“As Hollinger warned me, Lorilla _is_ a Rattler,” Brainard said to the secretary when the two went over the situation. “It looks very much, my boy, as if this law suit would be the final curtain for the great Idea. I’m tied up short. The Chicago theater has taken a lump of money. I don’t believe I could lay my hands on fifty thousand dollars cash, all told.”
“I wonder where she is getting her money to fight the case,” Farson said.
“Perhaps Hollinger is putting it up—as a promising speculation!”
“Why not? It goes with his philosophy. He gave me my chance to compromise—”
“And when he saw that I wouldn’t compromise, he might decide to play on the other side. It makes little difference, anyway. If Miss Walters has any sort of claim, she can easily get all the money she needs. There are always ‘eminent counsel’ ready to take that kind of case on a good contingent fee.”
“Well, what will you do now?” Farson asked in a depressed tone.
“First I must get rid of the lease of the Chicago theater.”
“It’s too bad—the Chicago theater opened well. Mac thinks it will almost make expenses.”
“What Mac thinks and what the public thinks we have found to be two different propositions,” Brainard replied. “I don’t believe Chicago will miss us much. But I hate to close the New York theater.”
“You know the figures—they don’t improve!”
Farson had been hard at work during the summer on a play of American life, based largely on material that Louisiana Delacourt had contributed in a series of amusing confidences about her own experiences, before her departure to complete her education in Europe. It was to be called _Her Great Adventure_, and had been coming on very fast latterly. The plan between the two friends had been to try it out toward the close of the present season, and, if the play proved successful, to open with it in the fall.
“I hadn’t thought about your play,” Brainard exclaimed sympathetically. “We must keep the house open until we can produce _Her Great Adventure_. There’s money enough in the bank for that.” He patted his secretary affectionately on the back. “But finish it, my boy, as soon as you can. That place eats money, and when the news leaks we shan’t be able to keep our company together long. Can you be ready by the first of March?”
