The Argosy, Vol. 90 No. 1 — page 185: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE OTHER SIDE tones, ‘‘ and I won’t have any manager or playwright dictate to me.” Hale smiled. ‘““'You’re the one who has been doing the dictating,” he replied. ‘‘ And when we refuse, you threaten to leave us in the lurch.” Sinclair lifted his eyebrows. ‘ Well,” he remarked, ‘ putting all that aside, what is your answer?”’ “T’m willing,” Williams said, seeing that the star had them where he wanted them. ‘‘ And you are, too, Don,” he added, turn- ing to the playwright. Hale looked at Williams and_ then nodded. ‘“‘ All right,” he replied. ‘ But let me tell you one thing, Sinclair; no good is going to come of this.” “That remains to be seen,” Sinclair replied coldly. Hale gave him one swift look and then turned to the manager. ‘‘ Hand over that second act, Frank.” Williams reached into a drawer and pro- duced the script. “Go to it,” he said as he tossed it on the desk. Eagerly Sinclair took it and turned to a page near the end. “ Here is one point,” he said, addressing Hale. “ And here—”’ “ But we haven’t told Miss Travis,” Williams suddenly remarked. ‘ She should be here to—” . “ve thought of that,” Sinclair cut in. ‘¢ Suppose you phone to her hotel, and if she’s in, have her meet us at the theater, say about two o’clock.” “‘ For rehearsal?” Hale asked, looking at the star. “She can easily adapt herself to the change in lines,” Sinclair answered, “ and get accustomed to some new ones I want put in for myself.” Williams picked up the telephone and called a number. Several seconds later he had Anne Travis on the wire. “IT can’t explain now,” he said, after he had given the order. ‘“ We'll be there at two o'clock, Miss Travis. All right. Good-by.” Williams hung up and turned to the star. OF THE CURTAIN. 179 ‘* She’s mystified, but she’ll be there.” Sinclair frowned. ‘One thing more, Williams; if this Miss Travis should ob- ject, she’s to be overruled. Understand?” Williams nodded, but did not ahswer. “ And now,” Sinclair continued, picking up a pencil from the manager’s desk, ‘““ we're ready to cut those lines.” At two o'clock star, playwright, and manager entered the stage door of the Shakespeare Theater. Anne Travis was sitting on a chair, waiting for him. Briefly Williams ac- quainted her with Sinclair’s demand. Anne puckered her brows. “But, Mr. Williams,” she protested, ‘“‘ that scene is wonderful. Even the critics spoke of it in the morning papers.” ‘“T know it, Miss Travis,” Williams re- plied. ‘‘ But the star rules, and I can’t help it.” Sinclair came forward, bowing to the girl. “That scene,” he said airily, “ must be revised so that your ‘part shall not domi- nate mine. In other words, you have a number of lines with too much of a punch. They are, in fact, stronger and more dra- matic than mine.” ‘But what am I to do?” Anne objected, trying to conceal her anger. ‘‘ That par- ticular scene which leads up to the climax of the second act is wonderful. Why, last night the audience actually applauded it.” she added, looking up into his face with innocent eyes. Sinclair bit his lip. He didn’t care to be reminded about that. ‘You forget, Miss Travis,” he said with a forced smile, ‘“‘ that I am the star. It is Just because the audience applauded your lines, and the climax they lead up to, that I am having them changed.” Sinclair at least had the courage of his convictions, for he explained the situation with the utmost candor. For a second Anne looked up into his face. He was watching her with narrowed eyes and set lips, waiting to see if she would argue against him. Then she turned and looked at the other two men, whose expressions showed that they were helpless. comicbool< CO