soldier's overcoat, cut down to
prevent it from trailing on the floor when he walked, and on his head
was a paper cap nearly twice as large, and with very much more
ornamentation in the way of feathers and red paint than had the one
worn by Paul.

The company were now ready for their arduous duties on the stage, and
could afford the time to go to dinner. More than once had Mrs. Green
called out to them that that very important meal was ready, and should
be eaten if they expected her to get the dishes washed in time to act
as door-keeper. She had also become imbued with the excitement of this
first performance, and had packed away her fruit-stand fully two hours
earlier than usual, in order that she might first feed her
actor-boarders, and then look out for their interest at the door.

It was a ferocious looking and, in at least two cases, an
uncomfortable feeling company that filed down the stairs and into the
dining-room, led by Dickey, who was obliged to enter the door
sideways, because his arms stuck out so straight as to prevent his
moving through any aperture less than five feet wide in any other way.

"Gracious!" ejaculated the startled landlady, as she saw this
singular-looking object enter the room, followed by four others, more
or less gorgeous, and all equally terrible. "How on earth did you
contrive to make yourselves look so horrible?"

"Mopsey did it," squeaked Dickey, piteously, as if he had been accused
of some wrong deed, and earnestly wishing that he was the ghost.

"He's Macbeth," said Mopsey, in explanation, and anxious to show that
he had only done his duty in thus making Dickey so uncomfortable.
"That's pretty near the way Macbeth always gits hisself up."

"Poor man!" said Mrs. Green, sympathizingly, "it must have been
terrible hard for him, an' he couldn't had a great deal of comfort
with his arms." And then, as she looked over her spectacles pityingly
at the miniature Macbeth, and noticed that it was the covers of her
wash-boilers that he wore, she said, "You must be awful careful not to
tumble down, Dickey, for you never could get up; an' besides, if
anybody should step on you they'd spoil them covers, an' one of 'em's
'most new."

Dickey made no promise, but his face showed plainly that he
appreciated the danger he would be in if he should fall over, and that
he was determined to stand as straight as possible in the combat which
would take place in the third act.

All of the company sa