IV
A Favorable Decision
When Richard returned from Albany the next day he couldn’t find enough words to praise Peggy for what she had said on the radio.
“But your aunt was upset,” Peggy exclaimed, “and she might have been right! Just suppose we couldn’t have opened—”
“It wouldn’t have made a bit of difference,” Richard said. “But if you had said we might not open, think of all the audience we would have lost!”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking of,” Peggy declared happily. “That’s why I went ahead.”
Richard called the cast together on stage to tell them what had happened in Albany. “I got panicky when I heard that the commissioner was out of town—almost decided to hire a guide and try to trail him in the woods! But then he sent a wire from some little town saying he’d return Monday, so I decided to wait.”
“By the way,” Chuck interrupted, “you know we have dress rehearsal tomorrow night, and the next night we open! Have you sent anything to the papers yet? Does the town know we’re going to open?”
Richard gave Chuck an amused “where-do-you-think-I’ve-been” look. “Mr. Crosby, I sent out at least six press releases Monday afternoon from Albany. Not only to Lake Kenabeek, but to the New York papers, too. The Albany paper is running a long article on this—it’s an interesting issue, you know. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a good press all around. The Slade brothers may have actually helped this theater!”
Chris laughed out loud. “I’ll bet they love that idea!”
“Oh, certainly! They’ll be here with bells on Thursday night,” Alison drawled.