Roamin’ in the gloamin’ (1928)

ROAMIN' IN THE GLOAMIN' 139 sardonic smile over this last sentence. But it's the truth I'm telling you. By his kindly treatment of me when I was a struggling young chap in the latter years of last century Dennis Clarke made a friend of me for life. He is a true-blue Englishman. Poor old Dennis had had a rough time in health of late, having lost a leg as the result of an accident. But his great heart keeps him cheery. Here's tae ye, Dennis, me lad ! You've the "heart o' corn" — an' no mistake ! But I must get back to the story of how I ultimately fixed up to go to America. It was all due, in the first instance, to a lady ! Her name escapes me for the time being — I may remember it afterwards — but she was the British representative of Messrs. Klaw and Erlanger, at that time one of the largest firms of agents and impresarios in the United States. She had heard me in London and in the provinces and had written urging her principals in New York that I was a most likely bird for an American "try-out," to put the position no higher ! The upshot was that they got in touch with George Foster and he, in his turn, came to me at Manchester and reported that he had got a tentative offer for my services for a five weeks run in New York — what did I say about the scheme? I told Foster flat that I wasn't at all interested in America. And in order to stop all further negotiations I said I would only consider a trip if they agreed to pay me — well, I mentioned a sum which I thought would effectually put the brake on even American vaudeville enterprise. George set the cable working overtime at once and in a day or two I was face to face with a contract which literally made my mouth water! I forget just what I was earning that week in Liverpool but it would not be more than £20. The first thing to do was to ask Nance what she thought. So I sent her a telegram to London telling her all about the offer and asking her if she would go with me to America