A story that illustrates, in an exaggerated way, though, the tricks of the dramatic profession, is told of a shrewd agent who found himself in Mansfield, Ohio, with a company on his hands and pursued by bad business so relentlessly that he began to have doubts that he would ever see Union Square again. In this strait he called his never-failing wits to his aid and devised a plan straightway that led him out of the difficulty, as had happened to him many a time before. He went to the room of his star--his leading lady--and knocked. He was admitted. "Why, Sam," said she, "what do you want at this hour?" "I want your ear," said he. "Oh, is that all," said the leading lady, recovering from her pallor; "I thought--but no matter; go on." "You know business is bad," said he. "Well, I should smile," said the artiste; "since I haven't had any salary for four weeks. What's the new racket." "It's this," said the agent: "If we expect to go out of this town we've got to do something Napoleonic. And you've got to do it." "You forget my sex," said she. "No, I don't," said he; "there may be a Napoleon in petticoats as well as in trousers." "Very well, what is it?" "I want to get a column in each of the daily papers." "Well, I guess you'll want it, for all the newspaper boys know we've got a snide show this time," she said. "Well, I guess not, if you'll do what I tell you," said the artful agent. "What is that?" inquired the guileless actress. "You know the railroad bridge outside of town?" "That shaky old wooden structure of patched logs and sleepers?" "Yes." "Well, what of it?" "That bridge will get us columns in every paper for forty miles around." "You've got 'em, Sam, sure." "No, I haven't. I'm solid on the biz. Now listen: I want you to go to-morrow and stand in the middle of that bridge when the two 2:20 trains pass each other going in opposite directions." "Well, you are fresh. What'll I do that for?" "For an 'ad.'" "And where will I be when the trains pass?" "Why, if you're smart and listen to me, you'll be clinging to the trestle-work underneath until they pass over you, then I'll head on back to the hotel and have all the reporters come up and interview you, and then there will be columns published, the house will be filled that night and we will rake in a heavy stake."