Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-04-06

very first time on his first night in
New York. Yet these transformers
had got hold Of it.
There are only three women-two
girls and an old lady-in the play.
That would suit all right" said Eddy
eagerly. LAS for the men, it isn't
quite so easy-never is. But there are
only five. Ones q servant, another a
policeman. And there's no scenery to
speak of. l guess we could fake"
Loveland, whose idea it had been to
put up the entertainment. went out at
once, luckily catching the local man
aGer of the grandiloquently named
opera house just as he vas virtuous-
ly setting forth to church.
Jacobus, it seemed, had settled up
all right with him the night before,
and he was surprised to hear Of the
fight. He stipulated for two-thirds of
the profits. if any, above expenses and
would not unbend.
All the rest of the day Loveland was
busy. He finished copying the parts,
which must be learned and rehearsed,
so that the play might be produced
tomorrow night.
There was a newspaper in AShyille
which came out once q week, and the
company decided after a stormy de-
bate to spend one Of the six dollars
in buying from the Office large sheets
or rolls of the coarse WHITE paper on
which this weekly publication was
printed. Having secured a good sup
ply and obtained black paint and a
big brush from a sympathetic sign
painter who was a customer Of the
hotel, Loveland set to work, with Bin
ney's aid and direction. to manufac-
ture some crude posters.
He announced in black letters so 81
gantic as to be almost convincing that
the principal members of the "little
human flowers" all star company had
been persuaded to remain for a special
three nights engagement in order to
produce the sparkling comedy Lord
Bob" New York's latest and biggest
success, by the popular playwright,
Sidney Cremar.
He toiled like a slave through a
whole day and half a night to save
Ed Binncy fatigue.
After midnight. when the impromptu
posters We're ready. Loveland and PA"
Winter Went out together with big
rolls of paper under their arms and a
huge pot of flour paste stirred up for
the sake of Gordon's beauX yeuX) by
the hand of the landlords niece over
the kitchen fire.
What remained Of the night he spent
in committing to memory the part Of
Lord Bob, for which, without a dis
senting voice. the five other members
of the company had cast him.
They went out to rehearsal early
next morning and We're thankful that
there had been neither rain nor snow
to destroy the fragile posters. In front
of n which Loveland had put up on
the face Of the opera house stood a girl
and an old man, talking in low voices.
II shall certainly write and tell them
what's going on" remarked the girl to
her companion, who was probably her
father. TITS a shame. Something
ought to be DONE"
"We might telegraph if you think it
| would be worth WHILE" replied the old
man.
Loveland heard the words, spoken as
the pair turned away to walk down the
street toward the residence part Of the
town, but he attached no Importance
to the disjointed sentences.
Everybody was in deadly earnest,
| and the rehearsal went off very well,
considering all its disadvantages.
Ed Binney's cough had not i'm.
proved, but be was kept up on strong
hot coffee, and they got through the
performance that night, two'men short
almost without a hitch.
A few well though plainly dressed
ladies and gentlemen We're in the front
| seats. and all seemed to know each
other, laughing and talking together
between the acts, and among them
through a peephole in the curtain
Loveland recognized the nice looking
girl and old man he had seen staring
at his homemade poster in the morn.
! ing.
The profits Of the first performance
and the next were not what Val had
expected. though the acting Of the
company improved. but on the las,
night Loveland tried to hope hat Ash.
vile would turn out in full force.
Having set the first scene himself
in default Of a stage manager or com
petent stage hands. he applied an
anxious eye to a small ''spy hole" in
the curtain and peeped out
His heart sank. The house was half
empty. But it was earlye still. There
was hope yet. People were coming
in. There were the old gentleman anC
the girl he had seen before, finding
their way nee more to the front seats.
With them were Lesley Dearmer and
her aunt. Mrs. Loveland.
fro BE ooNT1NuEpl