The Weber Literary Journal Stage, or the Man The Story of Sadie By Edwin Stoker THE theatre-going Public of Threadville was evidently in for a treat. At least, according to Jeremiah Hicks, owner, janitor, and general manager of the Hicks' Opera House, it was in for something high-class a regular road-show. Oh while I think of it Jeremiah is bill-poster also, and a very self-sufficient personage. The new "opery" formed the general topic of comment among Threadville's upper circles. The raise in admission, which Jeremiah confessed he was forced to do, due to cost of production, etc., had roused much indignation. Miss Lena Jute, leader of the "Woman's Welfare and Kitchen Club", expressed it perfectly, as being beyond the common pocketbook. To just think of the cost of a show, fifty cents and the war tax on top of that outrageous. Joseph Watkins could be counted out on such extravagance. Mrs. Miller (called "Ma" by thirteen) couldn't see why her kids couldn't git in for at least half price. Percey Doolittle, the social lion and handsome Romeo, secretly planned to spend that evening in the park instead of at the "theatah." And there, poor Jeremiah had all this to face. All the insults and slams, he considered, were thrown directly at him and they were. It was just as he told Lem Leekins, as Lem stood watching Jeremiah slapping up a big flashy six-sheet on the town-hall fence. "Ye see, Lem, they aint got no sense of 'preciation, any more. They don't 'preciate nothin' ye give 'em. Why, the slick gent that booked it in my 'Opery House,' says it's the finest thing done outside of New York and London absolutely." Lem nodded his agreement as the two of them restocked 24 The Weber Literary Journal the paste-bucket with a bit of second-hand "Star Brand" and "Horseshoe". Thus went life in Threadville. The regular policy of the Hicks' Opera House was to show moving-pictures, but when anything special happened along, for instance the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" troup now coming, the house was rented on shares. If a troup objected to this artange-ment, as had the present one, Jeremiah had but to explain that he was doin' it at a sacrifice and that he had to drum up trade hard on account of the higher prices. Jeremiah Hicks ran the only "Opery" in Threadville; nevertheless, the absence of opposition did not hamper him in giving his patrons the best the market afforded in certain lines. For instance, did he not have some new chairs in place of the old squeaky benches? He did. He installed a new and improved kitchen-chair, you know, all nailed together, a row at a time, joined by a one-by-six along the bottom. And didn't he have a new curtain? He did. One that advertised every drug-store and blacksmith shop in the city, along with some of the dauby art masterpieces by Ben Brown, and an "Asbestos" sign along the bottom. Hicks' patrons were given the best of usher service. Jeremiah at the request of his most critical patrons had taken on this added expense bravely. He had hired Inez Smart because she was so popular, and fresh from the city. Mamie Williams had been employed because of her grandpop's exceeding good will and wet cellar. And last, he had hired Sadie Sullivan. Why? Because she had applied and he didn't have the heart to refuse such a beautiful addition to his theatre and, you know, Sadie was so well liked around town. Besides, he wanted to show that anti-home dramatic bunch who had spelled the death of Threadville home dramatics by its ridicule of the last Uncle Tom's Cabin show in which Sadie had appeared as Little Eva, that he disapproved of their actions. Most of the town came to see the "pitchers," but about half the masculine patrons preferred the ushers. The city-bred Inez necessarily proved the most popular. For this reason Jeremiah had made her head usher. It was she who had charge of the center aisle, and it was she with whom every other guy 25