A "VILLIAN" IN DANCES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9609, 30 December 1891, Page 2

A "VILLIAN" IN DANCES.

"We were playing in a small town oui Weit, bach in the seventies/'’ relates a theatrical man, "when our leading heavj man had rather a tough experience. A 1 the miners were in the theatre. The heavf man bad been persecuting a pool maiden through two sots. In we tbir< act lie came to the powerful scene of th< play.l ‘At last/ he said 'I have yon ii my power, and nothing on earth can uav< yon! (I, who was the slave, am now th( maste/ So saying he advanced toward) his trembling victim. ' Mercy I* sh< moanel. ' Mercy!' he retorted j ‘you ha< no meioy for me, and I will have none for yoi!* At that moment a gruff voice was helrd from the gallery. * Ton blarmec varmin, I’ll settle with you!’ There wai the craik of a pistol, and a bullet whkzec near thl heavy man. *Plug the son of I gun, b«jrs!’ continued the voice, and i shower tf bullets saluted the stage villain He didrit stop long. In the wing he mel the state manager, who was white wit! anger. |Tou have broken up the scene, 1 he said. / Well P’ 'Co back to the stage, sir, and lait for your exit 1' ‘ I guess not. 1 'I tell ym, I won’t have the man in my company Who is so easily disconcerted! Qc on with ne scene, or you leave the com* pany to-norrow!’ That was serious. T( be strandjd in that forsaken town was cal culated t( make the heavy man appreoia tive. *PI go back/ he said. He tore ol his wig just before going on, and, stepping down to the footlights with an injure* expression o£ countenance, he said, ‘Lsdieo and gentlemen’—there were no ladiec there, but chat didn’t matter—' with yom kind permission I will resume the scene Before doiijg so, however, I want to cal! your attenlon to the fact that the young lady and nyself are merely acting parts. In reality,) we are the best of friends. 1 bear no ill-rill for your display of heroic chivalry. 1 tenet, however, that you will curb your generous sentiments, for if yon should hit be, the play would be interrupted. If aty of the gentlemen will meet me after tfaeshow at McCarthy’s they will find out that lam not a bad fellow/ Loud cheers greeted this speech, and the pl«| was resume!.”