The Unsold Seats.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8195, 23 May 1906, Page 7

The Unsold Seats.

A " New York World " of a recent date stands for the following story, which, at any rate, deserves to be true:— A mite of a boy, with neatly-patched knickerbockers. and a pinched look that comes from want of nourishing food, plucked at the sleeve of George Kingsbury, manager of the Hippodroma, yesterday afternoon. " Say, mister, are you Mr Dundy ?" he inquired, hesitatingly. " No, son," replied the busy manager ; ' what do you want'?" "I wants a seat for granny down where de big bug 3 sit, an' one for meself up in de peanut gallery, but the guy in de cage won't sell 'em—says I'm toutin' for de specs on de walii. Ob, I've got the mazuma all right," he added, diving into a pocket and bringing out a handful of coppers, nickels and dimes. Mr Kingsbury was interested, and, drawing the lad out, found that his name was Jimmy King, and that he lived in Harlem, when he wasn't selling papers on Broadway. " You see it's dis way," he explained : " Granny, she's old an' sick and takes care o' me, an' I thought it would cheer her up to see the elephants an' tigers an' Marceline an' things at the Hip, an' so I, saves me spare cash since New Year. Here it is—two dollars and a half for Granny's seat an' fifty cents for me own. But the guy in the cage—" i Mr Dundy had come out from his office, and heard the unvarnished tale. "Give the boy a loge box," he told Mr Kingsbury, " and tell him to take his money and buy his granny something she needs." It didn't dawn on Jimmy all at one but finally he was made to understand, and with the box coupons tightly clutched in his fist, he choked, muttered incoherent thanks, and disappeared. Every seat and"every box mthe great auditorium was occupied last night— except Jimmy's loge. Mr Dundy noted the fact. " Fooled again," he sighed. Fifteen minutes later a newsboy handed to an usher a crumpled note addressed to Mr Dundy. On it was scrawled, in pencil.: "We can't come ; Granny died to-night." " Don't sell that box for this performance," Mr Dundy ordered.