"THE MISER OF MARSEILLES."

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1196, 5 October 1882, Page 2

"THE MISER OF MARSEILLES."

"The Miser of Marseilles," tho drama (or melodrama) which the Masterton amateurs intend producing to-morrow evening, is probably the most ambitious attempt our local Th spians have yet made. Apart from the fact that" the good ola melodrama" is usually regarded as somewhat beyond the flight of amateur actors, this one, b ending, as it does, the humorous with the pathetic, and stirring incident with intricacy of plot, would seem to be no easy task tor an (imateur clib. Tjie foU lowing is a brief outijne of the piofe' Adrian de Couervillg (l 1 , 5. Wrigley), a young French nobleman, has become"deeply enamoitrod of a lady, whose name he does not know, at a masquerade ball in Paris, Hearing that she is in Marseilles, he follows her to that city, where he meo f s an old schoolfellow, Alphonso (F. O'Connor), to whom he confides the story of his passion, While talking with his friend, Adrian's attention is attracted by the passing of a weird prooossion which is explained by Alphonse thus i There resides in Marseilles »miser named Pfcre Gaspird, This man h ta had asvei] (porta, wjiq ]jayo ftll on his ttsiiinony been beheaded for robbing him of gold, although believed innocent by the citizen, who have nick-named the miser "The Denouncer." Strange as it' may seem, the procession just passed is convoying th' e seventh unfortunate clerk to his awful doom. After leaving his friend, Adrian rescues from an infuriated mob of men, a young lady, in whom he recognises the object of his searoh—Madeline (Miss Lena Wyatt). He at onco urges his suit, and with characteristic Froiich impulsiveness, swears to do anything'his Moved will command him. To his'amazement and cousternation she commands him to take service as the eighth clerk of the dreaded P6re Gwpard, Determined, however, to win the lady of; love, Adrian picks up Peter, a half-starved youth (H. Taperell), servant to the miser, who agrees to 'guide him to the house of "the Denouncer." Arrived 'tee, 'the Pojro|i find? '%»t Mgdeline ig the ftfice, and thai ll}§ fe persuaded him- tg take this step in the hope that, -p her lover's honesty is unquestionable, the gold will under his oare be safe; and her uncle's innocenco of;any share in:tho death of : the seven olerks thus established, i Adrian's offer of servicers aocepted by the miser, and he is left in charge of Eeyen bags of gold, which he ie to carefully guard, through .the night, : The following morning, a bag of'-igold; is'iajasing. Adrian alone having hadfaccess to the' money,'..lie is accused by tbi miser of the theft, and, notwithstanding

his protestations of innocence, arrested and imprisoned. Madeline, who is deeply in love with Adrim, obtains her upcleYperrawrion to' TOtch the : goltt' the next night, Mid prove, if possible, her lover's innooenoe, Meanwhile : three 'thieves, Pedro (A. Thompson), Hans von Stice (W, B. Cross), and , Bill Stribbs (J. F. Ward J, have' planned an attack on P6re Gaspard's goldehest. They break into the house, and in the act of removing the nioiioy, are sur- ' prised by Madelinei"; who,; nffer. firing y a pistol without success : at the captured by them, and rescued by,jii3rifi, ' who' arrives in the niclc :, oi ■■■:■ The thieves are then removed by Madeline and Adrian, convinced that the real culprits have at last been, discovered, • Are about'to leave the room,,when their attention is arrested by a footfall on the stairs leading to this ijoom—an entrance of which the miser euiUMjsedto have the key; Pausing, for * solution of this n'ewpmse of the mystery, kSlowly the Boand approaches nearer and liearer, a key is applied to. the door,-bat we are anticipating. We will not mar the performance on 'Friday night by confiding to our readers the secret,, and tragic ena of. the drama. In this, as in all other plays, " All's well that ends well," and we venture. to express an opinion that the Dramatic Club will have no occasion, after their performance, to question the truth of the old saying.