“Well, look here,” said Mr. Wrenn, as they left Broadway, with its crowds betokening the approach of Christmas, and stamped to the quieter side of Forty-second, “why wouldn’t this make a slick play:  say there’s an awfully rich old guy; say he’s a railway president or something, d’ you see?  Well, he’s got a secretary there in the office—­on the stage, see?  The scene is his office.  Well, this guy’s—­the rich old guy’s—­daughter comes in and says she’s married to a poor man and she won’t tell his name, but she wants some money from her dad.  You see, her dad’s been planning for her to marry a marquise or some kind of a lord, and he’s sore as can be, and he won’t listen to her, and he just cusses her out something fierce, see?  Course he doesn’t really cuss, but he’s awful sore; and she tells him didn’t he marry her mother when he was a poor young man; but he won’t listen.  Then the secretary butts in—­my idea is he’s been kind of keeping in the background, see—­and he’s the daughter’s husband all the while, see? and he tells the old codger how he’s got some of his—­some of the old fellow’s—­papers that give it away how he done something that was crooked—­some kind of deal—­rebates and stuff, see how I mean?—­and the secretary’s going to spring this stuff on the newspapers if the old man don’t come through and forgive them; so of course the president has to forgive them, see?”

“You mean the secretary was the daughter’s husband all along, and he heard what the president said right there?” Nelly panted, stopping outside Miggleton’s, in the light from the oyster-filled window.

“Yes; and he heard it all.”

“Why, I think that’s just a fine idea,” declared Nelly, as they entered the restaurant.  Though her little manner of dignity and even restraint was evident as ever, she seemed keenly joyous over his genius.

“Say, that’s a corking idea for a play, Wrenn,” exclaimed Tom, at their table, gallantly removing the ladies’ wraps.

“It surely is,” agreed Mrs. Arty.

“Why don’t you write it?” asked Nelly.

“Aw—­I couldn’t write it!”

“Why, sure you could, Bill,” insisted Tom.  “Straight; you ought to write it. (Hey, waiter!  Four fries and coffee!) You ought to write it.  Why, it’s a wonder; it ’d make a dev—­ ’Scuse me, ladies.  It’d make a howling hit.  You might make a lot of money out of it.”

The renewed warmth of their wet feet on the red-tile floor, the scent of fried oysters, the din of “Any Little Girl” on the piano, these added color to this moment of Mr. Wrenn’s great resolve.  The four stared at one another excitedly.  Mr. Wrenn’s eyelids fluttered.  Tom brought his hand down on the table with a soft flat “plob” and declared:  “Say, there might be a lot of money in it.  Why, I’ve heard that Harry Smith—­writes the words for these musical comedies—­makes a mint of money.”

“Mr. Poppins ought to help you in it—­he’s seen such a lot of plays,” Mrs. Arty anxiously advised.