KEEPING CHARLIE'S SEAT

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 29, 3 February 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

KEEPING CHARLIE'S SEAT

Many amusing scenes are enacted, before the footlights at bargain mat' A . inees, especially in the theatres-when no reserved-seat coupons are issued oi) such occasions, and the rule of "Pirsi;come, first served" obtains. At a re' cent matinee -of .this'kind, in a pop" \ ular theatre, much merriment was ex< cited, by the efforts of a stout, good-natured-looking woman to secure J seat for a young man, evidently a reltk tive, who 'had come into the theatre after the house had pretty well filled, up.' She had succeeded in securing"a seat herself, and"'holding another om' by the medium of sundry wraps aritf parcels alongside, pretty ..well down toward the stage. In front of these v she stood sentinel, anxiously scanning , every new group that came in. Finally slhe saw the young man, and' began wildly to wave her handkerchief at him, but apparently he was. ; looking everywhere save in "tine riglit direction. Meanwhile, several seatlnmters [had espied the unoccupied i chair and were, casting envious and- ! suspicious glances at it. The sitii-" ation was becoming critical, so, without more ado, the.stout party put her hand to her mouth and shouted in :S. ; stentorian tones across the entire auditorium, "Charlie, here's your seat!"" Every one laughed; but Charlie, evidently not courting, unwelcome notoriety, discreetly kept in the background. "Charlie!" she yelled again, Jn louder tones,, and then the denl-. j zens of the gallery, quick to seize an opportunity, began a dliorus of "Char--:' I lie! I say, Charlie!" "Charlie, where j are you?" and, "Ho! Charlie," which. | strengthened the youth - in'-his wise > resolution to stay just where he was.' Then the sentinel surrendered the. seat;.' V to a determined-looking,woman \\ Jho j wore spectacles.-^Ph/iladelphia "ReI cord.") ■',—'.. j- ■;■/