Year: 1872

that on the third DAY tne ONCE WOulu Oe oPeu-
ed for the sale of reserved seats crept
down to the theatre at four in the afternoon to
see if any sales had been made. The ticket
seller was gone, the box Office was locked. !
had to swallow suddenly or my heart would
have gone out "No sales" said to myself.
I mis- hit have known it. I thought ofsuicide,
pretended illness, flight. I thought of these
things in earnest, for I was very miserable and
scared. But had to, Of course, drive them
away, and prepare to meet my fate. could
not wait for halfpast seven; wanted to face
the horror and end 1.-THE feeling Of many a
man doomed to be hung, no doubt


I went down back streets at six o'clock and
entered the theatre by the back door. l
stumbled my way in the dark among the
ranks of canvass scenery, and stood on the
stage. The house was gloomy and silent, and
its emptiness depressing Iweut into the dark
among the scenes again, and for an hour and
a half gave myself up to the horrors, wholly
unconscious of everything else. Then heard
murmur; it rose higher and higher, and
ended in a crash, mingled with cheers. 1t
made nv hair rise, it was 80 close to ME and
so loud. There was a pause, then another
presently came a third, and before 1 well
knew what I was about I was in the middle
of the stage, staring at a sea Of faces, bewil-
dered by the fierce glare Of lights, and qua:
king every limb with terror that seemed
like to take my life away. The house was
full-aisle and all.


The tumult in my heart and brain and legs
continued full minute before | could gain
any command over myself. Then I recog.
nized the charity and friendliness in the faces
before me, and little by little my fright melted
away, and began to talk. Within three or
four minutes was comfortable and even con-
tent. MY three chief allies, with three aux
iliaries, were on hand in the parquette, all sit.
ting together, all armed with bludgeons and
all ready to make an onslaught upon the fee:
blest Joke that might show its head. And
whenever Joke did fall their bludgeons came
down and their faces seemed to split from ear
to ear. Sawyer, whose hearty countenance
was seen looming redly in the centre Of the
second circle, took it up and the house was
carried handsomely. Inferior jokes never
Jared so royalty before.


Presently delivered bit Of serious mat.
ter with impressive JUNCTION, (it was my pet,l
and the audience listened with an absorbed
hus'. that grati6ed me more than any ap'
plause and as I dropped the last word of the
clause, happened to turn and catch Mrs.
intent and waiting eye; my conversation with
her flashed upon me, and in spite of all |
could do smiled. She took it for the signal
and promptly delivered mellow laugh that
touched of the whole audience, and the ex'
plosion that followed was the triumph Of the
evening. thought that that honest man
Sawyer would choke himself-and as for the
bludgeons, they performed like piledrivers
But my poor little morsel Of Pathos was
ruined. It was taken in good faith as an In
territorial joke, and the prize one of the enter
tainment-and I wisely let it 60 at that.


All the papers were kind in the morning
my appetite returned-I had abundance Of
money. "All's we'll that ends we'll"