Mr. Author glanced at the pile of nicely bound parts and sighed.  All that work would have to be done over!  “Only another one of my mistakes,” smiled Mr. Producer as he scribbled an order to Miss Secretary, attached it to the manuscript, together with these now useless parts, and laid them on her desk, as he and Mr. Author went out into the cool night air.  “See you tomorrow at eleven,” said Mr. Producer as they parted.  And Mr. Author looking at his watch wondered why he should take the trouble to go home at all.

At eleven Mr. Author found the little outer office crowded with actors and actresses.  Miss Secretary was busily directing the typing of the new manuscript and parts.  Mr. Producer was late.  After Mr. Author had waited an hour in the private office, Miss Secretary came in and said he should wait no longer, because Mr. Producer had been called out of town to straighten out some trouble which had developed in one of his acts and had just telephoned that he would not be in until late that afternoon.  Rehearsal would be as scheduled next morning, Miss Secretary explained.  The performers would be on hand, and she hoped to goodness they would have some idea of their parts by then.  Mr. Author wanted to know how the cast could be engaged when Mr. Producer was away, and Miss Secretary told him that Mr. Producer knew the capabilities of everyone who had called and had even directed her to engage the ones he named.

The following morning Mr. Author saw his characters for the first time in the flesh—­and was disappointed.  Also, the rehearsal was a sad awakening; it wasn’t anything like he had imagined it would be.  They all sat around on chairs and Mr. Producer told them what the act was all about.  Then he suggested that they go through it once, at any rate.  Chairs were placed to mark the footlights, chairs were used to indicate the doors and window, and chairs were made to do duty as a table, a piano and everything else.

Finally they got started and limped through the lines, reading their parts.  Then Mr. Producer began to show them how he wanted it done, and before he had finished he had played every part in the act.  They went through the act once more with a myriad of interruptions from Mr. Producer, who insisted on getting things right the very first time, and then he knocked off, calling it a day’s work.

The next morning Mr. Author was on hand early with some suggestions:  one Mr. Producer adopted, the others he explained into forgetfulness—­and rehearsing began in earnest.  They worked all morning on the first quarter of the act and went back at it late that afternoon.  Miss Leading Lady unconsciously added one line and it was so good that it was kept in the act.  Then Mr. Star did something that made them all laugh, and they put that in.  Of course some pretty lines in the dialogue had to come out to make room, but they came out, and Mr. Author never regretted their loss.  And the next day it was the same, and the day after that, and the seventh day, and the eighth day.