The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-04-28
A LOST
MANUSCRIPT
By JOHN Y. LARNED
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

I became u theatrical manager when
4 was still very young. I was not at
all systematic and was consequently
always in trouble. I finally received q
lesson that made me change my habits
One day I left the theater and had
entered a cab just about to start away
when a girls face appeared at the
window.
beg pardon for stopping you," she
said. "Are you Mr.. Closer, the man
ager?"
II am"
"Would you be so kind as to read q
play for me?"
I had more plays than I could put
on the boards for two years, but the
girl had such a winning smile that ]
consented. [ took q roll of manuscript
from her; told her to call at my Office
in q week and I would give her an
answer.
In a week she called. -
Have you read my play?" she asked,
with that same winning smile l had
seen before.
"No; 1 have been very busy. I'm
sorry. Could you give me another
weekY'
Certainly. I'm in no great hurry"
"Well, come on this day week."
I went to my rooms and ransacked
every corner for that manuscript. 1t
was nowhere to be found. I must
have left it in the cab. But I had
picked the cab up on the street and
couldn't possibly know it from other
cabs. 1 should have admitted the loss
and taken the consequences. But ]
was young and prided myself on my
ability to get out of such scrapes. I
would first win the girls good will,
then confess and compromise the mat
ter as best l could.
When she called again I put her of
by Offering her two excellent seats for
the evenings performance. She said
they would be of no use to her since
she had no escort. She smiled at me
so sweetly when she said this that !
told her would escort her myself
I not only did so, but said several nice
things to her about the opening of
her play, q few passages of which l
| p%rofessed to have read. I regretted
doing so, however, because she asked
me a lot of questions about it which l
couldn't answer. l got all mixed up
over it and was obliged to tell her
that I thought l had got hold of the
wrong manuscript. When l left her ]
told her that three days should not
elapse Nbefor / had read the play, and
! l would be sure that it was her play
and not some other authors play.
I put the poor girl off for three
months. She was very nice to me
about it all this time, but the further
I proceeded with my deception the
further l sank in the mire. The worst
part of the matter was that when a
week passed without my seeing her !
found myself like a topper without his
glass Of grog.
One day the girl came into my Office
and told me that she had given the
scenario of her play dts skeleton) to a
rival manager, and he had assured her
that If the dialogue was filed In efec-
lively he would put it on the boards at
once. When l tried to put her on
some more a beautiful bright tear
stood in her eye.
When q man is fitting between in
difference and love for a woman he
may be easily unbalanced on the side
Of love by one Of those little globules.
At any rate, / lost my balance. I con-
fessed to have lost her manuscript.
but told her not to mind a little thing
like that since I loved her and had
quite enough for both of us. II she
would marry me it would be all right.
l kissed away the tear. and e smile
] was like the sun peeping from the
other side Of an April cloud.
From that moment I heard no more
of the, missing manuscript. After a
. few months engagement we were mar.
ried and after a brief wedding trip
! settled down to. the humdrum OF life
One evenin: when ] went home my
wife told lle that she had received
'tdrst night tickets to a new play
that was to he put on the boards and
asked me I 60 with her to the
Performance. tried to beg of, saying
that l was needed at my own theater.
but she insisted, and l yielded.
Our seats we're q ~prOscenium Q on
q level with the stage. Ny wife pulled
a curtain before her so that she could
not I've seei except from. the stage.
The play ened 80 we'll that ]. ex-
claimed. e" Joye. why didn't get
sod fahissyss3 stnSaEffsfmapcs,p pro.
dssit WAS evident stslat, a.eiG w e.
sbenf 6ade / 4grodad by teeth 10
yexation Al having MISSED getting on
what promised to be q money maker.
At the climax In the third net the
audience came down IN Q thunder. OF
applause. alis were made for the
author. but the author did not appear
The manage, came before the curtain
and announced that be would appear
at the end the play. This satisfied
them. and the performance went on: !.
; Wuhom thA cflrfain went down Oh the