The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-17
PLOT FOR A PLAY.

The men were talking in the smoking
room after dinner. The Jew, Pereira, the
| theatrical manager, so well known by his
marbled shirt collars and his triumphant
neckties, stood before the fireplace, hold
! ing in his hand small glass of curacao.
''The anecdote," said he, the anecdote
everything depends on that. 4 play is
good only if one can recount the plot in
five minutes. When an author comes to
talk to me Of a comedy at my breakfast
hour, l stop him Immediately. Can you
tell me your business before I finish this
soft boiled egg? If he cannot, the play is
Of no value"
And Pereira swallowed his glass of cura-
Goa.
Il am not dramatic author" said the
tall Maurice, the attaehe of embassy, from
the depths Of the large armchair, where ha
was half hid; but still, if you wish it,
Pereira, / will tell an anecdote from which,
1t seems to me, man in that trade could
get an idea. But the time it takes to eat
an egg is very short"
well, grant you an omelet," said the
Jew, with loud laugh. But the ideas
for plots of people OF the world-1 mis-
trust it, as said the man who was about
TO be guiilotined. But go ahead"
VERY well! The story made the rounds
of the drawing rooms at Vienna when
was there. There was then in Vienna q
physician renowned for his success with
heart disease. He was named-I change
the name naturally, for the thing was
tragic-he was named DR.. Arnold. Scarce
ly forty years old, he had already a mag
nificent practice. He was a handsome
man; very elegant, with regular features,
large blond whiskers in the Austrian style,
but pair OF eyes like an American-blue
and cold as steel, which flashed in the
light. \ Russian family which resided in
Vienna-let US name them, if you viii, the
Skebeloffs-calledt the doctor in consulta-
ton on the case of the daughter of the
house, in whom the specialist recognized
after the first examination the commence
ment of aneurism. 1t must have been a
delicate thing to auscultate Miss Macha
Just think of it, To apply his ear to the
chest of a beautiful brunette of nineteen
years and knock upon her heart as if to
say, Can | come IMP"
Maurice" interrupted the master OF
the house, no vaudeville pleasantly. You
promised US drama"
You will have it, rest assured. Al
though they were received in good society,
these Skebeloffs were little suspected
They lived at the hotel The father Skeb-
eloff had too many cords, knots and frogs
on his furred cloak. They had quite a
number of servants, and the mothers dia-
monds passed for false. With all this two
daughters to place, too beautiful TO be Of
any use-in fact, doubtful characters. But
the doctor fell il love. He demanded Miss
Macha in marriage, was allowed to make
his court, was married at the end of three
months, and the Skebeloff family, sud-
denly disguised with Vienna, fitted away
to new tables d'hote.
The doctors wife, frau doetorin, as they
say there, was well received in Vienna
society. The newly married couple were
very interesting. The doctor loved Macha
both as his wife and as his patient. He
adored her and ne nursed her. This little
romance enchanted the sentimental. Al
ready Mrs. Arnold, whose health was to
all appearances re-estabIished, showed her
self often to the world, and even waltzed
there something's
Notwithstanding her disease of the
hearts"
Yes. The young wife seemed so en-
tirely cured that her husband permitted a
turn of waltz as physician; but believe
he would willingly have forbidden it as
Jealous husband. For the handsome Cap
tain de Blazewitz-an Apollo in a white
uniform-was always the first to write his
name on Mrs. Arnold's ball programme
and pressed her tenderly against his aig-
LOT 10 old 70 inIn of NJ aPS M
Venus was revived. y
Good said Pereira. 1T is clear enough
that your good natured people posed
Perhaps! One day the doctor discovered
q package OF letters"-
That's old-the package of letters!'
"Pereira, you are insupportable! You
may sneer if you wish, but in my anecdote
there are some letters"
Which furnish to the husband the GER
tainty of his dishonor-is that not so?"
Certainly"
And which make him conceive the pro-
ject of vengeance
do you know the story, Pereira? If so,
tell it"
mo. my friend: but cut down, to use
term of our trade eHt down, that is all.
Then the husband avenged himself'-
BY one OF those crimes which always
remain undiscovered"
Then how do you know It?
Because the doctor talked. Yes, the
guilty one himself. yielding TO that ire
sistible that fatal need of imparting Sc
erets which exists in all men and which
makes Of the Catholic confessional one OF
the most
Keep to your story, Maurice, keep to
your story
Il won't say another word" grumbled
the veXed young man.
Don't be angry" said the grossly inso-
lent Pereira We saved you the trouble
of finishing your sentence. 1t Is the true
theatrical style. See Scribe and Sardou.
All in dialogue, with points OF suspension
/ am sick Of repeating it 10 the young
authors No style! No knowledge OF
hteFaturel There have been plays that
have failed on account OF an adjective. Ne
one knows what harm metaphor may dc.
SO with rOUauces -
In YOUR turn. Pereira-' said the master
OF the house. looking at the Jew with
ieering air through his mOnocle. When
will you be through
1T i Just Maurice, You said then that
the husband
Imagined q terrible vengeance, but on
permissible Only 10 one Of his profession
Macha was not con ietely cured-he knew
il well the 5reciali---oI this heart disease
for which b. had treated her during tw7
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