By the help
of the scissors, needle, thread, and a bundle of old playbills, she
achieved her purpose. She cut a play from one bill, an interlude from
another, a farce from a third, and sewing the slips neatly together
avoided the use of pen and ink. When the name of a new performer had
to be introduced she left a blank to be filled up by the first of her
actors she happened to encounter, presuming him to be equal to the use
of a pen. She sometimes beat the drum, or tolled the bell behind the
scenes, when the representation needed such embellishments, and
occasionally fulfilled the duties of prompter. In this respect it was
unavoidable that she should be now and then rather overtasked. On one
special evening she held the book during the performance of the old
farce of "Who's the Dupe?" The part of Gradus was undertaken by her
leading actor, one Gardner, and in the scene of Gradus's attempt to
impose upon the gentleman of the story, by affecting to speak Greek,
the performer's memory unfortunately failed him. He glanced
appealingly towards the prompt-side of the stage.
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