He withdrew "John Smith."

Frank had confidence in himself. He had written a play that was
successful, and he believed he could write another. Already he had one
skeletonized. The frame work was constructed, the plot was elaborated,
the characters were ready for his use.

He wrote a play of something with which he was thoroughly
familiar---college life. The author or play-maker of ability who writes
of that with which he is familiar stands a good chance of making a
success. Young and inexperienced writers love to write of those things
with which they are unfamiliar, and they wonder why it is that they
fail.

They go too far away from home for their subject.

At first Frank's play was not a success. The moment he discovered this
he set himself down to find out why it was not a success. He did not
look at it as the author, but as a critical manager to whom it had been
offered might have done.

He found the weak spots. One was its name. People in general did not
understand the title, "For Old Eli." There was nothing "catchy" or
drawing about it.

He gave it another name. He called it, "True Blue: A Drama of College
Life."

The name proved effective.