t, on considering that proposition
carefully, they had discovered that it would cost nearly three
dollars, and they hardly felt warranted in going to so much expense.

Finally, it was decided to buy large sheets of stout brown paper,
which could be both pasted and sewed together, in order to make sure
that they would not pull apart by their own weight, and then these
were to be ornamented in some artistic manner by each one of the
party.

By the time this important question was settled, it was so late that
no more work could be done that night; but before Dickey departed for
his hogshead home there was an emphatic demand made upon Mr. Dowd for
some particulars as to the play which he had promised to have in
readiness for the opening night. It was then Wednesday; and since the
first performance was to be given on the following Saturday evening,
it did surely seem as if the actors should know what they were to do
on that important occasion.

"It will be all right," Mopsey said, so decidedly that they would have
been obliged to be satisfied, even if he had not added, "Friday night
we'll all come here an' practise, an' then I'll tell you all about
it."

On the following day business was so good that it was very late before
any of the partners could get to work on their theatrical enterprise,
and if their profits had not been so large, they would have deeply
regretted the delay. But they worked the faster when they did get the
chance; and while the others were interested in putting together the
curtain, which bid fair to be a marvel of art, Ben labored
industriously at making the tickets.

An acquaintance of his had a large lot of card-board clippings, which
he had gathered from time to time as he delivered papers in a
printing-office, and these Ben had purchased, with the understanding
that he was to give free admission to the entertainment for them
during three evenings, providing, of course, that the theatre remained
open to the public that length of time. From these odds and ends Nelly
had cut about a hundred tickets during the afternoon while she was in
charge of the fruit-stand, and these Ben was converting into orders
for admission by printing on them, in rather a shaky hand, and with a
new lead-pencil he had bought for that express purpose, the following:

GRATE SHOW.

LeT WUN CUM iN
5 CeNTS

As it was proposed to charge eight cents for seats in the two front
benches, Ben printed, in