to nuts, including a scuttle full of red ink for thirty-five scudi.  I was going to balk and rear in the harness when he started to lead me up the steps of the foundry, but as I always maintained discretion is the better part of valor, I’m two-bits ahead anyway you play it.  So I climb into the nosebag without a peep.  Yet—­would you believe it?—­when that wop came to cash in he shook the mothballs out of a roll of bills that looked like nine miles’ worth of hall carpet.  I had been acting very reserved heretofore, but when he made this flash he commenced to look like a very dear friend of mine who had been very kind to me in moments of adversity.  I apprised him of the fact, and the dog had the temerity to pin his pocket shut with a safety pin right before my eyes.  I come to find out later that he was a press agent.  Ain’t it scandalous the way the Friars wine and dine the dramatists every few weeks?  I tried to agitate a bunch for the chorus girls to give a dinner to Ben Teal or William Seymour, but while they were all willing to be in on the big eat the way they ducked the financial responsibilities would have made you think it was a half-salary clause.

“The other day I put my ear to the ground and then cavorted madly around to Mr. Savage’s office to see if there was anything doing in the ’Merry Widow’ line.  The handsome gentleman on the other side of the desk allowed a ripple of merriment to float over his features and then spake as follows:  ’All we got to do is to toll the bell in the old church tower and nine companies will answer like the fire department.’  You know I could have gone with the Paris ‘Prince of Pilson’ company, but those French gentlemen are so emotional.  One tried to bite my ear in Jack’s the other night.

“Did I tell you about Mamie de Vere becoming a bride again?  She believes in marrying at leisure and divorcing in haste.  The justice of the peace that always ties her nuptial knot told her that if she bought a ticket she could save 50 cents per wedding and he would hand it to the happy bridegroom as her dowry.  Well, anyway they got maried after the show, so that she wouldn’t loose her job.  I was maid of honor.  Honest I was.  Don’t it sound funny?  And I carried her bouquet as the bridal party marched up the hall to the office of the justice of the peace.  Just as he was about to pronounce the last sad rites a hurdy-gurdy started playing ‘Don’t Get Married Any More, Ma,’ with variations.  Well, it made Mamie so nervous.  You know she always was a hysterical creature.  It made her so nervous that she had to have Wilbur—­that’s her husband—­go out and put a bug on the Ginny before she would allow the flag to drop.  Then we went out and had our wedding breakfast.  There were six or eight in the crowd, I don’t rightly remember which, for sometimes there would be only a few and then again it would be a turbid throng.