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Show A MIDNIGHT BELL. A llellglitful Evening mt the Theater In Spite of Windmill IUIii. In spito of tho almost impossible weather, "A Midnight Bell" packed the theater to its utmost capacity last evening. even-ing. It is an excellent play the best by far that Mr. Hoyt has ever written. It is tilled with the finest humor, produces pro-duces the heartiest laughter and semis the critic home glad that ha is living, satisfied with himself aud at peace with his fellow-man. Eugene Cnntiold, s the country school boy, had tho- lion's share of tho applauso. Ho was as natural as life and twice as funny. The audience could not get enough of his song. "When Pa was a Little Boy Like Me." After the Irresistiblo boy, came Deacon Tidd. George Richard's interpretation inter-pretation of this part could not be excelled. ex-celled. Miss Percy Haswell as Dot, the minister's sister, was wholly charming, while Fanny Mclntyre as the school-ma'am school-ma'am was so sweot and womanly as to win tho entire sympathy of the audience. aud-ience. W. J. Hague, tho villain, was sufficiently villainous to Incur tho hearty hate of the entire house. An'iucidont both amusing and painful pain-ful occurred at the close of tho play. Tho last act closes with the ringing of tho "Midnight Bell," which brings all the members of tho church choir back and discovers the villain with tho stolen bonds in his possession, lie falls dead from tho shock of the discovery just as tho curtain rings down. Last night the curtain stuck. It could not bo coaxed down. Tho choir stood it a few minutes, min-utes, but then sneaked olf. leaving only the poor dead villain lying in an un-comfortablo un-comfortablo position over the organ chair. Aud thore he lay whilo tlieproi-erty tlieproi-erty man churned tho curlain up and down in a frantic manner. Seconds stretched into minutes, but the villain was game; not a muscle did he move. And finally with the aid of a step-ladder step-ladder and a pole tho curtain camo down and the audiertce departed. "A Midnight Bell" will run the balance bal-ance of the week. -' " |