Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-12-29
DAILY SHORT STORY
Man With Patient Smile.
fOriginal.l

OuSs h0hPlg lOOhlD3 %hhp
who asked If l was Mr.. Fuller, the
manager. 1 told him was, where
upon he pulled from his pocket roll
of manuscript, play. and asked me 20
read it,
What do you call it, l asked.
GA Lucky Find" The hero loses
his fortune and finds it again in the
third act The heroine
Ives, yes: I'll oblige you.
BE careful of it. It's the only copy
l have. and it's not copyrighted
''All right. I'll take care of it
Il had TO go to several places before
returning To my office and must have
laid the manuscript down somewhere.
At any rate l never thought of it
again till one day the playwright came
to my office. For my life L couldn't
remember where l had seen him.
"'Have you read my play?' he asked.
Your play? Oh. yes; now L remem-
Der No. L haven't had time to get at
it yet
Meanwhile 1 was trying TO think
what play it was and where it was.
"'AIl right he said with winning,
LAS soon as he had gone / hunted
high and low for his manuscript. but
it was nowhere to be found. Finally
1 recalled taking it from him and going
to several places afterw ard. but what
places they were 1 couldn't remember.
I was very busy at the time, too busy
to take any definite action in the mat
ter. Indeed. there was no action to
take except TO confess that 1 had lost
his play. In week he was back.
Haven't got at your play yet I
said. Then. fearing he would ask for
it TO take it away, l added: I'm going
TO have some time next week. Could
you wait till then?
"'Oh, yes he said. with the same
smile.
eff you need a little help, I could
let you have a flyer while we're wait
ing.
"'Oh, no. I've had a bit of luck late
ly. l don't need anything
'''Well. come week from Saturday.
I'll be ready for you
when he called again. l was ready
for him-with excuses: Couldn't more
than get through the first act. 1t
OD6llS we'll Let Inc STE lie ntAl lew
days I'll be very busy. butt tell you
what I'll do. don't like to work Sun
day. but in this case III do it. Come
in Monday week
"'All right he said, with the usual
smile. Don't hurry When L saw you
last. I'd just got 500 first payment on
a play, and today l got $500 more; so,
you see, 1 can afford to wait
Meanwhile | was lying awake
nights worrying over the matter. After
lie had told me that he had sold play
worried all the more. for a claim
from him for damages would now be
good. If his play were successful, he
might make me pay large sum. There
was nothing for it but to put him off
as long as possible. He came again at
the appointed time. Fortunately 1 had
q cold.
"'You see the condition I'm in l
said. coughing. a mans not fit to pass
on a play when lie has to blow his nose
between the lines Beastly weather
we're having. On Sunday 1 thought
every minute I'd surely choke. But
I've got through the third act
"'Climax all right
"'Capital Notwithstanding l had
coughing spell l was much affected
"'Cry?'
Cory? My eyes were all water
"'CIimax or cold? He was as seri-
Gus as tombstone.
"'Oh, both. You come in here a week
from today
Il was getting tired of that smile of
II 70,
live. Instead of writing plays he should
be sitting in heaven with all the heroes
and heroines who have died on the
stage from an excess of virtue. l de
termined that at our next meeting Id
sound him on the subject of buying
his play for as small a sum as he could
be prevailed upon to accept. When he
came again said TO him:
Your play will never do in the
world. You've got an anticlimaX, an
situation. in the second act.
and the whole scheme is undramatic.
But 1 can use a part of it for curtain
raiser. Would you take a hundred dol
lars for it?'
''There was no verbal reply-only that
COMPOUNDED smile. l drew my check
book and wrote him check.
81 can't take this he said. Some
body has got hold of my manuscript,
and the play is to be put on at the Ma
tiOnal.'
Il turned pale. He smiled.
Say. my friend. what II you take to
let me out of this:'
elf you'll give me the hundred dol
lars for keeping me waiting I'll call it
square
Take it and welcome
''As soon as he had gone / heaved
deep sigh of relief and congratulated
myself on having had a man to deal
with who hadn't any more sense than
10 take 500 for a play he owned and
was TO he put on the boards by another
manager.
a Lucky Find was a great sue
cess. l received seats for the opening
night and was invited to supper after
the performance with the playwright.
Curious to know who had stolen the