Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-05-08

Ao1u 81 uWAul1y ooouy ITO COulQ hardly Sill
up to look at his watch.
by Jove." he exclaimed, ..it's
twelve o'clock.
Then he looked round for Rose, and
found she wasn't there.
"Rose! Rose"' he called out. "where
nre you?"
Rose came running in from tho next
room.
"Oh, you are awake at last Tom, "
she said. will you have cup of
teap''
Il think SO; l. BY Jove, I'm aw-
fully i'll, and I can hardly open my
eyes,"
II don't wonder at it," said Rose;
lit was six o'clock this morning whom
you came home"
'Oh. ah, yes! I remember" said
Tom, sitting up and looking round the
large elegantly furnished bedroom, "a
beastly all-night dress rehearsal. And
I've. to go down to the theater again
to-day, and see that scene. I have to
alter the situation at the last minute
to suit the scene, because the scene it.
self can't be altered in time"
"Was Mr.. Smith any better tenn
pered last night?"
mo; he swears it's the worst part
he ever played, and he's sure that it
will be q frost; and Miss Brown won't
have that speech cut; she says it's the
only good one she has, and I'm sure
that it will be goosed, and it comes
just at critical point.''
Tom was just going to lie down
again till the tea came, when a servant
came up.
''Please, sir, Mr.. Jones has called,
and he says he must see you at once. "
ooh, bother!' said Tom. "What' s
the matter now? Ask him to come
up"
Rose went down, and presently Mr..
Jones, the Manager of the theater whore
Johnson's drama was to be produced on
Monday evening, came in.
''Sorry to worry you, old fellow"
said Jones, ''but it's serious. Every
body who saw the dress rehearsal last
night, says the fifth act will settle the
play. You must end it in the fourth. "
"What!" yelled Tom, "pressing his
hands to his splitting head: ''cut out
the last act? 1t can't be done? A year
has to elapse between acts four and
five"
ooh, you can get over that. Atany
rate, it will have to be done"
IL won't do it," shrieked Tom; Il
won't. I'd sooner throw the COMPOUNDED
play into the fire. Why, it's ridiculous.
Look here, Mr.. Jones; I'm the author,
and I'm responsible. You'll either play
my play as I've written it, or you won't
play it at ALL"
Tom had worked himself up into a
violent rage, and the manager tried to
calm him.
Don't be fool, Johnson" he said;
''thlnk it over and come down to nv
house. Smith Chat was the leading
MANI will be there, and Robinson (the
stage managerj, and we'll talk it over
quietly. must &C now. I must call
on Miss Blank and see if she can play
Mary Walters tomorrow night
"Miss Blank? Why Miss Dash is 60
ing to play it,
"What! haven't you heard? She was
thrown out of her cab going home from
the rehearsal last night, and won't be
able to play for a MONTH"
Tom groaned and flung himself back
on the pillow.
Every thing in the play depends on
Mary Walters" he said, and you are
going to have it played at twelve
hours notice by girl who has never
seen line OF the part YETI
what are we to dop''
II don't know" groaned johnson.
I'll come round presently. I believe
this play will drive me mad"
An hour later Tom was gci ng down.
stairs growing and grooming to him.
self, when Rose came out of her bou-
doir.
"Going out, Tom? Why, you haven't
had your breakfast
Il can't eat a morsel," said Tom.
I'm done up, Rose. I wish I'd been at
Jericho before I became a dramatic
author
Monday night came, and Tom, in a
state of high fever brought on by over
work and anxiety and late hours,
walked up and down outside the the
alter, trying to summon up courage to
go in. He had cut out the last act; he
had given Miss Blank ore hurried re-
hearsal; he had quarreled with the
leading william, who had told him be-
fore the whole company that the play
was rot; he had gone home in a vile
temper, and made Rose cry her eyes
out, and now, in a state bordering on
delirious fever, he was awaiting the
verdict on a play which had cost him
months of anxious thought, and on
which the management had expended
thousands Of pounds.
IF it's failure, I'll never write
again." groaned Tom.
just then a man came hurriedly out
of the stage door. -:
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