Here is another curious example of the importance of the New York verdict. "Hazel Kirke," which became one of the historic successes of the American stage, tottered along haltingly for weeks in Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore. In the Quaker City, "Barbara Fritchie," with Julia Marlowe in the title role, came dangerously near closing because of discouraging business. Yet she came to New York, and with the exception of "When Knighthood was in Flower," registered the greatest popular triumph she has ever known. This was now the case with "The Little Minister." Miss Adams was irresistible as _Lady Babbie_. As the quaint, slyly humorous, make-believe gipsy, she found full play for all her talents, and she captured her audience almost with her first speech. Charles Frohman sat nervously in the wings during the performance. When the curtain went down his new star said to him: "How did it go?" "Splendidly," was his laconic comment. "The Little Minister" ran at the Empire for three hundred consecutive performances, two hundred and eighty-nine of which were to "standing room only." The total gross receipts for the engagement were $370,000--a record for that time. On the last night of the run Miss Adams received the following cablegram from Barrie: _Thank you, thank you all for your brilliant achievement. "What a glory to our kirk."_ BARRIE. Maude Adams was now launched as a profitable and successful star. Like many other conscientious and idealistic interpreters of the drama, she had a great reverence for Shakespeare, and she burned with a desire to play in one of the great bard's plays. Charles Frohman knew this. Then, as always, one of his supreme ambitions in life was to gratify her every wish, so he announced that he would present her in a special all-star production of "Romeo and Juliet." Charles Frohman himself was always frank enough to say that he had no great desire to produce Shakespeare. He lived in the dramatic activities of his day. It was shortly before this time that his brother Daniel, entering his office one day, found him reading. "I am reading a new book," he said; "that is, new to me." "What is that?" was the query? "'Romeo and Juliet,'" he replied. When Maude Adams dropped the role of _Babbie_ to assume that of _Juliet_ some people thought the transfer a daring one, to say the least. Even Miss Adams was a little nervous. Not so Frohman. To him Shakespeare was simply a playwright like Clyde Fitch or Augustus Thomas, with the additional advantage that he was dead, and therefore, as there were no royalties to pay, he could put the money into the production. When Frohman went to rehearsal one day he noticed that the company seemed a trifle nervous. "What's up?" he asked, abruptly. Some one told him that the players were fearful lest all the details of the costume and play should not be carried out in strict accordance with history.