is, the characters should be rich people; and second, the last act
should be located in a manager's office, and show the acceptance of
the play. As I did not care for these suggestions, Mr. X dropped the
matter, and Mr. Harris allowed his rights in the play to lapse.

A year or so later, happening into Mr. Harris' office in the Hudson
Theatre, he asked me with a smile, "Have you seen your play?" And
when I asked what he meant, he added. "They have put it on
downstairs." Needless to say, I purchased a ticket for the
performance, and saw a play which differed from my play in two
essentials--these being precisely the modifications which Mr. X had
tried to persuade me to make!

The new play was announced as the work of two playrights, whom I
will indicate as Smith and Brown; it was produced by a firm of
managers, whom I will indicate as Jones and Robinson. I went to see
Messrs. Jones and Robinson, who assured me they had never even heard
of my play. While I was in the office, Mr. Smith, one of the
playwrights, sought an interview with me, and assured me that he
also had never heard of my play, his work was absolutely original. I
gave him the names of various persons who had read my play,
including Mr. X; and Mr. Smith assured me earnestly that he was a
stranger to all of them. I accepted his statement; but as I was on
my way out of the office of Messrs. Jones and Robinson, I beheld the
name of Mr. X printed upon one of the doors of their private rooms,
and upon inquiry I learned that Mr. X was employed on a regular
salary as a play-reviser for this firm!

I went away pondering the situation. What I was asked to believe was
as follows: Mr. Smith had composed a play having all the essential