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Show NEARLY A PANIC i A tort r.chcArhlnRr a Flaj Cause Excise. meut In a Chicago Hotel. Thor6 came near being a panio in tb 1 feading room of the Great Northern the ' othor day. A'chie Boyd, the actor who osed xo play Oon Thompson's part in "The Old Homestead" and who starred last season in a uew play of his cwn ; culled "Tho Country Squire," was here Borne weeks ago to consult Con T. llur-! llur-! phy, che playwright, as to alteration tn this pla. He wanted a new second , act, ai:d alter talking matters over with Murphy ho left the latter hard at wort on his manuscript at his Lake BluS home. One day last week bo wired Murphy that he would meet him at the Great Northern at a certain time and read over tho altered play with him. Th uthor was on hand at the appointed tiie, and fo was the star. Together thej repaired to the reading room and et about their task. Jlr. Murphy read quietly until his enthusiasm overcame bini. Then he threw caution to the winds and exclaimed: "My God, you have stolen my child!" A guest from Oregon, Ills., looked ep from a letter he was writing to the folks, and then he edged uneasily toward to-ward tha end of the table. " 'Tis false, " roared Boyd. "I am no kidnaper." "You lie I' ' exclaimed Murphy in loud tones, throwing the manuscript aside, and the man from Oregon started for the door, while a commercial man from Toledo leaned back in his chair to seo it out. - The author and star had shifted to n quiet love scene, when Landlord Eden cani6 in at the request of the Oregon man to see what tho trouble was. When he told the latter what was up, he apologized apol-ogized profusely and wanted to buy pop for the party. When Boyd plays iu Oregon, the stranger will be in tho audience. au-dience. Chicago Times. |