Show HE l LED ED THE TIIE MOB Wanted Wanted Twenty five tall well foll men Apply at the stage door of the tho Y theater at 1 o'clock today This advertisement in the tho want column attracted tho the attention of Jim Eccles upon whom like many ninny another good follow fellow the general depression of the tho country had brought enforced idle ness His attachment for Miss Polly Bodman Bod Bod- man made him all the more anxious to tobo bo ho at work that his castle in the airi air i might materialize into a neat little cottage where Mrs Eccles should administer ad min minister Eter to him all the comforts of a home Surely he met the requirements measuring as he ha did 6 feet 2 2 of fine physique and anel erect bearing Jim at once decided to respond to the advertise advertise- ment and 1 I o'clock found Cound him standing stand stand- ing jug with a 1 large crowd of applicants outside of the stage door of the Adelphi theater Jim b by dint of skillful elbowing made his Ilis way within close proximity of the stage door and set about hid in fn in vesti the job he inquired of a atall atall atall tall cadaverous looking individual who stood next to him Theres going to be a n big show of ot Julius Caesar Cresar All AH stars in the cast and a u bi big gang cJ c supers for tho the Roman itoman mob replied tha man Jim not being well veIl versed in Shakespeare Shakespeare Shakes Shakes- peare obtained very little information from this reply A A mob said mid Jim the pay A black er e The rhe man a addressed dressed glanced at Jim wit with something akin to pity in his look and replied I guess youve you've never trod the boards have you Dont Don't you know that Julius J uli us C Caesar sar is a tragedy and anel that theres there's a big mob at his bis funeral Were We're wanted as chief Not a particularly cheerful occupation t tion replied Jim He would have continued his inquiriEs in in- but was cut short by the opening open open- V fag ing in of the tho stage door to admit the first 25 in line among the first of whom was Jim As AH Jim had bad seen very little of a theater theater theater thea- thea ter even as ns a spectator the scene now presented to him was vas most bewildering He was admiring the decoration of a drawing room scene when he was rudely rudely rudely rude rude- ly interrupted by a poke in the back from a tree which the stage hands bands were shifting The appearance of the stage manager just then put an end to any further investigation investigation in investigation in- in on Jims Jim's part The applicants applicants cants were assembled in line hue while the manager ran his experienced eye over them Something in Jim Eccles Eccles' figure and bearing seemed to attract him and calling his assistant to his side he be said Put this man in for First Citizen Holbrooks Holbrook's sick and wont won't be able to go goon goon on on and theres there's no time to hunt bunt around This mans man's about his size so the cos cos- tume turne will go all aU right So saying he thrust a book into the tho V handa of the much astonished Jim tell tell- Jag ing him to g get t the lines marked First V Citizen and to be beon on hand the following follow ing morning for the rehearsal Jim overcome by this sudden greatness great great- ness floss thrust upon him endeavored to express express ex- ex press pres his ignorance of the duties of the First Citizen but the manager rushed rashed away leaving the selection of the other Vr citizens citizens to his assistant Jim was about l o follow him but felt himself pulled b by e the e sleeve and turning found it was t tue-mau tue e man fuan whom he had bad questioned outside r who also had a playbook in his pos posse sion Here I This is all Gre Greek k to me What shall I do said Jim Tim Shi Dent Dont give it away that youre you're I no DO actor said the man cautiously Ill pat put yon you through all right Youre You're in luck to get et a speaking job The novelty of bis his situation moved Jim to make the most of what chance had thrown in his bis wa way and he ho decided that he would essay t the e p part rt of First Citizen and endeavor to prove himself t. t equal to this greatness thrust upon him Accordingly the two asp aspirants rants for stage stag honors withdrew to the home of 4 the Second Citizen and the tho rehearsal was soon Hoon under way There must have hare V been beau some pome histrionic ability latent in r I nm for he soon soo caught the spirit of V VV the tragedy and under ander the guiding V hand of his hia ins instructor tractor made wade rapid progress tees Less ress After two hours bours of hard work the I V First Citizen took his departure fully convinced that he be was a boru born actor Jim Tim highly elated with with this tills new newfound new found talent lost no time in bearing p the news to Ins his s sweetheart Polly As Ask k Le te rushed into the bou house he lie exclaimed Cornel Comet Away Away W Well We'll ll burn hurn fr bis his I body ody in the holy place and with ith the b brands fire firo the traitors' traitors houses Polly PoUy was too overcome to speak for foi fota V word a 4 moment but bat when at last For For heavens heaven's tame mine to her beT she ebe said t V i V take Mke Jim where when did you yon got get it it y Yoc Yot tV touchy touch V promised me mo you yea would never L y V V V i J h R o 1 1 q J ue NJ t 0 t 1 another drop rop V Behold Debold in me mo tho 1 First Citizen Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow To To- To- To morrow evenin evening I 1 load lead the mob at ut Rome Rowe With thic thi explanation Jim lifted Polly POUy upon tao table insisting that she should hear him go over bis part May 1 I go to the show tl asked ked Polly when Jim bad had finished Y You ou have havI a front seat in m the balcony Jim answered and promising to call in the tho morning to leave her a n ticket he departed after assuring her that h her r fortune won would Id speedily be made should he make a hit in this new venture ven ven- ture tureA A lull Kali hour bour before the rise of the thour- thour ar- ar tain found in tho tame co-tame of a citizen of at H Rome Roue me Senators triumvir citizens and conspirators were mingling together truing tilling stories cud nud cracking jokes while white Julius Ca Cresar sar N v asked arm in arm with his bis most deadly enemy the lean and nud hungry Cassias Cassius Jim Jin managed to get at the tho peephole in the curtain t through h which he caught a glimpse of his sweetheart whose face faco wore a look of expectancy and pride in anticipation of the First Citizens Citizen's debut Almost before Jim realized it th the performance had begun It Jt was a magnificent magnificent mag mag- cast and uld ovary every effort on the part of the manager or performers was received with enthusiasm As First Citizen Jim had bad little opportunity op Ope of displaying Irs his histrionic power ver until the great forum scene was reached Special effort had bad been made on the part of the management to have bare havethe the scenic effects most t elaborate and the tho scene of the Roman forum was especially especially es es- es well reproduced At the back cf the stage a long flight h hof of steps led ap up p to the tribunal tribuna and anel hero Mark Antony had aroused the populace to seek revenge for the blood of the murdered C Casa The rhe who sD actor portrayed portrayed portrayed por por- the tle part of had stirred the audience to a high pitch of excitement excite excite- ment with his powerful and aud magnetic delivery of the lines over the dead body Jim also found himself under the spell of this eloquent appeal fox for justice and his thirst for revenge was becoming most real He could coald scarcely wait for his cue but it came at last Antony had bad told atC of at C Caesars Caesar's sars sar's will his bequests to the city his love for the tho people finishing with the words Here was a When comes there such another Jim wild with excitement caught the cue cne and ing upon the steps above the crowd cried Never I Never Come Comet I Away Well We'll Wellburn Wellburn burn this body in the holy place an and with the brands fire fire The word tire fire had no DO sooner passed his lips than it was vas echoed by a cry from the audience Fire Fire For a moment the stillness of death reigned over the petrified spectators only to be followed by a wild pandemonium pande pande- It had bad not been a cry cry of wolf Already a dense smoke was filling the theater and it was evident to all the house was vas on fire Luckily those occupying seats in in the orchestra escaped without difficulty but not so fortunate were those who had occupied seats in the balcony There every exit was cut cat off The stai sta- sta could not be reached owing to the tb dense suffocating smoke Jim hearing the cries of Fire I that had followed his bis appeal to the mob realized at once the danger He could see Bee Polly her face blanched with terror appealing to him to come to her rescue Rushing from the stage he sought the side entrance to the balcony but was driven back by the flames which were making rapid progress He returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to the stage in time to find the theRoman theRoman Roman mob that a few moments before before be be- fore was mad with frenzy now wild with fear He would appeal to them once more For Gods God's sake eake men dont don't leave these people in the balconies to die Here quick I Lend a hand some of you yon And Jim rushed for tor the steps leading to tho the tribunal In a second they wen vert torn from their fastenings and horne home bj by bytho the tho men to a n place beneath the balcony where they might afford a means of descent descent de de- de scent to the terror stricken spectators The men had bad scarcely time tithe to bract the steps before the people began tf Ut clamber down in their mad rush rash to ca es cape I I In vain did Jim look for Polly in the I crowd crowel Could she have been overcome by the heat and smoke With the energy of despair he clambered up the steps fighting his biB vay against the struggling stream of humanity that poured down against him Dim im and almost overbore him Nearly suffocated with smoke moke he ho groped his tray vay ay to the place where h he had last seen lieen his bis sweetheart There ho he found her ber lying in the aisle insensible Snatching the tho lifeless form of at the girl in his arms he struggled back to the steps only to find they had collapsed collapsed col cal lapsed under the weight of the crowd lIe He leaned over the b balcony but bat so dense was the smoke bo ho could sue soe nothing lothing U Jump for the l net nett etl he heard some someone someone someone one call to him au and II looking closer he be could discern men wen standing beneath tho the balcony with something stretched bo boo tween them God help you Polly folly Its It's our only chance chanco And IH tie he poke pok ho io e raised her insensible form over o the balcony Hi IIi hold loosened nu and his burden fell feU from his arms amis rn l. l He lie tried to follow ollow but sank back overcome by the smoke sm ko e At t the tho Lafayette tte hospital t the next next morning moaning th there re vP Were many n mUlI inquiries for forthe forthe the Pint First Citizen 1 nod and Jim answered c V id z i L rv f them a as best he be could though tl the ti cost cost him many a twinge of pain pain Over O his head bead bung hung tho the torn and scorched remnants of the tunic IL in which he be had bad led the tho mob b to save savo many manya a life At his side sat hat a Polly re wading reading to him bim a n proposition from irom the D manager ol of the Adelphi theater for a n permanent en n as First C Citizen Globe |