The reply was barren of incident, save a casual allusion to certain sittings at the American game of poker, in which the Swedish songstress had the advantage of the policy or the luck of her companions.  Out of this inch of cloth Field manufactured something better than the proverbial ell of very interesting gossip.  The reconstructed item reached San Francisco as soon as Madame Nilsson, and was copied from the Tribune into the coast papers on the eve of her opening concert.  Now, the madame thought that the American world looked askance at a woman who gambled, and when the article was kindly brought to her attention she flew into one of those rages which, report has said, were the real tragedies of her life.  When returning overland to Denver, Abbey telegraphed ahead to Field, and he, with Cowen, went up to Cheyenne to meet the party.  On entering the drawing-room car the visitors were hurried into Abbey’s compartment with an air of bewildering mystery, and were there informed in whispers that Madame Nilsson was furious against the Tribune and would never forgive anybody attached to it.

“Oh, I’ll arrange that,” said Field.  “Don’t announce us, but let us call on the madame and be introduced.”

After some further parley this was done, and this is how he was greeted.

“Meestair Field—­zee—­T-r-ee-bune,” Madame Nilsson exclaimed hotly.  “I prefair not zee acquaintance of your joor-nal.”

“Excuse me, madam,” persisted Field, blandly and with grave earnestness, “I think from what Mr. Abbey has told us that you are bent on doing the Tribune and its staff a great injustice.  It was not the Tribune that published the poker story that caused you so much just annoyance.  It was our rival, the Republican, a very disreputable newspaper, which is edited by persons without the least instinct of gentlemen and with no consideration for the feelings of a lady of your refined sensibilities.”

At this Madame Nilsson thawed visibly, and promptly appealed to Abbey, Mathews, and Mayer to learn if she had been misinformed.  They, of course, fell in with Field’s story, and upon being assured that she was in error the madame’s anger relaxed, and she was soon holding her sides from laughter at Field’s drolleries.  The result was that the innocent Republican staff could not get within speaking distance of Madame Nilsson during her stay in Denver.  The second night of her visit being Christmas eve, the madame held her Christmas tree in the Windsor Hotel, with Field acting the role of Santa Claus and the Tribune staff playing the parts of good little boys, while their envious rivals of the Republican were not invited to share in the crumbs that fell from that Christmas supper-table.

“I have been a great theatre-goer,” says Field in his “Auto-Analysis.”  And it may be doubted if any writer of our time repaid the stage as generously for the pleasure he received from those who walked its boards before and behind the footlights.  No better analysis of his relations to the profession has been made than that from the pen of his friend Cowen: