The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-05-21
saw REAL TRAGEDY
Movie Spectators Were Treated
to Two Shows.
One Among the Audience Might Al.
most Be Called Comedy, Unless
One Had to Pay for Crushed
Headgear.

My seat was directly behind those
occupied by the trio who figured in
serio-comc accident that convulsed
nearby spectators in Broadway NOV
Ing picture theater the other after
noon. ! therefore am able to tell just
what happened and give details that
must have puzzled persons sitting a
little farther away.
The two women were loaded down
with parcels and small packages when,
right in the middle of thrilling drama
they slowly and cautiously fitted them
selves into two orchestra chairs near
the middle aisle.
It was tight fit. for neither Of the
ladies could be described as sylphlike
in form, and the armfuis of purchased
bundles contributed in, no way to fa-
cilltate adjustment of the generous
cargo nature previously entrusted to
each. Parcels of variOus sizes slid from
their knees into recesses under the
seats in front and stopped into the
aisle from the lap of one who snt near
est to II.
The theater was in semidarkneSs.
and 1t was only by the cropping Of
many hands, I'm response to whispered
appeals, that the troubles of diligent
hours spent in shopping were returned
to them. They then apparently for the
first time discovered that the adjoining
seat-thrd from the side-was unOc-
cupled, and into 1t they dumped their
bundles and their hats.
Quiet in the immediate vicinity had
scarcely been restored when a. stout,
mlddle-aged man arrived with coupon
calling for the seat they had just con-
verted into sort of family catch-nll.
Regardless of their exclamatdons of
despair he inched his way in, while
they with frantic haste struggled to
clear off the place upon which he was
to sit.
Peace finally descended again upon
the neighborhood. and we had given
ourselves up to undisturbed wonder
concerning the fate of the film heroine
should the villain penetrate her dis
guise as French artillery officer,
when one of the pnckage-laden women
said to the other:
Mercy! ! promised to be home by
Ave o'clock. Lucy is going out and I
forgot all about It,"
While the speaker, who sat nearest
the nisle, arranged her hat and pierced
it with couple of pins, her compan-
ion struggled to convert the fruits of
their shopping into two portable pyra-
mids. Suddenly she uttered little
scream, and then whispered, to, her
friend In awe-strlcken tones, ~ can't.
find my hat. believe that man Is
sitting on It,"
"Graclous goodness" said the other.
"Ask him."
81 can't do It," said her friend. "You
ask him"
Thus appealed to, the bolder OF the
two turned to the man, who appeared
to have heard nothing of their cOnver-
sation, and said:
~ think you are sitting on this lady's
hat"
"I am not doing anything Of the sort;
why should II" was the amazing reply
she received.
"Sit down." cried several voices to
the HATED and hatless ones, from
whose arms bundles again began to
leak.
II am not sitting ON your hat.
ma'am," said the suspected male, "but
II 1t will do you any good, I'll prove
It,"
Then he arose, and from under his
ponderous body the hntlcss woman re-
moved what had once been towering
millinery creation. with twin plnnacles
soaring aloft, but which was now only
pancake of cloth and feathers.
A wave of mingled applause ana pro-
testatlon swept that part 'of the the
atcr, as the shoppers departed. paus-
Ing every few feet to recapture some
menndcring pnrcel.-Madge Arthur, in
Buffalo Courier.