The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-24
Who S the
Public
By F. A. Mitchell

Il want something up to date Peo
pie in these days are very FESTIVE un.
der the chains of matrimony Give me
play on this subject. and don't he
squeamish about it."
] held a dialogue with my char
acters with view to finding out their
feelings. utilizing fictitious audience
as a sort of Greek chorus This is
what was evolved.
Mrs. Trevelyan," said to my lead
ing lady, you are the mother of boy
four years old, Reginald. Your hus.
band is spcndthrift and is using up
the family income. as you suspect. on
other women. John Guilford. an old
fame of yours and splendid fellow.
sympathiZes with YOU. He would sup
ply the deficiency caused 10y your hus.
bands extravaganza, but there is a
barrier TO his doing so in your having
a husband"
Kill him. shouted a virago in the
audience. CA virago is masculine wo
man.
The husbandE"
YES"
ran my eye over the rows of filed
seats for approval or disapproval, but
got nothing definite.
is my boy Reginald to appear as one
of the characters?" asked Mrs Ire
velyan.
We'll, yes. lie is one of the Gle
ments of the scheme. | would much
rather leave him out, for he will be the
hardest character of all to handle"
He would he much better Off" cried
the virago. with a good man for a
stepfather than his real defective fa.
Their"
"Guilford," | said, how do you feel
about your part?"
Am | to be the villain of the play?"
mo; you're to be the herol mean
the leading gentleman"
II like that How the dickens do
you expect me to make hero of my.
self and ut the same time make love
TO another mans wife,"
''l'll tell you what you do" said Mrs.
Trcvelyan. Bring out in your play that
my husband repcnts or turns ont to be
good man after all"
In that case" bristled Guilford.
where do | come inf''
Advancing toward my audience,
noticed u very ladylike woman with an
impressive face sitting In proscenium
box. asked her for reply to Gull
ford's question.
HE should never have come in at
ALL"
was not getting on. My heroine
was not satisfied TO take new hus-
band; my hero was unable to make
hero of himself while making love to
another mans wife, and had child
to dispose OF too young to understand
what they were all doing.
Come; get to work." ! said to the
players, and | began to lay down the
scenario. | labored through three acts
and succeeded In reaching the fourth.
in which ! proposed to dispose of the
husband and marry his wife to no
bic, good man.
| was relieved to see in my hypothet-
ical audience that the wife held their
sympathies pretty well but the whole
scheme broke down under a scene that
Forman had suggested as being worthy
to be handled by "A genius. The parties
involved were Trevelyan, his wife and
Guilford. The scene was the culmnat.
ing point of the break between the Ire
velyans. | had nerved myself up to
the work with the help of ten cups of
strong tea and was moving on swim
needs come In and, seeing his mother
delivering an address to his father
that | had spent much time and pains
on, ran up to him, threw his little arms
about him and cried out:
Mamma, why do you scold papa
You mustn't scold papa. won't let
you"
shoot the villain of the playw cried
a voice in the audience.
DO you refer to me, sirF asked
Gullford hotly. I'D have you under.
stand, sir, that I'm the hero of this
play"
Give Trev another chancer cried
countryman in the audience. "He
didn't mean nothin'! My ole woman
has lots more agin me than he's done
If she only knowed itr'
Then you're a bruter' cried fem,
mime voice.
What are you going to do with the
kid?" called a voice loud above the
bubbub
Send him to an orphan asylum
suggested a woman in the gallery
That's better than a father that isn't
his father, and hypocrite at that"
Better sink the whole lot of 'emr'
was the last call heard above the din.
which now became confusing Jump.
ing up from my desk, ran to the
telephone. called up Forman and said
to him:
who wants that kind of a play you
have given me an order forT'
THE public"
who's the publicT
why, the public is the-the public. !
Of course"
You mean that the public is the |
creation of men who make living by |
producing rotten plays and novels!
Get some one else to write your play
for you. I'm out of it. Goodbye
If as clean a play as mine on this
subject creates displeasure what should .
be the feelings of those who are not /
'the public" at seeing one wherein tie
wife and mother is bad2 /