Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-03-15
A Successful
Experiment
lcOpyrlght. ls17. Western Newspsper Union,
BY F. A.

when a very pretty girl appeared In,
the doorway. I knew by the package
she carried that she was a would-be
playwright, and was disposed to be
very short with her. She asked me to
read her play, and I told her that |
had already accepted more plays than
I could produce In my lifetime.
"Pleases," she said, with a most be-
witching smile and a lovely pleading
In her eyes. l wilted, and told her
that If she would leave the manuscript
l would have it read. But this was
not what she wanted; she wanted me
to read her play myself. To get rid
of her, I promised her that I would
take the manuscript home with me
and look it over. We left the office
together, and when we parted l took
a trolley car. l was worrying over q
play I was getting ready to produce,
and forgot all about the manuscript
for three or four days, when the girl
appeared again in my office. she
| smiled as sweetly as ever, and asked
me If I had read the play. Thir King
to put a stop to the matter at once, L
told her that it would not do at all.
She looked SO heart-broken that be-
fore she left I admitted that l had not
read 1t over carefully, but would give
1t attention that very evening.
After dinner I went into my home
sanctum with the intention of forti-
| flying myself against her importuni-
ties when l should next see her. by
Swimming her production. l ransacked
the room for the manuscript. and did
not find it.
Great heavens! Must l admit to her
that l had lost 1t?
1 spent the whole evening trying to
remember what / had done with the
package, but could not remember any
further than taking 1t from its au-
thor. The next afternoon she came
into my office again, smiling as usual,
and asked me for a criticism on her
play. I saw that there was a Job of
deception before me My object was
to put her off, hoping that the manu-
script would turn up.
ibid you spend much time on your
scenario" I asked, "before putting in
the ~dialogue?"
"What's a scenarios" she asked.
This encouraged me. If she did not
know what a scenario was, / could not
be stuck for big damages in case l had
to pay for the loss of the play.
"a scenario is a skeleton of the play
that is to be written. When it is
completed, the dialogue is very easily
written"
81 always write the dialogue first
she said with that p~ositiveness which
I have always found women assume
when they are making their worst
blunders. She was so unsophisticated
so pretty, so amiable that I was tempt
ed to say a few soft things to her. Be
sides, it was necessary for me to keeI
her In good humor. I told her that
I had not come to a conclusion about
the play. 1t lacked something, but
could not tell what 1t was. I would
read it again more carefully.
1 parted all efforts she made to
make me discuss any particular scene
or incident, by which I would show my
ignorance of the play, and finally wher
she departed felt quite satisfied witt
my diplomacy.
The authoress was persistent anC
the manuscript did not turn up, though
1 had my rooms turned upside down tt
find it. 1 finally made up my MIND
that I must have left 1t in the trolley
car l had used the day 1 received II
from the author. 1 advertised for 1t
offering a substantial reward for Its
return to me but 1 received no reply
and finally made up my mind that II
was lost to me, and I would never find
1t. So 1 began to prepare for a con
Ifession.
What I meant by preparation was
subterfuge by paying compliments
and saying sweet things to the CIR
whom I must confess to, hoping by this
means to receive a light punishment
But who ever says sweet things that
he does not mean to a girl is liable tc
warm q serpent in his bosom. This
was really more dangerous than losing
a manuscript.
Well, when / believed that l had got
her in a mood to make my confession
to her, 1 did so. She forgave me, tear
fully.
I had succeeded only too well. She
had a right to consider that I loved
her, and nothing remained undone but
a definite proposal.
This was delayed, and after some
time / received a note, asking me to
call upon her. When I did so, she
met me with the lost manuscript In
her hand, stating at the same time thai
her name and address being on it, II
was returned to her the day after
had left it in the trolley car
"Open It," she said.
I did as she asked, and took out
sheets of blank paper. I looked al
her, astonished as well as crushed, and