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THE RUSH FOR PLEASURE.!
Scrambles at the Box Office 1
TYPICAL SATURDAY NIGHT I
SCENE. I
An optimist is a person 7 kl
physique who attempts to obtain "a1®1!-!
m the family circle of a ponnt uri'l
""toward system of handling U,'-l
crowds „o ono hut a confinned ani il
prcssihie optimist would dream of at JI
ng thofoat. It is a pastime raft I
to the physically strong, and it J
nl n>e, f ,"""d th,l at dbcoSj
forts mid welcomes dilficuitics tor IKei®.!
joy of overcoming them. Tliere rimst'Sl
lie a strain of philosophy in the tcmpS|
ment of the asp, rant, for the chanw w|
that without a huge measure of luck Iiriwa
she. after a rough and tumble at Uit Unl
Oflico and on the stairs, will find that J
the seats are gone. Or even if ehtMW|
be obtained, the plcasue seeker must be t|
sullicicntiy strong mind not to allow titl
knowledge of a picked pocket to interim!
with the complete enjoyment of the eatsl
tainnient. I
Quite a large gathering oi optiskj
asseniblcd at the two gallery doors of t|
leading theatre on Saturday evening! llgJ
of them arrived soon after C.30, probih!j|
because llie.v wanted a great deal (J
their money. Some even brought babieaa|
"arms with tliciu to add to their tgjJ
ment. By 7 p.m. there were probably jM
people outside each set of doom, but il
was seldom that the earliest nrriraliul
pride of place. In this business thj ml
is to the swift, and the .battle to- fil
strong, and so those of greater phpul
strcn/i pushed their way to the fnu
and their weaker brethren wcn fonJ
back and back until tlicy stood ahnog J
the edge of the pavement, where they « J
jostled and abused by people paniigiJ
tlieir'miy to other theatres. By 7.10. pj
there was a third crowd— those awtitiil
entrance to the stalls— and the ordain
pedestrian who had no special fancy !e|
this particular theatre was compelled -M
brave the daugers of the roadway. in onjq
to get past. . ;. . I
Suddenly there was a stir and. km
amongst the restless crowd at the Inq
doorway. A woman's voice was raised
protest and complaint. ' 1
"A ot. big brute," it said. "I wash
first, and now you've pushed me back."/!
She was a little woman, frail andiifl
on in years, and she carried in her icq
a rosy, bluo-frocked baby. Still thl
things earned her little consideration. !
was strength and callousness that woo di
day. And so she bad been gnidtnla
forced back until she hovered on the ctl
skirts of the' crowd. The stir had Ha
caused by tbe opening of the big ,donld|
doors of the theatre, and the ptitJ
fought their "way into the dark hi!
It wah a furious rusli— just .ai;:i
Homcouc ahead was scattering tol
reigns. 'No casual observer who did »
know the why 'and the wherefore wo
ever have dreamed that ail these pcepfl
were figiiling for the privilege of spend
2/2 or 3/3 for the right to sit on htl
scats on the edge of a precipice for nodi
three hours, Onee inside the hall, 111
battle became more furious. Ahead b'l
eoruer a dull, yellowish light indioia
the box office, the goal ol every nol
woman and child in the throng— cictpi,!
course, the pickpockets, who found til
dense heart of the crowd a far more til
gcnaaT spot for operations. There®
no attempt at order, no queue, no Inill
officiala to direct the ticket Beckers, andl
again the strong man won and ffie'"i|
woman with her baby was cruptcdfflt'jl
the outskirts. ! ,/;;l
"I'll never got in," she wailed.'":':;1?!
"Plenty of seats in the circle and thin
ennte the bellowed cry of the gold-btM
official on the pavement outfflde.-S,;-.;l
"Suppose there is," remarked the;»w
to herself, "but two and two is aa nm
as I cau afford." , ' ''I
At the moment there was a divtjni
The strong man had fought his way to. til
window of the box office, and then.sl
on his face a glow of pride at his IM
ment. 1
"Gimme two tickets," he ordered. V I
"Four and four," answered the atlaj
dant, tearing off the tickets, but keqil
a tight hold on them I
The strong roan's expression haddaim
from one of self satiiafaetioii to cue cf IS
may. Itc was feeling feverishly in fnj
one pocket and then another, biit ipjw
ently the. rcaulto of his search did M
come np to expectations. :-!:';;!;J
"Come on," cried someone in theescjia
throng. "Get a wriggle on. W( Wl
wait hero all night." . j
"I've been robbed," burst out the itr l
man. But no one cared very much. '.I
"Nothing now," su»d a voice, '-Ikjl
happened to me twice licra Now I al«.i|i
keep a .tight hold on my oaali. Gciostl
tlie way and make room." J
The strong man left reluctantly, udul
fight went on, tlie crowd growing. en!
minute, and' the confusion in the dathlal
way becoming more and more cphfo!
A-t last, a quarter of an hour after tie 4
misJoii of Llic first batch, thc iightowl
tip, and there was a sigh ol relief, In -I
bright glare of Hie electric light; Hie ssl
showed up crammed with eager. perml
both sexes, all strong and well huilt,®
bold and jiushful — the weaklings, stiUM
on the dutskiirts, jostled by ev-ety-.®
comer of more resource and energy.', >.H|
afterwards, a tall, .wiry, young man,w|
long, sensitive-looking fingers, <t®n
from the crowd, stood nonclialently il VI
doorway for a moment and then left.g
a smile of satisfaction on bis facc. A.S'J
meat later a policeman cmeTged frocl,n(
.door of the stalls entrance and -sdffff
the opposite direction. And all
the bided attendant informed the fSj
at large that there was "plently oi
in the circle and stalls." By and Wfjl
lifatlo woman with the baby came d®|
and . painfully from the family Si
trance, with an expression of .detefjl
her. face- She was! followed
othey glum-looking individuals, aad.Mj
there' was' xio. ono in front of; the liwW
office in the corner. All the Beato htdjj|
sold, ;and -the jicople of brawn sm;a3
were upstairs perched on the pert?1!®!
seats waiting for the show, to oommfflSj
. "Plenty of room m the stalls M0 (JM
cried tlie attendant. -
"Yes," said the little woman,
that can afford it," - ' - fl
$