We would
have a real nice time, and along about fourth highball time after the
show Wednesday night Alla would whisper real confidential into one of
the fellows' ear that I was going to be twenty-one Friday and "we girls"
are planning to give her a little surprise, and did he want to come in
on it.
Every time the Johns would fall, except in Milwaukee, and nobody ever
got anything out of that town anyway. Then Alla would whisper that the
company was going to present me with a loving cup because I was such a
good fellow, and if they wanted to chip in now was their chance, and
anything was acceptable from $5 up, and to bring his friends.
Alla would tout it up something fierce, I being totally unconscious to
what was coming off.
Friday night would come around and Alla would borrow the loving cup from
the property man that the tenor used in the drinking number, put it
under her shawl and caper over to the appointed cafe.
I would be the center of a bunch of merry cut-ups all wanting to blow
out the candles on my birthday cake.
After the wine got to flowing freely and the crowd all jolly Alla would
drag out the prop and make a nice little speech on behalf of the
company.
Me--you know I would be that flustered that I didn't know what to do,
and when Alla would say that other people beside the members of the
company had assisted I would be so gratified that I could scarce keep
back the tears.
All the clucks that hadn't chipped in would feel so bad because they
weren't included in my outburst of gratitude that nine times out of ten
they would sneak out and try to break into a jewelry store.
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