ve Dickey and Johnny seated themselves at the
table, and began to make a hearty but hurried meal. Johnny stood up in
a careful manner, and got along very well, but poor Dickey could
neither sit down nor help himself. He made one or two vain efforts to
pick up a biscuit from the table, but his armor would not permit, and
he was about to lean back against the wall in helpless indignation,
when Mrs. Green noticed him.

"Poor child!" she said, in a motherly tone, "I do think it is a shame
for Mopsey to rig you up in such a way that you can't eat, an' you do
have such a good appetite."

"He wanted to play Macbeth," said Mopsey, anxious to clear himself
from any blame, "an' if he plays it he's got to go that way."

"Yes, I wanted to play it," said Dickey, in a pathetic tone that told
he would never want to do such an uncomfortable thing again. "I wanted
to, but I didn't know I was goin' to be fixed so's I couldn't even
wiggle."

Mrs. Green went without her own supper for the sake of giving Dickey
his, and she fed him patiently, while he stood with outstretched hands
leaning against the wall, but able to eat all that was put in his
mouth.

By the time the boys were through supper Nelly came into the room,
dressed for her portion of the work in the evening's performance; and
even Mopsey, who the day before had suggested that she should wear a
sword, thought she looked charming in her white dress with blue
ribbons.

It was very near the time set for opening the doors, and already they
could hear a crowd of boys on the sidewalk, as they jostled and pushed
in their efforts to enter before the managers were ready to receive
them. Mopsey, excited at this clamor of the public, drove his company
up-stairs, and hurried Mrs. Green to such an extent that she concluded
to let her house-work go until after the performance, and went down to
open the door.

CHAPTER X.

THE FIRST ACT.

The noble company of actors stood in breathless expectancy behind the
scenes of their theatre, waiting for the sound of tramping feet that
should tell of the rush of the public to witness their genius, as
shown in this particular line of business. The interest was so great
that even Dickey forgot the discomfort of his Macbeth costume, and
stood as near a crevice in the boards as possible, to see their
patrons as they filed into the hall.

The auditorium was as near a scene of enchantment as tallow-candles
could make it. The twelve bottle