Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-03-05


and sarcasm and turmoil and u time
of trouble such as there never has
been since there was Il nation.
But George was there! And
Georgia was boss! But alas! how
empty is public honor. For never in
all the lengths and breadths and
depths of time or intinity had there
. been sucn an occasion as this where
the answer to every snarl was that
Aince-coned phrase: LET George do
ity'
George was doing it or it didn't get
done.H
He'd hired old Peter Ferguson 10
come in and help with the props"
But bel >re Showing up for work
Peter had Stopped en- route and look
ed upon the VINE when it was red and
allowed it to sting him like serpent
and bite him like aq adder. And SO
Peter wasn't good for much but to
say Eyes, sir" and then forget what
George had told him.
| George was an overw6Iked man.
| Somehow when he grabbed hold OF
u piece of scenery and j,&gled it
across the floor he had the Appear
ance of Il man grabbing hold 81 the
] Woolworth building to keep ia up
right in a high wind. He sent SUN
| dry persons out after things WHICH
they brought back late OF did non
bring back at all, SO that George was
fated to forget that ladies were pres
ent and indulge in strong phrases.
At twenty-five minutes to nine the
| house was packed and the boys in
the gallery were giving cat-calls and
Grace Rawlins had been back-stage
! twice to inform him that the bunch
out front was getting out of control
and why in Sam-Hill didn't Georgia
get a move on himself and what did
he think this was anyway,-a Jew
picnic? George had retolted that if
she didn't like his speed she could
do it herself and if that didn't suit
her, she knew where she could go.
And Grace had retorted that if it
wasn't for hurting peoples feelings
she might open her mouth and say
something and George had replied it
wouldn't be anything new and Grace
slammed out into the auditorium a.
gain to smile at everyone and act
busy at the piano IS if she'd gotten
instructions to 90 ahead which she
hadn't.
At ten minutes TO nine the fathers
out front were publically asking II
they'd forgotten back of the curtain
that there were heads of families in
the place who had to get some sleeS
before morning and on the stage
Mrs. Hoadley was overheard by
struggling, swearing George to say
that if he didn't hurry up she'd have
to take baby home because baby
, wasn't used to being out so late
nights. And then, just when the
town cut-up out front had let out an
agonizing yawn that was heard all
over the place and received a laugh,
the orchestra lamps blinked and saved
Grace Rawlin's life and she said thank
Gawd and broke out into the over
ture and played it and the curtain
worked by old Peter Ferguson in The
scenery loft, lifted on q stage whore
in Mibb in the capacity of the foster
mother was cooking industriously and
waiting for the door to be opened
violently on tragedy.
In all of the rehearsals, Mrs. Stacy
in the capacity of Lady Audrey had
died and bequeathed TO her kind
hearted friends the half embowled So
ia pillow. This now was the real
thing and requiring a real baby; the
curtain was up and waiting; Mibb
was singing about her work and
waiting for the fatal knock; Lady
Audrey was bolstered up with smell
ing salts and glass of cold water and
approached the Hoadley woman to
get the illegitimate progeny. But
out in front the tittering and expect
ant audience suddenly heard a peal
of infantile despair as though some
body's offspring was being strangled.
That baby wasn't going to leave the
Hoadley woman, not if it knew it.
And it calculated that it did
"What am l going to do can't
take it on kicking and shrieking like
thisw declared Mrs Stacy.
"Choke it," suggested George. And
if looks would have killed, the young.
one would have ceased to exist on
the spot.
Again Mrs. Stacy assayed to bor-
row the baby. 1t planted a number
one foot in the hollow of her left
cheek and howled like an Apache.
"What ale we going to do?" cried
Mary in alarm. "The curtains up
and the audience is waiting"
eve ought to have thought of this
before!" cried Mrs Whipple. Then
to George: as there a big doll in
the house we can use in its place."
Thereat the assembled players turned |
to George as though he might have
such thing in his white overalls.
"There is mott" declared George.
eff that brat won't consent to let
itself be borrowed, why we simply got
to leave it keep it's mother. Mis-
Hoadley'll have to go on and play
Lady Audrey herself"
Then it was the mothers turn to
have convulsion.
George was equal to the occasion.
II fNII k1, oil FL, h. - Il |