Sinclair Lewis: Main Street

18. CHAPTER XVIII (continued)

II

She disliked "The Girl from Kankakee" even more than she had expected. It narrated the success of a farm-lassie in clearing her brother of a charge of forgery. She became secretary to a New York millionaire and social counselor to his wife; and after a well-conceived speech on the discomfort of having money, she married his son.

There was also a humorous office-boy.

Carol discerned that both Juanita Haydock and Ella Stowbody wanted the lead. She let Juanita have it. Juanita kissed her and in the exuberant manner of a new star presented to the executive committee her theory, "What we want in a play is humor and pep. There's where American playwrights put it all over these darn old European glooms."

As selected by Carol and confirmed by the committee, the persons of the play were:

John Grimm, a millionaire .  .   .  .  Guy Pollock
His wife.   .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Miss Vida Sherwin
His son .   .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Dr. Harvey Dillon
His business rival.   .  .   .  .  Raymond T.  Wutherspoon
Friend of Mrs. Grimm .  .   .  .   .  .  Miss Ella Stowbody
The girl from Kankakee .   .  .   .  .  Mrs. Harold C.  Haydock
Her brother.  .   .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Dr. Terence Gould
Her mother .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Mrs. David Dyer
Stenographer .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Miss Rita Simons
Office-boy .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .   .  .  Miss Myrtle Cass
Maid in the Grimms' home  .  .  Mrs. W.  P.  Kennicott
          Direction of Mrs. Kennicott

Among the minor lamentations was Maud Dyer's "Well of course I suppose I look old enough to be Juanita's mother, even if Juanita is eight months older than I am, but I don't know as I care to have everybody noticing it and----"

Carol pleaded, "Oh, my DEAR! You two look exactly the same age. I chose you because you have such a darling complexion, and you know with powder and a white wig, anybody looks twice her age, and I want the mother to be sweet, no matter who else is."

Ella Stowbody, the professional, perceiving that it was because of a conspiracy of jealousy that she had been given a small part, alternated between lofty amusement and Christian patience.