This Evening at 8. Original Performance of BE TRUE FOND HEART A TRAGEDY IN THREE ACTS founded on The Celebrated Novel by Miss Johnson _Admission Free_. “I votes we charge sixpence for admission,” said Jim. “There’s a shop in the village where you can get fireworks.” “Well, we can fix that later. We’ll have to settle who’s to take the parts first of all, and then everybody can help to write the play.” “I’ll be Reginald,” said Barbara, her conscientious scruples yielding to the fascination of that darkly romantic hero. But a brotherly voice replied: “Oh, rot! you can’t be. You and Ann will have to take the girls’ parts.” Barbara’s smile faded. “I _hate_ Angelina; she’s so stuck up and idiotic.” “They’re all idiotic, but you can be the other girl――what’s her name.” “Maud Vivien,” said Ann. “I’ll be Angelina, Balmer, if you’ll be Reginald.” “Edward will be Captain Victor De Lancy,” said Palmer, drawing up the cast, “and Grif and Jim can be the old father and mother.” “Oh, I say!” cried Jim. “I’m afraid there’s nothing for you, Pouncer, old chap. Every one has to write his own part, so we’d better get started at once. Do you hear, Grif? Somebody waken him up.” This was immediately accomplished by the simple method of confiscating the _Arabian Nights_, and Grif was told what he had to do. “But how can we write our parts when we don’t know what the others are going to say?” Such difficulties, for Palmer, did not exist. “You’ll have to guess. We’ll settle the acts first, and then it will be all serene.... The first act will be where Reginald has sprained his ankle, and has to lie about the house and talk to Angelina and Maud Vivien. Angelina gets jealous of Maud, and then, when Captain De Lancy comes along to see how Reginald is, she makes up to him, just to show that she doesn’t care. He, of course, falls in love with her, and is jealous of Reginald.... In the next act Reginald and Captain De Lancy have their quarrel and Reginald is shot.... The last act is where Reginald dies.” “I don’t exactly see where Grif and me come in,” said Jim, ruefully. “And there’s not much for Maud Vivien,” added Barbara. “Of course there is. There’s just as much as you like to stick in. At all events we won’t have time to do it any other way if we’re going to act it to-night.” “May we dress up, Balmer?” asked Ann softly, to whom this part of the performance was the main thing. “Rather. I need black bags. Reginald’s always in faultless evening dress. I wonder if I could get an old pair of your grandfather’s?” “I need them too, if I’m going to be Angelina’s father,” cried Jim. “And so will Edward for Captain De Lancy.” “Oh, nonsense!” said Barbara. “You can’t _all_ wear grandpapa’s trousers.”