The Washington herald., 1920-11-08
AN %. HENRY STORY
STRICTLY BUSINESS"

4 r Kept Ne in-" vanishine. Win .
Quick firt Of ginrham apron-.trInx,
sne reappeared in considerably Ies,
than q -trice" a. a nuffy .Pnrt,-
ienne"-so near does Art bring ~,
old red mill 20 the Moulin Rour,
And then.
But you know the rest Ana 40
did Bob Hart; but he saw 1ors.
body else. He thought he sar fhs,
Cherry was the only professionsi -,
the short order stage that he hsd
seen who seemed exactly 20 al the
part Of Helen Grimes" in the sketch
ne had written and kept tucked
away In the tray OF his trunk. on
course BOD Kart as well as every
oener normal actor. grocer. news
paperman. professor, curb broler
and farmer. has a play tucke6 49,
somewhere They tuck 'em an tr,y,
Of trunks. trunks Of trees, desE,
haymowh pigeonholes inside peck
cts safe-deposit vaults, handboxe,.
and coal cellars. waiting for MI
frohman to call They belong
among the hfty-seven dIrerent
kinds.
But Bob Harris sketch wa, not
destined TO end in q pickle Jar. He
called IL Mice VIII Play" He had
kept IL quiet and hidden awav ever
since he wrote Il. waiting 20 ana a
partner who fitted his conception OF
Helen Crimes" And here was
Helen" herself, with all the inno-
cent abandon. the youth. the
sprightliness, and the fsvIe.s ,tsr.
art that his critical taste demanded.
/, After the act was over Hart found
the manager in the boz Office. and
got Cherry's address At i've the next
afternoon he called at the musty old
house In the West Forties and sent
up his professional card.
BY daylight in q secular shirt
waist and plain voile skirt with
her hair curbed and her Sister OF
Charity eyes. Winona Cherry might
have been playing the part OF Pru-
oence Wise. the deacon's daughter.
IN the great (unwritten) New Eng
lano drama not yet entitled any
thing.
know your act. Mr.. Hart she
SAID after she had looked over his
caro- carefully. What did you wish
to see me aboutr"
i saw your work last night said
hart I've written a sketch that
I've been saving up. It's for two;
and ] think you can do the other
part thought I'd see you about IL"
Come in the psrlor." said Miss
Cherry. I've been wishing for
something OF the sort I think ia
like to act instead OF doing turns
Bob Hart drew his cherished
Mice will Play from his pocket,
and read IL to her.
Read IL again, please said Miss
Cherry.
AND then she pointed out to him
clearly how Il could be improved hv
introducing a messenger instead OF
telephone call. and cutting the
dialogue just before the climax
while they were struggling with The
pistol. and by completely Changing
the lines and business of Helen
Grimes at the point where her ,eal-
ousy overcomes her Hart WELDED %
all her structures without arruner,
She at once put her finger on the
sketch's weaker points. That wa,
her woman's intuition that he bsd
, iacked. At the end of their talk Hsr,
was willing TO stake the Judgment
experience and savings Of his four
years OF vaudeville that Mice Iyfu
RAY would blossom into a nerep.
NAL flower in the garden OF the
circuits Miss Cherry was slower 80
oeeioe. After many puckeripgs OF
her smooth young brow and tappinrs
on her small, white teeth with fhs
enc OF lead pencil, she gave out
mr.. Hart" said she. 7 belieye
your sketch is going 70 win ont
Ihat Grimes part fits me lfse =
shrlnkaoie flannel after ITS frst triD
10 handless hand LAUNDRY 80
make II stand out like the eoloneI
OF the Forty-fourth Regiment .t .
Little Mothers Bazaar. Ana ~.
seen you work. know what x,o,,
can do with the other par4 R,,t
business is business. How rnuch A.
you get a week for the stunt Won
do now?- Sou
Two hundred" answered Hart
II get 800 for mine" said Cherry
Tnats about the natural discount
LOT woman. But I live on A. ana
put Few simoleons every week
unoer the loose bricks in the old
kitchen hearth. The stage 4. All
right' ! love IL; but there's some
thing else i love better-thafs .
little country home. some day. with
Plymouth Rock chickens and sir
oucks wandering around the yard.
NOW let me tell you. Mr.. Hart.
am strictly business. II YOU want
me TO play the opposite part in
your sketch, I'll do it. And he
,eNe We can make IL 90. And there's
concerning else i want to saw:
Ihere's no nonsense in nv make
up I'm on the level. and I'm on
tne stage Ior what Il pays me, Just
4 otner girls work in stores and
omees. I'm going to save my money
20 keep me when I'm past doing
my stunts. No Old Ladies' Home
for me. esses
II you want TO make this a busi-
ness partnership. Mr.. Hart. with all
nonsense cut out OF IL, I'm in on it
4 know something about vaudeville
teams In general: but this would
nave TO be one in particular.
want you to know that I'm on the
stage for what I can cart away
'from IL every payday in a little
manila envelope with nicotine
stains on IL. where the cashier hss
licked the flap It's a kind Of a
hobby of mine TO want 10 craven
cite myself for plenty Of rafny davs
in the future. ! want you 20 know
Just how / am. don't know what
an all-night restaurant looks like:
I drink only weak tea; never
spoke TO a man at a stage entrance
In my life. and I've got money IN
five savings hanks"