Frank Mayo in The Target of Dreams (1916)

Frank Mayo

The poet, a genius who would have been proclaimed a marvel had he lived in 1800, finds 1915 civilization cold and unappreciative. The publishers will not even look at his work. Behind in his room rent, the poet&apos;s landlady speaks h...

The Target of Dreams

The poet, a genius who would have been proclaimed a marvel had he lived in 1800, finds 1915 civilization cold and unappreciative. The publishers will not even look at his work. Behind in his room rent, the poet's landlady speaks her mind. "Scribbling verses won't feed you or pay rent," she declares. "Go out and got work." Knowing that he must live and despairing of recognition as a "scribbler of verse," the poet becomes a book agent. One hour is sufficient to demonstrate to his gentle, kindly nature that a book agent is not a welcome visitor. Discouraged, the poet throws his prospectus away and gets a job as a laborer on an excavation work. One of the laborers is hurt. The poet helps carry the injured man to his poverty-stricken home. Pay day comes. With his salary in his pocket the poet's first act is to visit the injured man's shack. Finding hunger and misery there, the poet gives his week's wages to the laborer's wife. 'When the poet returns to his room and has no money to pay his rent, the landlady turns him out, keeping his small possessions as security. He manages, however, to rescue the manuscript of his epic drama, "Helen of Troy." That night he sleeps in the park. Next day he loses his job because he became lost in his manuscript when he should have been at work. Sitting on a park bench, the poet makes friends with Helen Hayes, little daughter of John Hayes, a publisher. Helen's nurse was busy flirting with the park policeman and the little girl wandered away. The poet shows Helen the title of his drama, "Helen of Troy," and the child remembers it because that is her name. The nurse drags Helen away from the seedy-looking poet. Later, the poet is arrested by the park policeman on a charge of vagrancy. While talking to Helen the poet had left his precious manuscript on the park bench. He is agonized when he discovers his loss at the station house. "Ten days on the chain gang," says the magistrate. Jean Day, attractive Vassar College graduate, who is visiting Helen's mother, finds the manuscript on the park bench and becomes enthused over the worth of the drama, The author's name, however, is not on the script. Jean makes Hayes read the drama, and he, too, becomes enthused. Helen sees the script in her father's hand. "Why that belongs to the poor man," says Helen. A week passes. Hayes has advertised in vain for the author of the drama. Then Helen sees and recognizes the poet in a chain gang working on the streets. Jean tries her influence with the magistrate and the poet is released. At Hayes' office the poet is treated to a surprise, "We don't usually fool with verse," says Hayes, "but this is so good that we will publish it." The poet tries to thank the publisher, but the latter turns to Jean and says, "Thank her. She is responsible for your good luck." In the course of time the poet, now prosperous, does thank Jean to such good purpose that she becomes Mrs. Poet.

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The Target of Dreams

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