Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-07
The Daily Story
MY MANAGEMENT-BY THoAS r. DEAN.
Copyrighted 1914 by Associated Literary

yVriebts who desired their productions
| put ON the boards. I could withstand
! the men and the elderly ladies. but
when 1t came to pretty young women
it was very hard for me to stave them
| of. One day when l had already ac-
| cepted more plays than i could use In
several years a young lady called at
| nv Office and asked permission to sub
! nit play. l told her that 1t would be
useless for me to read any play unless
| it promised a phenomenal success.
whereupon she looked at me out Of a
pair OF very beautiful blue eyes and
Sid she was quite sure her play would
be a phenomenal success. l could not
!. but smile at her confidence. since 1t
was difficult to predict such result
| even of a work by an experienced
| playwright.
What could I do? l took her manu-
script from her. agreeing to look it
over and if should find it meritorious
would read it carefully. The young
lady asked when she might call for IL.
and l told her would drop her line
when 1 had read it. This seemed sat
isfactory to her, and she took her de-
parture. leaving with me very pleasant
remem branceS of her.
But not having a spare moment for
got all about her and her play. A
month passed, and one day received a
note from her reminding me that she
had left a manuscript with me and
would be pleased to be informed what
had been done with 1t. | determined
to return it with the usual thanks and
a few complimentary words, but
We who must deceive authors have so
many butts that it would not be worth
while to specify this one. 1 went to a
closet where 1 kept manuscripts hand
ed in for my inspections but, although
/ went over all of them carefully, l
did not find Consistency" the one l
wanted. Then l remembered that l
had taken it to my home. But l did
not find it there. l usually stopped at
my club on. my way home and some
times at other places. must have
left it somewhere, but inquiry failed
to elicit any trace of it.
However. hoping that it might turn
up, l ventured to put the authoress
off. | wrote her that 1 had read enough
of her play to become interested in
it, but had been so busy with those |
l was preparing for the boards as TO
prevent my giving it the attention it !
seemed to deserve.
The truth was that l was having |
about that time hard luck with the
plays l had brought out and was losing |
money. Indeed, most managers were |
in the same fix. There was but one
play, "a Sylvan Butterfly" that was
successful, but that had enough sue
cess to make up for all the failures
Hearing of the new attraction. went
to see it and was delighted with it.
Its theme was one that will always
appeal to human sympathies. l won
dered if the manuscript could have
gone the rounds, as most manuscripts
of plays by unheard of authors are
apt to do. / certainly would never I
have turned it down if it had been
offered to me.
l didn't find the manuscript of Con
stancy" and was much troubled about
it. Another month passed. and the
pretty playwright called at my office
ana asked for her play. She said that
other playwrights were getting their
productions on the boards and she saw
no reason why she should not do the
SdlDe - "
hy," she said that her own play was
just as good and if produced would
attain equal success.
Being used to the estimate play
wrights attach to their plays. if l had i
spoken my mind would have told her
that there were ninety-nine chances
in hundred that if her play was pro-
duced it would be a lamentable fail
ure. As it was, 1 could only look wise
and say nothing. But when l saw
that her eyes We're wet l broke down
and told her that I had read enough of
her play to warrant my paying her
$500 for her play, my object being to
with her for that amount
for having lost the manuscript.
At first she secuted the idea of &C
cepting such n sum for a play which
she fancied. as most young authors
fancy, would make n fortune, but
represented to her the cost would in
cur and the risk in staging her play,
and she finally consented to accept
my offer. but stipulated that, since
she had never made but one copy of
her play, l must not call on her for
another. Glad to get ont of the scrape
~ paying q stipulated sum. | agreed
70 this and gave her n check for $500
N payment for play that / had never
cad and did not possess.
This embarrassing matter havinI
leen put out of the way 1 began to
'how the young lady some attention
indeed. Miss Alice Woodruff and be
anne gradually fond of each other ,
'he did not trouble me about her play
Except to indicate a desire to have il 1
Produced. I put her Off for some time.
Then one day, when by my devotion
lad got her into n condition to bear {
disappointment. I told her that the {
eason 1 had never returned her pfny {
vas because it would not do for the
tsge. i had given her the money for
because I had not had the heart 20
eli her the truth II