GRAVES.  Where’s Sam?

BURTON.  He went out, sir—–­

GRAVES.  Went out?

BURTON.  Y-yes, sir.  About a quarter of an hour ago.

GRAVES.  Where to?

BURTON.  He didn’t say, sir.

(GRAVES TURNS AWAY HELPLESSLY.  BURTON
LISTENS AND THEN EXITS C. GRAVES
WALKS UP AND DOWN, WRINGING HIS HANDS)

MEAD.  Anything wrong?

GRAVES (LAMELY) No, no.  Don’t mind me.  Marlin’s proposition’s all right—–­

(PAUSE.  SUSAN ENTERS R AND IS TROUBLED AT
SIGHT OF GRAVES’S EMOTION)

SUSAN (APPROACHING HIM) Father—–!

GRAVES (UNABLE LONGER TO RESTRAIN HIMSELF) Hell’s fire!

MEAD.  Christopher!

Second, a typewriter using two colors is employed.  The name of the character above each speech is typed in red, and red is used to type the bits of business.  The speeches alone are typed in black, blue or purple as the case may be.  The following example illustrates this method.

-32-

ACT I)

BOOTH

Heavens!  It reads like a fairy tale, doesn’t it?

HENRY

I don’t know; does it?

BOOTH

Yes; and many thanks.  I’ll do my best not to let you regret it.—–­Only, in the old fairy tale, you know, it always ended with the—–­the young man’s marrying the—–­the rich old geezer’s daughter!

HENRY

(CHUCKLING) And I’m the rich old geezer, eh?  Well, I mightn’t ‘a’ been half as rich this minute if it wasn’t for you!—–­Heigho!

(SIZES UP BOOTH) Now, I suppose my cantankerous daughter wouldn’t have you, Piercy; not if I said anything to her about it.  But if she would—–­and you was willin’—–­

(HELEN AND BOOTH EXCHANGE ELOQUENT GLANCES)

—–­why, you’re just about the feller I’d want her to have.

(HELEN DANCES A LITTLE SKIRT DANCE OF DELIGHT BETWEEN
THE DOOR L AND THE SCREEN.  THEN SHE DARTS INTO
THE ADJOINING ROOM, BEING OBSERVED ONLY BY BOOTH)

BOOTH

(WITH SPONTANEITY)
Say, Boss, put her there again!

(ANOTHER HANDSHAKE)
Do you know, you and I are getting to be better friends

Either of these methods serves the same purpose equally well.  The aim is to separate the names and business from the dialogue, so that the difference may be plain at a glance.  The use of either of these ways of typing a manuscript is desirable, but not absolutely necessary.

(d) Use a “record ribbon" in typewriting manuscript, because a “copying ribbon " smudges easily and will soil the hands of the reader.  Observation of this mechanical point is a big help in keeping a manuscript clean—­and respecting the temper of your judge.

(e) Neatness is a prime requisite in any manuscript offered for sale.  Be sure that the finished copy is free from erasures and penciled after-thoughts.  “Do all your after-thinking beforehand,” or have a clean, new copy made.