Tom Poppins had Horatio Hood Teddem in that afternoon for a hot
toddy. Horatio looked very boyish, very confiding, and borrowed
five dollars from Mr. Wrenn almost painlessly, so absorbed was
Mr. Wrenn in learning from Horatio how to sell a play. To know
the address of the firm of Wendelbaum & Schirtz, play-brokers,
located in a Broadway theater building, seemed next door to
knowing a Broadway manager.
When Horatio had gone Tom presented an idea which he had
ponderously conceived during his Sunday noon-hour at the
cigar-store.
"Why not have three of us--say me and you and Mrs. Arty--talk
the play, just like we was acting it?"
He enthusiastically forced the plan on Mr. Wrenn. He pounded
down-stairs and brought up Mrs. Arty. He dashed about the room,
shouting directions. He dragged out his bureau for the
railroad-president's desk, and a table for the secretary, and,
after some consideration and much rubbing of his chin, with two
slams and a bang he converted his hard green Morris-chair into
an office safe.
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