The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-12
at Its conclusion an extra $500 in addition

at Its conclusion an extra $500 in addition
TO the prearranged royalty.
"Old Fer was speechless with indigna-
ton. Sir" he said when he had found
his voice, do you suppose genius can be
trammeled by the four walls of a dun
geon? Do you imagine for an instant that
my intellect could soar when II has the
ceiling of Jail above IL? Even the 'Prls-
oner of Chillon,' although he was writ
ten of, could not have written with sur
roundings such as these No, sir / spurn
your prefer. Write play in jail, indced
Never, sir; never. absolutely" 1t took
quite time TO cool his rage, but Berliner
imperturbable resoluteness and another
bottle of wine finally won the day. The
warden was called In to witness the con-
tract, which was then delivered to him.
and when Berliner left the prison Grover
had a plentiful supply of pens, ink and
paper, and was beaming with satisfaction
and promises.
After waiting one week, fearing to earlier
disturb the playwright's literary struggles,
Berliner called upon Grover in his Ludlow
street quarters Through the blue wTeaths
which curled from a Perfecto cigar he saw
him dimly. On a table beside him were an
emptied champagne bottle and the skele-
ton of a woodcock. Without taking his
right leg from its position above the ma
jovlally: Glad to see you, old fel. Come in
and I'll send for another bottle. 1t Is deli
cious, / assure you, absolutely" After the
bottle had been brought and there had
been some trivial conversation, Beriner
timidly suggested:
How vas dat blay coming along?"
"Oh my deah boy" said Grover, with
an airy wave OF his hand I'VE mustn't talk
about that yet. You know this Is an unpre-
cedented thing ! am doing. This will live
in history. Think Of genius in a dungeon
giving life TO the drama. II was never done
before MY genius my deah boy is unac-
customed to it. 1t refuses to be trammeled
in this way. But | argue with IL; / chide
It: / will, i'm turn, subject It, But not yet
not yet, absolutely"
How mootch have you wreeten. Mees-
ter Grover?" inquired Beriner, anxiously.
Not line. my deah boy, not a line, abb
solutely. Don't you understand, old fel, my
genius is not yet accustomed to these en-
vironmente. but IL will be I'm time"
Berliner FASTENED to see the warden. The
bill for wines and viands appalled, him
II withdraw from the contract" he said
There is no limitation to it, said the
warden calmly. Il will provide Mr.. Gro
yer with everything he wishes in accord
ance with your written request, and WI
hold you responsible for the bill
HE viii stay here forever" moaned Ber-
liner land / viii be a ruined man" He
went up town and besought Mackay to
plead with his old friend. The comedian
did so, and not in vain. Knowing Gro
yer's peculiarities, he was rather amused
at Berliner's predicament. But Grover
took his genius In hand and soon, in the
gloom of the Ludlow street prison, "A
Noble Son. was born, and it's parent was
released from his confinement. Its Nrst
performance was to have been in Orange,
N j., but, Notwithstanding numerous ie-
hearsals, Mackay mysteriously disappear
ed before the opening of the theater and
was not seen for long while, when he
was found in a sick bed in his Brooklyn
home. From this attack of actual stage
fright-although he was veteran-he oid
| not recover for several years, and long
time after mustered enough courage to be-
come a member of the Duff Opera Com
pany. He had almost fully regained his
old-time confidence In himself, when the
dread pneumonia placed Its hand upon him.
and poor Mackay fell.