Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07
NATIONAL-"Listen Lester"

Listen Lester" John Cort's musical
comedy that will open at the National
this evening, has its opening act AZ
Palm Beach, whittier Colonel Dodge
has gone from New York with his
daughter Mary to escape from an ad-
venturess whom he had courted IN new
York and who now threatens MIN
with a breach of promise SUIT II no
refuses to pay her heart palm. AT inc
same hotel is a Mrs. Mumm. awaiting
the arrival of her young nance ana
who. while waiting, falls in love with
Col. Dodge, who reciprocates her al
fections.
The colonel takes into his conf
dence the clerk of the hotel, asks his
aid and offers him $1,000 If he obtains
from Miss GUILTY, the adventures,
some letters in her possession. Ihey
call in Lester, the porter and instruct
him to act as house detective and try
to obtain some clue as to the where
abouts of these letters, which MISS
Guilty claims were afterward stolen
from her room.
Meanwhile Miss Dodge is besought
by offers Of marriage. but she. fearing
they are attracted only by her money,
mails each one her refu sal and in 50
doing meets Jack, Mrs. Mumm's
fiance. Love at first sight is the re-
sui. Jack mistakes Mary for the ho-
tel stenographer. makes an appoint
ment to dine with her that evening
and as he awaits her arrival sees her
with Dodge. Not knowing that she
Is the coloneIs daughter. however, he
mistakes the motive when he hears
Dodge plead with the girl to take
dinner with him and leaves her in
tears.
Dodge meanwhile has hired de-
tective agency to trail Miss Guilty
and not knowing that his agency has
sent woman detective on the job.
and fearing to make her acquaintance,
he denies who he is every time she
asks him il he is really Col. Dodge.
At last Lester and Penn find what
they suppose to be the real package
of letters, but what are in reality de-
coys planted by the detective, and
hand them to Dodge, collecting their
money. Before they leave, however
the colonel opens the package and
finds the paper it contains blank. He
accuses them of being crooks, and is
interrupted by the entrance of the de-
tective. When Dodge again denies he
is the colonel she reveals her iden-
tity and shows him the real letters.
much to the CONSERVATION of all.
These complications are straighten-
ed out in a satisfactory manner when
Mrs. Mumm wedS the colonel Jack
and Mary agree that they could live
happily ever after, while the ad-
Neh1ureSS gets the hotel clerk, leav-
ing the detective for Lester, who adds
| that he would love to marry her. but
| his wife won't let him.
The cast is headed by Ada Mae
Weeks.
John Cort, owner of the Listen Les
ter" production. telephoned the National
! Theater from New York yesterday to
the effect that the full original scenic
equipment Of that show had been put
aboard cars and would arrive in Wash
| ington at o'clock this morning. This
means that. as a result of the settle
ment of the strike, the National ThAater
| will open tonight with the original pro-
duction. Listen Lester" has had a
/ rough road to Washington. 1t was orig
inally scheduled to open here last sea
| son before going to New York, but was
| stopped by the ''fu' epidemic.