The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-08

lTOIl DeHNeT, SHe Sdlu, pOlHtlilS to a
 large, handsome elk emblem with solid
 gold bar from which hung a gold plate
 on which a large elk head was mounted.
 and placed upright between the antlers stood miniature gold banjo with head of pearl and gold strings "The other elk badge there is from Portland, Ore, you
 see the little bible with the motto of the
 lodge written on each page.
 This star and crescent is from the Birmingham Rifles, Birmingham, Ala,
 and the pin I am wearing with my watch
 was presented to her by the Atlanta
 Rifles. That is why 1 am so proud of
 them because her friends gave them to
 her and that is why I shall always keep
 them" Just then the stage manager
 called first act and she hurriedly packed her treasures, said goodbye, and went out on the stage.
 John Mason in "The Witching HOurv
 "The Witching Hour" Augustus Thom- as strange play of telepathic science,
 which ran for over 15 months at the | Hacliett theatre, New York, and which | the Shuberts will present in precisely i original form, with John Mason, next Fri day and Saturday at the Shubert theatre. | is not a comedy, as many who have not
 seen the play suppose 1t to be. It is a
 serious drama, but has lots of humor
 in it's polite epigrammatic lines, and there
 are one or two light comedy characters | in the piece. The general characters.
 the story, the lesson 1t would teach, and
 the style of composition are much like | the work of Charles Dickens in one of | Its happiest Christmas papers or chim- | newcomer yarns. In some respects 1t Is | similar to the theatrc craftsmanship of | Bernard Shaw, and all the reviewers de- | clare 1t a far more popular play, for the American auditor, than any of the Shaw l pieces. Critics say 1t Is undoubtedly | Thomas masterpiece, and this is strong enough recommendation to convince the modern playgoers that "The Witching | Hour" is worth while.
 | The company supporting MT. Mason in- | cludes George Gaston, Frank l.. Dear. w. II. Sadler, Belle Howell Bohn, Grace Reals. Natalie Jerome, Clinton Preston, Harry West. Harry Leighton. w. L. But | terfeld, E. l.. Walton, Ralph F. Samone and others.
 | New York, and Boston credN "The | Witching Hour" with being the greatest | drama of the century. and, of course, this | extraordinary indorsement was given at seeing MT. Mason and his company. John | Mason is a great footlight favorite Years | ago he came to New York in support of
 Edwin Booth and many of the other stage celebrities of Booths day, and more re- gently as leading male player In support | of Mrs. Fiske in Leah Kleshna" and | The New York Idea" and he is now
 at the head of His profession. The Eng | lish-spealxing stage does not boast of a
 wider experienced better liked or
 more capable character actor.
 | "A Ministers Sweetheart" nt Bijou | A great, appealing American melo- drama is promised In "A Ministers | Sweetheart" the latest, and by far the greatest work from the pen of Robert l Wayne which comes to the Bijou theatre for an engagement of one week. begin ming Monday night
 "A Ministers Sweetheart differs from the many melodramas which have been seen in Birmingham in that its scenes are restricted to one communty-that of
 rural New England village-and It's in tense. Misunderstanding climaxes are at- tained through their own drastic value
 and without the aid of mechanical de- vices. The love of minister for a pret- | ty helpless school teacher and his de- I termination to protect her in spite of damaging evidence that she is not good woman is the idea on which the play | Is builded.
 l Dora Staunton has come, an unknown girl, to the village and secured the posi- tion of school teacher Doras past is a secret, ana Sne IS not lOnS III tONn DE- fore the busybodies of the community get | together to worm her secret from her.
 Judge Doughles Lester of the circuit court defends Dora until he is influenced by the advice of Mark Tucker, junior partner in the judges law office. Mark
 has an able assistant in Kate Tyson who | Is ambitious to wed the judge onssaccount | of his wealth.
 Mark it was who, many years before.
 had turned the judge against his own wife, leading him to believe that she was | faithless and resulting in her being turned out of doors with her two chill dren never to be heard of again Since that time the judge has had reason to believe that he acted too hastily and that possibly his wife was not to blame-but he has never been able to find trace of either of the children nor his wife. Mark was more successful. While in Boston
 he runs across none other than old Judge Lesters missing boy working in gro- cery store for a bare living. Mark. fear full that this son. Dick, might some day
 discover his true identity and return to his fathers roof, thereby jeopardlzing
 Marks chances at the Judges millions,
 plots to have the boy put in prison. In this he is successful, and Dick is arr rested on charge of theft. Knowing that he. is guiltless, however Dick makes his escape and begins to run down his prosecutor.
 l Mark returns to the village and begins to store up trouble for the helpless Dora He is afraid that she is becoming too 1 friendly with the judge and that his l friend Khte's chances to become Mrs. Lester are diminishing. Mark and Kate
 plan to have Dora discharged because of past which she cannot and will not ex-
 plain. Dora's innocence is championed