The M.... Of The D....

Prof. de Pont and the University dramatic club scored a suceess, last Saturday evening, in presenting "The Mystic Bell of Ronquerolles," before a brilliant audience in the opera housp. If the young men in the cast carried oiF the palm for acting, the young women, as is their right, carried off the palm for beauty. líiss Myra Pollard was a graceful Comtesse de Cerny, and Miss Gertrude Wade made an interesting Marie, the persecuted daughter of the Baronesp. As the Baronesa de Ronquerolles, in deep grief and privation, Miss Kate Seymour had not a chance for display in costume, but in her black robes she walked the boards a stately lady. Miss Perey Coon was a livelv Mme. Giraud. The interest of the plot of the play centers about the two characters of Jean Gauthier and Nicholas. As Nicholas, C. T. Alexander put great life into the play, and won applause. Sorae wicked relatives of the Baroness had robbed her of fortune and name. Nicholas, a poor lawyer's clerk, entirely unknown to the Baroness, had come in(o possession of a manuscript, called the M.... cf the D...., which, translated, means "Memoirs oL the Devil." He determines to assist the lady. This manuscript seriouëly implicates the conspirators, and gives the shrewd and courageous Nicholas tremendous power, which, dressed in the traditional garb of the devil, he proceeds to use unmereifully. They, however, succeed in destroying a part of the manuscript, and Nicholas was almost in despair. Then Jean Gauthier comes forward more prominently. Louis Boyle did some very creditable work in ihat part. Gauthier knew the secrets, and knew where the necessary papers were, but he had been aade to swear, years before, not to speak anything but Yes or No, and not to reveal the hiding place, until certain words were prononnced. The scène in which the acute Nicbolas discovered the necessity of fpeaking certain words, and his despair because he could not discover them, was a strong one. Both Alexander and Boyle acted it cleverly. Of course by accident the words were finally spoken, the prized document8 found, the villains baffled, and Marie very properly falls in love with Nicholas who, the mercenary wretch, had done all these brave things in order to win the beautiful girl. J. H. Lee, H. B Wyeth, L. H. Cooper, as Frenen nobles, and E. N. Smith as the cowardly domestic, Valantine, sustained their parts well. The club afforded the audience nnich pleasure. They had one superiority over most professionals in that neafly every word they uttered was distinclly heard in all parts of the house. The costumes were elegant and appropriate.