The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-28

more pretty young girls-gfrls Of
town in the world. Every other per-
son you meet in Topeka seems to be
young girl fifteen to seventeen years
old, and she is very pretty. We
went into flower store to buy flow
ers to send to a girl friend who is i'll.
l paid two dollars for violets; Edna
didn't pay a cent, and I had paid her
railroad fare over. but the woman
/ clerk gave her rose Edna's card
went with the violets. but paid for
them. The woman clerk didn't give
me anything, except a receipt for the
two dollars. Isn't that the way men
get it all the time? Of course, that
is the proper way. but isn't it the way
called on Tom McNeal, state printer.
Are you going?'' I asked.
you bet I am" he replied.
Then we went away; don't believe
We also called on Dave Leahy. private
secretary to the governor. Mr. Leahy
said he was going, too. Topeka
seems to be doing its part, however
poorly 1 have done mine on the play.
When we arrived at the theater. for
the rehearsal there was a long line
of people in front of the box office:
the chart had just opened The Jour-
nal of that evening stated that all
| records for advance sales had been
broken. In the afternoon. I sat in a
gentleman's office in Topeka, and he
said he had gone at o'clock to buy
tickets for the play, and was told that
the best seats for the entire week had
ably run two weeks, instead of one,
the manager of the Majestic theater
says. So the Topeka people are
certainly doing their part. have never
there once to lecture at the Auditor
ium on People 1 have Known" was
never more surprised in my life than
I was when I faced an audience of
| three thousand people. I have never
been satisfied with thai effort. But
the trouble is, when I do try particu-
larry hard to do well I do my worst
I become confused. In the privacy of
my home, I suppose 7 can deliver as
good a lecture as any man in America.
But when 1 stand before IN audience;
well, ask those who have heard me.
/ Anyway, I've quit lecturing. . For
thirty-three years have been humili-
ated by seeing people look over The
Globe in my presence, with sneers on
their faces. It will be worse next Mon
day night, when I sit in the Majestic
Itheater, at Topeka, and watch the peo-
pie who are witnessing my play. Great
heavens, what will be in their minds!
Those around me won't know me:
| What will they sayi Those Topeka
people who attend the play next Mon
lday night are kindly requested to look
around them before commenting audi
bly, on the play, and look for a Shriv-
eled up, tirnid distressed man; this
timid, shriveled up, distressed man
will be the author.
4 Unfavorab1e comments are already
coming in. Casper Whitney of Col
lier's Weekly, has already written me
that he has heard that the play has a
sad ending. Mr.. Whitney says that is
fatal; that people who attend thea
ter want to go home feeling comfort
able, the hero and heroine being hap
PLY reunited, after being dragged
through all sorts of difficulties. I
can't reach the Great Heart of the
People; old Bill White do it, but
can't; I never could. Therefore if a
brass band meets me at Atchison on
my return from Topeka next week, let
it play a dfrge. But the Topeka
people are doing their part.
In case I contribute to the Globe
next Saturday (the new president of
the Globe Publishing company is hav-
ing more success in inducing me to
work for nothing than he is having
with his sister) 1 shall write about
how it feels to sit in an audience, and
see your own play presented. 1 pre-
dict in advance that this experience is
like hearing what people say behind
your back. L receive nothing for
my contributions to the Globe except
promises of free circus tickets next
summer; and do not attend circuses.
My only source of ready money now
is the new magazine. Still, it is doing
better than I expected. Lady Preston
wanted her money this morning and
told Adelaide to pay her out of the
pile of dimes lying on the mantel By
the-way, time flies SO fast with me now
that 1 seem to pay Lady Preston for
her weeks work two or three times a
day. But Adelaide, who is younger,
says Lady Preston's accounts are cor
rect. II am not only receiving SUBJ
advertisements. in spite of my rule
that there is to be no soliciting for ad-
| vertisements for the new magazine. /
| have received two: one from Idaho,
and one from Kansas City.
The play seems to be going all right
so far as outward signs go, except that
Sport North is grumblfng little be-
| cause the first audience will be COM
posed so largely of men: members OF
the legislature, and members of the
Kansas Editorial association. Women
he says, make or break plays. And
my play discusses little sin of the
women GO, such little, little SIM
gentle Agnes says, in the play).
acquire any,. =. But if the play doesn't
go, think what will happen the maya
zinei I exploit one fool notion in the
play; I shall exploit hundred in the
| magazine. Z fear that in the neal
future, two friends will meet some
where in the great outside world into
| which I have foolishly aspired to en-.
ter. One of them will have a copy Of
the new magazine.
Anything in it?'' one man will in
quire.
"Alas, MOI" the other man, the owner