Christmas stories; Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Christmas carol -- Fiction; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
Figuratively speaking, Mr. Flanders fell upon his neck. Inside of
thirty minutes, Mr. Thomas Singleton Bingle was in a position to regard
himself as a producing manager and Miss Amy Colgate, one of America's
most promising young leading women, was on her way to become a star, to
say nothing of the ascendency of Richard Sheridan Flanders as a
playwright. The difficulties were all swept away. A Broadway theatre
was no longer a hope; it was a certainty. Mr. Bingle could buy all the
"time" he wanted in any house along the Great White Way. It wouldn't be
necessary to squabble over the relative drawing powers of Ethel
Barrymore or Maude Adams, nor was it anybody's business who Amy Colgate
was or where she came from--to use the words of the elated
dramatist--and it didn't make a bit of difference whether the second
week's "gross" was smaller than the first. Mr. Bingle was back of the
play and that settled everything.
"I have great faith in the play," admitted Mr. Flanders, with becoming
modesty.
"So have I," agreed Mr. Bingle enthusiastically. He had been dazed, yet
vastly impressed by the unintelligible phraseology of the stage as it
ran from the glib lips of the eager young man. He was flattered by
Dick's assumption that he was perfectly familiar with the theatre from
box office to "gridiron."
"And what's more," added the playwright, "I have faith in Amy."
By this time Mr. Bingle had unbounded faith in the young actress, and
said so with considerable fervour. Whereupon, the jubilant author
suggested that they send for Miss Fairweather at once and acquaint her
with the glorious news. But Mr. Bingle shook his head.
"No, we can't do that," he said, looking at his watch. "Lessons are not
over yet. Ten minutes left, I see. She's still a governess, Dick. One
job at a time. The stage can wait."
Mr. Flanders sighed but smiled. Then, for no especial reason, he
slapped Mr. Bingle heartily on the back and laughed aloud. He had no
words to express his accumulative joy, so he laughed--and there were
tears in his eyes.
"We'll have the best production that money can buy," said Mr. Bingle,
swelling ever so slightly, after the manner of practised managers. "An
all-star cast, and scenery by Sargent."
Later on, in the privacy of Miss Fairweather's schoolroom, the author
and the star discussed the great sensation, and you may be surprised to
learn that there were two sides to the discussion. Miss Fairweather was
a sensible young woman, although amazingly beautiful, and she took a
most extraordinary view of the situation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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