CHAPTER XXVIII

SPENNIE'S HOUR OF CLEAR VISION

Mr. McEachern sat in the billiard-room, smoking. He was alone. From where he sat, he could hear distant strains of music. The more rigorous portion of the evening's entertainment, the theatricals, was over, and the nobility and gentry, having done their duty by sitting through the performance, were now enjoying themselves in the ballroom. Everybody was happy. The play had been quite as successful as the usual amateur performance. The prompter had made himself a great favorite from the start, his series of duets with Spennie having been especially admired; and Jimmy, as became an old professional, had played his part with great finish and certainty of touch, though, like the bloodhounds in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" on the road, he had had poor support. But the audience bore no malice. No collection of individuals is less vindictive than an audience at amateur theatricals. It was all over now. Charteris had literally gibbered in the presence of eye-witnesses at one point in the second act, when Spennie, by giving a wrong cue, had jerked the play abruptly into act three, where his colleagues, dimly suspecting something wrong, but not knowing what it was, had kept it for two minutes, to the mystification of the audience. But, now Charteris had begun to forget. As he two-stepped down the room, the lines of agony on his face were softened. He even smiled.

As for Spennie, the brilliance of his happy grin dazzled all beholders.

He was still wearing it when he invaded the solitude of Mr. McEachern. In every dance, however greatly he may be enjoying it, there comes a time when a man needs a meditative cigarette apart from the throng. It came to Spennie after the seventh item on the program. The billiard-room struck him as admirably suitable in every way. It was not likely to be used as a sitting-out place, and it was near enough to the ball-room to enable him to hear when the music of item number nine should begin.

What are the answers to this following set of questions:

1. Whose smile radiated?
2. Whose alone time did he interrupt?
3. Had he stopped smiling by then?
4. At what time in the party did McEachern decide to have isolation time?
5. What vice was he partaking in?
6. What room did he partake in?
7. Did he like it there?
8. Was it far enough away that he couldn't hear the party?
9. What mood was everyone in?
10. How did the show go?
11. Who did people like the most from the beginning?
12. Did he sing with anyone?
13. Who?
14. Who wasn't supported well?
15. Were the people watching the show mean?
16. What it put on by a bunch of pros?
17. What happened to the 2nd part of the show?
18. Because of what?
19. Did this totally throw someone off?
20. Who?

Numbered answers:
1. Spennie's
2. Mr. McEachern
3. no
4. After the theatricals
5. smoking
6. the billiard-room
7. yes
8. no
9. a happy one
10. It had been successful
11. The prompter
12. yes
13. Spennie
14. The prompter
15. no
16. no
17. it got jerked into act three
18. Spennie gave a wrong cue
19. yes
20. Charteris