The other cheque did not come that night, nor the next morning; it came
about a week later, and it was something short of the ten pounds,
because Mr. Bennett Godsby had deducted Jimmy's share of the type
writing bill. But Jimmy looked forward to the rehearsals, and to the
production of the great play; Jimmy hugged himself over paragraphs in
the papers, in which his name was openly associated with that of the
great Bennett Godsby.
Some slight mistake had been made over the paragraphs--a little
misunderstanding. It was declared that the great Bennett Godsby,
hitherto known only in the front rank of living actors, had suddenly
blossomed out as a dramatist; had written a dramatic version of a novel
by a certain Mr. James Larrance; the paragraphs seemed to suggest that
Mr. James Larrance was lucky in having been selected for that honour.
Then, in the very midst of rehearsals, other paragraphs appeared, which
stated that the play had been written by Mr. Bennett Godsby; that he
hoped for lenient treatment from his ever faithful public in this his
first essay with such work. Jimmy pointed out the paragraph to him one
morning when they stood together on the half-lighted stage; rehearsals
were getting to an end at last.
"I can't understand it," said the great man, staring with a puzzled air
at the paragraph. "I quite see your meaning; it isn't right at all. But
these beasts of writers will say anything to get a few shillings;
they've put words in my mouth before now that I've never uttered. I tell
you what I'll do," he added, with deep indignation, "I'll write to these
people--sort of letter that they must put in, and that will help things
along a bit--and I'll tell them the true facts of the case. I'm glad you
called my attention to it, my dear Larrance; there mustn't be any
misunderstanding."
But the curious part was that when next day a letter appeared in that
paper, signed by Mr. Bennett Godsby, it did not seem to put things quite
as straight as it should have done. Much was made of Mr. Bennett Godsby
in the letter; much of Mr. Bennett Godsby's kindness to a young author,
but mighty little of James Larrance. And that morning Bennett Godsby, in
what appeared to be a towering rage, informed Jimmy that that had not
been his letter at all; "they had disgracefully garbled it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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