LIBRARY 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 V. CALIFORNIA 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS 
 
 A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts 
 
 BY 
 
 AUGUSTUS THOMAS 
 
 Revised 1916 by AUGUSTUS THOMAS 
 
 Copyright, 1916, by AUGUSTUS THOMAS 
 
 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 
 
 CAUTION. All persons are hereby warned that "Mss. 
 LEFFINGWELL S Boors," being fully protected under the 
 copyright laws of the United States, is subject to 
 royalty, and anyone presenting the play without the 
 consent of the owners or their authorized agents will 
 be liable to the penalties by law provided. Application 
 for amateur acting rights must be made to SAMUEL 
 FRENCH, 28-30 West 38th Street, New York. Applica 
 tion for the professional acting rights must be made to 
 the AMERICAN PLAY COMPANY, 33 West 42nd Street, 
 New York. 
 
 NEWJORK 
 
 SAMUEL FRENCH 
 
 PUBLISHER 
 
 28-30 WEST 38TH STREET 
 
 LONDON 
 
 SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 
 
 26 SOUTHAMPTON STREET 
 
 STRAND 
 
Especial notice should be taken that the possession of this 
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 been obtained from the publisher, confers no Sght or license 
 to professionals or amateurs to produce the play publicly or 
 in private for gain or charity. 
 
 In its present form this play is dedicated to the reading 
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 by special arrangement with Samuel French, 28-30 West 38th 
 Street, New York. 
 
 SECTION 28 That any person who wilfully or for profit 
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 than one thousand dollars, or both ; in the discretion of the 
 court. 
 
 Act of March 4, 1909, 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 This preface is the third of a projected series 
 of six, so planned that each should set forth such 
 difficulties as their respective plays had presented 
 in the making, and the manner in which these 
 difficulties had been surmounted or accommodated. 
 
 The one immediately preceding this, in the order 
 of its writing, was for the play, " In Mizzoura." 
 When the typed copy came back from the typists 
 I showed it to my secretary at the Empire Theatre, 
 not in the spirit in which Moliere is reported to have 
 read to his cook for my secretary is a Yale man 
 and treads with fear in literary paths where I rush 
 in but with an humble and dissembled yearning for 
 his approval. I asked him if he didn t think my 
 confessions of hurdles and slow going might en 
 courage younger writers shinning similar obstacles. 
 He answered, that on the contrary, the preface 
 seemed discouraging, as it laid such stress upon the 
 experiences from which it had been drawn, and 
 thereby implied that to write plays at all, a writer 
 must first have lived considerably. 
 
 That opinion made me doubly thoughtful as I 
 approached this play until a second review of the 
 material reminded me of the trivial character of the 
 experiences and satisfied me that every person must 
 have souvenirs quite as important. 
 
 " Mrs. Leffingwell s Boots " was salvage ; that is 
 to say, it was the marketing of odds and ends and 
 remnants, utterly useless for any other purpose. 
 Let me briefly sketch a few of them: 
 
 With the royalties of " Alabama " I had built a 
 house and was trying to make a home in New 
 Rochelle. It was on a hill on four acres of cow 
 
 no 
 
 mis 
 
 \ c \li 
 
 507 
 
4 PREFACE. 
 
 pasture, treeless except for one gnarly apple ; but it 
 commanded a fair view of the sound a mile distant, 
 and Long Island nine miles across the water. 
 Twenty-six years have enriched the grounds with 
 many noble trees and shrubs and covered the build 
 ing s first story, which is of stone, so densely with 
 vines that it might just as well have been of shingles 
 and saved that mortgage. 
 
 Deaf to the expostulations of a local carpenter, I 
 had a hole eighteen inches square cut in the dining 
 room table, and had this aperture fitted with a cop 
 per pan that caught the drip from a tiny fountain 
 that played over stones and ferns when we had 
 visitors, or felt recurrently sentimental ourselves. 
 It was a perfect little fountain regulated under the 
 table by a key which no man ought to expect a 
 woman to reach, and it worked satisfactorily nine 
 times out of ten, or until a bit of dirt, or some 
 aquatic insect got into its pin-hole nozzle. Then it 
 spurted eccentrically and was a regular fool thing. 
 
 One night Francis Wilson had the attention of the 
 company and was telling a good story, when the 
 fountain took one of these fits. The stream struck 
 fair and square on the stiff bosom of his dress shirt 
 and made a noise like rain on a roof. Company 
 table cloths are long, and before I could get under 
 and find the key, a good deal of water went Mr. 
 Wilson s way, but it didn t interrupt his story. He 
 turned up his lapels like a sailor man on the bridge, 
 and held his place. 
 
 We abandoned the fountain soon after that, but 
 the Francis Wilson episode always impressed per 
 sons humorously when we told it, to explain the 
 patch on the table where the copper pan had been 
 and one gentle visitor said, " Mr. Thomas, you 
 ought to put that in a play ". 
 
 There used to be a market just east of the old 
 Grand Central station, where on a day s notice one 
 could get freshly cooked terrapin in glass jars ; and 
 
PREFACE. 5 
 
 a commuter, with a silk thread on his little finger, 
 could remember to bring out three jars. Now grape 
 fruit, and consomme en tasse, and terrapin, and a 
 rack of lamb, and jumbo squabs, with a sliver of 
 Virginia ham, and alligator pears, and ice cream 
 molded zoologically, plus Turkish coffee, a good 
 cigar and vintage Ruinart make an acceptable 
 dinner. If the laundress will help in the kitchen, 
 and the upstairs maid will assist in the pantry, with 
 an emergency butler from the social service bureau, 
 you can do nicely for a party of twelve. 
 
 There was a blizzard. All our guests, except one 
 lady, were expected from New York. That one 
 lady arrived at nine P. M. in the arms of her coach 
 man. The coupe was in a drift sillhouetted against 
 Long Island. The New York people reported by 
 telephone two days later when the lines were re 
 paired. 
 
 As we faced the flowers and salted almonds and 
 the remaining two hundred and seventy degrees of 
 the vacant circle the solitary guest seated at my right 
 said to Mrs. Thomas, on my left " If you were 
 to put this on the stage, nobody would believe it ". 
 
 In the summer of 1903, Henri Dumay, the French 
 dramatist, was visiting me at East Hampton ; and 
 talking of dinner parties one evening I told him 
 of our blizzard dinner ten years before. It was 
 upon his banter that no playwright could make more 
 than one act of it ; and the encouragement of Mark 
 Twain s statement ; " A short story is a novel in the 
 cradle ", that I began at once to write " Mrs. 
 Leffingwell s Boots". 
 
 There was at East Hampton an empty box stall 
 in the stable with windows set so high that oe 
 couldn t look out of them. I put in only a kitchen 
 chair and a small pine table from the village general 
 store not even a calendar to distract attention. My 
 play material to start with was a suburban home 
 isolated by a storm on the evening of a prepared 
 
6 PREFACE. 
 
 dinner. Persons once there couldn t easily leave; 
 and only the sturdy and the heroic could arrive. 
 Question : what is the best use to make of that set 
 of conditions? Answer: the exploitation of a per 
 son or of persons who would like to get away and 
 can t do so. What person would be the most 
 effective figure under such constraint? A girl! 
 
 I began to picture a storm-bound girl in this 
 suburban house. I made her a guest for whom the 
 ill-fated dinner party was arranged. I gave her 
 youth, and beauty, and all the simple charms I could 
 imagine ; and with her thus endowed I made myself 
 see her still fretting to get away ; and I asked my 
 self and the walls of the box stall why? My first 
 problem was to devise a reason for her uneasiness. 
 
 I press this banality with some insistence upon 
 your attention because it illustrates one way in which 
 a story is made to begin itself: Just one positively 
 chosen effect or result inflexibly adhered to, and 
 turned in every direction in search of its most 
 probable and most prolific cause. And this cause 
 when found, written down in its proper relation and 
 singly or in combination regarded in its turn as an 
 effect for which a remoter cause must be discovered. 
 
 In this instance the best reason for my storm 
 bound girl s uneasiness seemed to be her wish to 
 avoid meeting a particular man. Her very opposi 
 tion made the man important; and I began to in 
 quire why opposition ? Who is he that she doesn t 
 want to meet him ? What is he especially to her ? 
 It was easy to say a bad man ; and easier still, if a 
 very bad man, to hand him over to the police, but 
 that looked like drama, and not comedy so I " about 
 faced " and thought of him as a good man, all right, 
 fine, and in every way admirable so admirable, that 
 she had once loved him ; yes still loved him, but 
 yet wished to escape him. 
 
 And so on, step by step; the best stone in the 
 stream chosen for each next foothold until I had 
 
PREFACE. 7 
 
 Corbin my young architect, whose engagement to 
 her, Mabel had broken, because of his notorious 
 relations with another man s wife, and still had him 
 really innocent and eligible. The only evidences 
 against him were a detective to be ultimately dis 
 credited; a jealous and outraged husband to be 
 later mollified ; and a pair of lady s boots on his 
 fire escape to be later accounted for and explained 
 away. With this broken engagement and this 
 notoriety, Corbin would of course not be one of the 
 expected guests ; so, I had the storm drive him into 
 the house ; not for shelter but to telephone ; and then 
 the match making hostess detained him. 
 
 The next most interesting person in that vague 
 complication, and the most undesirable in that house, 
 would be the married woman, about whom there had 
 been the trouble ; the owner of the boots and of the 
 jealous husband. I called her Mrs. Leffingwell. 
 There is an avenue of that name in St. Louis, near 
 the hill where I used to report railroad strikes, and 
 the name always seemed gay and frivolous to me. 
 I made Mrs. Leffingwell the only invited guest who 
 arrived; and in my own New Rochelle experience 
 I had the " business " of her arrival all ready for 
 transcription. 
 
 With the young man Corbin in the house from 
 which there was no escape; and also with him, his 
 estranged sweetheart, and the married woman of 
 whom she was jealous, I had the nucleus of a farcical 
 comedy. In constructing such plays the French have 
 the three act formula expressed by one of their 
 modern writers: 
 
 Act one; get your man up a tree: 
 
 Act two ; throw stones at him : 
 
 Act three; get him down. 
 
 I had my man up a tree. My work was to find 
 stones to throw at him. Obviously one missile would 
 be the girl s suspicion, and her anger when she dis 
 covered that the solitary lady guest was the woman 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 of the scandal. To have any discovery at all re 
 quired a preceding mystery ; that is to say, the 
 woman of the scandal must be anonymous and she 
 and Corbin must affect to be strangers when they 
 first meet in the play. Corbin s reason for that 
 concealment could be the presence of the jealous 
 sweetheart , the woman s reason could be her promise 
 to a jealous husband to avoid the man. A second 
 stone to throw at the man in the tree was thus 
 obviously the jealous husband himself ; and the play 
 wright s problem at this stage of the story s con 
 struction was to devise situations involving Corbin 
 and the woman, which would look suspicious to the 
 sweetheart and to the husband ; as for example, to 
 put Corbin on the stage in his pajamas and in 
 hazardous nearness to Mrs. Leffingwell also in un 
 conventional attire ; and to do this decently and with 
 out incidents shocking to gentle patrons. The lounge 
 bed improvised in the living room was one bit of 
 machinery to such an end. The sweetheart s and the 
 woman s rooms nearby were another. The telephone 
 calls at midnight were a third and served the double 
 purpose of calling in the ladies and of bringing the 
 jealous husband into that part of the story. 
 
 At this stage of the progress there arose one of 
 those pine knot difficulties in the logic of story build 
 ing that invariably or almost invariably are to be met 
 and resolved. As another stone to throw at my 
 treed hero I wanted the presence of his real accuser, 
 the crooked detective who had manufactured evi 
 dence against Mrs. Leffingwell and against Corbin ; 
 or at least I thought I wanted him, and I began 
 mentally to investigate him. Up to this point he had 
 been a vague factor merely predicated in the con 
 struction. His charge was hearsay. His confuta 
 tion, as arranged, was merely the innocent hero s 
 denial. He was unquestionably a weak link in the 
 chain of circumstances. He must be flesh and blood. 
 His motive must answer logical inquiry. Merely a 
 
PREFACE. 9 
 
 venal officer inventing a false accusation against two 
 entirely innocent persons was too contrived. To 
 have him manufacture evidence at the husband s 
 command would destroy the husband as a genuine 
 factor. Problem: find a better motive for the de 
 tective than money. Then slowly the mental search 
 touches these high lights, not in such close succession 
 as I give them here, but after elimination in this 
 selected order: Hatred? An old enmity? Hatred 
 between equals ? Social equals ? An insane hatred ? 
 A demented detective? Pause! 
 
 Why not give that idea some hospitality? To 
 plant a good lady s boots where they would com 
 promise a man is a bit freakish at best and might 
 be the act of an eccentric. But if the planter is of 
 unsound mind why does not some person know it 
 and knowing it why not say so and prevent the play ? 
 How could Corbin know it and be silent? Why 
 suffer from the man s eccentricity and be still? Is 
 he some relative of Corbin s whom Corbin would 
 wish to shield ? What of that ? Let him be even a 
 brother and Corbin should expose him to Mabel. 
 Why permit the sweetheart to suffer by Corbin 
 sparing a member of his family? Even her own 
 brother Now wait a minute 
 
 Mabel s brother? That sounds pretty good. 
 There s pull in that idea and there s a " come back " 
 and a kick. So there again is an example of one of 
 those solvents that the dramatist so often finds about 
 two-thirds of the way through his story in process : 
 A girl s brother not of sound mind and with a real 
 or fancied grievance against her lover doing things 
 to annoy, embarrass, compromise and even incrim 
 inate the lover, and the lover being silent out of 
 consideration for the girl, as Romeo refused to fight 
 a kinsman of Juliet. 
 
 I was immensely satisfied with the find ; and quit 
 work for that day on which I had made it. A vital 
 factor, a new cog changing completely the gear of 
 
io PREFACE. 
 
 your dramatic machinery needs a night of sub-con 
 scious assimilation at least. 
 
 The next morning the boomerang element in the 
 new feature was operating my girl wasn t happy 
 with a strain of mental unsoundness in the family, 
 and I couldn t blame her. The sentimental part of 
 my confection was getting very unlovely but as 
 mere machinery I hated to dismiss the idea ; and 
 then I remembered Doctor Still, the founder of 
 osteopathy, and an incident in his practice a man 
 insane not congenially, but from an injury; and a 
 cure effected by a readjusted vertebra. 
 
 Useful! That necessitated a practitioner of 
 osteopathy in the play and enough exposition of the 
 tenets of the school to make the use of them real. 
 Doctor Rumsey, his deafness and his skill came into 
 the plot that way. Some wise critics attributed it 
 all to " Thomas susceptibility to fads ", not knowing 
 that like Romeo s apothecary, " My poverty and not 
 my will consented." 
 
 I began to consider the doctor s exposition of this 
 brother s case. I saw the unconvincing quality of 
 mere talk about it. " Don t tell it Do it." That is 
 the sturdy motto of the theatre. I needed a figure for 
 my demonstration a lay figure. The mind jumped 
 to a manikin. When I had the art department on the 
 old St. Louis Republican I used to infest the studios 
 of the local artists. More than once I had been 
 comically startled by walking into a manikin stand 
 ing back of a door or discovered elsewhere un 
 awares ; and the idea of a manikin lip up a whole 
 field of associated subjects. It gave me a studio to 
 play with instead of a living room. It gave me a 
 gallery, with doors to bed rooms above, and door 
 ways to hall and dining room below. It gave me 
 a stairway and landing; all so dear to the weaver 
 of farce fabric; and better yet it gave me this life 
 like figure, potent not only for demonstrations, but 
 for substitutions and mistakes. I think now, that if 
 
PREFACE. ii 
 
 the manikin had not walked into my mind M. Dumay 
 might have won his wager and " The Boots " have 
 been only a one act play. 
 
 A dramatist writing helpfully to beginners in his 
 craft cannot point too often to the value of the 
 delayed ingredient of this kind. Like a bit of 
 soluble and vivid colored pigment floated on an al 
 ready compounded fluid, it not only adds its own 
 individual local color spot, but particles drift from it 
 and affect the motlev of whole compound. 
 
 As vou read the play you will see how completely 
 the idea of an artist and his studio changed the 
 chemistry of the story ; how utterly different it would 
 all have had to be without the manikin, and the 
 studio, and the double deck, and with only the 
 arrangement of the usual suburban house. 
 
 From ^this point onward the making of the play 
 was as simple as re-assembling a picture puzzle and 
 when once together and the picture was complete, 
 it remained only to tell about it which is the easiest 
 part of the business. 
 
 Augustus Thomas. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 PERSONS OF THE PLAY. 
 IN THE ORDER OF THEIR APPEARANCE. 
 
 Cast of characters in Mr. Charles Froman s pro 
 duction, New York. 
 
 MRS. THOMAS BONNER Dorothy Hammond 
 
 MRS. RUMSEY Annie Adams 
 
 DOCTOR HENRY RUMSEY John G. Saville 
 
 NORA. .A maid Jessie Busley 
 
 ORTON. .A butler Ernest Lawford 
 
 Miss MABEL AINSLIE Fay Davis 
 
 MR. WALTER CORBIN Wm. Court enay 
 
 MR. HOWARD LEFFINGWELL Louis Payne 
 
 MR. RICHARD AINSLIE Vincent Serrano 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL Margaret Illington 
 
 TIM . .A coachman Geo. Farnesgaines 
 
 MR. THOMAS BONNER. .Artist Jack Barnes 
 
 A DRIVER Jay Wilson 
 
 SERGEANT OF POLICE Del de Lewis 
 
 13 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS 
 
 ACT I. 
 
 SCENE : The dining room of " INGLENOOK." Big 
 arch at right letting to big studio similar arch 
 left to enclosed porch used as conservatory and 
 filled with plants on rising benches. Exterior 
 do/)r from porch up stage. Doors in back flat 
 up left to pantry; up R. to hall. Big window 
 with seat i L. Big Normandie buffet between 
 doors, at back. Fireplace and mantel in L. upper 
 corner obliqued mantel is surmounted by cattle 
 painting, built in. All doors surmounted by 
 shelves, fitted with brass and china plaques. 
 Wall spaces artistically hung with plates. Color 
 scheme is blue and white. Buffet richly 
 equipped with glass and liquors. A round table 
 with covers for ten is in the center. Chairs of 
 mahogany are in their places. Flowers and 
 candles are on table. 
 
 A little fountain plays at center of table. 
 
 Fire in fireplace. 
 
 Drifting snow at window and porch. 
 
 DISCOVERED : MRS. BONNER, and her mother, 
 and father, DR. and MRS. RUMSEY. (MRS. 
 BONNER is in party dress. DOCTOR and wife in 
 ordinary attire. All are standing.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (With dinner cards; and per- 
 turbed) I always make a diagram of my table and 
 then find it s all wrong. 
 
 15 
 
16 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MOTHER. What s wrong now? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Indicates places) Why I had 
 Mr. Klargess on Mrs. Leffingwell s right and as 1 
 our principal guest she s on Tom s right. That 
 makes her between them. 
 
 MOTHER. Well ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Well if Tom s going to continue 
 to act ugly about Mr. Klarge: - to-night, Mrs. 
 LefrmgwelTs sure to notice it, if she s between them, 
 and it d be all over Larchmont to-morrow that Tom 
 was jealous of Klargess. 
 
 MOTHER. (At R. of table) Who s here? (Scans 
 card) Mr. Reed? Why don t you change him and 
 put Mr. Klargess here? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. That s immediately next to me 
 even more irritating to Tom. 
 
 DOCTOR. (In slightly deaf manner) What s 
 that? 
 
 MOTHER. (Raising her voice) Nothing, Henry 
 I ll explain upstairs. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tell me, dear you understand 
 perfectly why I don t have you both to dinner? 
 
 MOTHER. Why certainly, daughter I d rather 
 take a whipping than come down to it anyway 
 and really not hearing very well your father doesn t 
 enjoy company at all. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Feeling referred to) Eh? What ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. And you wouldn t believe the ex 
 pense of it, Daddy, if I told you. 
 
 DOCTOR. (With some experience) Oh 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No you wouldn t Fillet just 
 one fillet larded-four dollars. (DOCTOR looks at 
 wife) Squabs skinny little squabs nothing else 
 in the market: Six dollars a dozen then nobody 
 gives a lot of wines any more; you begin with 
 champagne and serve champagne all thro the dinner 
 well you see don t you? we can t do it often so 
 when we do do it every plate counts 
 
 DOCTOR. Why bless you, my dear, I know that. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 17 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Affectionately) So you under 
 stand, don t you, why I consent, even consent to 
 mother and you eating with the children ? 
 
 DOCTOR. (Reassuring her) Perfectly. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The butler fills my glass once, 
 just once and it stands thro the evening Tom pre 
 tends that champagne makes him nervous, and he 
 has a long Scotch and soda even that leaves eight 
 to pour for. I tell you they make it serious for you. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Indicating table) All these people buy 
 pictures. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Most of them we hope. Of 
 course Mr. Klargess I invited him on Mabel s 
 account. 
 
 DOCTOR. Whose account ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (To her mother) I ll explain 
 to him and you can listen. (To DOCTOR, in slightly 
 lifted voice) This dinner, father 
 
 DOCTOR. (Admiring table, smiles) Beautiful I 
 remember a dinner Governor Fletcher gave Jennie 
 Lind 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No I m explaining listen. Do 
 you hear me in this tone ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Half the volume, my dear if you d 
 only pitch it in a lower key. It s the slow vibrations 
 that carry All the trans-Atlantic steamers 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (More contralto) I remember. 
 Well this tone then? 
 
 DOCTOR. Exactly if a woman ll only talk con 
 tralto I 
 
 MOTHER. Pity you didn t marry a contralto. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. W^ait, mother. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Apologetically, shakes head and smiles 
 the patient smile of the gentle deaf) Didn t get it. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Didn t miss much I ve told 
 mother about the dinner and I want you to under 
 stand: (DOCTOR nods attention) It isn t any fun 
 for 14 s Tom and me but if Tom s going to sell 
 pictures he s got to meet the people that buy 
 
i8 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 pictures I hate the whole society idea myslf This 
 dinner is just to pay a lot of social debts under 
 stand ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Perfectly. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Cautiously, and looking toivard 
 door R.) Mabel s Miss Ainslie her people think 
 she s going into a decline about Walter Corbin. 
 
 MOTHER. Really ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, yes my inviting her here 
 this winter was a regularly arranged thing between 
 her mother and me. That s why I asked Mr. 
 Klargess to this dinner to-night and if Tom wasn t 
 an idiot he d know it but every time I say 
 " Klargess," Tom behaves this way I don t care 
 that (A snap of her fingers) for Mr. Klargess I 
 wouldn t send flowers to-morrow if I read his 
 funeral notice but he s as jolly as he can be and 
 I ve put Mabel next to him. If anybody can get 
 her mind off of Corbin he can. What time is it, 
 Daddy? 
 
 DOCTOR. What ? 
 
 MOTHER. (Impatiently) Time. (Pantomimes 
 drawing watch) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Smilingly obeys) Oh fifteen minutes 
 after seven. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Consternation) What! Tom 
 ought to be in the house, now, dressing. 
 
 (Enter NORA from pantry up L.) 
 
 NORA. Beg pardon, ma am. 
 MRS. BONNER. What is it, Nora ? 
 
 NORA. That man you ve hired for to-night 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Call him the butler, Nora 
 
 NORA. Yes, ma am. He wants to know if there s 
 cocktails. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tell him I ll speak with him here. 
 NORA. Yes, ma am. (Exit) 
 MOTHER. Is he a regular butler ? 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 19 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Proudly) Oh, yes, from the 
 city. He won t come, if there isn t a pantry and he 
 stipulates he isn t to go into the kitchen. 
 
 MOTHER. (Astonished) Mm. 
 
 (Enter BUTLER, up L. He is very English, and 
 tolerant. ) 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What s your name James, I 
 think they told me. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am, James ; but most houses 
 prefer to call me by my last name, ma am. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes? What is that? 
 
 BUTLER. Orton. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Orton O-R-T-O-N ? 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I think I can remember that. 
 
 BUTLER. Same as Horton s Ice cream only 
 droppin the H. That s a good way. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Thank you. What was it you 
 wished to know? 
 
 BUTLER. Are there cocktails ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Anxiously) What do you think 
 yourself ? 
 
 BUTLER. (Showing one tooth; but too languid 
 to smile further) Depends on the guests, ma am. 
 If the guests are pretty free drinkers we generally 
 say cocktails. They re a great saving of champagne. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Well that doesn t matter; but 
 they do start everything good naturedly. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. (Pause. A slight inclina 
 tion toward right) Pass them in the parlor, of 
 course ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The studio yes we don t have 
 a parlor in this house. ( BUTLER nods; he is about 
 to drift out) And Orton 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. 
 
20 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The maid showed you the two 
 kinds of champagne? 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. After the second round pour 
 the American. 
 
 BUTLER. (Easily) I understand ma am with 
 the napkin over the label. 
 
 (Enter NORA.) 
 
 NORA. Is it time for the candles, Mrs. Bonner? 
 
 BUTLER. (Unmistakably to MRS. BONNER) 
 When I m passing the cocktails I should think. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Assenting) Yes. (Relays mes 
 sage to MAID) When Orton passes the cocktails. 
 
 NORA. Very well ; and the fountain ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. We d better arrange that now. 
 This fountain Orton plays thro the dinner. There s 
 a little key to turn it on by under the table near the 
 floor. 
 
 ORTON. A key ? 
 
 NORA. (Noting his reluctance) I ll do it. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Thank you, Nora. 
 
 (NoRA goes under table removing chair to do so.) 
 
 BUTLER. (Very bored) I don t have to attend to 
 that during the dinner ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, no it runs itself after it s 
 turned on. (To NORA) A little higher, Nora. 
 
 (Exit BUTLER.) 
 
 NORA. There ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, no that s too much. (A 
 bell rings in the pantry) There, that s better 
 leave it there. 
 
 NORA. Yes, ma am. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 21 
 (Enter BUTLER.) 
 
 BUTLER. You ring, ma am? 
 
 NORA. That was me. I put my hand on the 
 button, ma am, (Reappears) 
 
 MRS. BOXXER. Oh, I forgot that button. (Sits 
 in her place as hostess) I don t think I can reach 
 it with this big top on the table. (Sweeps wildly 
 with foot) 
 
 NORA. (Observing) It s further, ma am, (Bell 
 rings} 
 
 MRS. BOXXER. But I can t do that at the dinner 
 we ve a hand wire somewhere. 
 
 BUTLER. You ll hardly need a bell, ma am. The 
 butler " comes in " often enough. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Thank you. 
 
 BUTLER. Will you have the cheese with the salad 
 ma am, or by itself? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Ponderously) Oh I think to 
 gether. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. (Exit 3 L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I wish you d look in the stable, 
 Nora, and see if Mister Bonner is there. 
 
 NORA. (With surprise) In the stable, ma am? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes (NoRA exit 3 L. To 
 mother) Once Tom pretended to go to New York 
 but only hid himself in the stable instead. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Referring to fountain) That s very 
 pretty. Why don t we have that at all the meals? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. We didn t like to cut the table. 
 It s only the big pine top (To mother) and then it 
 takes two table clothes every time you see or cut 
 them. 
 
 MOTHER. It s very pretty; and most unusual. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. It s pretty when it goes all right 
 but a bug or a piece of dirt makes it sputter and 
 then it s simply sloppy till Tom can get under the 
 table and shut it off. I hope every thing ll go all 
 
22 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 right to-night. (Pause) What d he say his name 
 
 was ? Oh, yes, Orton. 
 
 MOTHER. It s sure to go all right the table is 
 lovely. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. It s very much prettier with only 
 the candle light. I want Mabel to see it. (Calls 
 thro the arch to the studio) Mabel! Mabel! 
 
 MABEL. (Off R.) Yes you call Eva? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Can you come down and look 
 at the table before the people come? 
 
 MABEL. Are you alone? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes, alone. (Returns) This is 
 the first party of any kind Mabel s had since her 
 break with Walter Corbin. 
 
 DOCTOR. Didn t get that. 
 
 MOTHER. (By care, and by pantomime) Her 
 first party since her trouble. 
 
 DOCTOR. Trouble ? You mean about her brother 
 Dick being so queer. (Taps head) 
 
 MOTHER. Corbin C-O-R-B-I-N. (Spells it 
 in conjugal whisper) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Smiling) Oh, yes. Found a lady s 
 boots on his fire escape didn t they? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Wig-wagging MABEL S approach) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Unctuously) Ever hear who that 
 woman was? eh? 
 MOTHER. Be still. 
 
 (Enter MABEL, R.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I wanted you to see the table, 
 dear. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Bringing up his average) Why, 
 Mabel, you look as sweet as a peach. 
 
 MABEL. Thank you. (To MRS. BONNER over her 
 shoulder as she backs up) I couldn t reach those 
 three hooks in the middle will you do them ? 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 23 
 
 MOTHER. Here let me. (Fastens MABEL S 
 dress) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Self -accusingly) I forgot to 
 send Nora to you. 
 
 MABEL. Doesn t matter. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Indicating table) Your flowers, 
 dear came in beautifully. 
 
 DOCTOR. (To wife and MABEL) Anything I can 
 do? Used to be a great operator. 
 
 MOTHER. Go way. 
 
 MABEL. And that beautiful fountain. How 
 artistic ! 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom s idea. 
 
 MABEL. Has Tom come back ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No! 
 
 MABEL. He will of course but the snow is some 
 thing terrible. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I know T expect everybody ll be 
 late. The cook didn t think we ought to go ahead 
 with the dinner. 
 
 MABEL. Nobody sent any excuses? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh. no. 
 
 MABEL. Then of course they ll all come. 
 
 DOCTOR. Isn t that somebody at the porch door? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Looking L.) Why I think it is. 
 (Calls) Nora! 
 
 DOCTOR. I ll let him in. (Exit L.) 
 
 MABEL. Strangers don t come that way, do they ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No Tom of course. Don t say 
 a word about Klargess Tom mustn t think I ve 
 told. 
 
 MABEL. Of course not. (MOTHER shakes head) 
 I m going upstairs until dinner, anyway. (Exit R.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Off L. In cheery tones} Why come 
 in come in, sir. Regular Santa Claus weather 
 you re fetching us. 
 
 CORBIN. (Outside) It s a blizzard. Is Mr. 
 Bonner in? 
 
 DOCTOR. No. sir. But Mrs. Bonner is here. 
 
24 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 CORBIN. (Outside) How are you, Doctor ? (We 
 hear him stamping the snow from his boots) 
 
 DOCTOR. Why, Mr. Corbin, we were just speak 
 ing of you. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (In surprise) It s Walter Corbin. 
 
 MOTHER. I ll get out. (Exit R., with domestic 
 dispatch) 
 
 DOCTOR. Talk about telepathy. 
 
 CORBIN. (OffL.) Good-evening, Mrs. Bonner 
 I just stopped in to use your telephone. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Appearing) The drift at that door is 
 fully three feet. 
 
 CORBIN. (Appearing in high rubber boots, and 
 with reefer) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, what a surprise ! 
 
 CORBIN. (Sees table, stops) Oh there s a party 
 excuse me. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But nobody here yet. 
 
 CORBIN. They ll all be late, I m sure. I walked 
 over to a building- I m doin? on the water front. 
 Been two hours getting- here. Thought you wouldn t 
 mind my using your phone to get a rig from the 
 station. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Of course not. (CORBTN crosses 
 toward Phone which is on the wall just inside the 
 arch to the^studio) But why (CORBTN stofis) Oh, 
 dear, I wish I d known you were in New York. 
 (Flutters) 
 
 CORBIN. (Laughing) Thank you. (Goes to 
 phone i R.) 
 
 (MRS. BONNER turns to DOCTOR.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Indicating door and referring td 
 MABEL) Don t they speak to each other? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Near fireplace} Sh 
 
 CORBIN. (Off) Give me 314 please Kerwin s 
 
 store. 
 DOCTOR. I say don t they 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 25 
 
 MRS. BONNER. {In undertone) I hear you and 
 so can he. Be still, please. 
 
 CORBIN. (Off) Is this Kerwin? (Pause) well, 
 won t you see if there s a depot wagon there and 
 ask him to call for Mr. Corbin at (Pause) What ? 
 (Pause) None at all! well, say wait a minute! 
 Don t you think one li come along? (Pause) 
 What s that ? 
 
 DOCTOR. (Pause) Telephoning? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Impatiently) Yes. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Glancing at the cards) . Did you ex 
 pect him? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Hushing him) No no. 
 
 CORBIN. Well look here the stable s near you 
 isn t it? Well can t your boy (Pause) Nobody 
 at all? Well, ring off, please, I ll talk to the stable 
 myself. 
 
 (Enter BUTLER from pantry.) 
 
 BUTLER. (Female whoop, way off as he opens 
 door) Please, ma am, the cook says will the Doctor 
 kindly look at the maid s ear she got stuck in a 
 snow drift on her way to the stable and we think it s 
 a bit frozen. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why dear me! Father, please 
 go to Nora in the kitchen. 
 
 DOCTOR. (To BUTLER) What is it? 
 
 BUTLER. (Beckoning) The maid, sir ( DOCTOR 
 joins him} T gave her two cocktails, (NoRA 
 whoops off) and she s a bit cheery, ma am. (Exit 
 DOCTOR quickly) But maybe with an old gentle 
 man (Exit after DOCTOR) 
 
 CORBIN. Well, ring me up when you get them, 
 please. (MRS. BONNER goes anxiously toward 
 pantry. Enter CORBIN) Depot wagons seem to be 
 in demand. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You couldn t get one? 
 
 CORBIN. Not yet 
 
.6 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But why must you go? 
 
 CORBIN. Oh I ve an appointment in New 
 York. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Can t you telegraph. 
 
 CORBJN. (Declining) Oh, no, really 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Pause impressively) Walter! 
 Mabel Amslee s here. 
 
 CORBIN. (Earnestly) Mabel. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes. 
 
 CORBIN. Then why then of course I can t stay 
 you know, don t you ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No I don t know and nobody 
 knows. It just seems too foolish of you both. 
 
 CORBIN. It s my fault, may be. I said I d ex- 
 plain and but then you know well I d rather 
 not talk about it if you don t mind. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why should you talk about it 
 with me? But I think if you only got together 
 yourselves and to-night when everybody else has 
 gone 
 
 CORBIN. No really thank you, Mrs. Bonner, 
 very much it d be rather taking advantage of of 
 her don t you see? (Telephone rings) Excuse 
 me (Exit) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Earnestly calling after hint) 
 Now think twice don t order that wagon. 
 
 CORBIN. ( Off) Yes yes Mr. Bonner s house 
 (Pause) Why, hello, Jim this is Walt Walter 
 Corbin (Pause) No no not at all knew noth 
 ing about it just blundered in, to use the telephone 
 Mrs. Bonner s right here, speak to her yourself 
 where are you ? club ? Yacht club? (Speaks) Mrs. 
 Bonner Mr. Klargess. (MRS. BONNER disappears 
 and CORBIN appears) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Off) Good-evening, Mr. 
 Klargess (Pause) Yes, isn t it awful (Pause) 
 Oh now don t say that your valise came at four 
 o clock ; and your things are all laid out in father s 
 room and (Long pause) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS 27 
 
 CORBIN. (In low tone, urgently) Ask him if 
 there s a cab or wagon there at the club. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You must you really must It 
 makes a vacant place beside the loveliest girl you 
 ever saw (Pause) What? (Pause) I have 
 asked him he says he must go to New York 
 What? Wait a minute. (Speaks running into 
 dining room and holding to the receiver) Mr. 
 Klargess says you can t get to New York to-night. 
 
 CORBIN. Nonsense He s in some game at the 
 club there. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Off) Mr. Corbin says you re 
 playing bridge and don t wish to come. What? 
 (Pause) Wait a minute. (Speaks as before) He 
 says you really can t get anywhere that it s the 
 worst storm since Roscoe Conklin died. Why not 
 stay think of Mable. 
 
 CORBIN. (Displaying boots and sweater) But 
 look at me "The Eau Claire Lumber Co." 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Use Mr. Klargess things. (Calls) 
 Wait a minute I m talking to him. (Speaks) And 
 Tom has three suits himself ; one pretty good. 
 
 CORBIN. Let me speak to Klargess. (They ex 
 change places) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. And you must stay. 
 
 CORBIN. (At phone) Say, Jim I m in a pair 
 of rubber boots and a reefer what (Pause) Well, 
 that s what I wanted to know thanks old man, 
 I ll send the valise any place you say ! (Pause) 
 All right, Mendel s then. (Laugh) By jove yes I 
 can smell it. (Pause and laugh) I wish I had your 
 excuse. Good-bye (Speaks) Mrs. Bonner. 
 (They exchange again) 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR, 3 L.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Mother! where s Mrs. Rumsey? 
 (Crosses to door up R.) Think of putting hot 
 cloths on a frost bitten ear. (Exit) 
 
28 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Thank you so much. Do yow 
 know where father s room is ? You built the house. 
 
 CORBIN. Well I don t know it by that name of 
 course. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I ll take you there. But tell me, 
 do you wish to sit next to Mabel? 
 
 CORBIN. Of course but hadn t you better ask 
 her? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I shall but anyway that s where 
 I d had Klargess. 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR and MOTHER by door up R. DOCTOR 
 carries bottle.) 
 
 CORBIN. Good evening, Mrs. Rumsey. 
 
 MOTHER. Mr. Corbin, (They shake hands) 
 Why? (Surprise) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Catching DOCTOR S arm) Father 
 please take Mr. Corbin to your room and give 
 him Mr. Klargess clothes Mr. Klargess isn t com 
 ing. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Giving wife the bottle) Certainly. 
 Here, mother, you apply this to that girl both 
 ears. 
 
 CORBIN. Somebody frost bitten? (Winces as 
 mother opens bottle) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The waitress. (Exit MOTHER up 
 L. to pantry) Oh ! (Winces at the odor of the lini 
 ment reaches her) 
 
 DOCTOR. This way, Mr. Corbin. 
 
 CORBIN. Thank you. (Exit R. with DOCTOR) 
 
 (Enter BUTLER up L.) 
 
 BUTLER. A gentleman in the kitchen, ma am. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Who? 
 
 BUTLER. One of the guests, I think. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 29 
 
 (Enter LEFFINGWELL up L. He is a chemist-look 
 ing person with bald head, heavy red beard, 
 and gold rimmed spectacles. He is heavily 
 wrapped. ) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Excuse my coming by the back 
 way, Mrs. Bonner. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, Mr. Leffingwell 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. But I took the first door. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Is Mrs. Leffingwell with you? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I m going to telephone her. I 
 haven t been home, you see. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You haven t? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. No. The trolley stuck and I came 
 tkk far on a snow plow. You don t mind my using 
 your phone? Cora is so nervous. (Exit R.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Not at all. 
 
 (Enter MABEL excitedly and looking back toward 
 studio.) 
 
 MABEL. Eva ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mabel? 
 
 MABEL. Some one just crossed the studio; talk 
 ing with your father ! 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Confirming MABEL S apprehen 
 sion) Yes. It s quite accidental, dear. He came 
 in to telephone it s the worst blizzard since Roscoe 
 Conklin died. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (At phone) One ninety D, 
 please. No D fourth letter A BCD. One 
 ninety. 
 
 MABEL. Who s that? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mr. Leffingwell he also came in 
 to telephone. 
 
 MABEL. But the other is? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes ! Now don t be silly, Mabel 
 dear, for the credit of all women don t let him see 
 that you re broken up by it ; he knows you re here. 
 
30 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. Of course I shan t; but it just spoils the 
 whole evening doesn t it ? 
 
 (MRS. BONNER takes MABEL consolingly to fire.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL (At the phone) Hello who is 
 this? (Pause) Oh, that you, Katie? (Pause) 
 Well this is Mr. Leffingwell you tell Mrs. Leffing- 
 well that -(Pause) What s that? (Pause) Gone 
 where? (Pause) Oh (Pause) Oh (Pause) 
 When did they leave? (Pause) Oh that s funny ; 
 well all right all right, Katy I ll be right over. 
 (Enters) Cora s on her way here, it seems. 
 (Smiles) Likes to give me lessons in punctuality. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Miss Ainslee, may I present Mr. 
 Leffingwell? 
 
 (They bow and speak.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Miss Ainslee charmed, I m sure. 
 (Enter DOCTOR.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Hello, Mr. Leffingwell there s a sen 
 sible man no dress suit in weather like this. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Just going home to put it on. 
 (Starts L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Take our wagon. (Tries to ring 
 under table; does so) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Tisn t five hundred yards across 
 lots. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I m sure you ll save time by the 
 wagon. (Enter BUTLER up L. answering bell) Tell 
 the coachman to come round with the buggy at once. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes ma am. (Exit) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Really no need of it Tom s home 
 of course? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No he isn t. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Well well ! 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 31 
 
 DOCTOR. He was home at four ; but a valise came 
 then belonging to a man Tom doesn t like and whom 
 he didn t know Mrs. Bonner had invited ; and Tom 
 went out. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (After trying to stop DOCTOR) 
 What do you think of that? what s your opinion 
 of a jealous husband, Mr. Leffingwell? (Banters) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Seriously) Nothing if there s 
 no cause for it. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Well there s certainly no cause 
 for this. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Chaffing) I must say Eva set Tom 
 the example. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Father! 
 
 DOCTOR. You know Tom made his reputation on 
 the female figure He did that beautiful ceiling in 
 the Waldorf ; you remember. Then he married ; and 
 Eva discovered he had to have live women for 
 models. Eva s interest in art rapidly progressed 
 from curiosity to disapproval, and finally, nervous 
 prostration. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, father, how can you exag 
 gerate in that manner? (Turns) \Vhy, Mabel 
 dear (Turns to MAREL. They go to studio door R.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Amiably to LEFFINGWELL) So now 
 Tom goes in for animals, Eva isn t a bit jealous of a 
 cow ; or a setter dog bv a fireplace. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Returning) Tom prefers to 
 paint animals. 
 
 (MABEL disappears R.) 
 
 DOCTOR. People don t buy many cow pictures ; and 
 Tom used to make thousands of dollars out of a few 
 gauzy ladies over a window so I tell Eva that if 
 he wants to walk arottnd in the snow because an 
 other fellow s valise comes here, it s a very mild kind 
 of criticism after all. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But not at a dinner party ^up- 
 
32 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 pose you are jealous of a man what would occur 
 at a dinner party of ten? 
 
 (Door bell rings off R.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. There are some men one can t be 
 too careful of ; and the husband must decide who 
 those men are, Mrs. Bonner. I know a fellow 
 an architect of great reputation put a lady a lady 
 that I happen to know, in the most awkward posi 
 tion cost her husband a barrel of money to keep 
 her name out of the papers. Dinner of ten? This 
 was in the biggest hotel in Bar Harbor. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Interrupting; and fearful for 
 MABEL) Mr. Leffingwell! (Then for effect} Let 
 us go into the studio everybody there s a beauti 
 ful fire in there: (Exit) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Following to door) What is it? 
 
 DOCTOR. Pst (Touches LEFFINGWELL) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Eh? (Returns) 
 
 DOCTOR. (In low tone) Pretty close call that 
 Bar Harbor! Architect! That young lady Miss 
 Ainslee was engaged to the man I think you mean 
 Found a lady s boots on his fire escape, didn t they ? 
 (Smiles) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Reluctantly) Yes. 
 
 DOCTOR. (In eager enjoyment) That s the boy 
 ever hear who the woman was ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Closing the question) No 
 never, (Door bell off) 
 
 DOCTOR. But you said you knew her husband, 
 didn t you ? Cost him so much to keep her name out 
 of the papers. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Annoyed) I can t talk about 
 it with others within hearing. 
 
 DOCTOR. Oh I hear you if you talk low enough. 
 "Vou know it s the bass viol one hears furthest in 
 the string band, and the tuba in the brass ones 
 " umpa " " umpa " all the trans-Atlantic steamers 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 33 
 
 have their fog whistles keyed low science has dem 
 onstrated that it s the low vibration that carries 
 so if my friends will only talk bass, and contralto 
 
 (Enter MOTHER up L.) 
 
 MOTHER. (Tranquilly) Here s your medicine, 
 Henry I put it in both ears and filled them with 
 cotton. 
 
 DOCTOR. You put it in the ear ? 
 
 MOTHER. In both ears. 
 
 DOCTOR. That s a liniment I told you to put it 
 on the ears. (Going. to LEFFINGWELL) Frozen 
 ears! The cook first parboiled them ; and now Mrs. 
 Rumsey has deviled them, and stuffed them with 
 cotton. (Exit up i+) 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER, R.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What s the matter? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I hope Miss Ainslee didn t hear 
 me? 
 
 MR*. BONNER. No. (Bell rinas} Dear me 
 whv don t the servants answer that bell ? 
 
 MOTHER. The butler went to the stable. I m 
 afraid the maid ah doesn t hear it I ll answer 
 it. dear. (Exit up R.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. T want you to promise me, 
 Mr. Leffinewell, not to make any references to that 
 subject at dinner. 
 
 (LEFFINGWELL protests hi dumb show. Enter 
 BUTLER.) 
 
 BUTLER. The coachman s sorry, ma am, but he 
 can t open the stable doors. They re not built to 
 slide, he savs. like stable doors ought to. They 
 open out and the drift s that heavy he can t do it. 
 
34 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To MRS. BONNER) No matter, 
 really, I ll walk. It isn t 500 yards across lots. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Stupid not to be able to open the 
 stable doors. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Architect s fault who was he? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Walter Corbin supposed to be 
 one of the best. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Mm I should say not for domes 
 tic work. (Going) I ll be only a minute late but 
 don t delay the dinner for me. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh yes. 
 
 (Exit LEFFINGWELL 2 L, Enter MOTHER up R.) 
 MOTHER. Where s Mabel? 
 
 (Exit BUTLER to pantry.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. In the studio. 
 
 MOTHER. (Nervously) Her brother s here. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Which brother? 
 
 MOTHER. Dick the one that s (Taps head) 
 
 (Enter DICK.) 
 
 DICK. Excuse me, Mrs. Bonner but there s some 
 dreadful trouble. (He speaks in nervous, jerky 
 way and with shifting glances) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, Dick what is it? 
 
 DICK. Is Mr. Bonner in ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. No. Has anything happened to 
 him? 
 
 DICK. Oh no but I need his help. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is it ? 
 
 DICK. Mabel! (Sits overcome by window^ 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mabel? What about her? 
 
 DICK. Gone (Buries his face) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 35 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Gone where? (DicK points up. 
 MRS. BONNER looks at mother) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes but she ll be down again in 
 a minute. 
 
 (DICK looks at MRS. BONNER.) 
 
 DICK. Who? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, Mabel. 
 
 DICK. (Tearfully) Oh no, you don t under 
 stand. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is it? 
 
 DICK. (Displays telegram) She s dead dead. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. "Your sister Mabel? (DicK nods 
 inarticulate. Exit MOTHER R.) Why, Dick, what 
 can you mean ? Mabel s here with me. 
 
 DICK. (Looks up pause) Mabel? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why yes. Does that telegram say 
 Mabel s dead? 
 
 DICK. (Affecting astonishment) Yes. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Who sent it ? 
 
 DICK. It s signed " mother." 
 
 (Enter MABEL, R.y 
 
 MABEL. (Accusingly) Dick. 
 
 DICK. (Emotionally) Mabel. (To her with em 
 brace) 
 
 MABEL. (Severly) I thought you were in Cali 
 fornia ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The poor boy s just had a tele 
 gram saying you were a telegram with bad news of 
 
 MABEL. (Suspiciously) Oh. (Pause) 
 ^ DICK. (Weakly) Can t see who d do a thing 
 like that. (Regards telegram with severity) 
 
 MABEL. (Putting MRS. BONNER out R.) Mrs. 
 Bonner, won t you talk to (Pause) any of your 
 
36 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 guests, who may come down stairs. Keep them there 
 a minute. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Certainly. (Exit R.) 
 
 MABEL. (Nervously) Give me that telegram, 
 Dick. (DicK gives telegram. She continues with 
 just a glance at it. Sits by him) What do you 
 mean, Dick? haven t you disgraced the family 
 enough already? You ve cheated every friend of 
 father s ; and every business associate of poor 
 brother George ; and now you begin on my friends 
 I can t stand it Dick I won t stand it. 
 
 DICK. I didn t know you were here ? Did I ? 
 
 MABEL. Of course you didn t ; but you know these 
 were my friends, Dick Mr. Bonner knows of you 
 only as my brother I didn t think you d try to to 
 get money from him and so so dishonestly. (Dis 
 plays telegram) 
 
 DICK. I didn t I came here to the Bevin House 
 to see a man that was stopping there a classmate 
 of mine a sympathetic fellow, that a telegram like 
 that, would appeal to but he s gone to -New Mex 
 ico on business I don t know anybody else in the 
 town and and I ve got to have a hundred dollars 
 " Mab " I ve just got to that s all. 
 
 MABEL. Mother sent you two hundred the day 
 before I came here. 
 
 DICK. That was to " pay up " with. It was gone 
 before I got it you see, Mabel, you re a girl you 
 haven t any idea of the money a man needs just 
 to look decent, and buy a drink for the men that 
 buy a drink for him. 
 
 MABEL. You could have all you need, Dick, if 
 you d only behave. If you d only do an honest day s 
 work for father or for brother George. 
 
 DICK. Haven t I tried that ? Father and George 
 don t understand they re business men 7 can t 
 live in Louisville. 
 
 MABEL. Why can t you, Dick ? A great many do 
 live there. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 37 
 
 DICK. (Innocently) Not as many as live in 
 Pittsburg. 
 
 MABEL. Well? 
 
 DICK. And nobody lives in Pittsburg that can 
 get away. 
 
 MABEL. That s nonsense, Dick. 
 
 DICK. No. There s a society here in New York 
 City called the Pennsylvania society eight hun 
 dred strong nearly all of them, men that have 
 escaped from Pittsburg after a fellow s been 
 a man, Mabel, I don t mean a married man or one 
 of these " quick lunch," business men but a man a 
 free man, in New York at liberty to go any place 
 in the town he wants to, he can t live in Louisville 
 again or any place like that. (Pause) 
 
 MABEL. That s silly prejudice Dick; Louisville s 
 a beautiful little city. 
 
 DICK. Oh, yes, the local papers call it a metrop 
 olis I know, but you pay one of them for a full 
 page "ad "; pay em real "money, and the next day 
 the editor starts for New York I ve got only one 
 life to live and I don t mean to waste it out there. 
 
 MABEL. Oh, Dick why do you behave like this 
 you don t know what you re doing to father. He 
 looks seventy instead of fifty-eight and all in six 
 years of this terrible conduct by you. 
 
 DICK. Oh, no they all look that way, Mabel, 
 you simply notice father more than the rest, because 
 you re with him. What can you expect ? He passes 
 that plate in the new stone church Sunday morning 
 and thinks he s had a day s recreation I sized it all 
 up when I used to come home in the old vacation 
 days. It was a body blow even in my Sophomore 
 years, but after the lunior commencement, I whis 
 pered myself " Little Dickey, your post office ad 
 dress will be f number one New York ." 
 
 MABEL. But where s your pride, Dick? You 
 can t support yourself in New York. 
 
38 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 DICK. No outsider does at first, but I will. You 
 wait. 
 
 MABEL. We have waited six years and every 
 few months has brought some awful story of you i 
 checks on banks where you had no money George s 
 name and father s to other checks they hadn t 
 signed 
 
 DICK. I always wired them didn t I ? And al 
 ways wrote and explained it. Mother understands 
 it. 
 
 MABEL. But those things are crimes, Dick dear. 
 You seem so callous to that idea. They re crimes- 
 men have been sent to jail for less offences than 
 yours. 
 
 DICK. Oh, I can t go into the ethics of the thing 
 with you, Mab. There s a certain amount of money 
 coming to me some day isn t there ? When the Gov 
 ernor when he quits? 
 
 MABEL. Not necessarily. 
 
 DICK. (Impatient at feminine logic) Of course 
 not necessarily but naturally? Well it ll do me 
 a great deal more good now. 
 
 MABEL. The family doesn t think so. 
 
 DICK. The family s in Louisville I m in New 
 York. I know now when I sit up nights and think 
 out a scheme ; the necessary machinery to get some 
 of it to-day instead of sordidly hoping for for 
 anybody s death you can t call that crime? 
 
 MABEL. The law calls it crime. 
 
 DICK. What is the law ? 
 
 MABEL. (Posed) What? 
 
 DICK. (Repeating) What is the law? 
 
 MABEL. (Struggling) Well it the law is 
 it s the rules of conduct for for society. 
 
 DICK. Not at all a law is generally an arbi 
 trary prohibition of something the majority of the 
 people prefer to do. For example " Keep off the 
 grass " ; that s because most people naturally pre 
 fer to get on the grass. Walk on it. And sit on 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 39 
 
 it and roll on it. And you can t make it morally 
 wrong by calling it bad names. I m no criminal 
 because I ask a little help from the family. 
 
 MABEL. Why, Dick that kind of talk sounds 
 almost as tho you hadn t good sense. 
 
 DICK. (Unnecessarily resentful) I told you 
 never to say that to me I m the only one in the 
 family that has good sense excepting you perhaps. 
 You manage to get down here a month or two every 
 year on some excuse what s on to-night? 
 
 MABEL. Mrs. Bonner has some guests to dinner. 
 
 DICK. Stopping here ? 
 
 MABEL. No coming. 
 
 DICK. Where s your room? 
 
 MABEL. On the studio gallery just above that 
 door. 
 
 DICK. (Going to door) Show me. 
 
 MABEL. (Following) No, Dick don t go in 
 the studio. You must go back to the place where 
 you re staying. Is it far? 
 
 DICK. About a block. But I ve got to have that 
 hundred by morning. 
 
 MABEL. But not this way, Dick, (Indicates tele 
 gram) not dishonestly. 
 
 DICK. What other way is there? 
 
 MABEL. You can work. 
 
 DICK. Not a hundred dollars worth in one night 
 unless I work some friend. 
 
 MABEL. The family will send it, if they know 
 you re trying; if I write them you are. 
 
 DICK. There isn t time for that. I I endorsed 
 a note that s due in the morning. 
 
 MABEL. Is that so pressing your name on the 
 back of a note? 
 
 DICK. Tisn t my name. 
 
 MABEL. Whose is it? 
 
 DICK. A friend s. You see he doesn t know it, 
 and if I can take the note up at nine he won t need 
 to know it. 
 
40 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. (In horror) You mean you forged a 
 signature ? 
 
 DICK. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. Not father s nor George s? 
 
 DICK. No a friend s I told you. 
 
 MABEL. Dick ! 
 
 DICK. Now don t preach about it, Mabel. Help 
 a fellow if you can but don t nag. 
 
 MABEL. I can t help you, Dick. 
 
 DICK. (Regarding her jewels) You could lend 
 me that pigeon blood ring (She shakes her head) 
 or that necklace. 
 
 MABEL. they re not mine. They re mother s. 
 
 DICK. Be yours some day she s always said so. 
 
 MABEL. I can t Dick. 
 
 DICK. I don t see why you can t. 
 
 MABEL. They re entrusted to my care. 
 
 DICK. Suppose you lost one of them ? 
 
 MABEL. That would be an accident. 
 
 DICK. Well have an accident say you lost the 
 ring. 
 
 MABEL. Which would be adding a lie to the 
 dishonesty. 
 
 DICK. Isn t wearing them also a lie? It s the 
 pretence that they re yours when you know they re 
 not. You re willing to issue that lie thirty days in 
 the month just to feed your vanity but one little 
 fib the word "lost" instead of "lent" in order 
 to keep me out of the police station and your fem 
 inine sense of rectitude rises. You see, Mabel, it s 
 you, and the people of your kind that haven t good 
 sense. You re the law makers and the law abiders 
 the people that don t tell lies but are dev lish 
 willing to live them. 
 
 MABEL. No, Dick I ll telegraph home. I ll do 
 that. 
 
 DICK. There isn t time to telegraph. You see I 
 was counting on this classmate of mine at the Bevin 
 House. He was there yesterday. But my luck 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 41 
 
 I pick the one day in the year that he goes away. 
 Then I come here with that telegram. The one 
 house in America, the one house fully equipped to 
 to doubt it when your hard luck gets to running 
 in a tide like that it becomes ridiculous that s all 
 ridiculous, (Telephone rings) What s that? (He 
 starts nervously) 
 
 MABEL. The telephone. 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER up R.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. That s the phone, isn t it? Ex 
 cuse me. (Exit to phone) 
 
 DICK. (Urging in undertone) She s probably 
 got a hundred herself. 
 
 (MABEL shakes head.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (At phone) Hello yes Mrs. 
 Bonner. 
 
 DICK. These commuters usually keep a fair 
 amount in the house with them. 
 
 (MABEL shakes head.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. A telegram for me. Thank you, 
 Mr. Waterbury please read it. 
 
 DICK. Do vou room alone ? 
 
 MABEL. Of course I room alone. 
 
 DICK. (Mutters; with frown) You know I 
 could take them from you now by force if I 
 wanted to be ugly you know that, don t you? I 
 could step right out there and you wouldn t dare 
 make a row about it. 
 
 MABEL. Sh 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Dejectedly) Oh oh dear 
 well thank vou very much. 
 
 DICK. Only my decency that s all. 
 
42 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What do you think, my dear? 
 From Mr. Reed they re all of them the John 
 stons Mr. Newton Jennie Prentiss all at 42d 
 street not a train running. 
 
 MABEL. How dreadful. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Turns to table) And dinner 
 for ten terrapin larded fillet, and squabs. You 
 know I could sit right down and cry about it. 
 
 DICK. (Grimly) I don t think I d cry, Mrs. 
 Bonner about having too much terrapin there are 
 deeper sorrows. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (After an astonished pause) 
 Thank you, Dick I won t. 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR up L.) 
 
 DOCTOR. She s all right, Eva. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Who? 
 
 DOCTOR. Nora why, Dick, this is an unexpected 
 pleasure. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Father I ve had a telegram 
 none of the New Yorkers coming. You and mother 
 must help us eat the dinner. 
 
 DOCTOR. IVe had one dinner with the children. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But that was a very light one; 
 and Dick must stay, too. 
 
 DICK. Well really, Mrs. Bonner 
 
 MRS. BONNER. We won t be disappointed. Well 
 just make an informal picnic of it and have a good 
 Jime. 
 
 DICK. Wttt thank you if you insist. ^L&xder) 
 Tmapm for ten. (To DOCTOR) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Warningly) Terrapin takes four 
 hours to digest. 
 
 DICK. Well, IVe got the time. I was just com 
 plaining, Doctor, of my own hard luck but this 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 43 
 
 looks like a good omen doesn t it? (Indicates 
 table) 
 
 DOCTOR. I should say so. You believe in omens, 
 Dick? 
 
 DICK. Every man with any sporting blood in his 
 veins believes in omens. 
 
 (The fountain ceases running properly, and plays 
 full onto DICK S breast.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh there s a bug in it. 
 
 DICK. (Fatefully) Well if it s only a bug. 
 (Turns up his collar and takes it) 
 
 MABEL. Stand to one side, Dick. 
 
 DICK. (Stubbornly) Not when things are be 
 ginning to come my way as strongly as that. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Dear me how does one turn it 
 off? (Rings) 
 
 MABEL. Dick, that s foolish. 
 
 DICK. Not if it s only a bug and, if it isn t a 
 bug I want to know it. 
 
 (Enter BUTLER.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The fountain s out of order, call 
 Nora, please. 
 
 (Exit BUTLER.) 
 
 DOCTOR. That ll make you ill, Dick. 
 
 DICK. Oh, I think not. I m glad the butler 
 couldn t stop it I ll wait for what s her name. 
 Nora? (Enter NORA with very red face and ears 
 tied up she promptly dives and shuts off fountain) 
 What was that? 
 
 MABEL. Be still, Dick you ll offend her. 
 
 (NoRA reappears.) 
 
44 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Thank you, Nora. 
 
 DICK. (Fascinated by NORA S ugliness in her 
 frozen make-up) Yes, thank you. 
 
 NORA. (Regarding him) You re welcome, sir. 
 
 DICK. Any time I can do as much for you call on 
 me. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. That will do, Nora. 
 
 NORA. Yes, Ma am. (Exit) 
 
 DOCTOR. (To DICK) She s frost bitten. 
 
 DICK. She looks it (Pause) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. So you stay, don t you, Dick? 
 
 DICK. (Turns down his collar) Yes, thank you. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I ll put you next to Mrs. Leffing- 
 well. 
 
 DICK. (Quickly) Next to whom? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mrs. Leffingwell Mrs. Howard 
 Leffingwell. 
 
 DICK. (Stung) Oh well really you see, Mrs. 
 Bonner (Pause; and with haunted glare at the 
 fountain) that wasn t a bug. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. It doesn t matter, does it ? 
 
 DICK. (Rousing himself) I think, I won t stay, 
 thank you. I ve heard of the Leffingwells they re 
 rather dressy. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What of that here s father not 
 dressed or if you wish it you can have a suit of 
 Tom s Mr. Corbin is wearing Mr. Klargess* 
 clothes. 
 
 DICK. (In further alarm) Who is? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mr. Corbin. 
 
 DICK. Which Mr. Corbin ? 
 
 MABEL. Walter Corbin. 
 
 DICK. (Passing his hand over his eyes) With 
 the Leffingwells? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes. 
 
 DICK. (More haunted. Pause) That wasn t a 
 bug. (Looks at fountain. Starts to door) 
 
 MABEL. Dick 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 45 
 
 CORBIN. (Appearing c.) Have I kept you wait 
 ing? 
 
 DICK. (Suddenly at seeing CORBIN) Good 
 night. (Exit 3 L. into the snow and night) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Calling after) Why, Dick 
 Dick, please stay. (Turns) Why, what made him 
 do that? 
 
 CORBIN. (To MABEL, uneasily) How are you? 
 
 MABEL. (Constrained) Good evening. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Seeing CORBIN and MABEL) 
 Oh I ll get mother and we won t wait any longer 
 for anybody (Significantly) Come, father 
 Mabel, I wish you d have the candles lighted and 
 seat the party to suit yourselves you and W 7 alter. 
 (Exit) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Pausing in exit) Have I time for a 
 dress suit? (Exit) 
 
 CORBIN. (Pleading) Mabel. 
 
 MABEL. (Coldly) Mr. Corbin. 
 
 CORBIN. Is it Mr. Corbin? 
 
 MABEL. Mrs. Bonner asked us to light the 
 candles. (At pantry door) Oh, butler I think 
 Mrs. Bonner wishes the table lighted now. 
 
 BUTLER. (Off) Yes, Miss. (MABEL moves 
 doivn to window) 
 
 CORBIN. (Following) Is that all our our as 
 sociation has meant? 
 
 MABEL. It seems so. 
 
 CORBIN. Does it? 
 
 MABEL. There was very little mutual obligation 
 in it or or trust. 
 
 CORBIN. Trust? 
 
 MABEL. Yes, trust. 
 
 (Enter NORA with matches.) 
 
 CORBIN. (After watching NORA strike one or 
 two matches) I ll do that if you don t mind. Mrs. 
 
46 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 Bonner asked me to light them. (Takes the 
 matches) 
 
 NORA. Thank you, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. You re the girl they put that stuff on, 
 aren t you? 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Dives under table) 
 
 CORBIN. Is there something to do there? (The 
 bell rings) 
 
 NORA. (Calling from under table) Never mind, 
 Mr. Orton, it s me. 
 
 CORBIN. (After a look about puzzled) Is Mr. 
 Qrton there? 
 
 NORA. (Calling) Please watch it, Miss Ainske. 
 
 CORBIN. Watch it? 
 
 (Enter BUTLER with cocktails. The fountain flows 
 and hits BUTLER squarely in breast. He starts 
 and side steps.) 
 
 NORA. How s that? 
 CORBIN. Deadly accurate. 
 MABEL. Stop it, Nora stop it. 
 
 (The fountain stops.) 
 
 BUTLER. (Calmly, but with disgust) I don t be 
 long here, sir I hope you can see that. 
 
 COP BIN. I noticed that you were a little out of 
 place. 
 
 BUTLER. I m just temporary. J Ave a cocktail, 
 sir? 
 
 ( CORBIN takes one.) 
 
 NORA. (Appearing) There s a bug in k. 
 CORBIN. Oh (Changes the cocktaS) 
 
 (Exit NORA. BUTLER passes cockfott to 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 47 
 MABEL. Thank you, no. 
 
 ( BUTLER goes to studio.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Offering cocktail) It s very mild. 
 
 MABEL. Thank you. 
 
 BUTLER. (Seeing no one in studio) Ave the 
 others come, miss? 
 
 MABEL. There will be only two others and the 
 family, I believe. 
 
 BUTLER. Thank you. (Exit to pantry) 
 
 CORBIN. (Lighting candles) Here are cards I 
 think Mrs. Bonner asked you to arrange them. 
 
 MABEL. Yes, I ll do it. 
 
 CORBIN. (Follozring MABEL as they walk) You 
 spoke of trust between us. The absence of trust 
 was not not my failure, was it ? 
 
 MABEL. I think so I only asked for the facts. 
 
 CORBIN. Pardon me, my dear Mabel, you 
 thought you asked only for the facts, but you really 
 asked for the particulars. The fact is that I was 
 entirely innocent of any wrong doing. Assured of 
 that you should trust me. 
 
 MABEL. Assured of that (Pause) I would 
 trust you. 
 
 CORBIN. Oh (Pause) You doubt it? 
 
 MABEL. It seems to me that innocence would 
 scarcely have so much to conceal 
 
 CORBIN. (Pause) Hardly a maxim (Pause) 
 still a column in most of the sensational papers 
 strikes me as very indifferent secrecy. 
 
 MABEL. None of them had (Pause) 
 
 CORBIN. (Pause) Had what? 
 
 MABEL. None of them had her name. 
 
 CORBIN. I see (Pause) Well none of them 
 should have had it. It was sufficient that their vile 
 implications had one victim. 
 
 MABEL. (With some resentment) Victim? 
 
 CORBIN. I call myself that 
 
48 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. Oh, you. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes I. (Pause) I ve suffered by it in 
 every way (Slowly) mentally sentimentally and 
 financially. 
 
 MABEL. Financially ? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, financially. (Changing tone) We 
 turn down these electrics with the candles, don t 
 we? 
 
 MABEL. Yes. 
 
 CORBIN. (Turning out the electric lights and 
 leaving only candles) Whenever an owner dis 
 cussing my plans of his building mentions a fire 
 escape I m so disconcerted that I seem completely 
 ignorant and thereby lose his confidence, and some 
 times his business all because (Pause) a reprobate 
 chose to make me look guilty by in the manner 
 that he did. 
 
 MABEL. (Pause) They were at your window, 
 weren t they? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, but they d been stolen from the 
 lady s room and placed there. 
 
 MABEL. Why did her husband behave as he did ? 
 
 CORBIN. Her husband was misled. 
 
 MABEL. By what? 
 
 CORBIN. By the man who tried to manufacture a 
 case against me. 
 
 MABEL. Why should any man try to do that ? 
 
 CORBIN. For money--he discovered that the hus 
 band was insanely jealous of the wife and he fed 
 upon that weaKness, wnen the husband demanded 
 more than the man s mere verbal reports, the fellow 
 had to create his own conditions manufacture his 
 evidence lago had done it with a handkerchief of 
 Desdemona s. This fellow chose to do it with 
 with a pair of boots. 
 
 MABEL. Why did this lago try to incite the hus 
 band s suspicious against you? Why were you his 
 Cassiof 
 
 For money I ve told you. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 49 
 
 MABEL. Didn t you know the the gentleman s 
 wife? 
 
 CORBIN. Of course I knew her. 
 
 MABEL. The newspapers said you had been 
 noticeably attentive to her. 
 
 CORBIN. That I deny. 
 
 MABEL. It seems some one noticed it. 
 
 CORBIN. I tell you he exaggerated it to get money. 
 
 MABEL. But you kneiv her. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. Your letters to me at the very time com 
 plained of your loneliness. You said you were going 
 with no girls that you wouldn t even have been in 
 Bar Harbor except for business. 
 
 CORBIN. All true all of it. I was attentive to 
 none. This lady I had known casually many years. 
 Our meeting was quite accidental quite. 
 
 MABEL. And you were not attentive to her? 
 
 CORBIN. I was not. I danced with her once at 
 the club house once I was a guest on a yacht where 
 she was also a guest two afternoons we were in the 
 same sets in a tennis tournament no more. 
 
 MABEL. Who was she ? 
 
 CORBIN. I shan t tell you for many reasons. 
 
 MABEL. What are they? 
 
 CORBIN. The least of them is that I promised her 
 husband s agents I would tell no one. 
 
 MABEL. What is the more important reason? 
 
 CORBIN. I think I owe that much to the lady her 
 self. But see, my dear Mabel, what an unworthy 
 attitude this is for you women forgive men who 
 are really guilty; and who confess it. 
 
 MABEL. But you don t confess it. 
 
 CORBIN. I have nothing to confess. 
 
 MABEL. But you have something you could tell. 
 
 CORBIN. Only the poor lady s name and what 
 good would that do you? 
 
 MABEL. I d know who she was and if you went 
 back to her that s what 
 
50 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 CORBIN. (Rapidly) And would you care? 
 That s the first hopeful thing you ve said. Well I 
 won t go back to her if you call it that 111 promise 
 you never to be where she is if you ll only say 
 you believe me. If if we can only be the the 
 same old friends we were. 
 
 MABEL. Old friends ? 
 
 CORBIN. The sweethearts. (Embraces her) Ah ! 
 You do love me, don t you ? 
 
 MABEL. Do I dare to? 
 
 CORBIN. You must what happiness! / hold 
 you you in my arms again. 
 
 MABEL. Didn t you know I was here? 
 
 CORBIN. Truly no the storm drove me in 
 look at it. (They turn to the window) The dear 
 old storm. It seems to laugh with us, doesn t it? 
 
 MABEL. Yes, it really does. 
 
 CORBIN. The worst storm since Roscoe Conklin 
 died. Can t you imagine it dancing that swirling 
 snow. 
 
 MABEL. (Meaningly) It is dancing. Let s call 
 it a two step. 
 
 CORBIN. (Turning to her) You angel 
 
 MABEL. (Standing him off) Not even in the 
 same town will you ? 
 
 CORBIN. What ? 
 
 MABEL. Where she is. 
 
 CORBIN. No not even the same town. 
 
 (They embrace.) 
 
 MABEL. (Pause) Does she, live in New York? 
 
 CORBIN. Let s leave that out. You ll be wanting 
 the street, and number after that, and the color of 
 her hair. 
 
 MABEL. What is the color of her hair ? 
 
 CORBIN. Oh I forget; the usual color I think 
 for a married woman. 
 
 MABEL. You re laughing at me already. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 51 
 CORBIN. I m laughing with you. 
 (Enter NORA.) 
 
 NORA. Beg pardon, miss Mrs. Bonner s not 
 here is she? 
 
 MABEL. No. 
 
 NORA. (Going pauses) You saw it, Miss 
 Ainslee, I m sure; and your young man saw it 
 when I turned on the fountain I didn t even know 
 Mr. Orton was in the room, did I ? 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Orton? 
 
 NORA. The butler. 
 
 MABEL. I think not I didn t. 
 
 NORA. He says I took aim a purpose at his door, 
 and then rung for him ; and that he won t wait on 
 the company to-night unless Mrs. Bonner gives him 
 a "dry bosom." (Exit) 
 
 MABEL. Does what? 
 
 CORBIN. Gentlemen of Mr. Orton s profession 
 sometimes emulate an economy practiced at modest 
 funerals. The use of the front of the shirt only. 
 
 MABEL. (Understanding) Oh. 
 
 CORBIN. I doubt Mrs. Bonner s ability to replenish 
 him. 
 
 MABEL. (With cards at table) That s Mrs. 
 Bonner s place, of course. Mr. Newton isn t coming 
 Mr. Reed isn t Mrs. Lemngwell where shall I 
 put Mrs. Leffingwell? 
 
 CORBIN. (Startled) Mrs. Leffingwell what 
 Mrs. Leffingwell is that? 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Leffingwell is a real estate man 
 Howard Leffingwell I think is the name. ( Phone 
 bell rings) Why? 
 
 CORBIN. (With forced composure) Oh, noth 
 ing. 
 
 MABEL. Do you know her ? 
 
 CORBIN. I can t say that I do. There s the phone, 
 isn t it? 
 
52 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. (Going) Yes 
 
 CORBIN. (In ghastly whisper) The Leffingwells ! 
 
 MABEL. (At phone) Yes Mrs. Bonner s house 
 who is it? (Enter MRS. BONNER followed by 
 NORA up R.) Oh, Mr. Leffingwell this is Miss 
 Ainslee Mrs. Bonner is upstairs. 
 
 CORBIN. (In undertone) I can t dine here, Mrs. 
 Bonner. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What? 
 
 CORBIN. Sh (Indicates MABEL) 
 
 MABEL. Oh, yes, she is wait a moment. 
 (Speaks) Mrs. Bonner he wishes to speak with 
 you. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Taking f phone) Who is it 
 (Pause) oh (Pause) no not yet. That is, I think 
 not yet one minute. (Speaks) Mrs. Leffingwell 
 hasn t come ? 
 
 MABEL. No. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (At* phone) No not yet 
 (Pause) Well isn t it? perhaps she stopped in at 
 some neghbor s. 
 
 (Enter MOTHER up R.) 
 
 MOTHER. (In excitement) Eva ! where s Eva ? 
 
 MABEL. At the phone. 
 
 MOTHER. There s a carriage at the gate and 
 somebody s calling from the roadway inside look 
 here. (Goes to glass door L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Calls into phone) Wait a 
 minute. There s a carriage just coming on our 
 place. 
 
 MOTHER. No, dear, the carriage couldn t get up. 
 Some persons are walking. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Outside in the snow) 
 Hello hello. 
 
 CORBIN. They re calling may I open the door? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes, open it. ( CORBIN opens 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 53 
 
 door. There is effect of snow and wind) Who is 
 it? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In distant tones) Hello 
 hello. 
 
 COACHMAN. (With MRS. LEFFINGWELL) Hello 
 there. 
 
 CORBIN. (Answering) Hello hello. 
 MRS. BONNER. Who is it? 
 CORBIN. The wind s against us. They don t hear. 
 MRS. BONNER. I ll make them hear. ( Phone 
 rings) Please answer that, Mabel. (MABEL goes 
 to phone. MRS. BONNER goes to pantry door and 
 gets a megaphone) 
 
 MOTHER. (Peering into the night) Are they 
 coming this way or standing there ? 
 MABEL. (At phone) Hello. 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Off; calls) Where is the 
 walk? 
 
 MABEL. (At phone speaking to LEFFINGWELL) 
 We don t know yet. They re coming. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Through megaphone at the porch 
 door) Who is it? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Off) It s I Cora where 
 is the road ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (To the others) It s Mrs. 
 Leffingwell. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Calling) Won t you please 
 come help us, somebody? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Fretted; calls) Yes yes Cora 
 (Speaks to those near) she wants help dear me 
 where s my coachman ? Where s the butler ? 
 NORA. Yes, ma am. (Exit to find BUTLER) 
 MRS. BONNER. Mr. Corbin but you can t, can 
 you? (Referring to his clothes) 
 
 CORBIN. I can in a minute. (Exit R.) 
 MRS. BONNER. (Through the megaphone) Just 
 a minute, Cora we re coming, stay where you are. 
 MOTHER. (Quietly) I guess they ll do that. 
 
54 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Enter BUTLER.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Orton there s a lady there in the 
 snow drift can t you help her? 
 
 (Enter NORA.) 
 
 BUTLER. (In superior leisure) I wouldn t dare, 
 ma am the waitress turned that hose on me and 
 she froze both ears going to the stable herself. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Off) Please come, some 
 body. 
 
 (Exit NORA to rescue into the snow.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, Nora, you can t do that. 
 BUTLER. (With finality) Oh, yes, ma am, she s 
 J ad three cocktails. 
 
 ( Phone rings. Exit BUTLER to the pantry.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Gesticulating toward the phone) 
 Tell him " yes " it s Mrs. Leffingwell. 
 
 (MABEL again to phone. Enter CORBIN wearing 
 the rubber boots f and over his dress coat a 
 reefer. ) 
 
 CORBIN. Let s have all the light. 
 
 (MOTHER turns on electrics. CORBIN plunges into 
 the drift.) 
 
 MABEL. (At f phone) Yes Mr. Leffingwell 
 it s your wife. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (With megaphone) Nevermind, 
 Nora don t try it. 
 
 MABEL. (From the phone) Eva Eva dear. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 55 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Megaphoning) The path is to 
 the left, Walter. That s the children s fish pond. 
 
 MABEL. (Ansivering phone to the impatient hus 
 band) She hasn t come in yet. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Calling) More to the left 
 more yet. 
 
 MABEL. There s a snow drift that s all yes 
 she s here Eva Eva he wants you. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Excitedly) What is it? 
 
 MABEL. He asks what s the matter. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Megaphoning at telephone) 
 There s nothing the matter they can t find the path, 
 that s all. 
 
 MOTHER. (MRS. BONNER turns back to door) 
 He s there now. 
 
 MABEL. (At phone to LEFFINGWELL) That was 
 Mrs. Bonner 
 
 NORA. (Off) Come this way them s bushes. 
 
 MABEL. (Explaining) No! She had a mega 
 phone. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (In bromide repetition. To 
 MOTHER) The worst since Roscoe Conklin died 
 they say. 
 
 MABEL. Oh really ? Mrs. Bonner ll be awfully 
 disappointed I m sure but if you can t you can t. 
 
 MOTHER. (Referring to outsiders) How many 
 are there? 
 
 MABEL. (Explaining) They left the wagon at 
 the gate. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Calls) Nora Nora get up 
 child, don t lie there. 
 
 MABEL. The coachman, I think. 
 
 MOTHER. No business out there, anyway, with 
 those ears. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Entering up R. Sings) Oh, that we 
 two were Maying, etc. (He is in dress suit) 
 
 MOTHER. (Rebukingly) Henry! 
 
 DOCTOR. (With a shiver) Where s that draught 
 come from? 
 
56 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. (Calling) They re here now. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Turning to MABEL) What s that 
 (Turns to MRS. BONNER) What are you doing, 
 Eva shut the door. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Opening door wide) Why, you 
 poor thing. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Off and panting) Oh, 
 isn t it awful Eva, \ m frozen. 
 
 COACHMAN. (Cautioning) Hold tight, ma am. 
 
 DOCTOR. Who is it ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Don t slip, there are three steps 
 four counting the porch. 
 
 CORBIN. (In command) Your side your side 
 first, my man. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. The other way, Tim. 
 
 COACHMAN. Yes, ma am. 
 
 DOCTOR. Who s with her? 
 
 (Fuss and fume by CORBIN and COACHMAN.) 
 
 MABEL. (Calling into phone) In the doorway 
 now. 
 
 DOCTOR. (To MABEL) What s that? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Being put into door) Oh, 
 Eva my feet my stockings 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You poor thing. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Tim may come in and warm 
 himself ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Of course, come in, Tim. 
 
 (The faces of MRS. LEFFINGWELL, CORBIN and TIM 
 are purple red with cold. TIM S nose is white. 
 MABEL drops phone and comes to ladies.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, what a night. Two 
 hours in that wagon, Eva. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. This way, dear (TJiey cross to 
 the mantel) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 57 
 
 DOCTOR. Not by the fire (To TIM) your nose 
 is bitten. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. (Exit again to the snow) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I stood up in one drift It 
 went into my corset ; both ways. 
 
 DOCTOR. Rub it with snow. 
 
 (MRS. LEFFINGWELL looks startled. CORBIN re 
 turns and rubs TIM S nose with snow.) 
 
 TIM. Phwat are you doin ? It s a damned poor 
 time for joking who ever ye are. 
 
 (Enter BUTLER ivith cocktails.) 
 
 DOCTOR. It ll turn black and crack open if you 
 don t here, Mrs. Leffingwell keep away from the 
 fire and take this. 
 
 MRS. LEFFIXGWELL. What is it? 
 
 DOCTOR. Drink it. 
 
 (MRS. LEFFINGWELL takes cocktail. Phone rings 
 vigorously and continues.) 
 
 TIM. Is them whiskey ? 
 CORBIN. Yes, have one. (Passes it) 
 TIM. Thank you. (Takes a cocktail) 
 MRS. BONNER. (Annoyed at phone) Yes yes 
 yes. 
 
 (MABEL goes to phone.) 
 
 TIM. (After a drink) Your man ll help me, 
 Mrs. Bonner ? The wagon s broke down at the gate. 
 
 ( Phone stops.) 
 MRS. BONNER. Certainly. 
 
58 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Exit TIM by pantry to L.) 
 
 MABEL. (At phone) Yes who is it? 
 
 MOTHER. (Kneeling by MRS. LEFFINGWELL) I 
 must take your boots off, my dear Henry! get a 
 pair of my slippers. 
 
 (Exit DOCTOR up R.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In alarm over CORBIN) 
 No, really I can t stay. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Can t stay what do you mean ? 
 
 CORBIN. I must say good-night myself, Mrs. 
 Bonner. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But, why ? Oh, excuse me Mrs. 
 Leffingwell may I present Mr. Corbin. ( Phone 
 rings) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. How are you ? 
 
 MABEL. Mrs. Leffingwell your husband wants 
 to speak to you. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Where is he? 
 
 MABEL. At home he s telephoning. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Just a minute, Mrs. Rumsey. 
 (Goes to phone) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What do you mean, Walter? 
 
 (They talk earnestly in dumb show.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (At phone) Yes 
 Howard! and I m coming right home. (Her tone 
 is tearful) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Turning to MRS. LEFFINGWELL) 
 Dear me is everybody crazy ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I can t then what must / 
 do? 
 
 DOCTOR. (To MOTHER) Who is it? (She hushes 
 him) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (At phone) And you can t 
 come at all oh oh. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 59 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Disappointed) Oh Mr. Lef- 
 fingwell can t come. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Speaks) He says I 
 couldn t get home (Turns to phone again) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (To CORBIN) And where could 
 you go? 
 
 MABEL. (Overhearing) Go? Walter? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes! New York can wait. (Taps 
 him play f idly ) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In alarm) Put them both 
 to bed, won t you, dear, and call me for the slightest 
 thing. Good-bye, dear. (Turns, and sits crying 
 hysterically, but not violently) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, Cora is anything the mat 
 ter? 
 
 ( CORBIN goes moodily to fireplace. Enter DOCTOR 
 with slippers.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, no it s just the the 
 excitement of the whole thing the fright I suppose 
 and the oh, dear, what s that? 
 
 (Enter NORA, door L., returned from her plunge out 
 doors.) 
 
 NORA. Oh 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why, Nora. 
 
 (NORA stands panting a moment leaning "on jamb.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Where has she been promenading again ? 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. It s your maid, isn t it? 
 Thank you, Mrs. Rumsey. 
 
 (MOTHER has changed MRS. LEFFINGWELL S boots.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I thought you went in the kitchen 
 way 
 
60 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Referring to her own 
 clothes) They re all wet, I fear. 
 
 MOTHER. (Fussing with MRS. LEFFINGWELL S 
 underwear) You must change some of these things, 
 Eva. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (To MRS. LEFFINGWELL) Yes, 
 come with me we ll be right down. (To BUTLER) 
 Orton serve the cocktails 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, ma am. (Starts out with tray on 
 which two are left) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Dismissing NORA) Nora 
 you d better let Orton wait on us; at once. (Exit 
 with MRS. LEFFINGWELL up R.) 
 
 NORA. Yes, ma am (Taking cocktail as BUTLER 
 passes) Thank you. 
 
 BUTLER. (In disgust to CORBIN) Just temporary, 
 sir I wouldn t stay if I could get away. (Indicates 
 storm and shirt front, then spitefully to NORA) 
 You know bally well there zvasn t a bug in it. 
 
 NORA. There was and 1*11 show you. (Dives 
 under table) 
 
 MOTHER. (Hastening after the ladies) Henry! 
 (The DOCTOR, interested in NORA, doesn t hear) 
 Mr. Corbin won t you do something with these. 
 
 CORBIN. (Taking two quilted silk carriage boots 
 from her) What are they ? 
 
 MOTHER. Mrs. Leffingwell s boots. 
 
 (The fountain starts crookedly and swings like a 
 panoramic camera.) 
 
 CORBTN. Stop it stop it. (He covers the nozzle 
 with one of the boots as the DOCTOR and NORA strive 
 under the table MABEL looks on) 
 
 CURTAIN. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 61 
 
 ACT II. 
 
 SCENE : The Studio by night. 
 
 The room is twenty feet high Walls are 
 panelled in gray wood ten feet high zvith gray 
 plaster above. The ceiling is oak beams. Half 
 way up the height on the left is a gallery raking 
 up and down stage, and communicating to sleep 
 ing rooms by two doors and a window between 
 the doors. The gallery is reached from the 
 stage by steps in tivo fights at L. u. corner. 
 Under the gallery is a small door in 3 letting 
 to main entrance hall of the house. Below this 
 door on the stage is the arch giving to dining 
 room This door slides Below this arch is the 
 telephone used so often in ACT I. The back wall 
 is glassed in three large lights of the usual par 
 allel panes of studio windows. The middle light 
 extends from ceiling to within six feet of stage 
 and has a width from the stairway L. to an 
 equal distance from the right wall. The side 
 lights fill the remaining space of the back wall 
 but extends down only to the gallery level. 
 Below the lights the wall is panelled. In the 
 right side of back wall in the paneling is a door 
 to exterior. The right wall has a door in one 
 letting to DR. RUMSEY S bed chamber. Another 
 in 3 letting to a bath room. Between these 
 doors is a massive chimney breast of red brick 
 going from floor to ceiling. The massive 
 mantel on oak beams is sir feet from floor 
 it is hung underneath with mugs of copper An 
 ordinary man may stand beneath it. The fire 
 place is in proportion and is fitted with high 
 black iron trimmings. Over the mantel is a 
 
6* MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 painting of a castle. Over the doors are can 
 vasses of various sizes unframed showing 
 animal studies. Similar sketches are on the 
 gallery wall and in the wall spaces R. and L. 
 back A window seat runs from the stairway 
 back almost over to the exterior door. The 
 seat is cushioned on top but filled with canvas 
 stretchers underneath A baby grand piano is 
 in front of the seat, c. A nest of tea tables is 
 below the piano. A couch of the bed variety 
 is in front of fireplace made up with bedding 
 and pillows A draped model stand with 
 drawers and compartments is center. A big 
 easel is up R. c. A draped manikin is between 
 the doors left. The glass at back is fitted with 
 curtains rolling into spring rollers at bottom. 
 These curtains are not practicable but stand 
 at one position thro the act. The backing is 
 tree tops covered with snow and ice and ar 
 ranged to sparkle in moonlight, later. The studio 
 is lighted by a fire; and by lamps on piano and 
 suspended from gallery, all fitted with electric 
 lamps. Candles in candelabra are on mantel. 
 At rise of curtain the stage is lighted by the 
 fire only. The DOCTOR in pajamas and a bath 
 robe, is above the fire in a big chair. He feeds 
 the fire bits of wood which throw off 
 spectrumized lights. 
 
 DOCTOR. Mr. Corbin Mr. Corbin! 
 
 CORBIN. (From door 3 R.) Yes. (Appears. 
 CORBIN is also in pajamas. He carries a glass and 
 a tooth brush) 
 
 DOCTOR. See this one. 
 
 CORBIN. (Regarding green light from fire) 
 That s a beauty. 
 
 DOCTOR. That s a pure sulphate of copper. (It 
 burns to red) See it change. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 63 
 
 CORBIN. Stunning. Be with you in just a minute. 
 (Exit 3 R.) 
 
 (Pause during which DOCTOR again feeds flames. 
 Enter MOTHER in 3 L. She is in dressing gown 
 and slippers and carries a bear skin carriage 
 robe.) 
 
 MOTHER. Henry! (Pause) You alone 
 (Crosses) Henry! 
 
 DOCTOR. (Seeing MOTHER) Hello ! (Meets her 
 c.) 
 
 MOTHER. Here s the carriage robe. This room 
 gets pretty cold at night. 
 
 DOCTOR. ( With hand to ear) What ? 
 
 MOTHER. The thermometer outside Eva s window 
 says six below Eva thinks Mr. Corbin may also 
 need this carriage robe. 
 
 DOCTOR. All right. I ll give it to him. Where 
 are you sleeping? 
 
 MOTHER. Sh I m with Willie (She closes 
 dining room door down L.) 
 
 DOCTOR. What s that for? 
 
 MOTHER. Nora is there. 
 
 DOCTOR. Who is ? 
 
 MOTHER. Nora. 
 
 DOCTOR. I thought the butler was to sleep there. 
 
 MOTHER. (Shakes head) Eva changed her 
 mind she didn t like the idea of a strange wan 
 sleeping in the dining room, so she gave the butler 
 Nora s room and put Nora there. Tell Mr. Corbin. 
 
 DOCTOR. You think that ll interest Mr. Corbin? 
 
 MOTHER. Sh He might take a notion to go in 
 there. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Pretending to be shocked) Why 
 mother ! 
 
 MOTHER. (Annoyed) I mean if he thought the 
 butler was there for a drink or something. 
 
64 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Enter CORBIN.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Seeing a lady in the half light) Oh 
 I beg pardon. 
 
 DOCTOR. Don t go. It s only mother. 
 
 CORBIN. I thought the ladies had retired. 
 
 MOTHER. Mrs. Bonner forgot one or two things. 
 She thinks it possible that Mr. Bonner may still 
 come in. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 MOTHER. So we ve put the chain on the front 
 door. He ll have to ring. 
 
 CORBIN. Very well, I ll answer it, if he does. 
 
 MOTHER. No need. Nora s in the dining room. 
 
 CORBIN. (Snuffing) I notice; that s a very 
 powerful liniment of the Doctor s. 
 
 MOTHER. (Assenting) Nora ll answer the bell 
 but she s dreadfully stupid when she s first waked 
 up, and Mrs. Bonner says will you be good enough 
 to say to Tom that he s to come to the nursery be 
 cause Mrs. Leffingwell has his room. (Points up to 
 the gallery) 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, I ll tell him. 
 
 MOTHER. (To DOCTOR) Nora hasn t gone to 
 sleep yet so if there s anything you men want from 
 the buffet. Tobacco or or anything. 
 
 DOCTOR. Well now that you suggest I 
 
 MOTHER. Well ? 
 
 DOCTOR. She might fetch us the decanter and a 
 syphon or two eh? (To CORBIN) 
 
 CORBIN. You re the Doctor. 
 
 MOTHER. (Going) Yes He s the Doctor; and 
 when he has to take his own medicine I m pretty 
 familiar with his prescription. (Exit) 
 
 DOCTOR. What do they call it ? A " Dock ad 
 Doris." 
 
 CORBIN. (Smiling) Yes, a " Dock and Doris." 
 (Indicating door R. and changing topic) Comes in 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 65 
 
 very handy on a crowded occasion like this that 
 little room we put on for Tom s models. 
 
 DOCTOR. Oh I always sleep there. 
 
 CORBIN. You do? 
 
 DOCTOR. (Nods) Ever since Tom gave up the 
 models and went in for cattle. 
 
 CORBIN. (Inquiringly) And Mrs. Rumsey. 
 
 DOCTOR. No Mrs. Rumsey s in the main build 
 ing; I m too musical. You know Mrs. Mumford s 
 couplet ? " Smile and the world smiles with you, 
 Snore and you sleep alone." 
 
 (Enter MOTHER; she carries a parcel in her left 
 hand.) 
 
 CORBIN. Oh that s it 
 
 (DOCTOR nods.) 
 
 MOTHER. Here, Henry. (Gets megaphone from 
 the wall) If you men are going to talk longer I ll 
 ask Mr. Corbin to use this. Mrs. Leffingwell and 
 Miss Ainslie have only those thin doors between 
 them and you. 
 
 DOCTOR. What s that? (Indicates her other 
 hand) 
 
 MOTHER. (Displaying them) Mrs. Leffingwell s 
 boots. There s more fire here than there is in the 
 dining room and they re still wet. (Puts the boots 
 on the round caps of the big fire irons) 
 
 (Enter NORA with wiskey, syphon, glasses and ice on 
 a tray.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Put it here, Nora. ( Takes a table from 
 the nest. NORA puts outfit on table) 
 MOTHER. Good night, Mr. Corbin. (Gives hand) 
 CORBIN. Good night, Mrs. Rumsey. 
 
66 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Exit NORA to the dining room.) 
 
 MOTHER. (Indicates the DOCTOR) Don t let him 
 keep you up. 
 
 (NORA closes her door.) 
 
 CORBIN. Which means don t keep him up; I 
 understand. 
 
 MOTHER. (Laughing) Well, either way. (Exit 
 3 L. under the gallery) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Genial as things settle down to stag 
 conditions) Walter, my boy you don t mind my 
 calling you Walter? 
 
 CORBIN. (Returning to table) I wish you would. 
 
 DOCTOR. (At decanter) You noticed me stick 
 to this stuff at dinner and refuse champagne ? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, I did. 
 
 DOCTOR. Champagne makes me nervous. Say 
 when. (Pours) 
 
 CORBIN. There, thank you! (Then quickly 
 through megaphone) " When ! " 
 
 DOCTOR. (Taking a high ball for himself) Let s 
 sit down. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes indeed. 
 
 DOCTOR. Eh ? 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone) Of course not a 
 bit sleepy. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Settled in his chair) Great thing those 
 megaphones. See in the papers that some fellow in 
 Virginia s preaching through one of them. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, I read that. (Sits on the couch 
 bed) 
 
 DOCTOR. (In leisurely gossip) Simply an appli 
 cation of the old fireman s trumpet. 
 
 CORBIN. (Easily) Same idea. 
 
 DOCTOR. And the fireman s trumpet came from 
 the huntsman s bugle and I suppose the huntsman s 
 bugle was discovered by some idle boy blowing 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 67 
 
 through a ram s horn, way back in the tribal times. 
 (Pause) That spectrumized wood by jove, isn t 
 that a pretty flame. (As a bit of red light shows) 
 
 CORBIN. Like a topaz and emerald blended. 
 
 DOCTOR. A chemist makes that nowaday s ; but it 
 was discovered by the fishermen that used to burn 
 the drift wood of old boats, that had been covered 
 with copper. (Pause) Whiskey ! (Holds up glass 
 affectionately) I ll wager that the first distillation 
 of whiskey came from some neglected, and acciden 
 tally fermented, grain that the owner thought was 
 a total loss. 
 
 CORBIN. Quite likely. 
 
 DOCTOR. Undoubtedly! That horse hair lariat 
 hanging there every plainsman has one to lay 
 around him when he sleeps somebody discovered 
 by accident, that a snake won t cross a rope made of 
 horse hair. I m seventy two and I ve really come to 
 a state where I expect very little from elaborate 
 preparation and am rather disappointed .if the cas 
 ual accident hasn t the kernel of a real benefit in 
 it. Now this (Looks about) You and I the 
 fire all the small talk tucked into bed you can t 
 beat this. 
 
 CORBIN. (In the " Camping out " mood) I don t 
 know where you can beat it. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Smiles) Accident! The plan, the 
 plan was to tuck me in bed and to have Mr. Klar- 
 gess in your place. 
 
 CORBIN. I know. 
 
 DOCTOR. My profession an accident. 
 
 CORBIN. You mean your being a doctor was ac 
 cidental. 
 
 DOCTOR. No I was a physician and surgeon by 
 intention ; but my going over to Osteopathy. Ever 
 tell you the story ? 
 
 CORBIN. Never. 
 
 DOCTOR. I used to have in my stable a little black 
 mare a regular pet. Drove her on my morning 
 
68 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 round always finished by giving her a lump of 
 sugar One morning I went to buckle a fly net 
 that had come loose at her breast ; she expected the 
 sugar she had on blinders and she turned her head 
 suddenly and struck me right there. (Indicates left 
 ear. Pause) I couldn t hear a sound for three 
 years; and yet all the time I heard a roaring like 
 Niagara. Did every thing medicine blisters 
 knife no use got a little funny up here too. ( Taps 
 head) 
 
 CORBIN. You mean mentally ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Yes they were taking me to California ; 
 some sanitarium a bridge washed out on the 
 old North Missouri railroad near a town called 
 Kirksville. Had to lay over there one day. I never 
 knew such heat hundred and ten in the shade. 
 
 CORBIN. Whew! I wouldn t have gone in the 
 shade. 
 
 DOCTOR. Commenced to get violent. Mrs. Rum- 
 sey was with me, and in her alarm she called in a 
 doctor there, a long, slab sided fellow, in a linen 
 duster. Two men were holding me by this time 
 the doctor felt round my skull, and neck a minute or 
 two, then suddenly gave my head a wrench, and a 
 crack, and I was a well man, like that. (Snaps 
 finger) 
 
 CORBIN. What was it ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Slight displacement of one of the ver- 
 tabrae impinging on a nerve. Pressure gone, the 
 trouble was gone. 
 
 CORBIN. But you re still hard of hearing ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Only been so the last four years I 
 practiced medicine thirty years after that accident 
 but to finish my story, that same doctor later devel 
 oped a new system of therapeutics, based on the 
 theory that the bone structure of the human frame 
 is the base of the health, or ill health. He opened 
 a college, and I went to it. That accident to me, by 
 my little black mare, made me an Osteopathist. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 69 
 
 CORBIN. You say you were mentally deranged by 
 the accident? 
 
 DOCTOR. For a time (Pause) perhaps you think 
 permanently. 
 
 CORBIN. Oh, no but tell me this wasn t the 
 skull pressing on the brain. 
 
 DOCTOR. No one of the cervical vertebrae press 
 ing on a nerve. 
 
 CORBIN. (Thoughtfully) M m. 
 
 DOCTOR. Why, my boy, I ve seen chronic indiges 
 tion dyspepsia, caused by a slight irregularity of 
 one dorsal bone. And I ve cured it by a snap of my 
 thumb a quick push of that particular vertebra 
 into line. 
 
 CORBIN. By jove (Pause) And a mental de 
 rangement corrected the same way? 
 
 DOCTOR. Mine was. 
 
 CORBIN. (With increased interest) What was 
 it he did to you ? 
 
 DOCTOR. I ll show you. (Takes CORBIN S head 
 in hands) 
 
 CORBIN. No thank you the thing may work 
 conversely. 
 
 DOCTOR. Well here we are. (Takes manikin from 
 wall L. and brings it to couch) Here s Tom s 
 manikin. This neck is articulated almost perfectly. 
 He put me on the sleeping car bunk so. (Puts 
 manikin on couch in the fire light onl\) Then he 
 moved my head I learned all this afterwards 
 
 CORBIN. Naturally 
 
 DOCTOR. He moved my head to the limit one 
 way (To manikin) Pardon me, madam, no 
 violence intended (Demonstrates to CORBIN) then 
 a slight pull and a jerk oppositely so; and the 
 thing was done. 
 
 CORBIN. Interesting! (To manikin) Feel bet 
 ter! (In alarm to DOCTOR) W 7 hy she can t speak. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Stands under the mantel) Still the 
 operation was successful. Why, my boy, do you 
 
70 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 know why the Japanese soldiers outmarch the 
 world ? 
 
 CORBIN. Rice ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Rice no Osteopathy. A man tires 
 because his muscle wearies that muscle wearies 
 because its particular vitalizing nerve is benumbed 
 that particular nerve is benumbed at its root, not at 
 the terminus; and the root of the nerve is in the 
 spine. Mister tired Jap lies down on his back, so. 
 (Again demonstrates with manikin) A comrade 
 takes his head and pulls it this way his weight 
 against it slowly, until the operator feels all the ver- 
 tabrae slip under the pull like a string of beads, one 
 by one. The pressure off the cartilage cushions in 
 between new blood rushes in the nerves take new 
 force new life ; and your Jap resumes and out 
 marches your Caucasian, by ten or twelve miles. 
 
 CORBIN. Well, why don t we Americans do that 
 for one another? 
 
 DOCTOR. Too busy pulling the other extremity. 
 (Lifts the manikin s leg) 
 
 (The telephone rings.) 
 
 CORBIN. There s the bell. 
 
 DOCTOR. Door bell ? 
 
 CORBIN. Telephone I think. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Shaking head and indicating his ears) 
 I can t answer it. ( CORBIN goes to phone. Filling 
 drink) If it s Tom, tell him to come home, and all 
 will be forgiven. 
 
 CORBIN. (At phone) Mr. Bonner s house, yes. 
 (Pause) No, I m not Mr. Bonner. Do you wish 
 to speak to Mr. Bonner personally. (Pause) Who 
 am If (Pause) Oh, I m a guest of Mr. Bonner s 
 a guest. (Pause) Not at all sir not a bit 
 ashamed of it my name is Corbin Walter Cor- 
 bin of (Pause. Change of tone) Oh Oh Mr. 
 Leffiingwell yes I believe she is but she s re- 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 71 
 
 very well I ll call her. Beg pardon ! (Pause) 
 I meant that sir I ll have the maid call her 
 (Pause) not at all no, sir. (Raps on dining room 
 door) Nora Nora! (Opens door, speaks into 
 dining room) Nora, will you go up to Mrs. Leffing- 
 well s door ; and say her husband s at the telephone. 
 
 NORA. (Off) Mrs. Leffingwell sir? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, Mrs. Leffingwell. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Appearing on gallery from 
 down stage door) Is somebody calling me? 
 
 CORBIN. (Backing from under gallery and look 
 ing up) Oh that you Mrs. Leffingwell? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Leaning over rail) Yes 
 what is it? 
 
 CORBIN. Mr. Leffingwell, at the telephone. 
 ( Phone rings again) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Disconcerted) Oh well 
 what is it ? 
 
 CORBIN. He wishes to speak to you. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. But I m not dressed; ask 
 him to wait. 
 
 CORBIN. Come as you are I ll the doctor and 
 I ll go into his room. (Goes to DOCTOR) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Starting to stairs) Oh 
 thank you I m awfully sorry to trouble you. 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone) Mrs. Leffingwell 
 wishes to use the telephone. 
 
 DOCTOR. What about it ? 
 
 CORBIN. Not dressed. (Throws megaphone on 
 couch) 
 
 DOCTOR. Oh! (Exit with CORBIN into room i 
 
 R.) 
 
 ( Phone rings.) 
 
 iviRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Descending stairs as 
 quickly as peignoir and bedroom slippers per 
 mit) Dear me I m coming I d give a body a 
 minute. 
 
72 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. (Appearing on gallery from other door) 
 Shouldn t some one answer that telephone? (Peers 
 down into fire lit studio) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I m answering it. 
 
 MABEL. Oh you there Eva? Excuse me. 
 (Exit) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (At phone) Hello yes 
 yes it s I. (Pause) Now wait a minute, Howard. 
 Don t lose your temper. This is only a village and 
 think of " Central " please. (Pause) No no. I 
 didn t know it He wasn t invited. (Pause) Yes 
 I asked all their names now you can t think that 
 when you were expected yourself. (Pause. NORA 
 enters during the pause and sleepily goes upstairs 
 in her night-gown) Now, Howard Howard not 
 over the phone, please. (Pause) What! Why I 
 was in another room what? (Pause) well he was 
 mistaken nobody s retired we re all here Mrs. 
 Bonner, Miss Ainslie everybody yes. 
 
 NORA. (Rapping at MRS. LEFFINGWELL S door) 
 Mrs. Leffingwell ! (Raps) Mrs. Leffingwell ! 
 
 MABEL. (Appearing at her door) What is it? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (At phone) Why should 
 you speak to them ? Do you doubt my word How 
 ard? (Pause) Well I m not sitting up alone with 
 him. (Pause) 
 
 NORA. Where s Mrs. Leffingwell? 
 
 MABEL. She s there, I think. (NORA and MABEL 
 advance to rail) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh Miss Ainslie will you 
 please come to the phone. 
 
 MABEL. I 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Yes, please. (In phone) 
 She s coming. (To MABEL who is descending stairs 
 in peignoir. In assumed indignation) Mr. Leffing 
 well thinks that I am sitting up alone with with 
 the gentlemen. Won t you please say that you are 
 here also. (Then in whisper) Don t say we had 
 gone to bed. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 73 
 (NORA descends.) 
 
 MABEL. (At phone) Good-evening Ha ha! 
 (In society manner) Yes suppose it is morning 
 we missed you very much at dinner. (Pause) 
 Who? Mrs. Bonner? (Gaming time) Why just 
 at this moment 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Interrupting and speaking 
 loudly enough to affect phone) Mrs. Bonner? Yes 
 she s here Here, Mrs. Bonner speak to my foolish 
 husband Just say " I m here " (Pushes NORA to 
 phone) 
 
 NORA. (Mechanically at phone) What! \Vho 
 is it? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In whisper and covering 
 phone) Just say" I m here ". 
 
 NORA. I m here in Mr. Bonner s house Mr. 
 Thomas Bonner sir 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Interrupting and pushing 
 NORA away) That will do. (Takes phone) I don t 
 know. (Pause. Speaks to NORA) He says are you 
 offended Eva? (NORA looks about for MRS. BON 
 NER) No she says she s not offended but / am 
 Howard it s dreadfully stupid of you what 
 (Haughtily) well I don t know we shall sit up, as 
 long as we feel entertained (Pause. Begging) 
 Now Howard you mustn t it s perfectly senseless 
 of you besides you can t leave the children What ! 
 Well listen (Calls) Howard! Howard! (Then 
 louder) Howard! 
 
 NORA. (Getting megaphone) Take this mum. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In despair) He s gone. 
 
 NORA. (Yelling through phone) Howard! 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. No Nora never mind. 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER, excitedly by the door 3 L. 
 She is also in peignoir and slippers; and the 
 pastel colors of the three ladies wraps have the 
 accent of NORA S white muslin nightie.) 
 
74 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is the matter? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Howard has been telephon 
 ing and he s coming over now. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. To be with us. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Did you tell him we d gone to 
 bed? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. No I told him we were sit 
 ting up. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why did you tell him that ? Were 
 you? (Looks about) 
 
 MABEL. (Quickly) I wasn t. 
 
 NORA. / wasn t mam 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Well who were sitting up? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Nobody was. 
 
 NORA. Yes mam Mr. Corbin was and he asked 
 me to call Mrs. Leffingwell for him. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Mildly astonished) Mr. Corbin 
 asked you to call Mrs. Leffingwell? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. To the telephone Eva. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh well, I still don t understand 
 it. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Howard doesn t like Mr. 
 Corbin and 
 
 MABEL. Does he know him? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Yes I think he does. 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Corbin told me that he didn t know 
 him. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Well, not intimately of 
 course ; but they ve met you see they ve met 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But you hadn t met Mr. Corbin 
 yourself ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Yes I d I d met him. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Singular you didn t say so when 
 I introduced you this evening. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Disposed to cry) Why I 
 was nearly frozen Eva I couldn t say anything. 
 
 MABEL. But Mr. Corbin wasn t frozen and he d 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 75 
 
 already told me you were not acquainted. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Perhaps he d forgotten it. 
 
 MABEL. Still your meeting again should have re 
 called the acquaintance. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, it wasn t an acquain 
 tance It was just just a casual meeting; and then 
 Howard objected. 
 
 MABEL. Why? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I don t know why some 
 some stories or other and I promised Howard never 
 to go any place where Mr. Corbin was to be so 
 there I didn t want to say anything about it; but 
 you all seem so so surprised that s all there is to 
 it. But Howard s coming over; and I ve told him 
 we were all " sitting up " and and I do wish you d 
 put something on and look as if you were " sitting 
 up." 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But I don t see why you told him 
 that. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. He asked me what you were 
 doing, and I said " that " is seemed the most inno 
 cent thing to tell him and then I had to stick to 
 it when a man s jealous you ve got to to fib a 
 little bit and when a woman fibs her women 
 friends ought to stand by her / think. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why of course we ll stand by you 
 Cora ! Light up the dining room, Nora ; and put 
 your bed in the pantry. 
 
 NORA. Yes m. (Exit to dining room) 
 
 MABEL. (Fatefully) Why jealous? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Accepting MABEL S atti 
 tude) Exactly. Why? But there you are wait 
 until you re married Miss Ainslie and you ll under 
 stand please make haste and dress. (Goes to stair- 
 way) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. But Mr. Corbin should dress too, 
 shouldn t he ? That is I suppose he he should. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Why of course he should 
 He answered the telephone and called me. 
 
76 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Where is he? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. In your father s room. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Rapping door R.) Walter Mr. 
 Corbin Oh, don t come out (Wraps her peignoir 
 in sudden alarm) 
 
 CORBIN. (Off) What is it? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Through the closed door) Mrs. 
 Leffingwell wants us to dress ; and sit up. Mr. Lef- 
 fingwell s going to call, and Mrs. Leffingwell thinks 
 (To MRS. LEFFINGWELL) How should I explain it 
 to him. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Going up stairs) Oh, he 
 understands it. Pm sure. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. She says you understand it. She s 
 sure ! Do you ? 
 
 CORBIN. (Off) Perfectly. 
 
 MABEL. (Pricking up her ears) What s he say ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Dazed) He says "perfectly." 
 
 MABEL. (Haughtily) Oh! Very remarkable 
 (Speaks to the gallery where MRS. LEFFINGWELL 
 now is) Where did you say you met Mr. Corbin 
 Mrs Leffingwell? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I don t think I mentioned 
 the place somewhere but don t let us waste any 
 more time. (Exit to room) 
 
 MABEL. (Crossing to MRS. BONNER and speaking 
 in haunted undertone) Eva. That s the woman 
 herself. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh no, dear. 
 
 MABEL. (In stabbing staccato) Yes! They 
 planned to be here together Walter Corbin and she 
 planned it. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Mabel how can you they couldn t 
 plan a blizzard the worst since Roscoe Conklin 
 died. 
 
 MABEL. Wait. (Goes to door R.) Mr. Corbin 
 Walter ! (In a misleading purr) 
 
 CORBIN. (Opening door) Yes. 
 
 MABEL. (Shutting door) Don t come out. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 77 
 
 (Pause) Listen! Mrs. Leffingwell s gone to her 
 room. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. She says you and she have met What 
 was the last place at which you met ? 
 
 CORBIN. Why Bar Harbor, I think. 
 
 (Small flare of green light.) 
 
 MABEL. Thank you. (In ghastly whisper toward 
 MRS. BONNER) Bar Harbor! 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Repeating in same sepulchral 
 horror) Bar Harbor! 
 
 MABEL. Bar Harbor. ( Throws herself on couch 
 to weep t but strikes manikin) Oh! (Recoils) 
 Who s that? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Alarmed) What? 
 
 MABEL. There ! 
 
 (MRS. BONNER approaches in the fire light and 
 screams.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Appearing in bath gown) What is the 
 matter ? 
 
 MABEL. (Cowering) Go back go back to your 
 room. 
 
 (NORA turns up light, in dining roam, which shines 
 brightly in. MRS. LEFFINGWELL alarmed ap 
 pears on gallery; she is dressing.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Waving CORBIN back in the sud 
 den stream of NORA S light) Just a minute please. 
 ( CORBIN exit. Both women glare at manikin. 
 MRS. BONNER relaxes and sinks to model stand with 
 weak laughter) 
 
 MABEL. What is it ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom s manikin. 
 
78 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. (Joining the laugh until she gets a 
 second thought) Who s bed is that? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Walter s you heard me tell him 
 he d have to sleep in the studio. 
 
 (MRS. LEFFINGWELL exit to her room.) 
 
 MABEL. Why is that thing there if it s his bed? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. I don t know. 
 
 MABEL. Why have a dummy? Where was he go 
 ing himself? (Suddenly guessing. Pause sus 
 picion certainty) She told the truth Eva over 
 the telephone. They were " sitting up " On this 
 night just when I d forgiven him everything. 
 (Weeps in big chair) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Comforting) Impossible Mabel 
 darling, impossible a lady and gentleman wouldn t 
 be " sitting up " in their night clothes. 
 
 MABEL. (Tragically) Eva! You re breaking 
 my heart. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Why ? 
 
 MABEL. Don t tell me they weren t sitting up. 
 
 (Bell rings.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What s that? 
 
 MABEL. The bell. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. He s here then. 
 
 (Enter NORA with an armful of bedding.) 
 
 NORA. There s the bell ma m. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes Nora It s Mr. Leffingwell. 
 Put those things in the pantry and answer it. 
 
 NORA. Yes ma m. (Exit L. i) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. And we re not dressed yet. 
 
 MABEL. I don t mean to dress I won t help her 
 out in her lies. (Goes to stairs) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 79 
 (Bell rings again. NORA enters.) 
 
 NORA. Where ll I fetch him ma am. In here? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Moving to dining room) Oh no ! 
 Wait (Turns lights on in studio) Yes in here I ll 
 go through the dining room. 
 
 NORA. Yes m. (Exit 3 L.) 
 
 MABEL. Hurry Mabel; and dress. 
 
 MABEL. (Resolutely on landing) Dress! Never! 
 
 (Exit MRS. BONNER to dining room where she turns 
 out light. Enter MRS. LEFFINGWELL to the 
 gallery.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Was that the bell? 
 
 MABEL. (Passing her) Yes ; your husband s at 
 the door. Good-night! (Exit to her room) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (On steps) But Miss Ain- 
 slie please I told him we were " sitting up " 
 (Comes to landing) 
 
 (Enter CORBIN, R. i. He has put on his clothes.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Quickly) I m afraid it s all my fault, 
 Mrs. Leffingwell. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Coming to stage) Oh 
 please Walter we mustn t be sitting up alone. 
 You and I Go there. (Into dining room) 
 
 CORBIN. (Crossing to the dining room) Where 
 are the others? (Exit i L.) 
 
 NORA. (Off 3 L.) Yes, sir, in here. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh! (Quickly seises mom- 
 kin and TC /V/i a sheet on it, leads it left and talks to 
 it rather than seem alone) My dear Mrs. Rum*y, 
 I m so sorry you re ill. 
 
 (Enter NORA and BONNER 3 L.) 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Rapping i R.) 
 
80 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 Doctor! (Opens door herself) Mrs. Rumsey really 
 needs you. (Puts manikin off R. i and turns) Oh ! 
 Mr. Bonner is it you? 
 
 BONNER. Yes It s I who s sick? (To NORA) 
 Where s Mrs. Bonner? 
 
 NORA. There sir. (Points to dining room) 
 
 BONNER. There? (Starts for dining room) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, no ! 
 
 (CORBIN enters and meets BONNER.) 
 
 BONNER. (Pause) Why hello Corbin! 
 
 CORBIN. Hello Tom. 
 
 NORA. (Abjectly) I didn t know that, sir. 
 (Exit to dining room} 
 
 CORBIN. (Embarrassed) You re late old man 
 aren t you? 
 
 BONNER. (Severely) Am I? 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR with manikin i R.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (In upward inflection of banter) Why 
 do / have this? 
 
 BONNER. I give it up why do you have it ? (To 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL) Where s Eva? 
 
 (DOCTOR puts manikin in chair.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Gone to dress. 
 
 BONNER. To dress. Why? Has she been un 
 dressed ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. We all have. 
 
 BONNER. Oh ! have you ? Then I am late. What 
 about Mr. Klargess ? 
 
 DOCTOR. (Pointing to CORBIN) Those are Klar 
 gess clothes. 
 
 BONNER. Are they? (Looks about) Where s 
 Klargess himself. (Goes out, turns up light in din- 
 ing room and returns) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 81 
 
 CORBIN. Jim couldn t get here on account of the 
 storm. He telephoned me to take his place and use 
 his valise. 
 
 BONNER. Oh well that s more encouraging. 
 But don t let me interrupt the charade. (Sees MRS. 
 LEFFINGWELL S boots on the fire logs) What is 
 this ? Puss in Boots. (Picks up boots) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, those are mine. Who 
 put them there? 
 
 CORBIN. Mrs. Rumsey. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Taking boots from BONNER) They re 
 not dry yet better leave them. (Restores boots to 
 their places on the andirons) 
 
 (Knock at studio door up R.) 
 
 BONNER. Who s that? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Anxiously) That s Mr. 
 Leffingwell. He s late too Oh, I m so glad you got 
 here first, and please don t tell him we ve been to 
 bed. 
 
 BONNER. (Stopping on way to door) Tell him 
 what? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Mr. Corbin said we had and 
 it mixed everything up terribly. 
 
 BONNER. I should think it might. (Opens door) 
 
 DRIVER. (Outside) Mr. Bonner s house. 
 
 BONNER. Yes. 
 
 DRIVER. Sorry to be so late but I ve got half a 
 gallon of ice cream for you. (Disappears) 
 
 BONNER. (Closing door to shut out storm) Ice 
 cream? But we don t want ice cream now. (Con 
 sults watch) quarter past one. 
 
 MRS. LEFFTNGWELL. (Pleadingly) Please take 
 it it will look so natural when Mr. Leffingwell gets 
 here. 
 
 BONNER. What s Leffingwell coming for? 
 Breakfast? 
 
82 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER 3 L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh Tom I m so glad you re 
 home. 
 
 BONNER. (Arm about her) Are you? (Aside) 
 Don t say why I went out I meant to get back to 
 your dinner really. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. And he wasn t even here. 
 
 BONNER. I know he wasn t. 
 
 (Driver opens door and sets in small keg of ice 
 cream packed in tin and ice.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (As draught strikes her) Brr! 
 
 DRIVER. Here you are sir. I wouldn t a bothered 
 you so late only I saw your light. Good night. 
 
 BONNER, DOCTOR, MRS. LEFFINGWELL, and 
 CORBIN. Good-night. 
 
 (Exit driver closing door.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is that? 
 
 BONNER. Your ice cream. 
 
 DOCTOR. (To CORBIN) Everything came but 
 the ice cream and the guests. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Please get dressed, Doctor 
 Rumsey. 
 
 BONNER. (To MRS. BONNER) Who were here? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Only us and mother and father. 
 
 BONNER. Where was Mabel? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, she was here. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Where is she now? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Her room. 
 
 BONNER. Oh. (Pause. His face saddens) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is it? 
 
 BONNER. (Cautiously) Some bad news for her. 
 
 (All attend.) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 83 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Bad news. 
 
 BONNER. Yes, poor girl ; her father s dead. 
 
 CORBIN. (Anxiously) Mabel s father? 
 
 ( BONNER nods.) 
 
 DOCTOR. What is it ? 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone) Miss Ainslie s 
 father; dead! 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Awed) When did it happen? 
 
 BONNER. To-day when I found I I couldn t 
 get home, I went into the Bevin House for dinner. 
 There I met Mabel s brother. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Dick? 
 
 BONNER. Yes he d just had the telegram. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Nodding) What time was it? 
 
 BONNER. About half past eight. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. He was here at half past seven. 
 
 BONNER. Here ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Yes His telegram then said that 
 Mabel was dead. 
 
 BONNER. Mabel dead. (MRS. BONNER nods) 
 Well you told him she wasn t, didn t you ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. She told him she wasn t. 
 
 BONNER. Oh what did he say? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Seemed disappointed. I didn t 
 hear their conversation, but I think the telegram was 
 a ruse to borrow money from you. 
 
 BONNER. Oh I see. Yes. ~ (Pause) Well the 
 old man s death cost me twenty-five. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Well, there you are. 
 
 BONNER. Dick thought it was worth a hundred, 
 but twenty-five was all I had with me. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You know very well that Dick 
 was the black sheep of that family. 
 
 BONNER. (Getting crosspatch) Yes I know 
 but even a black sheep might be in mourning. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. The telegram was a fraud. 
 
 BONNER. I d have stayed at the Bevin House, 
 only I thought somebody ought to break it gently to 
 
84 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 the girl well there s one blessing, he won t get out 
 of here in this storm before I can get the police onto 
 him. (Rings phone) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh Tom not Mabel s brother. 
 
 BONNER. Anybody s brother that does me for 
 twenty five the whole trouble is that people are too 
 lenient (To phone) Give me the chief of po 
 lice, please. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom ! 
 
 CORBIN. (Joining MRS. BONNER S appeal) I ll 
 give you the twenty five myself Tom. 
 
 BONNER. Tisn t the twenty-five it s the princi 
 ple. ( To phone) Chief of police? (Pause) Well 
 get him (Pause) Mr. Thomas Bonner. 
 
 CORBIN. Tom ! you know the boy isn t just right 
 here. (Touches head) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Sharing the excitement) What is it, 
 Eva? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom now listen to me. You 
 flew off the handle about Klargess when I only 
 asked him here on Mabel s account, and you lost 
 your dinner, and twenty five dollars. 
 
 BONNER. I ll get the twenty five back. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Now don t be so unreasonable 
 about this thing sleep over it. ( f Phone rings) 
 
 BONNER. Don t bother me. (To phone) Hello I 
 (Pause) Yes, you ll do sergeant. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom. 
 
 BONNER. (Waving them off) There s a fellow at 
 the Bevin House that I want you to arrest. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, I do wish he wouldn t. 
 
 BONNER. (At phone) Money under false pre 
 tences. (Pause) I will? (Pause) You have to 
 have a warrant? 
 
 CORBTN. (To others) It s all right; He has to 
 have a warrant. 
 
 BONNER. (At phone) Isn t my word good 
 enough (Pause) Nonsense I can t Come down 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 85 
 
 there ? I ve been two hours getting this far from the 
 Bevin House. (Pause) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Just like him the most hot 
 headed, impulsive 
 
 BONNER. All right You have the officer here at 
 six I ll sign it, and I ll point the man out to him 
 (Pause) I don t care what you call him John 
 Doe will do, but his name s Ainslie. (Pause) Yes 
 at six all right. (Hangs up phone) 
 
 MRS. BOXNER. Tom, if you d only sleep over it. 
 
 BONNER. I ve got to sleep over it, haven t I? 
 They can t get a man here till six so come on. 
 Good-night, everybody. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, don t go until Howard 
 comes. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. He just started over as you came. 
 
 BONNER. Just started? Why he couldn t get 
 here in a balloon. Go to bed everybody. (Starts 
 up the stairs) Come on, Eva. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Stopping him) Oh, Tom I 
 had to put Mrs. Leffingwell in your room we re 
 in the blue room. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Going) I m so sorry. 
 
 BONNER. Not at all. Perfectly welcome. Where 
 are you, Walter? 
 
 CORBIN. Here. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (On gallery) Good-night. 
 
 CORBIN, BONNER and MRS. BONNER. Good-night 
 
 BONNER. (To CORBIN) Good-night. 
 
 CORBIN. Good-night. 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Good-night. 
 
 CORBIN. Good-night, Mrs. Bonner. 
 
 (Exit BONNER and MRS. BONNER, 3 L.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Shaking head with the patient smile) 
 I didn t get it. What was it all about ? 
 
 CORBIN. I ll turn out this light may keep the 
 others awake. (Turns off light) 
 
86 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 DOCTOR. Yes. 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone) It was about Dick 
 Ainslie Miss Mabel s brother sit down. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Sitting on couch) What about him? 
 
 CORBIN. Little bunco game. 
 
 DOCTOR. Oh ! 
 
 CORBIN. He s been rather irregular in many ways 
 since he was eighteen years old. Before that time 
 he was the most straightforward boy you ever saw. 
 
 DOCTOR. Seventeen you say? 
 
 CORBIN. Eighteen. 
 
 DOCTOR. More unusual. 
 
 CORBIN. My class at college. 
 
 DOCTOR. Was eh? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes your story about your black mare 
 interested me. Especially the mental side of the 
 injury. 
 
 DOCTOR. What about it ? 
 
 CORBIN. Do you think an injury to the head or 
 neck if you will, could produce a moral derange 
 ment as well as a mental one ? 
 
 DOCTOR. What are morals my boy but the ex 
 pression of the interplay of nervous and intellectual 
 forces ? 
 
 CORBIN. You re getting beyond my depth now 
 Doctor; but I wanted to ask you; could mental 
 derangement, brought about by such an injury 
 manifest itself in just, ordinary cussedness. Could 
 it make a crook out of a boy that had rather leaned 
 the other way before that ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Easily. Medical literature s full of it. 
 
 CORBIN. Really ? 
 
 DOCTOR. Really. ( CORBIN rises and walks with 
 agitated introspection) What s on your mind? 
 
 CORBIN. (Returns and resumes megaphone) 
 This Ainslie boy had an injury of that kind just 
 about that time. 
 
 DOCTOR. Did eh ? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, and I ve always suspected, in a 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 87 
 
 way, that much of his waywardness might be traced 
 to that injury. 
 
 DOCTOR. Been very wayward? 
 
 CORBIN. I couldn t begin to tell you. 
 
 DOCTOR. What s he done now ? 
 
 CORBIN. Beat Tom out of twenty-five dollars 
 Tom s going to arrest him but by jove I know the 
 boy isn t responsible. 
 
 DOCTOR. I d like to see him alone. Wonder if 
 he d submit to an examination. 
 
 CORBIN. Probably not. He generally does the 
 exact opposite of what you request. 
 
 (Enter NORA in great excitement, i L.) 
 
 NORA. Mr. Corbin ! Mr. Corbin ! 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. Who is it ? 
 
 NORA. It s me. 
 
 CORBIN. Oh, Nora ? 
 
 NORA. Yes. Can I come in? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. Doctor Rumsey s here. 
 
 NORA. There s somebody tryin to get in the 
 house. 
 
 CORBIN. Probably Mr. Leffingwell. 
 
 NORA. I don t think so. It s a man. He looked 
 in the dining room window and tried the door. 
 
 CORBIN. Did he rap ? 
 
 NORA. No, sir. Now he s gone around that way. 
 (The back) 
 
 ( CORBIN goes to window.) 
 DOCTOR. What is it ? 
 
 ( CORBIN motions silence.) 
 
 NORA. Shall I call Mr. Bonner? 
 
 CORBIN. No. Don t disturb anyone. (Returns) 
 
88 MRS. LEFFiNGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 Lie down Doctor, and be still. There s a prowler at 
 the door here. (Sound from door) Go to your 
 room Nora; and no lights. 
 
 NORA. I can t. 
 
 CORBIN. Why can t you? 
 
 NORA. The Butler s there. 
 
 CORBIN. You might send the Butler here. He s 
 a husky looking chap. 
 
 NORA. Yes ; sir. 
 
 CORBIN. Tell him what s going on ; and no lights, 
 remember. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Exit) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Sitting up) What is it? 
 
 CORBIN. Keep still seem to be asleep. Here 
 (With manikin which has occupied the chair) 
 nobody be sitting up. (Puts manikin to bed with 
 DOCTOR sheds his own coat and stands by door) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Lying beside the manikin) You know 
 I m no great stickler for appearances, Corbin, 
 ( CORBIN motions silence) but this looks silly. 
 
 (The back door opens DICK enters cautiously. 
 CORBIN is behind the door. DICK is fascinated 
 by the sleeping couple; the DOCTOR and the 
 manikin. He closes door and approaches 
 DOCTOR cautiously.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (Resuming) It looks silly Suppose 
 anybody could see the three of us now. (Half rises) 
 
 DICK. (With gun pointed at the DOCTOR) Keep 
 still. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Not liking it, at all) See here, my 
 man. 
 
 DICK. (In hoarse whisper) I don t want to 
 hurt anybody, and I won t if you don t move. 
 
 ( CORBIN grabs DICK from behind and a struggle 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 89 
 
 ensues.) 
 CORBIN. Lend a hand, Doctor, quick ! 
 
 (Gun is discharged. DOCTOR joins in struggle, 
 women scream in their rooms. DICK is over- 
 poivered and throivn on the couch.) 
 
 CORBIN. Give me that lariat. (DOCTOR gives 
 lariat and he and CORBIN tie DICK) 
 
 DICK. (Struggling) Damn you, Corbin ! Damn 
 you! 
 
 CORBIN. It s Dick. 
 
 DICK. Yes, it s Dick and you can t bluff me when 
 I ve once started. (MRS. LEFFINGWELL appears) 
 I ll swear that Mrs. Leffingwell was in your room. 
 
 CORBIN. Shut up. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh! Oh! 
 
 DICK. (Shouting) Swear it in any court in the 
 world I ll get even with you and Mrs. Leffing- 
 well s husband believes it. (Laughs) 
 
 CORBIN. Stop ! Give me a towel, or something, 
 to gag him. 
 
 DICK. (Laughing) Ha, ha, Mrs. Leffingwell s 
 husband 
 
 (DOCTOR hands CORBIN one of MRS. LEFFINGWELL S 
 silk boots. CORBIN proceeds to gag DICK with 
 the boot and a handkerchief. MABEL starts to 
 come onto gallery.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Holding MABEL S door) 
 No, no, Miss Ainslie ; please stay in your room. 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone, to DOCTOR) It s 
 Miss Ainslie s brother we mustn t let the girl 
 know can t we take him somewhere? Your room 
 Doctor. 
 
 (Enter NORA i L.) 
 
90 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 NORA. The butler s comin sir. 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (To MABEL) No, no you 
 can t come out you can t. 
 
 CORBIN. Nora, help Mrs. Leffingwell up there. 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Runs up stairs) 
 
 (Enter BUTLER by dining room; he is in shirt sleeves 
 with suspenders hanging.) 
 
 BUTLER. Anybody hurt ? 
 
 CORBIN. Not seriously. Lend a hand here, will 
 you ? This man, in that room. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, sir. (CORBIN and BUTLER put 
 DICK in DOCTOR S room i R., as DOCTOR opens door) 
 
 NORA. Burglars ! Burglars ! 
 
 CORBIN. (Exit with DICK and BUTLER) All 
 right, Mrs. Leffingwell. Open the door. 
 
 (DOCTOR follows. MABEL appears on gallery.) 
 
 MABEL. Why do you hold my door? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. The men were fighting a 
 burglar you might be shot, my dear. 
 
 CORBIN. (Re-entering quickly) It s all over 
 all over please go to your rooms ladies. 
 
 MABEL. But what is the man. 
 
 ( CORBIN turns up light, MRS. LEFFINGWELL and 
 MABEL in bedroom attire, scream wildly and 
 disappear. Re-enter DOCTOR, NORA descends.) 
 
 NORA. Shall I call the master, sir? 
 CORBIN. No, tell him and Mrs. Bonner it s all 
 quiet again. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. 
 
 (Enter BONNER in pajamas 3 L.) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 91 
 
 BONNER. Who s shot? 
 
 NORA. A burglar. 
 
 CORBIN. It s all right, Tom. We ve got him in 
 there tied and gagged. 
 
 BONNER. Is he shot? 
 
 CORBIN. No. 
 
 BONNER. We heard the gun, but Eva held me. 
 You re sure no one s hurt? 
 
 CORBIN. Perfectly. 
 
 BONNER. I ll tell her no one s hurt and come back. 
 Nora go to Mrs. Rumsey, and Willy he s yelling 
 his head off. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Exit 3 L.) 
 
 BONNER. I want a look at him. Wow! what is 
 that odor? 
 
 CORBIN. Nora s liniment. (BONNER exit 3 L.) 
 They mustn t see him Doctor. Tom d give him to 
 the police. 
 
 DOCTOR. That s so why you re hurt, my boy, 
 there s blood on your hand. 
 
 CORBIN. Just the fleshy part the arm the bullet 
 grazed me. 
 
 DOCTOR. Let me see it. 
 
 CORBIN. There isn t time. (Enter BUTLER I R.) 
 Here butler, that burglar s a friend of mine. 
 
 BUTLER. A friend, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. (Bringing him doivn persuasively) 
 Yes. Nobody must see him for a few hours anyway. 
 I want you to take his place. 
 
 BUTLER. Take his place ? 
 
 CORBIN. (Getting rope from the DOCTOR S dress 
 ing gown) Yes. I ll tie you and you can keep still. 
 
 BUTLER. (Retreating) No, sir! 
 
 CORBIN. (Following insistently) There s twenty 
 dollars in it, for you. 
 
 BUTLER. No, sir, I m no burglar. 
 
 CORBIN. (Turning out light) For two hours 
 only half an hour. 
 
92 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 BUTLER. No, sir my character s something to 
 me, 
 
 CORBIN. (Bringing him down) Your character ll 
 be safe I tell you (Gets the other boot) but he s 
 that young lady s brother. (Points to MABEL S 
 door) Her brother. 
 
 BUTLER. Nothing to me, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. You re an idiot. 
 
 BUTLER. Perhaps I am sir, but I m innocent. 
 
 BONNER. (Off 3 L.) Now let s have a look at 
 him. ( CORBIN grabs the BUTLER putting MRS. 
 LEFFINGWELL S boot over his face. The DOCTOR 
 assists in a low tackle from the other side. (Enter 
 BONNER) Corbin Walter what s the row? 
 
 CORBIN. He s getting away again. Tom, he s 
 getting away. 
 
 BONNER. (Aiding the DOCTOR and CORBIN) 
 Hang to him. Now back with him I ve got him 
 all right. 
 
 (MABEL and MRS. LEFFINGWELL appear on the 
 gallery, in peignoirs. The men throw the 
 BUTLER to the couch.) 
 
 MABEL. Oh, gentlemen gentlemen, what is the 
 matter ? 
 
 BONNER. There! (As they finish with the 
 prostrate BUTLER) 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER 3 L. Also in peignoir.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Tom! Tom! 
 
 BONNER. He just got loose again, that s all. 
 (Turns up light) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, don t let me see him. Don t 
 let me see him. 
 
 MABEL. (Calling) Eva! 
 
 MRS BONNER. You poor dear, are you all safe? 
 (Runs up the stairs and joins the frightened women) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 93 
 (Enter MOTHER 3 L.) 
 
 MABEL and MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (In hysterical 
 unison) Yes, Eva dear, yes. (They huddle) 
 
 MOTHER. Henry! Where s Henry? (MOTHER 
 runs to DOCTOR S door) 
 
 (Enter NORA 3 L. DOCTOR interposes so that 
 MOTHER can t enter his room where DICK is.) 
 
 BONNER. (Returning to couch) Why I know 
 that scoundrel. I hire him sometimes for the 
 pantry. 
 
 NORA. Oh, no, sir. That isn t the burglar, Mr. 
 Corbin. 
 
 CORBIN. (Interrupting) Don t get excited Nora. 
 The man isn t strong enough for that medicine go 
 to your room. (He puts her out into the dining 
 room) 
 
 (The telephone rings.) 
 
 NORA. (Outside) Oh, Mrs. Bonner! Mrs. 
 Bonner ! 
 
 ( CORBIN shuts dining room door.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (On the gallery) Tom! What 
 is it ? Nora ! 
 
 CORBIN. (At phone) Hello! (The three ladies 
 in peignoirs kneel and crane over the rail to listen. 
 DOCTOR is keeping mother from his room) Oh, 
 Damn Leffingwell! 
 
 (The ladies exclaim in unison and recoil. CORBIN 
 meets NORA, who is re-entering and puts htr 
 out.) 
 
 CURTAIN. 
 
94 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 ACT III. 
 
 SCENE: Same as ACT II The Studio. 
 TIME: Near daybreak 
 
 Outside the blizzard has turned into an ice 
 storm. The tree tops are crystal. 
 
 The moon shines until the dawn effects ap 
 pear. 
 
 DISCOVERED: CORBIN in his street clothes 
 again: reefer, the DOCTOR in dressing gown. 
 The BUTLER lies gagged on the couch. 
 
 CORBIN. (Occasionally pausing to swing his arms 
 for warmth") See here my man It s six o clock. 
 In half an hour the sun will be up If you d have 
 listened to reason you could have had that gag out 
 of your mouth four hours ago. (Swings arms) 
 
 DOCTOR. Tell him that without knowing it, he s 
 helped accomplish a great deal of good. 
 
 CORBIN. (By megaphone) I don t have to tell 
 him he hears you. (Sivings again) 
 
 DOCTOR. Of course he does But one forms the 
 habit of thinking a dumb man must also be deaf. 
 
 CORBIN. That s only a gag. (To BUTLER) No 
 body s hurt you you know; and nobody s going 
 to you ve had the only warm cover there was. 
 When it comes to a showdown I ll take all the blame 
 on myself and there ll be no charge against you, 
 whatever provided, you behave yourself. 
 
 DICK. (In DOCTOR S room) Help help 
 ( CORBIN rises and motions DOCTOR to go) Let me 
 out of here Mabel Mabel 
 
MRS LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 95 
 
 DOCTOR. (Going) Hollering again. 
 CORBIN. Yes. (Motions DOCTOR to gag him) 
 
 (Exit DOCTOR, i R.) 
 
 < DICK. (Off) Mabel Mabel Help! (His voice 
 is smothered) 
 
 CORBIN. (Pause. To BUTLER) If you were in 
 that poor boy s place you d have some reason to kick. 
 ( BUTLER tries to draw up his knees) I know you 
 can t but you know what I mean. 
 
 (Enter MABEL on balcony she has her sealskin 
 over her wrapper.) 
 
 MABEL. Who called ? 
 CORBIN. The Burglar. 
 MABEL. But he called " Mabel, Mabel." 
 CORBIN. Yes (To BUTLER) The lady s name is 
 Miss Ainslie. 
 
 (NoRA opens dining room door.) 
 
 MABEL. It sounded like my brother s voice. 
 
 CORBIN. A dream will color one s impression. 
 
 MABEL. I don t think I was asleep. 
 
 CORBIN. I ll try not to let him do it again. 
 
 (Exit MABEL.) 
 
 NORA. Somebody called " Help." 
 
 CORBIN. He didn t mean you, Nora. 
 
 NORA. How s Mr. Orton, sir? 
 
 CORBIN. Mr. Orton s doing something for me. 
 
 NORA. (Points to couch) Ain t that Mr. Orton, 
 sir? 
 
 CORBIN. This is the burglar go back to bed. 
 
 NORA. It s comin daylight, isn t it? What time 
 is it, please? 
 
96 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 CORBIN. Six o clock that is still the moonlight. 
 
 NORA. Six o clock I must be gettin up sir 
 that call for help raised me standing. (Starts off) 
 
 CORBIN. You shouldn t mistake a call, Nora, for 
 a raise see here 
 
 NORA. (Stopping) Yes, sir 
 
 CORBIN. What s the matter with the furnace 
 that register has icicles on it. 
 
 NORA. It s the coachman s fault, sir. The coach 
 man tends to the furnace. 
 
 CORBIN. You mean he doesn t attend to it. 
 
 NORA. Him and Mr. Orton had all the leavin s 
 in the wine glasses last night and I expect he for 
 got the furnace. 
 
 CORBIN. Well see if you can t find some wood 
 for this fireplace, then. 
 
 NORA. There s only plain wood, sir they ain t 
 any more of that rainbow stuff. 
 
 CORBIN. Plain wood ll do. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Goes) 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR.) 
 DOCTOR. I hated to tie him again 
 
 (Enter BONNER, 3 L. He is in pajamas, and 
 slippers.) 
 
 BONNER. Who was that shouting? 
 CORBIN. Our burglar. 
 
 ( BUTLER wriggles.) 
 
 BONNER. Did he get loose? 
 
 CORBIN. Only his mouth 
 
 BONNER. (In astonishment) You re dressed, 
 aren t you? 
 
 CORBIN. I couldn t sleep hurt my arm a little 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 97 
 
 in our first scrap I fear I ve kept the Doctor up 
 too. 
 
 BONNER. I ll get dressed myself, and be with 
 you Gee whiz, this place is cold. 
 
 CORBIN. The coachman s a little overtrained 
 socially, and he forgot the furnace. 
 
 BONNER. Can you run one of them ? 
 
 CORBIN. Coachman ? 
 
 BONNER. No! furnace? ( CORBIN swinging his 
 arms, shakes his head " no ") Eva understands the 
 thing but hang it ; it doesn t seem conjugal to make 
 a wife get out of a warm bed to fire up a furnace ? 
 
 CORBIN. No. 
 
 BONNER. (Casting about. Pause) I ll bet that 
 fellow could do it, if he wasn t tied. 
 
 CORBIN. Mustn t put ourselves under obligations 
 to him. 
 
 BONNER. I suppose not. 
 
 DOCTOR. What is it ? 
 
 CORBIN. The coachman may have got rid of his 
 tide by this time. 
 
 BONNER. The wire to the stable is down. His 
 bell doesn t ring. (Takes megaphone goes to back 
 door) 
 
 DOCTOR. What s the matter? 
 
 CORBIN. (Megaphoning with hands) Coach 
 man! 
 
 DOCTOR. (Correcting him pointing to BUTLER) 
 Butler 
 
 BONNER. (Who has opened door at which wind 
 howls) Holy smoke, the blizzard has changed into 
 an ice storm. (He calls thro the megaphone lean 
 ing from door to do so) John John (An 
 avalanche -from the roof hits the megaphone and 
 him He returns closing the door) 
 
 CORBIN. Never mind the maid is fetching some 
 wood for this place. 
 
 BONNER. (Disgusted) You know we spent last 
 winter at Palm Beach Eva didn t like it there 
 
98 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 she said she thought it was too effeminate, not to 
 have the children get a real winter. (Digs the snow 
 from his neck) 
 
 CORBIN. J Tis good discipline. 
 
 BONNER. Don t think discipline s what I need. 
 (To DOCTOR) Did you ever light up that furnace 
 down stairs? 
 
 DOCTOR. (Positively) No. 
 
 BONNER. (Getting^ into ulster) Well I ll try it. 
 
 CORBIN. (Watching BONNER out) Your last 
 chance, my man if you ll go gently about your 
 business I ll untie you. Now I m going to remove 
 this gag there. 
 
 BUTLER. {Speaking not loudly) I know you. 
 You re a rich man and I ll make you pay for this. 
 I ll have the law - 
 
 CORBIN. Don t get me frightened about the law, 
 Orton, or I ll make you do time for housebreakin . 
 
 BUTLER. Why you know that I m as innocent as 
 that image you might as well tie and gag that. 
 
 CORBIN. I will ; thank you for the suggestion, 
 Orton and you shall help me. Here s a twenty 
 dollar bill for your night s work. 
 
 BUTLER. That s nothin to me, sir Mr. Bonner 
 thinks I m a crook. 
 
 CORBIN. I ll tell Mr. Bonner you re not a crook. 
 
 BUTLER. How ll I know you will ? 
 
 CORBIN. You ll hear me, and you ll know I have. 
 
 DOCTOR. (As BUTLER sits up) Is it all right? 
 
 CORBIN. It will be I think. 
 
 BUTLER. Why didn t you tell him then? 
 
 CORBIN. Because that lad isn t ready Doctor 
 Rumsey isn t through working on him When I 
 produce the real burglar I want him to look his 
 best Now don t be an ass, Orton. Take this twenty 
 and keep still. 
 
 BUTLER. I ll take the twenty, sir, but that don t 
 end it. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 99 
 
 DOCTOR. (Seeing BUTLER take money) Good 
 (To CORBIN) You know I ve reduced that swelling 
 till it s hardly noticeable. 
 
 CORBIN. You think that s the cause of it ? 
 
 DOCTOR. It s sufficient Distinct dislocation of 
 the axis also My bed s placed so awkwardly I can t 
 get at him for the pull I want, and I m too fat to 
 work on the floor. If we could bring this thing in 
 there 
 
 CORBIN. Bring your man here. 
 
 DOCTOR. Very well. 
 
 CORBIN. Orton and I will do it you tie and gag 
 this obstreperous party. (Indicates manikin) Come, 
 Orton. 
 
 DOCTOR. Let him walk there are two of you. 
 (Picks up manikin) 
 
 BUTLER. (Pointing at DICK S door) Why 7 ain t 
 even sure that man s a burglar. 
 
 CORBIN. Neither am I (Exit with BUTLER, I 
 R.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Gad if he gets very ugly, there are four 
 of us (Puts rope about manikin) This is the third 
 man I ve overpowered to-night; and they seem to 
 get easier. (Throivs rug over manikin as NORA 
 enters) 
 
 NORA. (With kindling wood) Ain t that Mr. 
 Orton, Doctor? 
 
 DOCTOR. No. 
 
 NORA. (Putting kindling in fireplace) Mr. 
 Bonner just told me it was. 
 
 DOCTOR. Don t strike a match with that liniment 
 on you, Nora It s volatile, I ll do that. (Takes 
 matches from her at fireplace) 
 
 NORA. I ll bring the wood, sir. (Goes. Passing 
 the manikin. In whisper) Mr. Orton! (Pause) 
 Mr. Orton if it is you move your feet. (Pause) 
 Mr. Orton (Pause) move anything. 
 
 DOCTOR. (Turning) Zut (In a scat whisper) 
 
ioo MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 NORA. (Jumping up) Oh Oh, how you 
 frightened me, Doctor. (Exit I L.) 
 
 (Re-enter CORBIN with DICK walking, but otherwise 
 tied and followed by BUTLER.) 
 
 CORBIN. Now Dick, I ve untied your feet. 
 (DOCTOR moves manikin to window seat back of 
 piano. DICK regards the proceeding with alarm) 
 That s only a dummy we have passed off for you 
 I ve untied your feet, and I ll take that pad off 
 your mouth in a few minutes Doctor Rumsey s 
 your friend. You remember a hard lump on the 
 back of your neck, don t you ? I m going- to release 
 this one hand and let you feel for yourself but 
 don t try to fight with it, because we ve six hands 
 here to your one there ! ( The DOCTOR has joined 
 group. DICK feels his own neck) It s gone. 
 (DiCK looks at DOCTOR who nods) That lump has 
 been dissipated by Doctor Rumsey in the two hours 
 manipulation you ve had to-night. There s still 
 something more to do tell him what you want, 
 Doctor. 
 
 DOCTOR. I want you to lie on this couch, Dick, 
 and let yourself perfectly relax. Untie the other 
 hand 
 
 ( CORBIN does so. DICK lies down. Enter NORA 
 with big wood.) 
 
 NORA. I don t want to doubt your word, Mister 
 Corbin but 
 
 CORBIN. (Interrupted) What is it? 
 
 NORA. But if I was sure that wasn t Mr. Orton 
 
 CORBIN. Well, look at him (Indicates DICK) 
 besides this is Mr. Orton. (Points to BUTLER stand 
 ing the other side of couch) 
 
 BUTLER. What is it? 
 
 NORA. Oh so it is excuse me. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 101 
 
 CORBIN. Now run away, Nora. 
 NORA. Yes, sir (To BUTLER) There was a bug 
 in it. 
 
 (DicK sits up at the reference to the bug.) 
 
 DOCTOR. Lie down, my boy 
 
 CORBIN. Run away, Nora. 
 
 NORA. I m so unhappy, sir I unscrewed the 
 faucet and I ll show him the bug if he ll only come, 
 sir. 
 
 (DicK rises again, haunted.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Pushing DICK down) Go look at her 
 bug, Orton, and help the girl get us a cup of coffee. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. And remember (Finger on lips) noth 
 ing till I tell it. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, sir. 
 
 NORA. (To CORBIN) Thank you, sir. (Exit) 
 
 BUTLER. (In doorway) Of course you know, 
 sir, I m here just temporary. 
 
 CORBIN. (Sadly) Orton we all are. 
 
 (Exit BUTLER.) 
 
 DOCTOR. (To DICK) Now I m going to move 
 your head a little; and pull on it a good deal I 
 don t think it ll hurt you my boy I ll have to have 
 that handkerchief away. 
 
 CORBIN. (Removing bandage) Don t holler 
 Dick your sister Mabel s in that room. 
 
 DOCTOR. Steady (Pulls) Steady relax my 
 lad don t resist me with the muscles (Moves head 
 slowly, then pulls, and then gives quick side pressure. 
 DICK gives slight grunt. DOCTOR taking his hands 
 away with the air of a job finished) That s all 
 you ve been pretty seriously ill for the past six years, 
 
102 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 my boy, but it s over suppose you sit up. (DiCK 
 sits up) How do you feel? 
 
 DICK. Sleepy. 
 
 CORBIN. (With megaphone) He says sleepy. 
 
 DOCTOR. Any different around here ? (Indicates 
 own head) 
 
 DICK. Seems like an iron band had gone. 
 
 CORBIN. (Relaying through megaphone) Like 
 an iron band had gone 
 
 DOCTOR. It has practically; same kind of pres 
 sure. 
 
 DICK. So sleepy 
 
 CORBIN. (Repeating) Sleepy 
 
 DOCTOR. Well, come into my room and sleep 
 just what you need. 
 
 (DiCK rises.) 
 
 DICK. (Turning) Say Walter one minute I 
 could go to sleep, only there s a note that I endorsed 
 comes due this morning at the Lincoln Bank 
 for a hundred dollars. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes ? 
 
 DICK. I can t pay it. 
 
 CORBIN. That s all right, Dick I ll telephone 
 them to take care of it. 
 
 DICK. Will you? Thanks and say, Walter I 
 I put your name on it rotten thing to do don t 
 know why I did it. 
 
 CORBIN. Never mind go lie down. 
 
 DOCTOR. (As they go) If you re ever hanged, 
 my boy, it ll only be about double that pressure, 
 that you used to have there. The whole weight of 
 your head pressing one bone onto a nerve (Exit 
 with DICK) 
 
 (Enter NORA and BUTLER.) 
 NORA. Mr. Corbin 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 103 
 (CORBIN turns.) 
 
 CORBIN. Well, Nora? 
 
 NORA. Where s the burglar ? 
 
 CORBIN. There (Points to window seat where 
 the manikin lies) Don t you see him what about 
 the coffee? 
 
 BUTLER. I don t know, sir. 
 
 NORA. The cook won t let me come into the 
 kitchen, sir. She says the smell of this liniment 
 before breakfast makes her wobbley 
 
 CORBIN. (Getting the odor) M far be it from 
 me to dispute with an expert. (To BUTLER) You 
 
 go- 
 
 BUTLER. (Slowly shaking head) Oh, no, sir 
 my department s only the pantry 
 
 CORBIN. Well, can t you waive rank this once and 
 go into the kitchen? 
 
 BUTLER. Besides she s a very disagreeable party 
 the cook. 
 
 CORBIN. Well, you re here " just temporary." 
 
 BUTLER. That s so, sir but then (Pauses) 
 
 CORBIN. What? 
 
 BUTLER. The dinner last night didn t go off to 
 her liking she says the kitchen and not the pantry 
 has the right to the heel taps, and she s still pretty 
 hot in the collar, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. (Getting the freezer of ice cream) You 
 give her this, with my compliments. 
 
 BUTLER. What is it? 
 
 CORBIN. Half a gallon of ice cream. If the worst 
 comes to the worst, put some in her collar. 
 
 BUTLER. (Smiling) Oh she ll do that, sir. 
 (Indicates throat. Exit BUTLER) 
 
 NORA. Is it all for the cook, Mr. Corbin, please ? 
 
 CORBIN. (Quickly, and calling) O**n! Hold 
 out one quart for the pantry. 
 
 NORA. (Going) Thank you, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. And Nora perhaps you won t even be 
 
104 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 needed in the dining room as long as you re running" 
 that naphtha auxiliary 
 
 NORA. Beg pardon, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. I want you to sit up here (Goes up to 
 window) and guard the burglar. That liniment 
 won t upset him. Here s a pistol 
 
 NORA. Oh, I never could hold a pistol, sir 
 
 CORBIN. Sh he won t know not him take a 
 candle (Gives her a candle) just pretend There s 
 a brave girl sit here (Addresses dummy) Now, 
 sir, if you move hand or foot this young woman 
 has my orders to shoot. Go closer, Nora. 
 
 NORA. Oh, no, sir perhaps this liniment does 
 smell before breakfast. You see Cook says it makes 
 her wobbley. 
 
 CORBIN. No matter shoot him if he wobbles. 
 
 (Enter LEFFINGWELL by dining room.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (In good winter make up High 
 arctics and fur cap) Well, sir 
 
 CORBIN. Good-morning. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Put down that revolver. 
 
 CORBIN. Pardon me, I d forgotten it. (Puts gun 
 down) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Where is my wife? 
 
 CORBIN. (Nodding) In that room on the gallery. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Ascending steps and regarding 
 couch) Who slept there ? 
 
 CORBIN. Nobody. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Pausing on landing) Some 
 body s bed 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To NORA) Whose was it? 
 
 NORA. Mr. Corbin s, sir. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Then why didn t you sleep in it ? 
 
 (Enter BUTLER with fountain faucet.) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 105 
 
 BUTLER. There was a bug in it, sir. 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Seeing faucet, loudly) Put up 
 that revolver. 
 BUTLER. This ? 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes, that ! 
 BUTLER. It s only a water pipe, sir. 
 CORBIN. Get the coffee, Orton. 
 
 (Exit BUTLER.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Where did you sleep? 
 
 CORBIN. I haven t slept I sat up. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Alone ? 
 
 CORBIN. No, not quite. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I had your solemn promise never 
 to be where she was again. 
 
 CORBIN. I m willing to renew it. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Renew it? 
 
 CORBIN. Indefinitely. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. And my faith my shattered be 
 lief in her can you renew that? 
 
 CORBIN. I think I can. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I ll give you the chance. (Raps 
 savagely at MABEL S door) Open this door. 
 
 CORBIN. (To foot of stairs) Here don t pound 
 on that door. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Leaning over rail) You keep 
 still I ll kick the door in if I want to ; and if you 
 come up there I ll kick you in the face. (As CORBIN 
 starts up) 
 
 CORBIN. ( On lower steps) Your wife s not there. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Then why is the door locked? 
 (Pounds on door) 
 
 MABEL. (Calling) Who s there? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. You know damned well who s 
 here open the door. 
 
 CORBIN. (Going up stairs) You re a crazy man 
 stop I 
 
io6 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Open it. (MABEL opens door) 
 Oh Oh, Miss Ainslie 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Leffingwell, I believe. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes, I beg your pardon I m 
 looking for Mrs. Leffingwell. 
 
 MABEL. Then kick in that door. (Descends to 
 stage) 
 
 NORA. You can get in the window, sir. 
 
 CORBIN. (To NORA) You watch your man, 
 Nora. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. 
 
 ( CORBIN tries to talk with MABEL.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Appearing) Howard, this 
 is outrageous. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I agree with you madame. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I didn t expect you at this 
 hour. We sat up for you until Mr. Bonner came. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Wasn t Bonner here ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. No 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Quickly over rail to CORBIN) 
 See here you 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Howard, I want to speak to 
 you privately. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. No! why aren t you dressed? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. I haven t had time I don t 
 get up at six o clock in the winter. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Well, get your clothes on you re 
 going out of here at once. 
 
 (Exit MRS. LEFFINGWELL.) 
 
 MABEL. (Repulsing CORBIN) No, that is the 
 woman. You planned to meet her here. 
 CORBIN. Mabel ! How can you ? 
 MABEL. (Savagely) Isn t she? 
 CORBIN. I won t answer that. 
 MABEL. (Turning) Mr. Leffingwell? 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 107 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Also turning on gallery) Miss 
 Ainslie. (He starts downstairs) 
 
 CORBIN. (Interrupting) No! not with the 
 servants in hearing. 
 
 MABEL. Nora, you may go to the kitchen. 
 
 NORA. I can t mam Cook says I make her 
 wobbly. 
 
 (LEFFINGWELL reaches stage.) 
 
 MABEL. Then go to your own room or wait in 
 the hall. 
 
 NORA. (Flourishing the candle) But I m watch- 
 in the burglar, miss. 
 
 MABEL What for? besides your candle isn t even 
 lighted. 
 
 NORA (Chagrined) Please don t, miss. He 
 thinks it s a pistol. 
 
 MABEL. Does he? 
 
 CORBIN. You may go, Nora. 
 
 NORA. Thank you, sir (Starts off) Oh, here, 
 sir. (Gives CORBIN the candle) 
 
 CORBIN. Thank you. (Throws candle on couch) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To MABEL) Did that maid say 
 "a burglar?" 
 
 MABEL. Yes he s there the gentlemen caught 
 him last night. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Oh. (Starts casually up) 
 
 CORBIN. (Interfering) I don t think you d bet 
 ter disturb him. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Gruffly) I only mean to look 
 at him. 
 
 CORBIN. I d rather you wouldn t look at him. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. What have you got to do with it ? 
 
 CORBIN. (Nodding back at dummy) My 
 burglar that s all. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Aren t you taking unusual pains 
 to make yourself disagreeable. 
 
 CORBIN. Perhaps. 
 
io8 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Under his breath; through the 
 teeth) Sush (Turns away) 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Leffingwell ; your wife said last night 
 that you d asked her to promise not to be any place 
 where Mr. Corbin was. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Well? 
 
 MABEL. Why? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Personal matter. 
 
 MABEL. Between whom ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Him and me. 
 
 MABEL. Of what nature ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Pause) Quarrel. 
 
 MABEL. About what? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I don t care to say. (Turns 
 away) 
 
 MABEL. But one question more was it at Bar 
 Harbor? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Turning sharply. Pause look- 
 ing from MABEL to CORBIN and back to MABEL; 
 again) Why do you suggest Bar Harbor? 
 
 MABEL. Mr. Corbin was in trouble there because 
 of another man s wife. Was it your wife ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I can t discuss the matter. 
 
 MABEL. I m sure it was your wife. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. You have no reason for that as 
 sumption. 
 
 MABEL. That woman s husband kicked in the 
 door of Mr. Corbin s room in the hotel your first 
 impulse here was to kick in the doors It must have 
 been you you re door kicker. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. If you ve decided the matter for 
 yourself why question me further ? 
 
 MABEL. I must be more sure. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Why should it be your affair at 
 all? You re a stranger to me, Miss Ainslie you 
 never met my wife until last night. 
 
 MABEL. I ask the question because I have been 
 engaged to marry Mr. Corbin I forgave that affair 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 109 
 
 at Bar Harbor, although he refused to confess all 
 of it. 
 
 CORBIN. Now Mabel 
 
 MABEL. (Continuing) But I won t forgive this 
 second rendezvous, and if you ve the spirit of a man, 
 you won t. Was your wife the woman? (Pause) 
 You might as well answer truthfully because I shall 
 know she was, even if you deny it. (Pause) 
 Answer me. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Pause) Miss Ainslee I 
 wouldn t marry that man if he were the last per 
 son on earth. 
 
 MABEL. That is my affair, Mr. Leffingwell. 
 What I ask of you is a positive answer to my ques 
 tion. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I can t answer such a question in 
 the presence of strangers. I won t. 
 
 MABEL. (Indicating CORBIN) He s no stranger 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Indicates burglar) No, but the 
 other one is. 
 
 MABEL. Then answer me this let us assume for 
 the sake of Mr. Corbin s burglar that your wife was 
 not that woman you forbade her seeing Mr. Corbin 
 " again " didn t you ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I didn t say "again! I said 
 " ever." 
 
 MABEL. (Asserting) Because of that Bar 
 Harbor trouble. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. You thought him guilty, didn t you ? 
 
 CORBIN. Oh, see here Mabel 
 
 MABEL. I m not speaking to you (To LEFFING 
 WELL) They were her boots, weren t they? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes ! That is they were the boots 
 of the woman in question. 
 
 MABEL. Beyond a doubt? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Beyond a doubt. 
 
 MABEL. Did she admit it? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes. 
 
ho MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 MABEL. And when you broke into his room yo 
 thought she was there, didn t you ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I didn t say it was I who brok 
 into his room. 
 
 MABEL. It must have been you. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Why must ? 
 
 MABEL. What other man would have done it d 
 account of your wife? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I didn t say it was my wife. 
 
 MABEL. But you made them both promise neve 
 to meet each other, didn t you? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Yes ! no ! That is everybod] 
 in the hotel did the same thing why should an] 
 man s wife meet him? 
 
 MABEL. (In growing excitement) Then they al 
 believed him guilty ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Of course. 
 
 MABEL. Oh Oh 
 
 (Enter MRS. LEFFINGWELL.) 
 
 CORBIN. Mabel, is this fair? 
 
 MABEL. (Moving away) Don t speak to me. 
 
 CORBIN. (Following) What one new fact has 
 all this tirade developed? What has it added to 
 everything that I told you last night ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Angrily) What did you tell 
 her last night what have you dared to tell any 
 body? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Interposing) Howard 
 dear! 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To MRS. LEFFINGWELL) Be 
 still. 
 
 CORBIN. You trusted me then what have you 
 learned since then ? What? in Heaven s name 
 
 MABEL. (Triumphantly) I ve found out the 
 woman. 
 
 CORBIN. Let s assume that you have 
 
 MABEL. Assume ! 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. in 
 
 CORBIN. With our friend there (Indicates 
 burglar, manikin) assuming that you have " found 
 out the woman " Does a lie about me and some 
 unknown woman become a truth because the woman 
 is identified? Be fair think. 
 
 MABEL. (Suddenly judicious) Yes I will be 
 fair! I see your point. (To LEFFINGWELL) You 
 and the other husbands in the hotel had some further 
 evidence against Mr. Corbin than than simply Mrs. 
 Leffmgwell s boots on the fire escape. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Oh, Howard you told her. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. I did not. ( To MABEL) Did I ? 
 
 MABEL. (To MRS. LEFFINGWELL) No But 
 you do Oh, you creature. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Indignantly interposing) I beg 
 your pardon 
 
 MABEL. (Turning from MRS. LEFFINGWELL to 
 CORBIN) To pretend you didn t know each other 
 and then come together here. Oh ! Oh ! 
 
 CORBIN. My being here is an accident, Mabel. 
 
 MABEL. No, a special Providence a revelation in 
 time to save me; and you couldn t speak of it in the 
 presence of strangers (Turns to burglar with 
 gradually increasing voice) Here yoti burglar 
 you ve heard all this if there s any doubt remaining 
 in your mind, you may know now that the woman in 
 the Bar Harbor Hotel with Mr. Corbin was a Mrs. 
 Howard Leffingwell of Larchmont. (Sinks over 
 come on couch) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Speaking on cue of " MRS.") 
 Stop stop I say (To burglar slowly and leaning 
 across piano) See here my man I ve spent a good 
 deal of money already keeping this thing out of the 
 papers It won t do you, any good to talk about 
 what you ve heard here and if you re anything of a 
 gentleman you won t On the other hand, it may be 
 worth your while to keep still about it. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Also addressing the silent 
 witness) I wish to say now, what I said then, and 
 
ii2 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 shall always say : The whole thing was a tissue of 
 lies Walter Corbin is a perfectly honorable gentle 
 man I am a perfectly loyal wife. 
 
 CORBIN. (To MABEL) Are you fair? 
 
 MABEL. I will be (To LEFFINGWELL) I re 
 peat my question to you there was plenty of other 
 evidence ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. A tissue of lies. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. The statements of a private 
 detective. This man had no answer except that the 
 detective was crazy I gave him every chance to 
 disprove the detective but when he even declined to 
 meet the man, I was forced to consider him to con 
 sider the case I was forced to do just as I did. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Howard dear. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Turning to his wife) Be still. 
 (Turns back to CORBIN) 
 
 {Enter BONNER His face is black with soot. He 
 carries a furnace shaker.) 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Turns from LEFFINGWELL 
 with a groan) Oh (Confronts BONNER screams) 
 Ow! 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. What. ( Turns to his wife sees 
 BONNER) Put up that revolver. 
 
 BONNER. Hello, Leffingwell. 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Mr. Bonner! 
 
 BONNER. I ve been fixing the furnace. I under 
 stand all of it, but this (Shows shaker to CORBIN) 
 
 CORBIN. That s the key turns the grate upside 
 down. 
 
 BONNER. Thank you (Toothers) But what s 
 the matter? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. This man s the matter I don t 
 allow my wife where he is. 
 
 BONNER. Oh, come now, Leffingwell that s a 
 little too strong, isn t it ? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. No, sir 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 113 
 
 BONNER. He calls here my wife sees him. 
 LEFFINGWELL. Well mine can t. 
 BONNER. Why ? I insist on knowing. 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER.) 
 
 MRS BONNER. Tom! what is that screaming? 
 
 BONNER. See here my dear you better Hang 
 it, Leffingwell, you ve got to explain this thing. 
 Come in the dining room, my love. You ll excuse 
 us, Mr. Corbin, won t you? 
 
 CORBIN. Certainly. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To MRS. LEFFINGWELL) Come 
 (Sternly. Then to MRS. BONNER) I didn t 
 offend you Mrs. Bonner when you telephoned me at 
 midnight ? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Stops on her way to the dining 
 room) I didn t telephone you at midnight. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Not when my wife asked you to? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. You didn t ask me to telephone at 
 midnight ? 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. (Lying) Why don t you 
 remember ? Come Howard. 
 
 (LEFFINGWELL follows to dining room.) 
 
 BONNER. (In door) And Mabel had she bet 
 ter 
 
 (Exit LEFFINGWELL and MRS. LEFFINGWELL.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Oh, let me alone Tom. (Exit) 
 BONNER. (Magnificently to CORBIN) I had to 
 call that, you know. 
 CORBIN. Of course. 
 
 (Exit BONNER.) 
 MABEL. Why didn t you face the detective? 
 
Ii4 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 CORBIN. Why should I? the man was crazy 
 crazy with that excessive cunning that the insane 
 often develop. 
 
 MABEL. Couldn t that have been proven? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. Then why didn t you prove it? 
 
 CORBIN. (Pause) I thought it best to wait. 
 
 MABEL. Under that accusation ? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 MABEL. It was your duty to the community to 
 expose such a man to have him taken into custody 
 it was your duty to yourself. 
 
 CORBIN. I thought more of my duty to you. 
 
 MABEL. To me? I don t believe you, Walter. 
 Your duty to me was to have had the man arrested. 
 
 CORBIN. He was mentally unsound. 
 
 MABEL. What of it? (Pause) You see your 
 story s unbelievable, don t you? you evade the 
 issues constantly. 
 
 CORBIN. The man was Dick. 
 
 MABEL. Dick? ( CORBIN nods) What, Dick? 
 
 CORBIN. Dick Ainslie. 
 
 MABEL. Oh (Pause) The private detective? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. He called himself by another 
 name but I was sure any investigation would have 
 brought out his own name. I couldn t do that 
 even tho you punished my silence by breaking our 
 engagement. 
 
 MABEL. My brother (CORBIN nods) You said 
 mentally unsound? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes Hasn t yur family apprehended 
 it at times? 
 
 MABEL. The family ! (Pause) You thought 
 the family was (Horrified^ pause) you think there 
 may be something in the Ainslie blood 
 
 CORBIN. (Quickly) Oh, no 
 
 MABEL. I see you you wished the engagement 
 broken. (Cries on piano) 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 115 
 
 CORBIN. (Leaning over her) Mabel you can t 
 think that why should I wish it renewed? 
 MABEL. (Turning) I don t believe you do. 
 CORBIN. I swear it. 
 
 (Enter LEFFINGWELL.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Miss Ainslie, I answered some 
 questions for you now let me ask some when you 
 telephoned me at midnight, were you sitting up? 
 
 MABEL. I was standing, at the phone. 
 
 (Enter MRS. LEFFINGWELL.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Had you been to bed ? 
 
 MABEL. Yes. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. Oh ! 
 
 MRS. LEFFINGWELL. Now Howard that s all very 
 unimportant. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. No lie is unimportant who was 
 sitting up besides my wife? 
 
 MABEL. As far as I knew only Mr. Corbin. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Threateningly to CORBIN) Yes! 
 
 (Enter NORA and A SERGEANT OF POLICE, 3 L.) 
 NORA. Where s Mr. Bonner? 
 
 (Enter MRS. BONNER, i L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. What is it, Nora? 
 NORA. A policeman. 
 
 (Enter BONNER, i L.) 
 
 SERGEANT. Morning, Mr. Bonner. 
 BONNER. Good-morning, Sergeant. 
 SERGEANT. I ve got that warrant with me. 
 NORA. (Indicating dummy) Here s the man Mr. 
 
ii6 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 Bonner. I watched him nearly an hour by myself. 
 
 SERGEANT. (To BONNER) You got him? 
 
 BONNER. That s a fellow who broke in here last 
 night. 
 
 SERGEANT. {Regarding the manikin) Did you 
 have to tie him ? 
 
 BONNER. I should say so ; and took three of us 
 to do it. He shot Mr. Corbin there, in the arm. 
 
 SERGEANT. Where s the gun? (CORBIN points to 
 it. SERGEANT picks it up) Cheap bull dog (To 
 Dummy) Get up. 
 
 CORBIN. I don t think he can. 
 
 (The women huddle to one side. LEFFINGWELL and 
 BONNER go to dummy.) 
 
 SERGEANT. (Removing hat from dummy) Say 
 (Turns) What is this, Mr. Bonner? 
 
 BONNER. That? why that s my lay figure. 
 
 SERGEANT. This is a pretty cold morning, Mr. 
 Bonner, to wade up here just for a josh. 
 
 BONNER. Well, the fellow s gone, that s all 
 who did it? 
 
 CORBIN. Nora was watching him. 
 
 (All turn accusingly to NORA.) 
 
 NORA. But Miss Ainslie sent me away, didn t 
 you? 
 
 (They turn to MABEL.) 
 
 MABEL. Yes, but both Mr. Corbin and myself 
 have been here ever since Mr. Leffingwell, too. 
 
 SERGEANT. Be a fine grind on me around Larch- 
 mont ; comin here before daylight to get a stuffy. 
 
 BONNER. That isn t why I sent for you, Sergeant. 
 
 SERGEANT. I thought not I ve got a warrant for 
 John Doe confidence game. 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 117 
 
 BONNER. Yes, I ll sign it and tell you where to 
 go for that man. This way sergeant. (Exit fol 
 lowed by sergeant to hall 3 L.) 
 
 MRS. BONNER. Now Tom dear (Follows) 
 
 NORA. Honest, Mr. Corbin, I never took my eyes 
 off of him only when Mr. Leffingwell was tryin to 
 get in Miss Ainslie s room. 
 
 CORBIN. Of course not you may go, Nora. 
 
 NORA. Yes, sir. (Exit I L.) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. No wonder you didn t want me to 
 look at that man, eh ? 
 
 MABEL. Did you know? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, I knew. 
 
 MABEL. Isn t there anything honest about you? 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. You may take these things trifl- 
 ingly, my man but if you do, you don t know what 
 the word " home " means. You ve destroyed my 
 trust in this woman for ever and that destruction 
 works backward as well as into the future. The very 
 joy I ve had in listening to my babies voices youVe 
 dulled by the doubt on her. 
 
 CORBIN. Not my work believe me. 
 
 (Enter BONNER and MRS. BONNER.) 
 
 BONNER. (With magisterial expansion) Now 
 let s sift this thing 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Savagely) Begin there 
 (Points at CORBIN) There! The greatest grand 
 stand bluff of the century. 
 
 BONNER. I left the man in your care. 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 BONNER. I d identified him, hadn t I, as a fellow 
 that sometimes does pantry work in the house and 
 
 CORBIN. Yes but that was a mistake. 
 
 (Enter BUTLER carrying coffee in cup.) 
 BONNER. Mistake nothing. 
 
ii8 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 BUTLER. Here, sir, is a 
 
 (BONNER tackles BUTLER with swift underhold and 
 " back-heels " him onto the model stand. The 
 women scream.) 
 
 BONNER. You got away, did you ? 
 
 BUTLER. Mr. Corbin 
 
 CORBIN. Hold on Tom that man s all right 
 there s a mistake. 
 
 BONNER. (Retaining his hold) You had him 
 tied, didn t you? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, but 
 
 BONNER. And he shot you through the arm? 
 
 CORBIN. No. 
 
 BONNER. You said so. 
 
 CORBIN. Not this man another one Orton con 
 sented to take this place as a prisoner Orton s a 
 perfectly honest man for all I know. 
 
 ( BONNER reluctantly releases BUTLER who re-adjusts 
 his "dickey" shirt-bosom in panting dignity.) 
 
 BONNER. Then where is the man ? 
 
 CORBIN. There. (Points R.) 
 
 BONNER. The Doctor s room. 
 
 CORBIN. (BONNER starts to door) Yes wait a 
 minute. (Interposes just at the door, the knob of 
 which rattles) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Throwing up his hands) You 
 bet whenever it comes to a show down, Mister Fixit 
 wants to shift the cut. 
 
 BONNER. (Pugnaciously) Why wait 
 
 CORBIN. Because the man in there is not a 
 burglar. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Disgustedly to BONNER) He ll 
 ring in substitutes all winter. 
 
 BONNER. What is he then ? 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 119 
 
 CORBIN. He s a poor unfortunate boy that didn t 
 know what he was doing. 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR.) 
 
 BONNER. (Excitedly) Now he s alone, isn t he? 
 
 CORBIN. Yes. 
 
 DOCTOR. What is it Walter ? 
 
 BONNER. (Shouting) Is that fellow tied? 
 
 DOCTOR. No. 
 
 ( BONNER rushes to the door.) 
 
 CORBIN. (Stopping BONNER) One moment, 
 Tom. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. It s your house, Bonner, isn t it? 
 
 MRS. BONNER. (Aside) As a matter of fact, 
 it s mine. 
 
 BONNER. Now let s see him anyway. 
 
 CORBIN. In a moment. I want you to all take 
 seats and 
 
 BONNER. Take seats 
 
 CORBIN. Yes, take seats 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (As he sits) And then some 
 gentleman kindly lend him two hard boiled eggs 
 and a silk hat. 
 
 BONNER. What is this, Corbin? 
 
 CORBIN. I don t want you to jump at him Tom, 
 like you did at Orton there and Orton you may 
 leave the room. 
 
 BUTLER. Yes, sir. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (Rising) It s a con game, 
 Bonner there goes the real man. 
 
 BONNER. Wait 
 
 ( BUTLER pauses.) 
 CORBIN. Nonsense Go on, Orton. 
 
120 MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 
 
 ( BUTLER goes. LEFFINGWELL shrugs his shoulders 
 in resignation.) 
 
 CORBIN. We all know the man in this room. 
 MRS. BONNER. All of us ? 
 
 CORBIN. All when I bring him in here, he must 
 be received as a friend (To DOCTOR) He s awake 3 
 DOCTOR. Yes. 
 CORBIN. You get him. 
 
 (DOCTOR exit.) 
 
 BONNER. Why all this mystery? Who is it? 
 
 CORBIN. A classmate of mine he s pursued me 
 rather relentlessly for several years because he was 
 suffering under a mental aberration. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (With a derisive burst) Oh, an 
 other crazy man. 
 
 CORBIN. (Quickly) No! the same one. 
 
 MABEL. Walter (Goes anxiously to CORBIN) 
 
 CORBIN. It s all right (MABEL goes to MRS. 
 BONNER whispering " DICK.") He knows that you 
 are all here I ve had several talks with him during 
 the night, and I only ask of you that you seem as 
 easy and natural as possible, and treat him as a 
 friend. 
 
 (Enter DOCTOR and DICK.) 
 
 DICK. (Very much subdued) Good-morning. 
 
 OMNES. Good-morning- 
 
 CORBIN. Dick called on me last night and I in 
 sisted on his staying. 
 
 BONNER. That was right. 
 
 DICK. Oh, Mr. Bonner I oh I that little 
 matter at the Beven House was that was a mistake 
 I ll explain if I may this morning. 
 
 BONNER. Take your own time. 
 
 CORBIN. You know Mr. and Mrs. Leffingwell? 
 
MRS. LEFFINGWELL S BOOTS. 121 
 
 DICK. Yes. 
 
 CORBIN. (To DICK) I m afraid their little mat 
 ter can t be dismissed so lightly. Dick perpetrated a 
 rather serious practical joke on me at Bar Harbor 
 I don t think any explanation will do Dick but the 
 real one which is that at times for the last six 
 years, Dick hasn t been quite himself mentally. 
 
 DICK. I didn t like to admit it, but Doctor Rumsey 
 says it wasn t my fault. (To DOCTOR) You tell 
 them. 
 
 DOCTOR. A partial dislocation of the axis caused 
 by a blow I reduced a morbid contusion there last 
 night that was pressing on an important nerve 
 center Constant cerebral irritation I m sure it ll 
 all be right in a few weeks. (Turns paternally to 
 DICK) 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. You mean to say all those reports 
 to me at Bar Harbor were wrong? 
 
 DICK. Yes, wrong it seemed kind of a game I 
 was playing, with Corbin 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. And my wife s boots? 
 
 DICK. I put em there I don t know why I did 
 it, but I did. 
 
 MABEL. I m sure he doesn t If you only knew 
 the unhappiness he s given the family in the last 
 six years, and before that he was such a good boy 
 such a good boy. 
 
 DOCTOR. Just a blow there in a school boy fight 
 about a ball game, wasn t it? 
 
 DICK. Yes. 
 
 LEFFINGWELL. (To CORBIN) Well you ve been 
 a rather patient sufferer, Mr. Corbin I must say. 
 
 MABEL. Yes. (Goes sympathetically to CORBIN) 
 
 CORBIN. Oh, please don t no no sympathy to 
 me I beg. 
 
 BONNER. Why not? 
 
 CORBIN. Because / struck that blow. (Goes to 
 DICK) 
 
 CURTAIN.