The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-03-03

/ and bite him like an 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 overworked man.
Somehow when he grabbed hold of
a piece of scenery and juggled it
across the floor he had the appear
! ance of man grabbing hold of the
/ Woolworth building to keep it up
| right in a high wind. He sent sun
dry persons out after things which
they brought back late or did not
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 George
get move on himself and what did
he think this was anyway Jew
picnic? George had retorted 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 as if she'd gotten
instructions to go ahead which she
hadn't.
At ten minutes to nine the fathers
out front were publically asking if
they'd forgotten back of the curtain
that there were heads of families in
the place who had to get some sleep
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 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 stage where
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
approached the Hoadley woman to
get the Legitimate 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 dol can't
take it on kicking and shrieking like
this!" 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 Dor
ROW the baby. 1t planted a number
one foot in the hollow of her left
cheek and howled like an Apache.
"What are we going to do?" cried
Mary in alarm. "The curtains up
and the audience is waiting!"
1--WE ought to have thought of this
before" cried Mrs Whipple. Then
to George: as there big doll in
the house we can use in its placer"
Thereat the assembled players turned
to George as though he might have
such a thing in his white overalls.
"There is not!, declared George.
off that brat won't consent to let
itself be borrowed, why we simply got
to leave it keep its mother. Mis-
Hoadley'll have to go on and play
Lady Audrey herselfi"