The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-12-14
THE MAN WITH
THE PATIENT SMILE
uorlgInall

VIM aaheu ~ was MI. uIeT, tue
manager. told him was, where.
upon he pulled from his pocket roll
of manuscript, a play, and asked me to
read 1t.
"What do you calllit? asked.
""A Lucky Find" The hero loses
his fortune and finds 1t again in the
third act. The heroine
Eyes, 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.
II 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 1t
again till one day the playwright came
to my office. For my life / couldn't
remember where had seen him.
"Have you read my play?T he asked.
"'Your play? oh, yes; now i remem.
Der. No. / haven't had tlmesto get at
it yet
Meanwhile 1 was trying TO think
what play 1t was and wheredt was.
'All right he said, with winning,
patient smile. I'll call again
"As soon as he had gone 1 hunted
high and low for his manuscript, but
1t was nowhere to be found. Finally
! recalled taking itffrom hlmtand going
to several places Gfterward, but what
places they were Itcouldn' tsremember.
/ 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 thats1 had lost
his play. In a week he wns back.
Haven't got at your play yet
said. Then, fearing he would ask for
1t to take 1t away, added: I'm going
to have some time next week. Could
you wait till thenT
"'oh, yes he said, withsthe same
smile.
"'1f you need little help, 1 could
let you have a flyer while4weTe walt
Ing
ooh, no. Tye,had bItlof luck late.
ly. I,don't need anything
swell, come arweek from Saturday.
I'll h ready for you
when he called again, II was ready
for him-wlth excuses: Couldn't more
than get through the first act. 1t
opens well. Let me,see.j The next few
days I'll be very busy, Ibut-I tell you
what I'll do. l don't like to work Sun.
day, but in this case 1ll do It. Come
in Monday week
"'All right he said. with the usual
smile. Don't hurry. When I saw you
last, I'd just got 500 first payment on
play, and today got $500 more; So
you see, can afford torwait.'
Meanwhile l was lying awake
nights worrying over the matter. After
he had told me that he had sold IA play
I worried all the more, for claim
from him for damages would now be
good. If his play were successful, he
might make me payfa large sum. There
was nothing for it Fbut to put him of
as long as possible. He came again at
the appointed time. FortunanlyiI had
a cold.
"'You see the condition I'm, In |
said, coughing. 'ANman's not ftfto pass
on a play when hethas to blowthis nose
between the lines. Beastly weather
we're having. On Sunday 1 thought
every minute 70 surely choke. But
I've got through the third act
"'Climax all right?
"'Capltal. Notwithstanding l had
coughing spell was much affected
"CyT
"'Cry? My eyes were all water
"'Climax or cold? Hetwas as seri-
Gus as a tombstone.
"Oh, both. You comeun here,a week
from today
II was getting tired oG that smile Of
his. Such man was too angelic to
live. Instead of writing plays he should
be sitting in heaven wlthlall the heroes
and heroines who have died on the
stage from an excess of virtue. l de-
termined that at our next meeting I'd
sound him on the subject of buying
his play for as small'a sum as he could
be prevailed upon toaccept. When he
came again I said to. him:
"'Your play will never do in the
world. You've got an anticlimax, an
impossible situation. inIthe second act,
and the whole scheme is undramatic.
But can use,a part oft for a curtain
raiser. Would,you take hundred dol
lars for it?'
There was noverbal reply-only that
COMPOUNDED smile. drew my check
book and wrote him a check.
81 can't take this he said. Some
body has got hold OF my manuscript.
and the play isto be put on at the Ma
tlonal.'
q turned pale. He smiled.
"'Say, my friend, what IL you take to
let me out of thisT
"Tf you'll give me the hundred dol
lars for keeping me waiting I'll call 1t
square,
Take it and welcome.
"As soon as he had gone I heaved a
deep sigh of relief and congratulated
myself on having had man to deal
with who hadn't any more sense than
to take 500 for play he owned and
was to be put on the boards by another
manager.