Mr. Lovejoy was transfixed with amazement. " This is very strange," thought Mr. Whiffles; "I wonder when that fellow is going to begin !" The little bell tinkled again and again. Mr. Russett stepped upon the stage with some amount of dignity and left it without any, under the im pression that he was a trifle too soon.
The stage manager, a gentleman of excitable temperament, and much ad dicted to the use of passionate language, who played oue of the principal parts in the piece, rushed from his room, discharged on the spot an inoffensive " super " who, unfortunately, happened to cross his path — went, half-a-dozen at a time, down the score or so of ricketty stairs, at the imminent hazard of breaking his neck, and, appearing at the little door, under the stage, that led into the orchestra, demanded in unmeasured terms what the — very bad word— Mr. Lovejoy meant by such conduct, and why the —excessively rude observation — he didn't go on ?"

Mr. Lovejoy was too astonished to reply. He could only point in silent wonder to the two trombones. There they sat, puffing and blowing vigorously, but with no result.
The stage manager gesticulated violently, and nearly had a fit. The audience, unable to comprehend what was going on before their eyes, hissed loudly ; and, finally, the curtain /ell.
