The Washington herald., 1909-07-25

penter What's to unlock the curtain?
/ didn't look 10 you 10 make sport OF the
accident, but to help out If possible"
my dear fellow! Help? Anything in
the world Command me"
Thank you" said the carpenter in a
relieved voice. Find Mr.. Carson. then.
He used to have a duplicate. He's In the
box Office. they tell me
The box office? But I'm made up for
m part m boy. 1 can't go out in 'front.'"
'Aw. slip a coat around you and hur-
ry," ordered the relentless carpenter.
The sinking, painted creature which
shot into the box office was grotesQue
enough to have startled man even
stronger than Carson.
What under the eternal heavens is the
natter" requested the stage manager
blackly.
why. the key OF the curtain, Mr.. Car
son." pufTed Boots. bursting with i'm
portance.
AIR"
Yes. Mr. Carson, il IS gone. And you
have a duplicate, II Is believed"
Carson was so busy enjoying himself
he forgot TO speak.
Mr.. --. I don't know his name. the
carpenter. don't know what to do"
Why doesn't he?" demanded Carson,
most hercely.
Why, why, why-overture on and no
key"'
Not the first time that's happened"
muttered Carson, darkly.
And what's to unlock the curtain?'
climaxed Boots. dramatically.
why. the duplicate. I sent il around
ten minutes since" said Carson with
cold dismissal, and the wretched Boots
ran the gantlet back to his dressing room.
We let him cool Off in peace. just telling
him, TO keep him interested. that Froh-
man had a man In front to watch his per-
formance.
OF course there was not; and. by in
duction. neither was the chief Of police
in front. otherwise the show must GER
tainly have been stopped. Nothing worse
can be imagined. Boots did not look so
badly, nor did he forget his lines. and ne
had a decidedly good voice, but his per-
formance was farcical He had the lead
ing mans part, a serious one, yet the
audience kept breaking into little snig-
gers OF laughter. Miss Jerome need not
have troubled to vaseline her eyelashes
so that the tears" ("real tears,'-as the
people in front used TO whisper ecstat-
ically) would flow easily. They flowed
without the faintest assistance, for all
her best scenes were ruined by the bur
lesque touch which Boots managed to
impart TO them. We had to give him the
/ leading part. as the safest to intrust him
with: it was so fat" that # played"
itself the saying is. The other parts
were all character bits and not an
amateur lives who can play a character
bit
The audience suffered the play TO come
20 it's natural end, and then dispersed in
disgust. They were no more disgusted
than we. however. And there seemed ab-
solutely nothing TO be said Jessica
! Moyne made the only remark that was
audible.
What was your name at the time that
It was not 'Edwa Booth7'" " she asked
pointedly. Was II Nicky Corrigan?"
Very nearly" said Booth gently. 1T
was Pat Callahan"
His disarming suavity stood him in
good stead We could not utterly hate
him. Moreover. there was a disquieting
hint Of keenness back Of all his replies.
and we half felt that he was getting as
much out OF US as we out OF him. All
we could do was to pin some faint rags
OF hope onto the next days rehearsal
and TO sleep away the remembrance OF
the nights failure
Our next town worried US. Il menaced
us with wit. The mere look Of it as we
walked through the streets to find the
theater assured US that the audience