Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1914-07-17
O'RE|LLY ON STAGE.
Recruiting Several improve
ments on Shakespeare and
the Famous Roman
Statesman.
BY JOHN BARTON OXFORD.

he sat on the end OF the pier, dan
Cling bis long legs above the water
while he Watched the afternoon shad-
ows play hide-and-seek among the
spars OF the fishing feet at the next
wharf
His bullet-shaped head was crowned
with an aureole of fiery red hair; his
protruGing jaw gave the impression Of
logged determination; but. to Offset
this, his watery blue eyes, one Of
which had decided cast, roved rest
lessly here and there with an air of
melancholy INDIGESTION. His name be-
gan valiantly with Daniel Webster.
and ended-with something of shock
to the senses-in O'Reilly.
Beside him on the pier stringer
lounged smaller and meeker mana
satellite, evidently. II one were to Judge
him by the manner in which his eyes
sought almost reverently 0'Reilly's
ugly features and the way he hung at
tentively on O'Reilly's every word.
IT'S bein' too intellectual that be-
gun it." quoth O'Reilly, borrowing the
satellites newly-lighted pipe and puff
fing away with contented inhalations
If | hadn't been thinkin' too much
of my intellect I wouldn't have been
pursuin' borrowed literature behind a
pile of paclkin cases, an IL ] hadn't
been persuin' the literature, the head
shipper wouldn't "a found me there an
fired me incontinent for dom the same.
AS 1t was. stuffed the literature into
my pocket, said good day TO the ship
per an wished him luck, sarcastic. an
havin' drawn the pay that was due me,
departed into outer darkness.
Three weeks / was jobless. an at
the end of that time, what with toilin'
not nor spinnin'. found myself facin'
the terrible possibility of personal
famine in the midst OF plenty.
Twas at that stage of the proceed
ms that run across Andy McConachy
success to the white soul of him He
took me down the street 10 place an
listened to my troubles most sympa-
thetlc
81 happen to know says he. when
] had finished, where you can land a
Job most suitable TO your peculiar tai
ents. This Teller. Hagan, who Is playin'
Julius Caesar at the Grand Opera
house. Is shy a couple of centurions
Nature has cast you In the mold
OF centurion he goes on. runnin' a
critical eye over my contour. You've
the build an the air OF one Why don't
you go up an make try for itY
WHO do want to see up there7'
says i. brightenin' UP with hope.
The stage doorkeeper is good
friend of mine. says Andy. I'll give
you a note to him. Go up an see him
an he'll put you wise
AN that Is how 1t came about that
on the same evenin' trod the boards
In Julius Caesar with an indecent
pair OF tights encasin my legs. dinky
little skirt danglin' from my waist.
bit of tin armor on my chest, an a
brass helmet which sported plume
OF rooster feathers for lid.
For two weeks | led a carefree
life, disportin' my immodest tights
every night. dom my groans an my
bellers an DRAWN my pay regular
every Monday. l might have been
dom the same yet II my heart hadn't
got away with my sense an ! hadn't
give Julius Caesar a much-needed
chastisement one night when the
house was packed.
This feller. Hagan. who was doin'
the title role of the show, was a pom
pous. Grabbed sort OF chap. He was
always orderin' every one about an
maxim a most amazin' fuss II every
thing didn't go Just as he wanted IT to-
He had wife-nice little clingin' sort
OF creature that thought the sun
rose an set by him. He was forever
hndin' fault with her an abusin' her
something fierce. but she used TO stand
for 1t all with never a murmur.
"She was cast for a small part. an
II she didn't do it just to suit his lord
ships taste-which was frequent-tffe
way he'd run on an the names he'd
call her was enough to make your
blood run cold. But | never saw him
abuse her except with his tongue, till
this night I'm tellin' you about, when
resigned from the company sorter
sudden.
''Hagan must a been drinkin' pretty
hard, an when It came time for the
evenin' performance be was in his
crankiest frame OF mind.
Mrs. Hagan was watchin' him anx-
iously, but. once he got goin' he
seemed to sober up all right, an the
show run on smooth as clockwork,
with Julius Caesar gettin' the glad
hand every time he stuck his nose out
Of the wings, for, somehow. he was
outdoin' himself.
After this first scene OF his he
come marchin' off the stage most ma
jestic, but the minute he hit the wings
he seemed 10 lose his grip on himself
an to go all to pieces. He stood there
for minute, shakin an sort OF con-
fused like: then he went staggerin'
toward his dressin' room, with his
wife. white an anxious. trailin after