Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-31

"Ain't there any comedy in it?' con-
tinued the first.
Yes" replied the box Office man.
Real funny?" asked the second.
Funniest show I ever saw. replied
the ticket seller.
The eyes of the two chronic question
ers widened considerably.
How can it be funny TX It's tragic!
asked the first questioner.
II don't know. replied the box ONCE
man. YEARLY, but it is
Anybody killed." asked the second
Heaps OF en-" replied the box office
man.
The two seekers after information fairly
gasped aloud.
Singing in it, demanded the nrst.
Yes
The pair let our gurgle simultaneously
And dancing" supplemented the sec
ond.
Yes"
And chorus?'
Il say. Bill" said the first auestioner,
we've got to SEE this. This is without
doubt the most wonderful play. or what
ever il is, 1 ever heard Of. BY the way
mister (addre ssing the box office nam,
why don't they advertise all those ,fea-
tures?"
II don't know replied the patient
seller of tickets, but they don't HOW
many tickets?"
Needless to say the two questioners did
not behold the wonderful conglomeration
they expected to behold. Almost needless
to add that they never came within forty
miles of that particular box office man
again. thereby easing his soul and lessen
ing his trials considerably.
When Charley Pryor. ticket seller at the
Belasco, becomes reminiscent, he can hOld
his own with any of them. He has
watched crowds come and go for so long
that he has to pause and think up his
stories before he begins. But when he
gets started it behooves the wise man to
send out for lunch, dinner and breakfast
and listen and be edited.
Speaking of the vascillating type"
said Pryor the other night, reminds me
of a story that is fairly good.
Some time ago a man dropped In and
wanted to buy two seats. l pointed TO the
vacancies on the chart before me and
after long conversation he decided upon
two. which he bought 1t was early in the
afternoon when saw him first.
About an hour later he returned.
' L don't think i want those Seats he
said. so I'll take two more. Let's see
what you have
He designated two more seats and in
stead of producing his original tickets in
cash.
AT about 30 he returned again.
q" Il think I'll take two others seats,
he added, because j don't like the ones
] just got. They're not we'll located.
Again he produced ready money in
stead of his old tickets and paid for his
seats.
I'll confess that l was fairly Jared.
l wondered whether this man was in the
habit of throwing away front seats I'm the
orchestra just because he imagined he
couldn't see there as well as In some
other spot.
Some time afterward I met the man at
a smoker and was introduced to him.
After we had lighted our cigars 1 put the
matter squarely before him.
- Would you mind telling me-, l asked,
whether it is your habit when visiting
the theater to throw away $40 worth or
seats because you don't like them!
"'Throwng them away? he repeated
blankly.
Yes | said, Don't you remember a
certain evening when you bought some
seats and then bought some more seats
and then purchased third batch. I'd
imagine it would be rather expensive
lie threw back his head and laughed.
Oh. yes: | remember now he said.
Il didn't throw those seats away. You
see ! live i'm an apartment house. When
got those seats carried them home and
then decided that they were too far back.
7 left them with the clerk at the office.
Also the second lot | bought. Would you
believe it, both of those lots of seats were
sold?'
.'He became confidential.
You see,' he explained. I never am
a BILE to get the seats / really want hrst
time up. It's a difficult task picking out
seats Frequently I'll buy two seats and
then sell them.
You'll admit that the last seats / got
were the best.
Il was not sure about il, but l let it
go at that.
That man typifies a class. There are
many men who are never satisfied with
their seats until they actually get inside
the theater.'
The particular class known as ''linger-
ers'' deeply interests the man behind the
box office when ii does not irritate him.
Generally speaking "lingerers' come I'M
der the argumentative class. although
they are possessed of an individual
method which the argumentative speci-
men proper does not know.
lngerer will use any method known
TO science or art to remain before the
ticket window as long as possible.
who presides at Chase's, has a series of
good specimen stories.
MOSTLY they are found in the younger