A CURIOUS THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENT.

One of the, if not the very last engagement Mr. Toole had at the Gaiety Theatre in the Strand before he went to America might have led to a much more serious misunderstanding than it did. I think I am right in saying that John Hollingshead seldom had written agreements with any of the principal people in the company. His word was his bond; and his word was good for any sum to his staff. Toole's understanding in this particular engagement was that he was to take one-half of the receipts after, I think, seventy pounds per night. Now, on the face of that understanding, it would certainly seem that no mistake could arise, because, if there was not seventy pounds in the house any night, Toole would not receive anything. And it so happened there were nights when the receipts were under seventy pounds; but on Monday and Saturday, at the least, there was nearly double that sum per night. On the first Monday an account of the receipts was rendered to Mr. Toole, Mr. Hollingshead first crediting himself with six times seventy pounds, or, in round figures, 420, and then dividing the balance between himself and Mr. Toole. Toole at once objected to that mode of making out the account, and wanted to take no note of the under seventy pound nights, and only share the over that sum nights’ receipts.