The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-10

whole sollled WestsEn spirit % hospitality
which slorss IN The achievements u .
townsmAn With happy couiidence I had
todd the members OF the company THAT q
time there would be. They we're warned
Ia prepare for the bs~s.
'Oft expectation fAilz, and mOss Oft
thew where it moss pronEses.
The overture stopped. Tho curtain
r,ing up All the actors were plhmed
To do thssr be~s, for my enthusiasm was
contagious Each awaited . cue 10 ap-
pear before q wildly excited audience,
When the play began tho opening
lines Were spoken 90 what seemed 10 BE-
an Interested but nsapectfh audience
Naturally the actor believed that the
sentiment % the hoU~e being centred in
me. the spectators were simply saving
themselves for my appearance. - they
hurried through the hnes To the cue which
Woald bring me on and incidentally .
thaw to the frightfil frosf
At last thia cue was reached and l
spTahg out upon the stage. every nerve
auivering with emulation. After throwing
into the tirsi words all the zeal az my COM
mAnd. ! waited for the clamorous recep-
ton which was to endAnger the roof
But th~re was no clamorolls reception.
There was not even a mud reception
Not a hand clapped or 4 foot pounded.
Only a little rustic pAssed through the
audience and then once more they settled
Il vas dumfounded. What did IL meant
lost myself completely. All tho blood
in my body rushed into my head and
made q queer. Whirring sound In my
ears I went through the rest OF my part
in a dared and awkward way. Al the
oemoraliaed and Mlss Reed was in teaTs
m nv account
swhen the curtain FELL rushed 10 my
dressing room and cloas-d the door Never
had | known such disappointment, such
humiliation In any town u would have
been hard enough. b1t here-at homei
! swors all sorts o. vengeance against
the place Of my nativity I swallowed
hard humps OF grief and anger
More than anything else | dreaded TO
meet NV father and mother, knowing
how hurt and mortified they must be,
and fairly cringet when | heard my
fathers VOICE a. he approached and
spoke 20 some one behind the scenes
When he opened the door ] turned away
nervously and commenced 10 busy my
-en about arranging something in ths
room
Father. seating himself. said. Wen.
what did you think OF that for an audi
ences'
lin his tone Was q jubilant SILICON
gratulatory ring l thought he was
mercifully trying TO put on a good front,
and ! murnured rather lnArticulAtely II
was blK'
Big I should say IL was big Father
dropped down on a trunk and regarded
his sons bAck with pride Dad you ever
see an audience behave better
There was a little pause after that
and | glanced in the mirror hastily. catch
ing the expression on my fathers face
A hight broke half way over my under
standing I turned about and my father
nodded approval
Il just made up my mind he said.
that Ne wouldn have any damned mon
key doodle business with this show
Saving this he to~-ed his head In 4 threat
ening aort Of a way They can't treat
nv son dlsrespectfully. not hike some Of
the other show folks who come here-not
~ long a. I'm sheriff Of Appanoose
county And told 'em soDb'gad | told
them that the first mothers son o. EN-
that dared 60 make q psep Id run 'em in