Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-10-22
A VALUABLE PLAY.
oooooooooooooooooo
BY BERTHA D. ALsoP.

Adolph Stenterton at thirty had
made such rapid strides as a theatrical
manager that he owned two theaters.
Everything seemed TO come his way.
including requited love, for he was en-
gagged to Miss Mildred Linn, the dangh-
ter of Alonzo Bernhard Linn, a retired
merchant, perfectly able to portion her
off on the day Of her wedding. Every
thing was moving on oiled wheels with
Mr.. Stenterton when trouble came as
a result of a bit of carelessness for
which he had no one to blame but
himself.
Mr.. Linn was possessed OF literary
tastes, which on his retirement he pro-
ceeded to cultivate. He wrote a move
that proved quite a success. Then
his prospective son-in-law suggested
that he try his hand at a play. Mr..
Linn demurred on the ground that, not
having a knowledge of stage require
ments, he would not know how to fit
his play for production on the boards
Mr.. Stenterton told him that he would
gladly collaborate with him In that re
spect. Mr.. Linn consented, and the
play was written.
AT the time its author handed it in
for perusal the marriage between Stem
terton and Miss Linn was being
planned to take place in the near fu-
ture. Then for the first time 1t oe-
CURED to the young manager that a
criticism on a production of n whose
son-in-law he was about to become In
volved q rather delicate situation. Mr..
Linn had not shown himself amenable
to adverse criticism 9Gd If 1t were of
fered might take offense and turn
against the critic on the eve of his
wedding. MIR. Linn was amiable, eve
jovial, but a trifie vain of his talents.
Stenterton, when he went to his rooms
on the evening he received the anu
script, tool It with him. He stopped
on the way at II of his theaters n
didn't reach his rooms till midnight,
1t was a week before he found an op-
portunity to read the manuscript, then,
after hunting for 1t in every nook and
Granny of his rooms, came to the con-
clusion that 1t was lost. This was
the bit of ca~relessness that brought
trouble to the young expectant bride
groom.
The first thing he did was to make a
casual inquiry of the author If he had
a duplicate copy of the play. When he
received mo-" for an answer the bot
tom seemed to drop out of the universe,
and when Mr. Linn added, 1--WE done
a lot of work on that play, and If you
lose 1t I'll never forgive you," the
young man nearly swooned. He
couldn't attend to business during the
day and couldn't sleep nights. Finally
a plan-a desperate plan, 1t is true
suggested itself. He told Mr.. Linn that
he bad read his play and had found 1t
fmhrr Fhere WAS, Acknowledgement
of smo6thness In 1t consequent upon
its putting together. All that would
disappear under a rewriting. He adj
vised that this be done without seeing
the original manuscript. Mr.. Linn
considered the matter, but finally de-
cided not to adopt the suggestion.
Stenterton's last hope was dashed.
Weeks passed and the play was not
mentioned. The young couple set a
day for the wedding. The parent de-
INJURED. He wanted to know when he
was to receive a reply to the accept
ance of his play. "These managers
he said to his daughter, 'are making
us playwrights tired with their mat
tention. If my own son-in-law is ca
pable of treating me thus I'd rather
he wouldn't be my son-in-law."
One day Mr.. Linn, yielding to bis
daughters solicitations, consented to
forego the treatment he had received
from her fiance so far as to permit
the wedding to take place. But he
said that for a wedding gift they must
be content with the play. He meant
to force Stenterton to get out of 1t
what there was in 1t.
OF course this was a disappointment
to the young couple, but a great relief.
Arrangements for the wedding were
made, and, now that Mr.. Linn bad sat.
isied his pride in the matter of his
play, he seemed more amiable with re
spect to the approaching nuptials.
"Your wedding present will make you
rich. Millie." he said. "It's worth $780,
600. and know It," "Ratsl' exclaim-
ed Stenterton when he heard this.
HE talks just like every other m
teur playwright. They all think there
is a fortune in their work. But. thank
heaven, I'm out of the scrape. I'm
satisfied"
On the morning of the wedding Mr..
Linn handed the pair a box which, he
said, contained their wedding present.
"But l thought your play was to be
our present from you, papa" said Mil
bred. Have you relented?'
mot at all. l said my play was
worth $4,000. You'll get nothing from
me except that"
Meanwhile Mildred opened the box.
There was the missing manuscript.
"For heavens sakeg' exclaimed the
girl.
How did you get it?' asked the