The San Francisco call., 1909-03-14
Bv Adnana Spadoni

were any other expression I would
gladly use tin tiny store IN
- Broadway near Kearny street, 20
wooden dolls nightly acted the stories
OF the holy wars IT was a small, dirty
store, where outsiders went 70 laugh at
the. clumsy mechanism Of the marion
cites and at the natives Of the Latin
quarter who took the play so seri-
ouslv. who clapped their hands OF
Missed their approval and urged on the
little wooden heroes and cursed the
villain. just as If they were real men
and women. But the natives went be-
cause the Reau al Francia lived for
them; because they knew the stories
by heart, and they had the gift OF not
seeing the mechanical imperfections.
For years everything went smoothly.
The two partners were as two brothers,
signorina." Then they quarreled. After
that It was useless TO hunt for the
Royal italian marionettes. They dis
appeared completely. where7 ~Chi sAf
who knows, signorina?" And nothing
more could you find out Perhaps one
partner had sold out his interest and
the other had taken the dolls away7
THAT might be SO, signorine-" Per-
haps the dolls had been stolen away ct
night and buried IN the sand down close
70 the waves washing the piles Of fish,
erman's wharf7 1T is possible, signor-
ina" One OF the show places OF the
quarter was gone and It was waste
time to look for 1t.
Then when every one had quite for
gotten them. IN q room at the very end
or Powell street. very near the wave
washed sand where they might have
been hidden, the dolls suddenly re-
appeared. No one knew about them,
SO no one went to see the little people
fight for God and the kings of France
except the men who do not laugh. The
old dolls? "Oh. no, signorina; new
dolls. straight from Italy. the very
best"
And then the earthquake came. The
dolls were forgotten No one thought
OF the brave knights and ladies hang
ing helplessly on their from hooks. Not
until the licking flames had swept the
quarter clean, and from boats out in
the bay the terror stricken families of
the fishermen watched their homes
burning on the hill, did any one re-
member the new dolls. straight from
Italy, the very best" It was almost too.
late when young crab fisher, who
had no wife or children TO care for.
thought OF the dolls and came in his
gasoline boat and bundled into It the
armored heroes and the velvet clad
ladies and sailed away with them 70
Black Diamond.
Smacks of Black Diamond
That IS why. when you sit waiting
now for the play to begin. you read on
the yellow calico curtain that Sig
nora 2. Of Black Diamond is the only
person who can give your dress the
correct style, and Signor c.. likewise Of
Black Diamond. IS the only person, the
only man. who can properly prepare a
meal The dolls have come back again
20 a hall much larger than they had be-
fore. with white tiled front and fres-
cos on the walls. But the expenses Of
white tiles and frescos and a hired
pianist are heavy. and the signora B.
and the Signor c. are too far away to
hurt home trade. and new curtains are
expensive.
II you don't really belong in the
quarter you pay is cents; otherwise 10.
Tifteen cents gives you a reserved seat
which Is always reserved by some one
else before you get there. II you in
eist the usher and general manager is
only too pleased TO prod out the
usurper. But II you don't really belong
vou don't insist. II you do belong
but then you would never have paid is
cents NO matter how early you go,
the place is always half filled with
men. coIlarless men for the most part.
who make clumsy gestures and talk in
cessantIy between acts. in the harsh
dialect OF the Abruzzi. On one side OF
the room a pink Vesuvius, like 81
phon OF coIored soda water, jets per-
retuaf stream Of fire into the very blue
bav Of Naples A feet Of ships, appar-
entity unable TO dock, testifies TO the con-
.-eefed commerce Of La Bella Napol,
stretching into the dim distance, limit
less miles Of brown squares, like Slabs
Of gingerbread.
Every night about s o'clock tho ad-
vsntaees Of Black Diamond vanish