Short Fiction · Chapter
Strictly Business explained
Bob Hart, a vaudeville performer, discovers Winona Cherry, an actress whose performance perfectly matches his vision for the lead in his long-held sketch 'Mice Will Play.' After collaborating and forming the team Hart & Cherry, an on-stage
What happens
Bob Hart, a vaudeville performer, discovers Winona Cherry, an actress whose performance perfectly matches his vision for the lead in his long-held sketch 'Mice Will Play.' After collaborating and forming the team Hart & Cherry, an on-stage accident during their debut performance leads to Hart being shot in the neck. As he recovers, he learns from friend Vincente that Cherry is distraught with love for him, but Hart reveals they have been secretly married for two years.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance vs. Reality
The secret marriage between Hart and Cherry contrasts with their professional facade as a vaudeville team, highlighting the gap between public performance and private truth.
Love and Romance
Cherry's emotional reaction to Hart's injury reveals her deep love, which Hart initially dismisses as impossible, only to disclose their existing marriage.
Ambition and Failure
Hart's ambition to produce his sketch and the near-fatal accident that threatens their success, balanced by the revelation of personal commitment.
Characters to notice
- Bob Hart
Vaudeville performer who writes the sketch 'Mice Will Play' and partners with Winona Cherry; reveals they have been secretly married for two years.
- Winona Cherry
Actress in character songs and impersonations; becomes Hart's partner and is revealed to be his secret wife.
- Vincente
Tramp Juggler, friend of Hart and Cherry, who informs Hart of Cherry's love and distress after the accident.
Key passages
“She first showed you a deliciously dewy and ginghamy country girl with a basket of property daisies who informed you ingenuously that there were other things to be learned at the old log schoolhouse besides cipherin’ and nouns, especially 'When the Teacher Kept Me in.'”
Cherry's act begins with a fresh, innocent country girl carrying fake daisies, who coyly suggests that school taught more than just arithmetic and grammar, hinting at romantic lessons.
Describes Cherry's performance style and her ability to embody a naive character.
“But business is business. How much do you get a week for the stunt you do now?”
Cherry pragmatically asks Hart about his weekly salary, emphasizing the commercial nature of their potential partnership.
Highlights Cherry's practical approach to her career despite her artistic passion.
“The girl loves you and is almost mad about your hurt. What’s the matter with you? Is she nothing to you?”
Vincente tells Hart that Cherry is deeply in love and distraught over his injury, questioning Hart's apparent indifference.
Reveals Cherry's hidden feelings and sets up the story's twist.
“Why, Cherry and I have been married two years!”
Hart reveals that he and Cherry have been secretly married for two years, shocking Vincente and explaining his earlier disbelief.
The climactic revelation that recontextualizes their relationship.