reticule. "For Owgooste," she
confided to him. Owgooste was in a Fauntleroy "costume" very much too
small for him. Already he had been crying.

"Woult you pelief, Doktor, dot bube has torn his stockun alreatty? Walk
in der front, you; stop cryun. Where is dot berliceman?"

At the door of the theatre McTeague was suddenly seized with a panic
terror. He had lost the tickets. He tore through his pockets, ransacked
his wallet. They were nowhere to be found. All at once he remembered,
and with a gasp of relief removed his hat and took them out from beneath
the sweatband.

The party entered and took their places. It was absurdly early. The
lights were all darkened, the ushers stood under the galleries in
groups, the empty auditorium echoing with their noisy talk. Occasionally
a waiter with his tray and clean white apron sauntered up and doun
the aisle. Directly in front of them was the great iron curtain of the
stage, painted with all manner of advertisements. From behind this came
a noise of hammering and of occasional loud voices.

While waiting they studied their programmes. First was an overture by
the orchestra, after which came "The Gleasons, in their mirth-moving
musical farce, entitled 'McMonnigal's Court-ship.'" This was to be
followed by "The Lamont Sisters, Winnie and Violet, serio-comiques and
skirt dancers." And after this came a great array of other "artists" and
"specialty performers," musical wonders, acrobats, lightning artists,
ventriloquists, and last of all, "The feature of the evening, the
crowning scientific achievement of the nineteenth century, the
kinetoscope." McTeague was excited, dazzled. In five years he had not
been twice to the theatre. Now he beheld himself inviting his "girl" and
her mother to accompany him. He began to feel that he was a man of the
world. He ordered a cigar.

Meanwhile the house was filling up. A few side brackets were turned on.
The ushers ran up and down the aisles, stubs of tickets between their
thumb and finger, and from every part of the auditorium could be heard
the sharp clap-clapping of the seats as the ushers flipped them down. A
buzz of talk arose. In the gallery a street gamin whistled shrilly, and
called to some friends on the other side of the house.

"Are they go-wun to begin pretty soon, ma?" whined Owgooste for the
fifth or sixth time; adding, "Say, ma, can't I have some candy?" A
cadaverous little boy had appeared in their aisle, chanting, "Candies,
Fr