The Washington herald., 1909-07-25

son, our stage manager. TO save his good
scenery, If possible. and use that belong
ing to the local. or 'rube." manager. He
therefore questioned the latter regarding
his supply
What have you?" he asked.
Have everything" said the local chap,
swelling with pride aud tugging delight
edly at his goatee Mil was his name
and the town was his undoubtedly. own
ing a Mil street. Mill hotel, Mills
Opera House. and a dozen lesser Mil
things. Have everything"
This was good news, as ours was seem
ically a tremendously sxacting play. re-
curing a big range of scenes, from a
Florida swamp, glittering with firefiies
whether they are 10 be found there OF
noD. to a jail interior with practical cells.
But somehow that goatee unsettled Car
sons faith and sharpened his intellect,
Tor he insisted:
Yes. nay good fellow: but what have
your"
wei. sir. I hev inside. outside, taown
an timber" boasted the good fellow
exploiting the most meager outfit which
ever transformed a ha!l into an "opery
house"
With a snort less Of disgust than nerv-
scenery put In place and tested This
testing. particularly in the tanks. was
the bane or his life. often IN big cities
the FIRE inspector would have the grace
20 accept the evident test holes OF a for
mer inspection. and would considerately
refrain from burning another: but this
Millden idio, stoically piled his gasoline
torch TO every drop" he could get at,
seeming to take more interest in the fact
that he could make hole than in the
manifest fact that the scenery was FIRE
proof, neither smoldering nor blazing.
yam come away" ordered Carson,
furiously. you're not making Swiss
cheese. Quit. What do you pick out the
prettiest parts Of the middle for? Why
don't YOU burn at the edges?"
I'm wise 90 that" remarked the fire
inspector. sending his fame through a
marble column wreathed with roses. And
Carson had not a word 20 say. knowing
how often a crafty manager to save ex-
pense will iireproof merely the edges Of
HIS drop, leaving the center as innam-
mable as tinder
But at las; NiUden. in the person Of Its
torch bearer, was satisfied that we had no
intention Of consuming the "Opery
House. and things were soon in shape
for the evenings performance
Second best, Tor tonight. / suppose,
called out little Jessica Moyne from her
dressing-rcom.
"Oh, my. yes.' answered the voice OF
the languid Miss Jerome. our leading
lady. Third best. II we had IT,"
And they referred, OF course, to their
costumes. You see, we never waste a
handsome costume on the tanks; it would
be ruined in q month II we did. what
with the dirty stages and the nails apt
70 be sticking Up in unexpected places.
But Millden turned out q pretty good
audience for Us. good as TO size and cul-
ture too; ana they very soon awoke to
the fact (as we did that Francis Nelson,
our leading man, was Insulting them
more and more every time he put foot
upon the stage lie was playing a min
lister. too, which made It little worse. II
possible
"a parson with a souse onr' said Jes-
sica, coming of very white and angry.
He bad quite bun In the beginning.
and he's the whole bakery by now.
drawled Lettlce Jerome dismally. Where
does he get it?'
Has brandy concealed In his dressing
room." said Carson. very much worried.
He has lt hidden or we would have
thrown # out before this"
We'll. II he takes another drop, I shall
not finish the performance with him"
announced Jesslca.
MY dear girl"' pleaded Carson.
Il never had anything to do with a
drunken man on the stage. and am not
going 10 have anything 10 do with one
on the girl said firmly.
The reNE scene roOor u-rnfohaI NnIuar,
was in a more shameful state than ever.
hardly able TO stand OF speak, therefore.
when the curtain fell on the first act. liz
tie Miss Moyne sat down definitely in her
drcssing-room and made no attempt 10
change for the next act
Il am not going on. she said with de-
tcrmined quietness.
All Of us got in there. eXpostulating with
her but II was no use.
Consider your contract, II you please,
Miss Moyne." said Carson, trying TO be
sharp though IN his heart he could nor
blame her
Tommy" said Jesslca, using Carson's
dlminutive in retaliation for the Miss
Moyne Tommy. there is nothing IN my
profession which requires me 10 do things
unbecOming a lady, so there can be Moth
ing OF that sort In my eontract. II were
the drunken one, there might be some rea-
son in your asking me 70 consider my
contract I shall not go on"
'Whashes on tn bargain counter7" de-
manded n thick. hilarious voice. as Nelson
reeled among US. "Wha' means thish stir
in R-rrrome2'
"Grrrr growled Carson. frenzied. Get
out. You're discharged
'Fired-hic?" asked Nelson. in a wee
coy, little, amused treble, like the chirp
OF a canary. "Fired?"
'Flred, Get out,''
Cant" SAID Nelson. one vast. loose
smile. ''Too drunk You'll have to pus
me- This last appealed 20 his sense Of
humor, and he doubled up over 1t. slapping
az his knees Though hitting anywhere)
and repeating endlessly You'll have to
put me Ha! hai ha! Whoo-ee, You'll
have to put met
All this time the audience was sitting
out there. RAINING itself and waiting FOR
the curtain to ring up.
'I'll tell them he's been taken III. and
that with their permission we viii make
change in the cast and go on as well
as we are able" said Carson. starting 10
go.
Tommy warned Jessica, I'VE have
behtued lnlS auulehce TOO mucn already,
wearing our make-shift gowns and in
hcting a drunk and disorderly on them.
Don't hand them out any fairy tales or
they'll hiss you, and you'll deserve It.
Tell them the truth and trust to their
sympathy"
So Carson bluntly told them what they
knew. but got in some ingratiating touch
es by complimenting their forbearance.
and things like that. til they, good-na-
turedly rose az bin. appIauded him to the