Strictly Business Page: 8
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8 Strzctly Business
think you can do the other part. I thought I'd see you
about it."
"Conme in the parlor," said Miss Cherry. "I've been
wishing for something of the sort. I think I'd like to act
instead of doing turns."
Bob Hart drew his cherished "Mice Will Play" from
his pocket, and read it to her.
"Read it again, please," said Miss Cherry.
And then she pointed out to him clearly how it could
be improved by introducing a messenger instead of a
telephone call, and cutting the dialogue just before the
climax while they were struggling for the pistol, and by
completely changing the lines and business of Helen
Grimes at the point where her jealousy overcomes her.
Hart yielded to all her strictures without argument. She
had at once put her finger on the sketch's weaker points.
That was her woman's intuition that he had lacked. At
the end of their talk Hart was willing to stake the judg-
ment, experience, and savings of his four years of vaude-
ville that " Mice Will Play " would blossom into a perennial
flower in the garden of the circuits. Miss Cherry was
slower to decide. After many puckerings of her smooth
young brow and tappings on her small, white teeth with
the end of a lead pencil she gave out her dictum.
"Mr. Hart," said she, "I believe your sketch is going
to win out. That Grimes part fits me like a shrinkable
flannel after its first trip to a handless hand laundry. I_ I
eii ~ . . . ... . .
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Henry, O., 1862-1910. Strictly Business, book, 1910; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth139374/m1/20/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Austin History Center, Austin Public Library.