Once upon tree, living In wob-
bly, nest In an old tree, was q family
OF strange birds called Doldubs. First,
there were only Dippy Doldub and his
mate, Yappy Doldub. Then two little
birds were born and they were called
DoIlie Doldub and Dottie Doldub The
old nest was crowded and the little
birds needed lots Of things but Dippy
was sort of yellow bird, and one day