The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-21
Who's the
Public
By F. A Mitchell

from Forman. the editor of a large
film manufacturing company. who had
said to me:
81 want something up to date. Peo-
pie in these days are very FESTIVE I'M
der the chains of matrimony. Give me
a play on this subject. and don't be
squeamish about It"
held a dialogue with my char.
acters with a 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 a spendthrift and is using up |
the family income, as you suspect. on
other women. John Guilferd, an old |
fame of yours and a splendid fellow. |
sympathizes with you. He would sup |
ply the deficiency caused by your hus
bands extravaganza. but there is a
barrier to his doing so in your having
a husband"
kill himp shouted a virago in the
audience. "a virago is masculine wo-
man,
1.-THE husbandT'
| Eyes"
ran my eye over the rows Of filled
seats for approval or disapproval. but
got nothing definite.
lis my boy Reginald to appear as one
of the characters?" asked Mrs. Ire
velyan.
'WeH. yes. He is one of the ele-
ments Of the scheme. | would much
rather leave him out, for he will be the
hardest character of all to handle"
HE would be much better Of" cried
the virago, with a good man for
stepfather than his real defective ia
Their"
"Guilford." I said. ''how do you feel
about your partf"
IAN to be the villain Of the playT'
"No; you're to be the hero-I mean
the leading gentleman"
~ like that How the dickens do
you expect me to make hero OF my
self and at the same time make love
to another mans wifeT
I'm tell you what you do" said Mrs.
Trevelyan. Bring out in your play that
, my husband repents or turns out to be
a good man after all"
I'm that case" bristled Guilford,
"where do / come inT
Advancing toward my audience, l
noticed u very ladylike woman with an
. impressive face sitting in proscenium
box. asked her for reply to Gull
fords question.
He should never have come in at
ALL"
was not getting on. My heroine
was not satisfied to take a new hus-
band; my hero was unable to make a
|, 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." Iesaid to the
4 players. and l began to lay down the
q scenario. | labored through three acts
? and succeeded In reaching the fourth
q In which | proposed to dispose Of the
/ husband and marry his wife to no
v BILE, good man.
y was relieved to see In my hypothet
o zeal audience that the wife held theii
d sympathies pretty well, but the whole
l. scheme broke down under a scene that
}. Forman had suggested as being worthy
. Ito be handled by a genius. The parties
9 involved were Trevelyan, his wife and
8 Guilford. The scene was the culminat
q ing point Of the break between the Ire
r velyans. had nerved myself up tC
h the work with the help of ten cups OF
4 strong tea and was moving on swim
1 mingly when little Reginald mus
/? 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
a about him and cried out:
- Mamma, why do you scold papa
You mustn't scold papa. won't lie
. you"
"Shoot the villain of the playT cried
a voice In the audience
"Do you refer to me, sir?" asked
Guilford holly. I'D have you under
n stand. sir, that I'm the hero OF this
;, play"
= Give Trev another CHANGER cried I
countryman in the audience. "H'
o didn't mean nothin'i My ole woman
has lots more agin me than he's done
]. If she only knowed ftg'
!. "Then you're a bruter' cried a fem
inine voice.
IT What are you going to do with thu
kid?" called a voice loud above the
J. bubbub.
70 Send him to an orphan asylum,
}" suggested a woman In the gallery
"That's better than father that ism
his father, and hypoerite at thatf'
Better sink the whole lot of emf
. was the last call heard above the din
which now became confusing. Jump
a ing up from my desk, ran to the
d telephone. called up Forman and salt
to him:
u who wants that kind Of a play yo'
have given me an order forT"
1T 1.-The public"
N who's the publicY'
~ "Why. the public Is the-the public
of course"
"a you mean that the public is tn
creation Of men who make living b,
: producing rotten plays and novels
Get some one else TO write your pla,
for you. I'm out of It. Goodbye
-. If as clean a play as mine on thi
= subject creates displeasure what shout
be the feelings Of those who are no
~ ''the public at seeing one wherein tn
wife and mother is bad7