Mexico Missouri message., 1911-02-02

RayySl was 80 engrosSed In his own
~ affairs that he might almost
be said TO have forgotten her lie had
been told that he would get certain
royalty. that the play would have
most adequate production, that he
would have his choice OF actors. etc.
When, however. he got down 10 details
with his manager. or, as he learned to
call him afterward, his producer, he
found that his wings were clipped at
almost every point. Not only once,
but half a dozen times. he almost felt
that the game was not worth the can
die, that he would throw 1t up and
that all the allurement that there was
In producing play was In the after
math. II was very splendid, as he fig
ured out one night I'm his lonely cham
Der. TO be q successful dramatist. but
how many can frankly tell OF the deg
radations that they have gone through
10 have some low browed financial per
son step in and say, "You must change
this" or "You must change that" TO
have d stage manager who had grown
callous handling electrical and super
numerarY effects tell him that his great
scene was surely failure because lie
did not do things according to the
rulesl
In the midst Of this he received
little blue note from Miss Fullerton.
II was very formal and simply asked
him II be would not do them the honor
Of spending q week end at Lenox. II
referred In no way TO their previous
conversations, and In II was this state
ment: my father and my Aunt Corne-
liza are particularly anxious that you
accept this invitation"
II came as great relief in more
ways than one. He had grown tired
OF the sordid, lying atmosphere I'm
which he was; he was particularly anx.
ious to see the girl that he loved, and
he was not little elated at the idea
that he would get out of the sphere
In which he felt perfectly at home. bur
for which he had not thoroughly. un-
diluted admiration.
He dropped In to see Markham, the
manager, the afternoon that he re-
ceiyed the message.
Some friends Of ullne," he said.
have Invited me to spend a week end
at LenoK. l am going up this after.
noon"
Markham. who had underestImnted
him most OF the time, raised his high
brow and sighed.
Then you have friends somewhere"
be said. smiling.
"And In Lenox," replied Holcomb.
IF you want this play produced"
said Markham. you will have to give
up your idea that you can pick the
cast i am the greatest picker OF
casts you ever saw" And the man
became really sincere or apparently
so. Il have been picking casts for
twenty years, and have made my
great success In that direction. will
pay you the royalties that you want.
and will let you have your own way
about the production. but l won't sign
any contract that enables you TO say
who will be in the cast and who
| won't"
II was the FIRST time that Mark ham
had been as sincere and as genuine as
he was now. The mere fact that he
had got him to that point gave Hol.
comb new strength.
II tell you. Mr.. Markham. that the
royalty proposition and the production
proposition are not as important In my
play as is the cast. We both agree
that Ludlow is to star. but If he can't
have the woman that I have picked
for the leading feminine role the play
does not go on. My address will he
Lenox." And he stood up and walk
ed out OF the office. leaving the aston.
ished manager wondering what had
come over him
As he stepped OF the train at LenOx
be was met by Professor Fullerton's
footman and was handed a telegram.
which read:
willard Holcomb. Care Fullerton. Lenox.
Mass:
II you feel yeu must have Miss Fuller.
ton sign her up Immediately. Ludlow has
convinced me. MARKHAM.
In the phaetop was Dora herself,
but there was a little uneasiness I'm
Holcombs mind as he shook hands
with Der. He would rather that he
had not received that telegram. He
would rather that the fact that she
was % appear as the star In his play
should lie purely on account OF his IN
sastenee and not owing to the fact
that Ludlow had approved Of her.
On her side the greeting was none
tie less cordial. and when she told
En that Vayin was at the house he
eheered up considerably. for It seemed
70 Tin that II he had struck the snag
that be scented this always more or
gsss Aephistophelean character, with
his kindly. protective attitude over
Dora. would be able TO clear 1t up.
While be had known that Professor
Fullerton was a man OF some means.
II was rather a surprise to Holcomb
TO find that he lived In luxury. 1t was
unostentatiOus luxury at that. purely
much developed sense OF comfort
The room into which he was ushered
had the colors and the decorations
which he would have picked himself
He felt little sense Of fattery when
he found that In the bookshelf In his
room there were the collected works
Of Vavin, both In French and English.
the latter part Of which he resented.
On the dressing table was a volume
OF Jules lie Mattress early poetry and
alongside It pocket edition OF Elmer
sons Essay on Compensation" Had
he dressed the room himself he could
not have done better.