Arthur Stanwood Pier

“ Don't shove 'em!" commanded the imperious small boy who had assumed that they were play actors. He pushed an over-curious comrade into the gutter. "You all act like you'd never been to a theatre; they always dress like that."
"How about that cab?" Horace repeated.
"I'll get it for you," said the masterful small boy. "I'll get one from Tony Laffan's livery stable. Say, that's our house over across the street; if I get you the cab, would you mind goin' in and showin' yourselves to my brother? He's crippled and he never seen an actor." ”

“ Is it simply pride in your legs?"
"That," said Horace, "is the sort of jealous suspicion that would naturally suggest itself to one who chooses a tunic reaching to his heels. No, Walter; my motive in attending Barclay's costume dinner and after it your silly Artists' Festival is purely political. I succeeded yesterday in impressing Barclay with my devotion to the cause of free art. ”

“ The other two boys trotted along in the gutter beside the brilliant apparitions. "You're play actors, ain't you, Mister?" said one, with respect.
"Why, of course! What else could we be?" replied Horace. "I don't suppose you could get a cab for us?" he continued. "You see we're dressed for the stage and not for the street—our cab broke down; and if you could get another for us it would be worth a quarter."
From an alley issued an impetuous, eager band of little figures, urged on by the boy who had run up the street calling out his comrades. "See 'em! See 'em!" he cried ”

“ A little girl in a red worsted cap made the timorous appeal, and it was seconded by eager mutterings.
"Yes, of course—if Dan says there's room." Horace looked inquiringly at the host.
"You can come in if you'll be still and not get in my brother Mike's way," said Dan. "Because Mike can't move about none to see—so you mustn't get in his way —and you must keep still. If you'll promise I'll let you in. Promise?"
"Yes, yes!" cried the children, and Dan turned to open the door.
"You're sure you can get a cab?" asked Walter. ”

“ They crossed the street, and then at the door of a small two-story brick house the boy turned and hesitated. The other children crowded nearer. "Do you s'pose you could act some of a play for my brother?" he asked. "He can't never see one acted—and if you only would—! Say, he reads plays, and he's awful bright; he writes 'em, too. If you could just do a piece of a play for him—while I'm gettin' the cab—gee, but he'd like it."
"All right, sir; we'll do it," said Horace promptly. Walter glanced at Horace in some surprise.
"Say, mister—say, Dan—can we come in and see it?" ”

“ Now Cæsar lay just there in that corner—covered with a cloak—no, that won't do; we'll pretend that Mike here in bed is Cæsar. And off here in this corner of the room, there's a speaker's stand, from which Brutus made his speech. You fellows off at that side of the room, you and Mr. Maxwell, are the crowd that are hanging round talking it over. Then on comes Mark Antony—I'm Antony, remember—on he comes like this, and stops for a moment to look at Cæsar, his dead friend. Then on to the speaker's stand—you've got to iimagine that—and then—
'Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears ”

“ Mullane spoke brusquely. "Got any children of your own?"
"No. Bachelor."
"You'd ought to have. You'd make a good daddy." He hesitated; then in a constrained voice he added, "The poor little fellow can never leave that bed. ”