The Cairo bulletin., 1909-01-23


More than a year had passed since
| Mary had come to me with her idea
fen play. During six months of that
time she had been with me in New
York to help In the process Of
pushing things; and we had learned
how small a part OF producing a play
is the mere writing of IT, and that
beyond this pure preliminary. II is an
occupation for a business promoter or
a walking delegate We haunted the
offices Of manager after manager, aud
made change after change in the
manuscript One wanted it longer
We stretched it; one wanted it more
meiodramatic--we peppered It with
fights, one wanted il more soulful
We introduced mystical verse at
short intervals Each character in the
cast had played many parts From
& noble, sclf-repressed gentleman, Gen.
MOntcalm had become an impossible
combination of swashbuckling brag
gard miiksCp. and sentimental cad.
Alene's affections were vibrating con
fusedly between the general, the VIII
lain and the spy, and her character
had been torn to shreds We got used
To pushing ourselves in where we
were not wanted; 10 insisting on talk
ing TO people who did not v 'sl r. hear
us; and crust began to larr over
our seusibilties,
We had drifted to little Tat side
boarding house. Our money had faded
away and we had found work The play
had become merely haunting mem
DRY in the background OF our minds. |
and We spoke of it remorsefully as Of |
trusting friends whose character We
had DETAINED
One day a young musical composer |
called at our lodgings and suggested !
schese which gave us new hope !
His idea was TO combine our play with |
some composition of his own, and dis !
pose of il TO a manage who made |
a specially of eXlrayagauzas. lie %s |
an energetic business man, and 1t was
hardly five weeks before this new ar
rangement was completed lie had
persuaded the manager 20 put II on ex-
perimentally.
The first night arrived-how We
had looked forward to It year ago!
We We're seated in the managers box
alone.
When the music ceased the curtain
rose on a bcwildering mass Of color;
there was the fortress of Quebec but
instead Of the weatherbaatcn Frsnch
regulars. IT was gayrisoncd by the
pretty feminine soldiers In white and
gold and az they performed an intr-
cate march, they sang a bright, catchy
song. 4 charming figure in modern 7
Partisan gown tripped lightly forth,
twirlug a chiffon parasol II was
Alene-our Alene-the French girl of
1865. the highborn demoiselle whose
love had driven her TO break the
chains Of convention and given her
courage 10 face the dangers OF New
France. After a swirl OF skirts and a
preliminary pas seul. she warbi9d
thst she'd
ALWAYS rs true fa Billy
DO Billy. EIv. Billy
In this touching sentiment she was
Joined by The villain. habitea in a
red and green coat with dropping
-0fn-oolorcd whiskers. The dance
with which they concluded each verse
Mas aBplaHdcd arsin and gain The
l.ue FIRE succeeded the red and the
10y came on G.tu.st-l as an Irish
to perform some won
ierfui fcats # fumbiing The gsn-
-ral vas a stick. but he looked well
and when Do said:
1u hsffie's rrar
Z Bose thee more
he house was fairly taken on its
TDef.
There was no question about the
success Of fhc production. and after
be- first act the manager came to our
box and said that there hadnt been
such "a success for years
ANY one be said can write q
raesdy. bGf 81 takes genius 10 give
ls a thing Ike fhist-