TLS: Friday, January 10, 1919

West Point Pleasant, N.J.
January 10, 1919.

My dear Mr. Madden:

I wrote Mr. Williams three days ago and casually called his attention to the first of the year mentioned in the agreement. Have received no reply as yet. My letter was not so much a direct request for the payment due as an inquiry about his plans regarding "Beyond The Horizon".

I would not have written him without consulting you if I had not misunderstood your letter of Dec. 27th in which you say "there is apparently nothing for us to do in the matter at this time". I judged from this, and from the fact that you postponed making any agreement with me, that you were unwilling to take up my contract at once - which had been my idea when I sent it to you. This was evidently, in the light of your present letter, a misconception on my part. The question now is: How shall this matter be straightened out? Shall I write at once to Williams informing him that the affairs of the play are in your hands, and have been since Christmas? Or shall I wait a certain length of time for a reply to my letter before doing so? My letter was not registered. Can it, therefore, be considered the valid, ten-day-limit notification called for in the contract? I await your verdict about all this and will do whatever you suggest.

Again let me assure you that when I sent you the agreement it was my intention that you should take hold from that date on. So, since your letter of today indicates it was your idea also, this point is clear at least.

With very best regards,

Very sincerely yours,

Eugene G. O'Neill.