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Show Blow I Came to Write "Such a Little Queen" By Chauning Pollock. In view of (ho whimsicality of "Such a Little Queen," and of the fact that tho most enthusiastic admirers admir-ers of the play have not hesitated to speak of it as improbablo, it seems to mo interesting that tho story was suggested sug-gested by an actual occurronco. A gentleman whoso wifo is an actress ac-tress of somo note, lunched with mo a little over a year ago and showed me with much enthusiasm somo newspaper clippings relative to tho lady's return from Philadelphia. On tho back of ono of these clippings was an itom to the effect that Prince Constantino Paoleo-loguo Paoleo-loguo of Greece; "in whoso family had been fourteen kings and eleven emperors," empe-rors," had just secured a position at fifteen dollars a week on a Greek newspaper news-paper in Now York. Tho itom appealed to my sense of humor. I stood looking at it and thinking of tho contrast between be-tween princely occupations and tho hundred and one humdrum of lifo in America. My friond noticed that I was impressed, and, following my glance, saw at which side of tho clipping I was looking. "Interesting, isn't it?" ho said. "I'm going to write a story about that." "It;s too good for a storyl" I exclaimed. ex-claimed. "It would nmko n bully play! Think of putting a fniry tale romance down in tho middle of prosaic Now York!" "It doesn't appeal to me ns a play," quoth my friend, "and of course I siiw it first, '' "What; would you get out of it 7" I inquired. "About flftv dollars." "All right," r said. "I'll toll you what. J '11 do. I'll givo you a huudred dollars not to write it." My proposition was accepted. I gave the gentleman my check, and departed depart-ed with tho right' to do what I pleased with tho newspnpor item. I began at once to read on tho subject and found in Dr. John Do run's "Monnrchs He-tired He-tired from Business" and other works, ampin proof that royal persons in iluan-cial iluan-cial distress were by no means unique. For a long timo I worried as lo whether wheth-er or not the public would ucc.ept this as a fact. Ono day jt was born in upon me that fact or no fact, the humor and romnncc of the situation should carry tho play to success. I began writing that same month, which was in April, 100S, and the plav was completed the following Septenibor. ' |