Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18


Already the house is reported
sold out for both the matinee
o,-.niny performance This unusual
advance sale Is not due alone to curiosity
- coo tho magnificent new playhouse
petite vaudeville has its devoted adher-
,,S and as Mr.. Chase introduced that
torm of theatrical entertainment to
Washington il is not strange that those
who admire il should flock in large NUM-
bers 10 the opening of his new theater IN
testimony of their appreciation both or IL
and Of the man who paved the way to II
locally
Every one of the theaters in Washing
ton. save perhaps, the National ana the
ReIasco. is out today with its opening
announcement This is approximately
midsummer, and the beginning of the
regular season has generally been set Tor
the fall at least. That the managers are
ahead of the usual time in their ventures
is a hopeful sign that not only are there
enough people in the city to patronize
them, but the money as well to pay Tor
the entertainment.
The news of the accident TO genial Nat
Goodwin will he received with general
world. where the comedian has hosts of
admirers 1t is to be hoped that the
fears of the physicians for his recovery,
or that he will be permanently crippled.
may be exaggerated.
Edward Haas Robins has been called
down in a '.missive by mail for his
pronunciation of concentrate, which
throws the accent on the second syllable
Such is fame. If he had pronounced 1t
with an accumulated con-, the standard
dictionaries might have rebuked him.
This has been a great season for let
tiers And it has been sad one for the
dramatic critic. at least locally Count
less missives have been showered upon
the leading lady" by devoted admir-
ers," pouring forth adulation and sym
pathy while those that reached the
newspaper office have soaked" the dra-
matte critic. But what's the odds so
longs you're 'appy." Because the critic
himself has failed TO enter into the spirit
of things, it seems, he has thought others
haven't. That's why devoted admirers"
get wrothy with the critic. But doesn't
that afford them the opportunity to get
solid with the leading lady? Some
folks think it is the critic that keeps up
the interest in leading ladies and plays
and that sort of thing.
HIS ONLY ROMANCE.-And now
comes Manager Thatcher of Polls.
with a quaint little story. He finds in
Manager Bergers interview concerning
It's meaning enthusiastic stock
patrons. published in The Star last
h Of
one he knows.
said Manager Thatcher. He doesn't
hit straight from the shoulder; he
never is blunt, but the Suaviter in modo
finds in him a beau ideal in his manner
of saying and doing things. lie is
good enough TO be priced for himself
alone, and for his experiences and
opinions he is invaluable.
Some years ago when / was the dTa-
matte editor of northern newspaper
i, too. had an experience. and il was
with one of the most delightful Its"
that was ever transplanted from the
world proSaic to the realm Of the ideal.
My It was stock patron. She
had her ideals and her ideas.
and both were we'll worth the at
tention of any dramatic editor, even
though early in the romance she
declared herself fat, forty and
far from fair II she be but fair
TO me. what care l how fat tor how
IOTtyD she De. ana she was Idlr III
more senses OF the word than the one
usually applied to physiognomy-
My interest in her was first
aroused by very clever letter. which.
Inanlike / did not wish to ignore. but
tried To parry. Her means of com
munication was the letter. signed with
name. ii IS true. but il might have
come out of the Garden Of Nowhere
far il furnished a clue to her
identity. That she was gifted. refined,
clever and as penetrating ray of
sunshine darling through the leaves of
dense forest was her claim to hold
my interest during many dull days that
dragged sometimes through almost a
Niagara of routine work.
She did not mean to be parted
however, and the come back was
strong and TO the point. 1t merited my
deepest consideration and il received
it, She was never fresh in the sense
of being pert forward. She was the
humblest bit of audacity / ever knew.
But in her charm of thought and
grace of expression rosebud just
pushing its tinted petals through their
folds Of green was ever fresher or
more enjoyable.
Il wanted to have a heart to heart
talk with her. not for her sake. but
for my own. for dull minds often take
on the brilliancy of bright ones, by
contact But how was l TO talk with
her?
i found the way. buried my thoughts
In story and set il adrift 70 find my
III. IN time IL came Ddtk With her reply.
And, oh. il was a bright one. Yet like
the Mahometan beauty that casts her
deadliest glance behind sheltering veil.
Il projected the glance. all right. but 1t
MD the glancer in a deeper. denser mys-
terry than ever.
Somehow. il gave me the feeling OF a
red nag on the track ahead. There was
a note OF warning that seemed most sig
aificant
Unique in her power OF penetration in
other respects. my 1t nevertheless
seemed apprehensive to my sex. most
embarrassing complication. IT had mis-
givings that i might be a woman, and l
>ould fairly see her shudder as she said
40. She found in my story words that
seemed womanish-wasn't it compli-
ment? The word nice for instance. she
thought was rarely used by men, as IL
men do not know nice things when they
them.
1T put me in despair again. So vivid
were the intimations in that letter
could even imagine a jealous wife with a
rolling pin after me. could hear the
somp OF riotous kids in the house. l
Gould detect the squeak OF the infant in
Is crib and catch the savory smell of
he dinner as IL waited through the hall
way from the nearby kitchen Ii was SO
realistic. the vista she opened up. / al
most felt guilty Of an fndiscretion, but,