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PUNISHMENT 
 
 A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS 
 
 BY 
 
 LOUISE BURLEIGH 
 
 AND 
 
 EDWARD HALE BIERSTADT 
 
 WITH INTRODUCTION BY 
 
 THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 
 19X6 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1916, 
 
 BY 
 LOUISE BURLEIGH 
 
 AND 
 
 EDWARD HALE BIERSTADT 
 
 Published April, 1916 
 
 This play in its printed form is designed for the reading public 
 only. All dramatic rights in it are fully protected by copyright, 
 both in the United States and in Great Britain, and no perform 
 ance professional or amateur or public reading, may be given 
 without the written permission of the authors and the payment of 
 royalty. Communications should be sent to the authors, care of 
 Henry Holt and Company, 34 West 33d St., New York City. 
 
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 THIS PLAY IS DEDICATED 
 TO 
 
 THOMAS BROWN, AUBURN NO. 33,333X 
 
 WITH THE 
 
 AFFECTION AND ADMIRATION 
 OF THE AUTHORS 
 
 343519 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO write a truthful and effective play in 
 which certain characters shall be crimi 
 nals or ex-convicts is a difficult task, even for an 
 experienced dramatist; for while the psychology 
 of the prisoner is not fundamentally different 
 from that of other men, yet he has lived under 
 such abnormal conditions, conditions so com 
 pelling, that it is hard even for the most prac 
 tised student of human nature to comprehend 
 his point of view. Fully to understand the con 
 vict one must go to prison; and few dramatists 
 are eager to do that. 
 
 Still more difficult is it to write a play dealing 
 with the actual life of the prison; for the task 
 of making the plot deal with real prison material 
 and yet make the facts seem both true and in 
 teresting to an audience, is almost insuperable. 
 Many of the important details of prison life are 
 certainly not agreeable, and in a drama would 
 hardly seem credible. 
 
 The authors of Punishment have succeeded 
 to a very remarkable degree. They have caught 
 the prison atmosphere; they have woven into 
 
vi INTRODUCTION 
 
 their dramatic scheme a number of actual 
 occurrences and have made them appear plaus 
 ible and convincing. There is nothing strained 
 or improbable in the development of their plot. 
 Out of truthful material they have made a most 
 interesting play. To have succeeded in doing 
 this is an achievement. 
 
 I can vouch for the accuracy of the prison 
 life depicted in Punishment. I have seen some 
 thing of that life, so close to the lives of all of us 
 and yet so inconceivably remote, both from the 
 side of the prisoner and from the side of the 
 prison official; and I think I should be quick 
 to detect a false note. To me Punishment rings 
 true; just as in a different field and dealing with 
 quite another branch of the problem Gals 
 worthy s Justice rings true. Punishment is 
 worthy of a place beside that bitter masterpiece. 
 
 There are those to whom realism means 
 nothing that is not disagreeable; but to my 
 mind not the least of the merits of this play is 
 that it closes on a major chord. Fortunately a 
 prison play can now do that and yet remain 
 truthful; that is where the American has the 
 advantage over the English dramatist. The 
 authors of Punishment have caught the spirit of 
 our new American penology; and have not only 
 written an important play, but one that must 
 
INTRODUCTION vii 
 
 aid in bringing home to the public a great truth: 
 that it is impossible to solve the problem of 
 crime and imprisonment through brutality and 
 disregard of the human nature of the convict, 
 but that it can be solved by means of sympathy 
 and understanding. To aid in bringing that 
 great truth home to the public, by means of the 
 drama, is an important service. 
 
 THOMAS MOTT OSBORNE. 
 
PUNISHMENT 
 
PERSONS OF THE PLAY 
 
 IN THE ORDER OF THEIR ENTRANCE 
 
 MARY CALVIN. . . . wife of JOHN CALVIN 
 
 MARTIN a convict; butler to the Warden 
 
 JOHN CALVIN . . . Warden of Riverside Prison 
 
 KING Principal Keeper of the prison; 
 
 known as the P. K. 
 
 STEPHEN CASEY . . . politician, and coal contractor 
 
 MRS. MOYNE .... mother of DANIEL MOYNE 
 
 DANIEL MOYNE ... a convict 
 
 SCOTT a keeper 
 
 JACK WILSON ... a convict 
 
 JOE RUFFIO .... a convict 
 
 FRANCIS a keeper 
 
 The action of the play takes place at Riverside Prison, some 
 where in the United States, and covers a period of two 
 weeks. The time is the present. 
 
 THE SCENES OF THE PLAY 
 
 ACT I. The living-room of the Warden s quarters. 
 
 Late afternoon in Spring. 
 
 ACT II. The punishment cells; also known as the dark 
 cells, or the cooler. 
 
 Night and morning of the following Friday and 
 
 Saturday. 
 ACT III. The Warden s office. 
 
 Ten days later, in the evening. 
 ACT IV. The same. 
 
 A few hours later; early morning. 
 
ACT I 
 
 c / HE Warden s quarters in Riverside Prison 
 -*- consist of grim rooms, decorated by persons 
 of more than ordinary bad taste, some fifty 
 years ago. The living-room, however, is relieved 
 by indications of a woman 9 s presence. A chaise 
 longue has been drawn up before the fire on the 
 right. Flowers are standing in a good vase on the 
 table, as well as a work box. 
 
 Right and Left, doors lead to the prison offices, 
 and to the other rooms of the Warden s establish- 
 ment: these latter are double doors, and reveal a 
 flight of stairs. 
 
 At the back, through large windows, the cell- 
 block is visible. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN is lying on the chaise longue. She 
 has been reading, but the light has grown too dim 
 for her to see, and she lies back with her eyes on the 
 fire. MRS. CALVIN is a slender woman, nearing 
 forty, reminding one of aflame, held in continual 
 leash, or of a sheathed sword. She is dark, and 
 is dressed in a simple house frock of crepe, unre 
 lieved except at the throat and wrist. About her 
 neck, on a long chain, a miniature, in a locket, 
 
 3 
 
4 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 hangs over the edge of the couch until it touches the 
 floor. She draws a long breath and closes her eyes 
 as if she were very tired. 
 
 From outside comes the sound of voices shouts 
 and orders, and the pandemonium of men yetting 
 and bawling. MRS. CALVIN starts nervously. 
 She sits up and listens intently, and then goes to 
 the window at the back where she tries to peer 
 through the gloom of twilight. As she watches, the 
 lights in the cell-block are flashed on and the noise 
 grows in volume. Evidently she can see nothing, 
 for she continues to listen even after she has come 
 back to the center of the room. Then, with sudden 
 determination, she moves to the bell and rings. She 
 switches on the lights and stands waiting. 
 
 MARTIN enters through the double doors. MAR 
 TIN is a convict, dressed in a neat, white linen 
 jacket, with trousers of prison gray, ill-made and 
 shapeless, and with clumsy prison-made shoes. 
 His manner alternates between the poised respect 
 of a trained servant, and a crude good nature 
 which is his birthright. He has always, however, 
 the repression which his life in prison has wrought 
 upon him. His hair is almost white. 
 
 MARTIN. Yes, Madam? You rang? 
 MRS. CALVIN. Is anything wrong, Martin? 
 In the prison? 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 5 
 
 MARTIN. No, Madam. They re bringing the 
 men s supper to the cells. That s all. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. But this disturbance? 
 
 MARTIN. They ve been locked in since 
 Saturday noon. Makes em hard to manage. 
 
 [From this moment the noise decreases 
 rapidly. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Saturday, Sunday, and Mon 
 day in those unspeakable cells. 
 
 MARTIN. It s bad when a holiday comes on 
 Monday like this, and they re locked in till 
 Tuesday morning. ... I don t wonder they 
 fight. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [quickly.] There has been a 
 fight? 
 
 MARTIN. Two men in one cell. They. . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Yes? 
 
 MARTIN, [naively.] Say, I hadn t ought to be 
 talking to you like this ! I forgot all you taught 
 me. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Never mind. Tell me. 
 
 MARTIN. They d been drinking. The row 
 kind of got the rest of the men going. [MRS. 
 CALVIN turns away with an involuntary move 
 ment.] It s the way it happens when they ve 
 been locked in. Sunday is bad enough, but 
 when Monday s a holiday and the shops are 
 shut. 
 
6 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Is Mr. Calvin in the prison, 
 Martin? 
 
 MARTIN. The Warden was in his office a while 
 ago. [He starts toward the door.] Shall I see? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [quickly.] No. . . . Thank 
 you, Martin. 
 
 [MARTIN watches her for a moment, and then 
 returns to his post by the door again, like 
 a well trained servant. 
 
 MARTIN. Was there anything else, Madam? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [turning, and looJcing at him 
 with a smile.] Martin, you have learned very 
 quickly. 
 
 MARTIN. Thank you, Madam. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. In the six weeks the Warden 
 and I have been here, you ve become very 
 careful in your way of speaking to me, and to 
 Mr. Calvin. 
 
 MARTIN. Thank you kindly, Mrs. Calvin. 
 I ... nobody never took interest in me like 
 you have, Madam. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You are an apt student. 
 
 MARTIN, [embarrassed.] I ll be sorry to leave 
 you . . . when . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Your term is almost over, 
 isn t it? 
 
 MARTIN, [his face alight.] In two weeks, 
 Madam. 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. What shall you do? Have you 
 a family? 
 
 MARTIN, [shakes his head.] My daughter 
 died last year, Madam. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Friends? Someone who will 
 take you in until you find a position? 
 
 MARTIN, [with a wintry smile.] A man s 
 friends don t remember him that long . . . 
 sixteen years. Since my girl died I ain t had 
 even a visitor. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. What position would you 
 like best? 
 
 MARTIN. Any decent job. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I ve been thinking about you, 
 Martin. You are a good butler. If you had 
 been in my service at home, I should give 
 you a good recommendation. [MARTIN starts 
 to speak.] So why not, now? I have friends 
 who would . . . 
 
 MARTIN. You d take the chance? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I trust you. We ve been good 
 friends, Martin, and when you leave us, I want 
 you to go on feeling that I am your friend. 
 
 MARTIN. I ll do that. I want to go straight. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Of course you do. And you 
 will. 
 
 MARTIN. May heaven reward you . . . 
 Madam. 
 
8 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [smiling.] Heaven will. 
 
 [CALVIN speaks outside. 
 CALVIN. I expect him in twenty minutes. 
 [A door closes outside. MRS. CALVIN 
 smiles at MARTIN, and turns back to 
 her couch. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I ll write to-day. We will find 
 you something. 
 
 [MARTIN accepts the dismissal in her voice 
 and starts out, into the inner rooms. 
 CALVIN enters from the office. He is a 
 big man, sparely built, with iron gray 
 hair, and steel blue eyes. In moments 
 of passion or excitement these eyes seem 
 lit with blue fire. His mouth is keenly 
 sensitive, but years of warfare with him 
 self have set it in rather hard, grim 
 lines. His movements are quick and 
 nervous. Altogether, he looks the Scots 
 man he is. He is between forty-five and 
 fifty years old. 
 
 CALVIN. My house-coat, Martin. 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir. [Exit through double doors.] 
 CALVIN, [going at once to his wife s side.] 
 Your head is better, my dear? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Thank you, much better, 
 John. 
 
 CALVIN. I m glad of that. I m going to have 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 9 
 
 dinner served half an hour later to-night un 
 less you mind? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Can t the prison spare you to 
 me for one meal a day? 
 
 CALVIN. That s just it; I want to dine with 
 you. But before that I must keep an appoint 
 ment with Mr. Casey he will be leaving at 
 seven-fifteen. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Is Mr. Casey a member of the 
 Prison Commission? 
 
 [CALVIN shakes his head. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Then why does he come here 
 so often? 
 
 CALVIN. To-day he comes at my request. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. But he s always appearing. 
 
 CALVIN. He was a friend of my predecessor, 
 and so got the habit, I fancy. Besides, he s 
 been furnishing coal to the prison for the last 
 four years. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I distrust him. 
 
 CALVIN. Frankly, I suspect, myself, that 
 he s making a very good thing out of the coal. 
 [MARTIN comes in with the house-coat. 
 CALVIN slips into it with a nod. 
 
 CALVIN. Serve dinner at seven-thirty, 
 Martin. 
 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir. [He goes out, taking the 
 coat CALVIN has discarded.} 
 
10 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [with a half smile.] This offi 
 cial household! I can t make it seem anything 
 but odd for you to be housekeeper. 
 
 CALVIN. It could not be arranged otherwise, 
 Mary. A woman can t be expected to control 
 convicts. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. What about Martin? 
 
 CALVIN. Martin is an isolated case where 
 your personal influence. . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [smiles at him.] You have to 
 confess he is improved! 
 
 CALVIN. Temporarily. But no sooner will 
 he leave your influence than back he ll go. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I don t intend that he shall. 
 The Masons are in need of a butler. 
 
 CALVIN. You d ask them to take a con 
 vict? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I ask them to take Martin. 
 
 CALVIN, [growing stern.] I wish I could 
 make you look at these men without senti 
 mentality. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I look at them with humanity 
 that s all. They are all human beings, with 
 the same limitations and possibilities as the 
 rest of us. 
 
 [CALVIN turns away as if dismissing the 
 subject. MRS. CALVIN, following her 
 thoughts, draws the chain about her 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 11 
 
 neck through her fingers until she 
 touches the miniature. The locket flies 
 open in her hand. Her face whitens, 
 and her lips grow tense. For a long 
 moment she is silent, quivering with 
 pain. 
 
 [From the window CALVIN speaks casually. 
 CALVIN. The men are unruly to-day. But the 
 Principal Keeper tells me it s always so when 
 they are kept in their cells from Saturday noon 
 over Sunday and Monday. . . . You heard 
 them getting their supper? 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN does not even hear him. 
 She is looking in the fire with the open 
 locket still in her hand. CALVIN turns, 
 and when he sees her his face sets. He 
 takes a step toward her, and speaks with 
 bitter reproach. 
 CALVIN. Mary ! 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN starts and her eyes fill with 
 involuntary tears. She snaps the cover 
 of the locket. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Yes? [CALVIN with a gesture of 
 displeasure, turning back to the window, stands 
 silent.} You asked me something, John? For 
 give me. 
 
 CALVIN, [in a hard tone.] You heard the 
 disturbance? 
 
12 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. A fight, so Martin said. 
 
 CALVIN, [gravely.] That fellow Moyne. He s 
 a tough specimen. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [alert.] Isn t he the man you 
 put in the straight- jacket? 
 
 CALVIN. [Nods. The flame begins to show in 
 his eyes, which grow almost fanatic.} Nothing 
 solitary confinement, the punishment cells, the 
 straight-jacket [MRS. CALVIN winces.] It s a 
 severe measure, but it has no effect. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. It has an effect, John. It 
 makes him fight you harder than ever. 
 
 CALVIN, [intensely.] Of course we can starve 
 him into temporary submission. We ve done 
 that. But then he will be up and making 
 trouble again. [He looks away from her, hating 
 to confess it.} He d been drinking again to 
 day. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. And you have no clue. . . . 
 
 CALVIN. No. [at white heat.] But if I catch 
 the man who smuggles whiskey into this 
 prison it will not be an easy day for him! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Do you suspect anyone? 
 
 CALVIN. Of course there s a leak somewhere. 
 But I haven t a trace. [He brings his right hand 
 down upon his left palm.] I ll find it. The 
 State s money shall be spent as the State in 
 tends. This prison shall be for the punishment 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 13 
 
 of criminals not for the fattening of petty 
 grafters ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. It s SO WTOng! 
 
 CALVIN, [pacing the room quickly, the fanatic 
 light at full blaze.] Wrong? Of course it s wrong. 
 All State institutions suffer under the spoils 
 system, but after all how can we improve it? 
 The chief bond between Party members is the 
 possibility of mutual benefit. It s legitimate for 
 the victorious party to put its members in 
 office. The rub comes from the fact that so 
 many politicians are unscrupulous blackguards. 
 Now there s Casey. He contracts for the coal, 
 but at a preposterous figure. I ve half a dozen 
 bids lower than his. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [with rising inflection.] He ? 
 
 CALVIN. As I said, he was a friend of the last 
 Warden. They may have divided the rake-off, 
 or it may have been [with a grim smile] friend 
 ship only. There won t be any rake-off this 
 year if I know it. I m saving the State about 
 ten thousand dollars on food and coal alone. 
 And I intend to stop the use of drugs by the 
 men it s almost stopped now, since I dis 
 charged those two keepers last week. . . . 
 Moyne is a hard case. When I can find a way 
 to break him, I shall make headway. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Not break! 
 
14 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN. Yes, just that. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [in a low voice.] You re wrong. 
 I ve been watching you, John, since we came 
 here. I ve not criticised your work once in this 
 past six weeks. I wanted you to try your way. 
 But you are putting your efforts on the wrong 
 side. Whenever you punish Moyne you only 
 make him more bitter against you and all that 
 you stand for. You say he is a strong man. 
 [CALVIN flashes a look at her.] You re baffled by 
 his persistence, and ability to get round you. 
 Why don t you enlist his help? 
 
 CALVIN. Help? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [with a fervor as keen as her 
 husband s.] All that power of resistance might 
 be on your side if you d let it. 
 
 CALVIN. Why, Mary, the man s a convicted 
 criminal ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [pleadingly.] What made him 
 one? Do you know? Do you know the least 
 thing about him as an individual? No, of course 
 you don t. Why should he show you even hu 
 man decency? You treat him like an animal 
 or worse. It s preposterous! 
 
 CALVIN. Does he deserve consideration at 
 my hands? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Do you deserve it at his? 
 Punishment is always a two-edged sword. 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 15 
 
 CALVIN, [a just judge.] The wages of sin is 
 death. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN lifts a pale face and clutches 
 the locket she wears in her hand. CAL 
 VIN S face hardens. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You taught me that two years 
 ago. ... I haven t forgotten Walter. Don t 
 you remember that we used to argue in these 
 very terms about the boy? "Let him learn that 
 wrongdoing must be punished" [She catches 
 her breath.] How many times did you say that 
 tome? 
 
 CALVIN. The boy was delicate and a little 
 weak; and he was twelve years old. Oh, there 
 is no parallel! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. We crushed the fine things in 
 our son by emphasizing the mistakes he made. 
 [CALVIN turns away as she rises.] John, dear I 
 do not want to talk about Walter. If we were 
 living it over, I d so much rather that he should 
 die as he did, even, than grow into a hard, 
 bitter man. But to stay here and see you fail 
 again for the same reason [A wave of feeling 
 chokes her.] I couldn t! 
 
 CALVIN. Mary . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. When the Governor asked you 
 to come here as Warden, it seemed to me a 
 heaven-sent chance; a chance to prove that 
 
16 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 Justice is not a blind force. I gave in to your 
 arguments about our son, and you failed. 
 Walter preferred to die. 
 
 CALVIN, [wincing.] Mary! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Preferred to die rather than to 
 face your heartless world ruled by blind jus 
 tice. [She moves toward him.] John, when I 
 gathered Walter s stiff little body into my 
 arms that night I thought I d rather die 
 than to go on in your cruel world. And then 
 all at once I knew that I must help you to see 
 that you were wrong. [Her voice trembles again.] 
 You must learn somehow to be human. 
 
 CALVIN, [coldly; himself again.] Perhaps 
 it would be better, Mary, if you went away 
 for a while. Your sympathies are too much 
 tried here. You ve never really recovered 
 from the shock. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I never shall in the way you 
 mean, John. And I cannot leave you until 
 I ve made you see. . . . 
 
 [MARTIN enters. 
 
 MARTIN. I beg pardon, Madam. The Prin 
 cipal Keeper wishes to see the Warden. 
 
 CALVIN. Very well. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Have him here, John. Don t 
 go back to that barren office. I ll rest before 
 dinner. 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 17 
 
 CALVIN. I m not driving you out? 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN shakes her head. She nods 
 to MARTIN who is watching her and 
 goes toward the double doors. CALVIN 
 follows her. MARTIN goes to office. 
 CALVIN, [solicitously.] Try to rest, my dear. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I will. [He starts to speak.] 
 No, let s not say any more. [She smiles at him, 
 and slips through the door.} 
 
 [As CALVIN turns back MARTIN opens the 
 door into the offices and admits KING. 
 KING, the Principal Keeper, is lanky, and 
 of medium height, his chief characteristic 
 being a pair of light gray eyes which are 
 so steady in their gaze that one knows 
 they have been trained in this art. But 
 when no one is looking at him his 
 glance is shifty. He has sandy hair, 
 and wears the dark blue uniform of a 
 keeper. 
 [CALVIN shakes off the unwilling emotion 
 
 stirred by his wife. 
 CALVIN. Well, Mr. King? 
 KING. The men in the cell-block who were 
 fighting they re locked in their own cell now. 
 They must be sent to the cooler at once. I 
 don t trust them in the same cell again. 
 CALVIN. You want an order? 
 
18 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 KING. [evidently thinking it unnecessary.] 
 You said no one was to be put in the dark cells 
 without an order, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Quite right. Moyne, and ? 
 
 KING. Wilson. He s pretty bad off, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Hurt? 
 
 KING. [shrugging.] No sick. Fever or 
 something. He was to have gone to the hospi 
 tal to-day. 
 
 CALVIN, [sternly.] He was not too sick to 
 be drunk. He cannot escape punishment on 
 that plea. He will go with Moyne for one 
 week. 
 
 KING, [not making a point of it.] Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. They ll make out an order in my 
 office. Then I ll sign it. 
 
 KING. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Moyne been making any more dis 
 turbance? 
 
 [MARTIN appears in the door. 
 
 KING, [after a perceptible pause.] He s been 
 quiet, sir. [Exits through office.] 
 
 CALVIN, [to MARTIN.] Well? 
 
 MARTIN. Mr. Casey to see you, sir. 
 CALVIN. I will see him here. I do not wish 
 to be interrupted. 
 MARTIN. No, sir. 
 CALVIN. And ask Mr. Stevens for the coal- 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 19 
 
 contract file. I want the records for the last 
 four years. 
 
 MARTIN, [assents to the order.] A woman has 
 been asking to see you. She is outside in the 
 waiting-room, sir, and 
 CALVIN. Who is she? 
 
 MARTIN. I think she s the mother of one 
 of the inmates, Warden. 
 
 CALVIN. Find out who she is, and her busi 
 ness with me. Remind me when Mr. Casey 
 goes. 
 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. I won t see her unless it s something 
 urgent. 
 
 MARTIN. No, sir. 
 
 [MARTIN goes out into the office and CALVIN 
 turns about the room. MARTIN returns, 
 shows in CASEY, and leaves. 
 [CASEY is a short, dark Irishman of the 
 Ulster type. He is well, but not too 
 obviously well dressed. 
 
 CASEY, [speaking with wholly evident intent 
 to be cordial.] Well, Warden Calvin, this is a 
 meeting I ve been looking forward to. How 
 are you? 
 
 CALVIN. Well, thank you, Mr. Casey. [He 
 motions toward a chair.] 
 
 CASEY, [shrewdly.] Coal contracts ready? 
 
20 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN, [noncommittally.] I ve sent for the 
 papers. 
 
 CASEY. No hurry, no hurry all the time 
 in the world. . . . Been having a little rough- 
 house here, eh? 
 
 [CALVIN annoyed, starts to speak, and 
 then pauses, frowning. 
 
 CASEY. Somebody knocked out? 
 
 CALVIN. No. 
 
 CASEY. Nothing serious, I hope? 
 
 CALVIN. Mr. Casey, where do you get your 
 information? 
 
 CASEY, [rather uneasily.] Oh, I stopped in 
 the office as I came through. 
 
 CALVIN. The men there have been instructed 
 not to talk to outsiders. 
 
 CASEY. Tm no outsider. They all know me 
 here. 
 
 CALVIN, [conceding this.] Hereafter, how 
 ever, come to me for whatever information you 
 wish. I am the official mouthpiece of this 
 prison. 
 
 CASEY, [shrugging, and with a barely con 
 cealed grin.] Have it your own way, Warden. 
 You re doing fine here I ll say that. Up to the 
 Capitol last week I was talking to the Gover 
 nor, and I told him then "Calvin is the boy to 
 put the screws on," I says. 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 21 
 
 CALVIN, [looks hard at CASEY.] There will 
 be some readjustments. 
 
 [MARTIN brings in a file of papers and 
 hands them to CALVIN. 
 
 CALVIN. All right. 
 
 [MARTIN goes out. 
 
 CALVIN. Now, about the coal contract, 
 Mr. Casey 
 
 CASEY. Must get down to business some 
 time, eh? Sure enough, sure enough. 
 
 CALVIN. You have furnished the prison with 
 coal for the last four years. 
 
 CASEY. That s right, Warden. 
 
 CALVIN, [running through the papers.] The 
 figure is a constantly increasing one. 
 
 CASEY, [jovially.] Coal has been on the 
 rise. 
 
 CALVIN. I may as well be frank, Mr. Casey. 
 Your bid is not the lowest I have received. 
 
 CASEY. Don t doubt it. 
 
 CALVIN. Several men have offered to supply 
 us with coal at a figure some thousands of dol 
 lars below yours. 
 
 CASEY. Usually do. 
 
 CALVIN. You understand that this contract 
 goes to the lowest bidder? 
 
 CASEY, [with utter good humor.] Sure it 
 does. 
 
22 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN, [firm and unsmiling.] So that unless 
 you can reduce your offer, the contract will be 
 turned over to a new man. 
 
 CASEY, [startled.] What? 
 
 CALVIN. This contract goes to the lowest 
 bidder. 
 
 CASEY. That contract goes to me. It s been 
 going to me for four years. 
 
 CALVIN. It need not continue to do so. 
 
 CASEY. Oh, needn t it? 
 
 [CASEY, after watching the Warden for a 
 moment, finds the only solution which 
 he can understand) for CALVIN S atti 
 tude. He becomes insinuating. 
 
 CASEY. Warden, you re a slicker one than I 
 took you for. 
 
 CALVIN. What do you mean? 
 
 CASEY, [dropping his voice confidingly.] Just 
 that. I didn t get your number. [CALVIN stares 
 at him.] Go to it your own way, Warden. If 
 you want a reputation as a financier fix up 
 your books to suit yourself. But when the 
 check is made out I want my figure. 
 
 CALVIN, [blandly.] That seems to you a good 
 arrangement? 
 
 CASEY. Suits me, all right. 
 
 CALVIN, [very quietly.] You want, I under 
 stand, [taps papers] your original sum, [CASEY 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 23 
 
 nods] but I am to alter the figures in my books to 
 suit my convenience? 
 
 CASEY, [with a cheerful smile.] That s the 
 dope, Warden. 
 
 CALVIN. Why do you make such a suggestion 
 to me? 
 
 CASEY. Why does a chicken oh, come on, 
 Warden, you know the answer. 
 
 CALVIN. And how am I to make up the 
 deficit? 
 
 CASEY. Now, you Wardens ain t so dull. 
 You ve got your ways of picking up a bit on the 
 side. And in the matter of your commission 
 set your figure. 
 
 CALVIN, [reflectively.] My figure. 
 
 CASEY. Go as far as you like but have a 
 heart ! 
 
 CALVIN, [playing him.] What do you sug 
 gest? 
 
 [CASEY rises and replies to CALVIN in an 
 inaudible tone. 
 
 CALVIN. Will you put that in writing? 
 
 CASEY. Nothing doing! D you think I m so 
 fond of you I want to spend a year here? . . . 
 You re trying to put something over on me, 
 Warden Calvin. 
 
 CALVIN, [finally.] I should have to insist 
 upon having it in writing. 
 
24 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CASEY, [turning nasty.] You mean I don t 
 get my contract unless 
 
 CALVIN, [forcefully.] I mean you don t get 
 the contract! 
 
 CASEY. Outbid on the rake-off, am I? 
 Well what s the least you ll take? 
 
 CALVIN, [trying to suppress a seething rage.] 
 No one has offered me a premium for this con 
 tract, Mr. Casey, except yourself. I made up 
 my mind to catch you in your dirty prac 
 tices. . . . 
 
 CASEY, [snarling.] You did, did you? 
 
 CALVIN. I knew I d prove you a scoun 
 drel. 
 
 CASEY, [quickly.] That s hard to prove. 
 
 CALVIN. I ve done it. 
 
 CASEY, [quietly.] Got proofs? You ve got a 
 pile of papers there. They re valuable, aren t 
 they? Bring em into Court. The laugh won t 
 be on me. Do you think I was born last year? 
 Warden Calvin take a straight tip. You ll get 
 nothing by bothering me. Cut it out if you 
 know what s good for you. [Smiles suddenly.] 
 And say, Calvin while you re about it you d 
 better learn the difference between testimony 
 and evidence! 
 
 CALVIN, [baffled, but fighting.] I know what 
 is good for the prison; and there is nothing that 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 25 
 
 I need learn from you, Mr. Casey. [Goes to bell 
 and rings.] 
 
 CASEY, [menacingly.] You may take a few 
 
 lessons yet if you re going to hold your job. 
 
 CALVIN. Thank you. My remaining here lies 
 
 with my superiors, [ironically.] Why not 
 
 offer them your advice? 
 
 CASEY, [calculatingly.] Not a bad idea, Cal 
 vin; not a bad idea. 
 
 [KING appears in the doorway. CALVIN 
 and CASEY turn to him, but there is no 
 sign of recognition between CASEY and 
 
 KING. 
 
 KING, [to CALVIN, and holding out paper.] 
 The order, sir. 
 
 CALVIN, [replies absently.] Thank you. [to 
 CASEY.] Then we may consider our interview at 
 an end. Good evening. I shall not see you 
 again, I presume. 
 
 CASEY, [warningly.] Don t presume too far, 
 Warden; don t presume too far. 
 
 [CALVIN turns to KING with an air of 
 dismissing CASEY who fumes up and 
 down. KING, unseen by CALVIN, ex 
 changes a glance with CASEY. 
 CALVIN. I ll have to get my pen before I can 
 sign these, King it s in my other coat. 
 
 [MARTIN appears in the door. 
 
PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN, [to MARTIN.] The motor. Mr. Casey 
 is catching the seven o clock train. He will 
 leave at once. 
 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir. [Exits.] 
 
 CALVIN, [with double meaning.] In two 
 minutes the motor will be at the door, Mr. 
 Casey. Wait, please, King. [He goes out into 
 his inner rooms.] 
 
 [CASEY glares after him. KING moves 
 his shifty eyes for a long look at 
 CASEY. 
 
 CASEY. By God, I ll call your bluff or get 
 your goat! Damn fool! Think this prison is 
 run by the Warden, do you? You re in the 
 kindergarten class with a lot to learn ! 
 
 KING, [in a low voice.] What s the Chief 
 thinking of? 
 
 CASEY, [pacing the floor.] The Governor did 
 it. The Governor thinks a lot about reform. 
 The Governor s got to reform a whole lot of 
 things he don t expect to. When I get to the 
 Capitol I bet someone will take steps to make 
 the Governor see reason. If we don t do it one 
 way well, you ve heard about skinning cats, 
 eh? 
 
 KING. This place is a morgue! 
 
 CASEY, [good humored again.] Moyne got the 
 stuff, did he? 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 27 
 
 KING, [furtively, nods.] He and Wilson were 
 howling drunk. They got to beating each other 
 up and 
 
 CASEY, [sneeringly.] Y know I just love 
 sincere reform. . . . Wilson didn t know where 
 the stuff came from? 
 
 KING, [shakes head.] I took care of that. 
 The keeper just handed it to them. 
 
 CASEY. It s all pure friendship stuff with 
 Dan Moyne. His family gets five dollars a 
 week, you know, while he s in stir. 
 
 [KING gives CASEY one of his rare direct 
 glances. 
 
 CASEY. Pure brotherly love, King. [Grins.] 
 Dan feels a natural gratitude. That s the kind 
 Dan is. 
 
 KING. He s looking for a pardon soon. 
 
 CASEY. It was talked of. He won t get it. 
 Maybe there s a reason. Dan might be more 
 useful here than outside, [blandly.] Fond of 
 Warden Calvin of course. 
 
 KING, [dryly.] Warden s had him in the 
 solitary, and the straight-jacket. He s going to 
 the cooler for to-day s business. 
 
 CASEY, [reflectively.] The jail. 
 
 KING. Allowance per day water, one gill; 
 bread, one piece, and not too big a one at that. 
 And he s booked for a week of it. Darkness, 
 
28 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 and lice, a plenty. You know what the cooler 
 is like. 
 
 CASEY, [thinking fast.] No. But it s time I 
 found out. I might do some reforming my 
 self. . . . Could I see Dan Moyne in the cooler 
 without its being known? 
 
 KING. Nobody gets by the Visitors 
 Book. . . . 
 
 CASEY. Well, once inside the prison ? 
 
 KING. I ll get you into the jail myself. Set 
 your time better make it early. 
 
 CASEY. This Saturday. I ll come up by the 
 first train. 
 
 KING. Bout six in the morning. 
 
 CASEY. You just keep things moving here. 
 And say don t Calvin send you signed slips 
 from time to time? 
 
 KING. Orders? Sure. 
 
 CASEY. Hand me a batch. 
 
 KING. Can t be done. He s started a new 
 system of book-keeping, and he keeps copies of 
 everything. And he keeps the copies locked 
 in the files. Says he s going to stop the 
 leaks. 
 
 CASEY. Wise old bird, ain t he? Never mind. 
 You get some of them. Take an impression of 
 the key. Slide me out one or two. 
 
 KING. I can t, I tell you. He 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 29 
 
 CASEY. Shut up! He ll be back. Don t 
 argue; do as you re told. 
 
 KING, [sulkily.] He s had an eye on every 
 one. I want to keep my job. You know two of 
 the boys were canned last week. 
 
 CASEY. Your job would look sick without the 
 rake-off I give you ! Honest, you d be up against 
 it if I got a new man to do the work for [with a 
 gesture] them up there; now, wouldn t you? 
 
 KING. I know a lot about you, Mr. Casey. 
 
 CASEY. I know more about you, King and 
 what I know, I can prove! Don t be a fool. 
 Get me those papers, no matter how. I ll need 
 em down in the city. 
 
 KING. They re no good. Just ordinary daily 
 orders to send men to the hospital or the jail, 
 and like that. He [motioning toward office] don t 
 do anything incriminating. 
 
 CASEY. He might. Especially after I ve had 
 his orders a while. Get me pencil copies if you 
 can. . . . Now keep the cons stirred up, King. 
 Pull some of that stuff we worked on old War 
 den Perkins. Make the whole crowd think 
 Calvin s out for their blood. And don t forget 
 to remind em who their friends are. 
 
 KING. They get awful restless without booze 
 or dope after they re used to it. And they ain t 
 the only ones that lose. The month before 
 
30 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 Calvin came we pulled down 300 plunks on 
 what we brought in. Do you know what we ve 
 taken in this month? Twenty -five dollars! 
 
 CASEY. Don t worry. You ll be rid of him 
 soon. He ain t got a chance, King, not a 
 chance as long as we can hold on to the men. 
 
 KING, [looking keenly at him.] Don t over 
 half the cons depend on us for the whiskey and 
 drugs they use? Ain t they got to have it? He s 
 trying to cut out their getting any more. 
 They ll stay with us don t you forget it, 
 Mr. Casey. 
 
 CASEY. Well, they should worry. They get 
 theirs; we get ours and the dear public s per 
 fectly satisfied. . . . You know where to reach 
 me, don t you? 
 
 KING. Headquarters? 
 
 CASEY. Right. I ll be down on Saturday. 
 You have some papers for me then, or tell me 
 how to get them. So long. 
 
 KING. So long. 
 
 [MARTIN enters with a note in his hand. 
 
 MARTIN, [surprised at seeing CASEY.] The 
 motor is waiting, sir. [to KING.] Did the War 
 den go out, Mr. King? 
 
 KING, [motioning.] Upstairs. 
 
 CASEY, [to MARTIN, affably.] Don t remember 
 old friends, do you, Martin? 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 31 
 
 MARTIN, [looking at him; quietly.] Yes, sir; 
 and my enemies too, sir. 
 
 CASEY. [glaring.] You milk fed crook! 
 [Goes out through office.] 
 
 [KING who has watched this silently, 
 crosses to the chaise longue and seats 
 himself. MARTIN starts upstairs, but 
 meets MRS. CALVIN coming down. 
 MRS. CALVIN. What is it, Martin? 
 MARTIN. A note for the Warden. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I detained him. He will be 
 down directly. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN crosses to the chaise longue 
 
 and sees KING who rises uneasily. 
 KING. The Warden asked me to wait. 
 MRS. CALVIN. Certainly. 
 
 [CALVIN comes in and MARTIN meets him 
 
 with the note. 
 CALVIN. One thing at a time, Martin. 
 
 [CALVIN has in his hand the orders which 
 KING brought him, and his fountain 
 pen. 
 
 CALVIN. Everything is right, I think, King. 
 Look them over if you will, please. [KING does 
 so; CALVIN retains copies.] I ll file these carbons. 
 Good-night. 
 
 KING. Good-night, sir. . . . Don t you 
 want me to file those for you? 
 
32 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN. No, thank you. I ll do it. 
 
 [KING goes. CALVIN puts the carbons in 
 his pocket and turns to MARTIN. MRS. 
 CALVIN has taken up some sewing. 
 CALVIN inquires MARTIN S errand with a 
 glance. 
 
 MARTIN, [handing CALVIN the note.] It s the 
 woman, sir, who has been waiting for you. She 
 is the mother of Daniel Moyne. 
 
 [CALVIN makes a movement of impatience. 
 
 He does not open the note. 
 MARTIN. She was to visit him to-day. 
 CALVIN. I ve nothing to do with that. 
 MARTIN. No, sir. . . . Moyne is going to the 
 cooler so he could not see his mother. 
 CALVIN. Naturally not. 
 
 MARTIN. Well, sir, she came four hours on the 
 train. She ain t seen him for eight months. 
 She s a poor woman, sir, and can t afford the 
 journey oftener than that. 
 
 CALVIN. That s unfortunate, but men in 
 punishment cannot have visitors. 
 MARTIN. No, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. The Principal Keeper knows that. 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir, but Mr. King told me 
 to see you. Moyne ain t in the cooler yet 
 and . . . 
 
 CALVIN. He s been chalked in his own cell 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT S3 
 
 before being removed to the punishment cells. 
 I have just signed the order to send him 
 down. 
 
 MARTIN, [changing his tactics and motioning 
 toward the note which CALVIN holds still un 
 opened.] The woman, sir, wrote you a note. 
 CALVIN, [his temper flashing.] Of course she 
 cannot see him! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [speaking impulsively, but 
 gently.] But, John, you will read her note. 
 
 [CALVIN shrugs, opens the note, reads it 
 with a frown. MRS. CALVIN crosses to 
 him, and he hands her the note with a 
 sigh. 
 
 CALVIN. It s all very irregular. The usual 
 melodrama, Mary. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN reads the note with a look of 
 surprise and pleasure at being permitted 
 to do so. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [quietly.] It seems pathetic to 
 me. 
 
 CALVIN. It s out of the question ! 
 MRS. CALVIN. Then explain to her, John, just 
 why she cannot see him. She won t understand 
 unless you do, and not to know will distress her 
 even more than the truth. Please. 
 
 CALVIN. It s nonsense ! I cannot and will not 
 do it! [Of a sudden he checks himself, and in a 
 
34 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 Hash changes.} . . . But you may be right, 
 Mary! 
 
 [CALVIN nods a quick assent to MARTIN. 
 MRS. CALVIN smiles, recognizing a famil 
 iar characteristic, motions MARTIN to 
 wait, and crosses over to her husband. 
 MRS. CALVIN. John to please me again 
 have her come in here. It s so much more 
 human than your barn-like office. 
 
 CALVIN, [exasperated.] Well ! It s your 
 affair then. [Nods to MARTIN.] No heroics, 
 Mary. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN shakes her head smiling. 
 
 [MARTIN brings in the old woman. She is 
 
 pale and thin, bent and wrinkled, with a 
 
 dress of rusty black. She is completely 
 
 awed by the interview. 
 
 CALVIN. You are Daniel Moyne s mother? 
 MRS. MOYNE. Yes, your honor. 
 CALVIN. Unfortunately, Mrs. Moyne, your 
 son has been sent to the punishment cells for 
 drunkenness. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Dan ain t a bad boy, your 
 honor, he ain t a bad boy. To be sure he d be 
 after having a drop taken, and he stopping in 
 at the saloon at evening. But he ain t like 
 some are, sir, spending all his wages for the 
 drink 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 35 
 
 CALVIN. At present, however, he is confined 
 for drunkenness, a fact that will prevent his 
 seeing you. My wife persuaded me to explain 
 to you that this is a rule of the prison and that 
 therefore no exception can be made in your 
 favor. I am sorry. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. [turning to MRS. CALVIN.] Do 
 
 you know what it is to have a boy, ma am? 
 
 May he never be taken away, and he the sole 
 
 support of his old mother and three childer. 
 
 [There is a momentary pause and CALVIN 
 
 looks at his wife expressively. 
 
 CALVIN, [to MRS. CALVIN.] You see, Mary? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. [to MRS. MOYNE.] It IS Very 
 
 hard for you. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Indeed, indeed, ma am, $15.00 
 a week regular we lost when he was sent 
 away. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. And you have been saving to 
 come here and see him? 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Sure, it s eight months since 
 last I saw Dan, ma am. Little Jimmy that s 
 the baby has a new tooth, ma am. 
 
 CALVIN. Really, Mary ! 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN shakes her head at him, 
 smiling a little. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. [to CALVIN.] And, your honor, 
 some of Dan s friends has been trying their 
 
36 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 influence with the Governor, God save him, to 
 get Dan a pardon. 
 
 CALVIN. Ah! 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Yesterday was the day we 
 heard he could not get it, sir. [to MRS. CALVIN.] 
 Oh, I m almost frightened to tell him, ma am; he 
 was that eager for his pardon, and him hoping 
 and waiting. . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Oh, I m so sorry! 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. It s hard surely. [She begins to 
 cry with the monotonous weeping of old age.] I 
 wanted to see Dan to tell him that the childer 
 was still alive, and to say to him May God 
 Almighty and the Blessed Saints protect you 
 until such time as you re released from bondage. 
 [Cries gently.] 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN turns to her husband who has 
 been watching MRS. MOYNE keenly. He 
 has been thinking hard, his face lit by a 
 new idea. 
 
 CALVIN, [to MRS. MOYNE.] You say Moyne s 
 pardon was refused, and that he doesn t know it 
 yet? 
 
 [MRS. MOYNE nods half fearfully. 
 
 CALVIN, [briskly.] You shall see your son at 
 once, and here. [Rings bell. To MRS. CALVIN.] 
 A week in the dark cells with that to think 
 about ought to reduce him to order. 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 37 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Oh, John! 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. [in terror.] What are they go 
 ing to do to Dan, ma am? 
 
 [MARTIN appears in the doorway. 
 
 CALVIN. Martin, ask the P. K. to send Moyne 
 here before he goes to the dark cells. I want 
 to see him. 
 
 MARTIN. Yes, sir. [Goes out.] 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Is he coming here now? To 
 this room is it? Oh ma am it s a little thing 
 might I kiss my boy? I ain t even touched his 
 hand since he came to this place. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN is too moved to speak. CAL 
 VIN is as cold and as hard as steel. 
 
 CALVIN. Your son will come here, but you 
 must not touch him. I want you to tell him that 
 his pardon has been refused. [MRS. CALVIN starts 
 to speak. CALVIN to her.] Stringent measures 
 are necessary. I ve told you, Moyne must be 
 broken. [To MRS. MOYNE.] I m doing this for 
 your son s own good. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. May God bless your honor, and 
 the Blessed Saints 
 
 CALVIN. And then he will go at once to the 
 punishment cells. You will be allowed to see 
 him for a few moments only. I shall remain in 
 the room. Mary, you had better go. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I will stay. 
 
38 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. [weeping.] It is a pleasant 
 thing to see your only son after eight months, 
 ma am, but it s very sorrowful to have nothing 
 but disappointment to bring him; misery and 
 disappointment to your only son, and he so 
 hoping. . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [crosses to her and speaks gently.] 
 You have forgotten that the children are well, 
 and that the baby has a tooth. 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. Oh, ma am yes, ma am. 
 
 [MARTIN comes to the door. 
 MARTIN. Shall Moyne ? 
 CALVIN. Bring him in. 
 
 [MARTIN steps out and admits KING who 
 leads in DANIEL MOYNE. DAN is hag 
 gard and surly. At first he does not 
 look up. His mother stops her crying 
 and looks at him. There is a long 
 moment of silence. MRS. CALVIN does 
 not take her eyes from the old woman. 
 CALVIN is simply stern and cold a just 
 judge. 
 MRS. MOYNE. Dannie! 
 
 [DAN starts violently and sees his mother. 
 For a moment the face, which was once 
 sensitive, lights up with pleasure. Then 
 his eyes travel to MRS. CALVIN and to the 
 Warden, and his face sets again. He 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 39 
 
 glares at them all like some trapped 
 animal, saying nothing. KING reaches 
 back and raps on the door. 
 MRS. MOYNE. Dannie boy, it s mother! 
 [Keeper SCOTT enters and takes up his 
 
 position on the other side of DAN. 
 CALVIN. He knows you, Mrs. Moyne. [At 
 his brisk tone the old woman shrinks, and DAN 
 looks furiously at the Warden} Moyne, you took 
 a bad time to disgrace yourself. This was the 
 day for your mother s visit. Men in Punish 
 ment don t see visitors. [DAN makes an in 
 articulate sound.] I have, however, broken a 
 rule because I think it well for you to hear the 
 news which your mother. . . . 
 
 DAN. [trying to leap forward] Did they get 
 it? 
 
 [There is a moment s pause. MRS. MOYNE 
 moves forward a step. On her face is 
 written her disappointment. She sobs, 
 but says nothing. MRS. CALVIN watches 
 DAN. She is pale with sympathy. CAL 
 VIN is quite unmoved. 
 
 DAN. [with a broken cry] Oh, the stinking 
 cowards! 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. They tried, sonny, they tried, 
 but the Governor. . . . 
 DAN. Damn the Governor! 
 
40 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 CALVIN. Moyne ! 
 
 DAN. You too! What do you and the 
 Governor know about it hey? 
 CALVIN. Take him away. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN moves swiftly to her hus 
 band. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [in a quick, decided tone.} Wait, 
 John. You said this was to be my affair. Let 
 me manage it. 
 
 [The shock stops everyone. CALVIN lifts 
 
 his shoulders half unwillingly. 
 MRS. CALVIN, [briskly to DAN.] Your mother 
 has made this long journey to see you. Don t 
 waste time in raging. [DAN stares at her blankly.] 
 Of course you re disappointed about your par 
 don, but cursing won t do any good. [She moves 
 over to MRS. MOYNE.] Your mother has other 
 news, news of home and your children. You 
 must not let her go away again without hearing 
 it. 
 
 [DAN looks at MRS. CALVIN as if she were 
 some new and strange creature. CALVIN 
 moves forward and then checks him 
 self. 
 
 DAN. [hoarsely to his mother.] Kids well? 
 MRS. MOYNE. Yes, Dannie, they re well. 
 Only the baby was a bit ailing on account of his 
 teeth, but the tooth came through, and they re 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 41 
 
 all well. They sent their love and a kiss to their 
 dad. . . . The baby s tooth is like that, Dan 
 nie, you would like to feel it biting on your 
 finger like a grown man. 
 
 [CALVIN moves toward his wife impa 
 tiently. She checks him. He goes to the 
 other end of the room and starts walking 
 up and down with increasing restless 
 ness, glancing at his watch, which he 
 holds open in his hand, from time to 
 time. 
 
 DAN. [to his mother.] Do they get enough to 
 eat? 
 
 MRS. MOYNE. They have enough now, since 
 the boys sent us 
 
 DAN. [sharply.] Never mind about that! 
 MRS. MOYNE. But Maizy, she is needing shoes 
 for the school. [To MRS. CALVIN.] A great child 
 for shoes, she is, ma am, Maizy. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN is listening calmly, but in 
 tently. DAN looks at her again in won 
 derment. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. How old is Maizy? 
 MRS. MOYNE. Maizy, now. . . . 
 DAN. [to MRS. CALVIN.] She s ten. 
 MRS. CALVIN. She must wear a twelve or a 
 twelve and a half shoe. 
 MRS. MOYNE. [pleased.] Twelve D. 
 
42 PUNISHMENT [ACT i 
 
 DAN. [suspiciously.] She don t need charity. 
 [MRS. CALVIN is rather taken aback and 
 says nothing. Before she can pick up 
 the broken thread the next scene is in 
 full swing and has checked her. 
 MRS. MOYNE. [to DAN reprovingly.] Dannie 
 she has a kind heart. [To MRS. CALVIN.] I says 
 to Maizy, ma am, now when your dad has his 
 pardon got 
 
 DAN. [breaks in with passionate fury.] Par 
 don! Pipe-dream! You re fools, the lot of you! 
 And that damn dude Governor s the worst of 
 the bunch! 
 
 [CALVIN stops short in his quick march, 
 and snaps his watch in a decisive way. 
 CALVIN. Take him away ! 
 
 [DAN is hauled from the room by KING who 
 
 threatens him with his club. 
 KING. Come on now! 
 
 [KING is aided by SCOTT in dragging DAN out. 
 
 DAN. [snarling as he is jerked out.] Yes, and 
 
 you, Mr. Warden, with your rules and your 
 
 punishment. Go on and find out! Put me in 
 
 the jail. String me up by my wrists again! 
 
 You can t break me! I ll beat you to it yet! 
 
 I ll get you good! I ll get you. . . . [Exit.] 
 
 [At a motion from CALVIN, who has been 
 
 utterly unmoved by DAN S outburst, 
 
ACT i] PUNISHMENT 43 
 
 the old woman is led weeping from the 
 room by SCOTT, who returned for her 
 after helping to eject DAN. 
 [MRS. CALVIN is startled, half frightened. 
 
 She goes quickly to her husband. 
 MRS. CALVIN, [anxiously.] Dearest! 
 CALVIN, [coldly, but putting an arm about her 
 shoulders.} No, Mary. I am in no danger. The 
 man is powerless against me. 
 
 [Immediately following his words the lights 
 go out in the cell-block, and some distant 
 door slams to with a heavy metallic clang. 
 
 THE CURTAIN FALLS 
 
ACT II 
 
 punishment cells, otherwise known as the 
 * dark cells, the jail, or the cooler, are five in 
 number, each measuring 7ft. x 7ft. x 3% ft. and 
 are made of steel. They are situated in a vaulted 
 stone chamber below the surface of the ground. On 
 entering this chamber, the visitor finds himself in a 
 small square ante-room, with a narrow corridor 
 into which the doors of the individual cells open, 
 directly in front of him. As his eyes become accus 
 tomed to the light which filters dimly through two 
 narrow slits high in the gray wall, he will see on his 
 left a bench, with a sink just behind it, and in 
 front of him at the end of the first steel cell, a 
 locker in which the "jail clothes" are kept. When 
 a keeper enters the room, he lights it by means of a 
 single electric light on a long leader. This light 
 may be carried into the cells, which are themselves 
 unlighted. They are bare of furniture; in the 
 door of each is a grated opening a foot square. 
 The doors of cells 1, 3, and 5 are open, the cells 
 being empty. In cell 2 is JACK WILSON, and in 
 cell 4 near the entrance to the room is DANIEL 
 MOYNE. 
 
ACT 11] PUNISHMENT 45 
 
 When the curtain rises there is silence in the 
 cells. Then JACK coughs and coughs in a long 
 spasm. The door of the room rattles and a key 
 grates in the lock. The door opens and admits 
 keepers SCOTT and FRANCIS with JOSEPH RUFFIO, 
 a prisoner. FRANCIS closes the door again. 
 
 JOE. I tell you I never. . . . 
 SCOTT. Shut up! 
 
 JOE. But, Cap n, I was looking. . . . 
 SCOTT. Take off your clothes. 
 
 [FRANCIS opens the locker and takes out the 
 suit of jail clothes which RUFFIO is to 
 wear. Both men in the cells listen in 
 tently, crouched close to their doors. 
 JOE. Well I guess I got no kick coming. 
 I m lucky not to get rail-roaded to the Chair. 
 There s no comeback anyhow. But I never had 
 a knife. That runner s got it in for me. He 
 framed me up. 
 
 [JOE stands in his underclothes with his 
 hands held above his head. SCOTT 
 searches him by passing his hands 
 rapidly over his body and limbs. 
 SCOTT. All right. Put on those duds. [He 
 points to the clothes FRANCIS holds.] 
 
 JOE. [hesitating.] Cap n, who wore those 
 last? 
 
46 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 SCOTT. Don t make so much talk. Put em 
 on. 
 
 [They complete the process. FRANCIS opens 
 the door of cell 1 and JOE is thrust into it. 
 FRANCIS goes to a row of small red 
 buckets, standing against the back wall 
 of the outer room, takes one and carries 
 it into JOE S cell, where he leaves it. 
 Then he goes out of the cell closing the 
 door behind him. He locks the cell- 
 door. The key turns gratingly. Mean 
 while SCOTT has been cutting off the 
 white disk and good conduct stripes from 
 the sleeve of the coat RUFFIO wore when 
 he came in. After he has done this 
 SCOTT puts the clothes in the locker. 
 [The two keepers put out the light and 
 leave the room. The door slams and the 
 key grates heavily. 
 
 JOE. Hello, pals! Who s among those pres 
 ent? 
 
 JACK. I m Jack Wilson in number two. 
 JOE. Sure. And Dan Moyne s here too, 
 ain t he? Anybody else? 
 
 JACK. Dan s here, in number four, but he 
 
 ain t talking much. No one else. Who are you? 
 
 JOE. Joe Ruffio. Weave shop. Cap t 
 
 Smith s all right, but that damned little runner 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 47 
 
 of his is a rat. He framed me up. Planted a 
 knife in my locker. Just wait. He ll get his all 
 right. 
 
 [JACK coughs violently. 
 
 JOE. Ain t got the T.Bs., have you, kid? 
 
 JACK. Wish I had. I m sick. Sore in my 
 ear. It runs. 
 
 JOE. Cheer up, old-timer! What do you do 
 down here to make things lively? Ever sing? 
 [He hums a little.} Know this? [He sings a few 
 bars of an Italian street song.] 
 
 [JACK has another spasm of coughing which 
 leaves him so weak and ill that the coughs 
 finally change to sobs. 
 
 JOE. Come on, kid. Cheer up. 
 
 JACK. Oh yes, you can talk. 
 
 JOE. [with firm quietness.} Why can I talk 
 better than anyone else? 
 
 JACK. You ain t been down here four days. 
 [He groans.} 
 
 JOE. [rather tenderly.} I know it. 
 
 JACK. Oh, my head! 
 
 JOE. Pretty bad, is it? 
 
 JACK. Feels like a house on fire. [He whim- 
 pers a little like a child.] I want a handkerchief. 
 I wish I had a handkerchief. 
 
 JOE. [a little bitterly.] That wouldn t be 
 safe. You might. . . . [He pauses significantly.] 
 
48 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 DAN. [suddenly.] Huh! He could use his 
 shirt. What good to take away his handker 
 chief? Tie the sleeves of his shirt round his 
 neck that s the way. 
 
 JOE. [calmly.] Well, the chap that did it last, 
 down here, used his handkerchief, Dan. They 
 never let you keep your handkerchief since that. 
 
 DAN. [growling.] All the comforts of home 
 here, ain t there? God, Jack, that pen of ours in 
 the cell-block looks like a modern improvement 
 flat when I think about it. 
 
 JACK, [whimpering.] I m sore all over from 
 the rivets on the floor. I wish I had a bed. It s 
 cold on the floor. I m cold all over except my 
 head. My head s burning up burning up. 
 
 DAN. Cut it, can t you, Jack? It was my 
 fault, but you know how full of booze I was. 
 [A pause. His voice comes, full of pleading and 
 affection.] Don t you, Jack? 
 
 JACK. Sure I do, Dan. 
 
 JOE. [easily.] Well, when two fellows are 
 locked in one cell from noon Saturday till 
 Tuesday morning, no wonder they get restless. 
 
 DAN. I never hit a pal, when I ain t been 
 drinking. 
 
 JOE. You can t never tell what you will do, 
 cooped up that way, with the best pal in the 
 world. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 49 
 
 DAN. [rather pathetically.] I never hit you 
 before, did I, Jack? 
 
 JACK. No, Dan. Ever since I come here 
 you ve been white to me. [Stubbornly.] But I 
 was right if I was sick. 
 
 DAN. Aw, your mind s queer. 
 
 JACK. It ain t. The guard was talking to the 
 P. K., I tell you. [He draws a long groaning 
 breath.] 
 
 JOE. [soothingly.] What did he say, old man? 
 
 JACK. Tell him, Dan. I can t talk much. 
 
 DAN. Jack thought the P. K. was talking 
 about Casey. You know who Casey is, don t 
 you? 
 
 JOE. For one thing he s your ward-boss, 
 ain t he? 
 
 DAN. Yes, sort of. Jack sick the way he 
 is took it into his head that Casey sent us the 
 booze the keeper slipped us. Well, what if he 
 did? Was it poisoned? 
 
 JACK, [with sick petulance.] There was some 
 thing phony about it. The P. K. said, Casey s 
 orders. I know he did. What did he mean 
 orders? 
 
 DAN. It don t cut no ice if he did. A man 
 might send a present to a pal treat him to a 
 drink. 
 
 JOE. He might if he was a pal. Jack s got 
 
50 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 the right dope, Dan. Politicians don t give 
 presents for nothing. Casey is a politician. 
 
 DAN. [with rising anger.] You re crazy, both 
 of you. What do you know about Casey? Why 
 you never saw him in your life! 
 
 JACK. That s so, Dan, but. . . . 
 
 DAN. Mr. Casey has been good to me. 
 
 JOE. He wants something, you bet. 
 
 DAN. [with a short laugh.] From me? Now 
 what? Casey s a big man. He don t need to 
 bother with me, but he likes to be friendly. 
 Look at the boys that tried to get me my par 
 don hell burn the Governor! 
 
 JOE. Dan, the Party don t do nothing for 
 love. The Party is out for cash only. 
 
 DAN. Then why does it send my mother 
 five plunks a week? She can t do nothing for 
 them. 
 
 JOE. Ain t she taking care of your kids? 
 
 DAN. Sure! 
 
 JOE. The Party knows a man feels grateful 
 to anybody who d look out for his kids while 
 he s doing his bit. And when you got a man 
 grateful you got him tied hand and foot. 
 Let politics alone, Dan. You ll never get 
 anywhere except where you are, sticking to 
 them. 
 
 DAN. Sticking to em is the only way you can 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 51 
 
 get anywhere! How else can you get your 
 term cut? Who else d get a pardon for 
 you? 
 
 JOE. Pardon? That don t always work, does 
 it, Dan? 
 
 DAN. Oh, damn that Governor! 
 
 JOE. Cut loose, Dan. Shake Casey s crowd. 
 They may help you now, but when they do get 
 you out, they ll put you on some dirty job, 
 and you ll come back. You ll go down and 
 out. 
 
 DAN. Might as well as rot in this hole. 
 God it was bad enough with the old Warden, 
 but what it ll be now the reformers are having 
 fun with us, the devil alone knows. 
 
 JACK. Mr. Calvin is. ... 
 
 DAN. [mockingly.] Mr. Calvin is the only 
 Warden you ever saw, Jack. Well, he won t 
 break me. I ll see him frying in hell first! 
 
 JOE. The Warden is stiff. He s got the 
 wrong hunch. 
 
 DAN. Let him be. Stiffer the better. He 
 won t last so long. 
 
 JOE. No. A stiff Warden don t have much 
 chance, even if he is honest. 
 
 [JACK moans as if in protest at this senti 
 ment. 
 
 JOE. Nobody wants a stiff Warden. Do you 
 
52 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 want to live in hell, Jack? [Jack groans weakly.] 
 And [He stumbles over the thought.] and people 
 outside won t stand for this reform stuff. 
 
 JACK. What people? 
 
 JOE. You got me there, Jack. Politicians, I 
 guess. 
 
 DAN. Lay everything on to politics, Joe! 
 
 JOE. Well, you remember Warden Perkins? 
 He got run out fast enough. 
 
 DAN. Served him right. 
 
 JACK, [thickly.] Talk louder, Joe. My head 
 buzzes. I can t hear you. 
 
 JOE. Somebody kept sending the men booze, 
 and dope, and then there was riots. Place was 
 so upset they thought they d have the militia 
 down. The Governor thought it was Warden 
 Perkins fault so did the fathead public but 
 it was all a plant, stirred up from outside. 
 
 DAN. Good stuff! 
 
 JOE. You re all for the Party now, Dan, but 
 the Party ain t for you, and don t you forget it. 
 The Party s out for money. They have dirty 
 work to do and you re a crook, fit to do it. 
 They might get you off this time, but they 
 wouldn t let you make good anywhere. Once a 
 crook, always a crook, is their motto. If they 
 have a line on you, then you can t go straight. 
 Sooner or later you ll be back here. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 53 
 
 DAN. I may always be a crook, but I m 
 damned if I ever get caught again. I ll show 
 em, the rotten. . . . 
 
 [There is the sound of the key in the door. 
 SCOTT enters, bringing bread and water. 
 He takes the light on its long leader into 
 the passage with him and throws it 
 through the grating into each cell. He 
 looks into the empty cells which stand 
 always with their doors open. The 
 keeper does not open the cell doors. He 
 pokes the piece of bread through the slot 
 in the door and then pours the water into 
 the cup the man holds out through a fun 
 nel with a very long spout which reaches 
 through the grating. He goes first to DAN 
 and gives him his allowance. DAN sees 
 him through the cell grating by the aid 
 of the light. 
 
 DAN. [with a start of surprise.] Hello, Scotty! 
 What the. . . . 
 SCOTT. Can t talk now. Back later. 
 
 [SCOTT goes on to JACK S cell. He flashes 
 the light into the cell. JACK is stretched 
 on his back in a half stupor. He does 
 not move. 
 
 SCOTT. Hey! What s the matter with you? 
 [The light is held steadily for a moment 
 
54 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 straight in JACK S eyes. He moves un 
 easily. The others are listening. 
 JOE. He s sick, sir. 
 SCOTT, [without emotion.] Sick? 
 
 [The light continues to focus on JACK S 
 face. He slowly rolls over, sees the 
 keeper, and struggles to his feet. 
 JACK, [gasping.] Water? [He pours the few 
 drops that remain in his cup down his throat, and 
 greedily extends his cup for another gill. The 
 keeper fills the cup, and thrusts in the bread.] 
 Say, my throat s burning up look it only 
 covers the bottom of the cup. Couldn t you 
 fill it full? Just this once! 
 SCOTT. Against the rules. 
 JACK. For God s sake, sir. [He cries.] I m 
 sick, sir. Water would save my life. Couldn t 
 I have the cup full just this time? So I could 
 drink a whole mouthful at once. For God s 
 sake, sir ! 
 
 SCOTT, [in a slightly lowered tone.] What do I 
 get out of it? 
 
 JACK, [faltering.] I I haven t. . . . 
 SCOTT. I m no charity organization. 
 JACK, [in despair.] For the love of God, sir! 
 [SCOTT goes on to JOE, gives him his allow 
 ance, turns out the light, and leaves the 
 room. JACK settles back. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 55 
 
 JOE. You didn t get it, Jack? 
 
 JACK. I ought to have known better than to 
 ask. 
 
 JOE. Tough luck. Wish I could slip you 
 mine. I don t need it so much. I ve been hav 
 ing all I wanted. 
 
 JACK. You re all to the good, Joe. You ll need 
 it before you get out anyhow. Oh, my head! 
 
 JOE. Better sleep. 
 
 JACK. Seems as if I d smother when I lie 
 down. I might sit in the corner and sleep if it 
 weren t for the bed-bugs. 
 
 JOE. Ain t they hell? 
 
 JACK. I m so damn thirsty I could drink the 
 whole river. Last night I didn t sleep at all. 
 First my head then the rivets on the floor 
 then the bed-bugs and no water. And in the 
 morning that dynamo next door, beat and 
 beat. . . . Did you hear me choking, Dan? 
 
 DAN. I talked to you. 
 
 JACK. Oh, sure. Well, I got to thinking 
 about the death-house next door. Wondered 
 how the fellows in there feel when they hear the 
 dynamo buzzing. 
 
 JOE. Poor devils ! They re worse off than we 
 are. 
 
 JACK. Anyhow they know they ll be out of it 
 soon. 
 
56 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 DAN. Say! Cheerful party, ain t we? For the 
 love of Mike, buck up. Can t you think of any 
 thing better than the death-house to gas about? 
 
 JOE. Eaten your supper, Dan? 
 
 DAN. Supper huh ! I chewed the stale stuff 
 they call bread. 
 
 JOE. Mine s mouldy, too. 
 
 DAN. This here chunk s been mouldy for 
 three days. I can think of a supper now. A 
 steak, smothered in onions, with fried potatoes 
 and vegetables. . . . 
 
 JACK. For God s sake, Dan! 
 
 DAN. Go to your downy, Jack. Sweet dreams! 
 
 JOE. Take a drink, Jack, and get to sleep, old 
 man. 
 
 JACK. Don t dare. A fellow might choke to 
 death down here without getting help. I wake 
 up when the midnight train whistles, and I ll 
 never get off again without a bit of water. 
 
 JOE. Save it then. 
 
 JACK. I put it away in a safe corner till my 
 throat gets cracking. 
 
 JOE. Say, how do you lie down here? 
 
 DAN. Take off your shoes and shirt and make 
 yourself a pillow. Throw your coat over you. 
 It s warmer so. 
 
 follows these directions, and the others 
 do the same. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 57 
 
 JOE. Good night, fellows. 
 
 DAN. Night. 
 
 JACK. Good night, Joe. 
 
 [There is a momentary stirring as they 
 
 settle for the night. 
 [The curtain falls for a moment to indicate 
 
 the passing of hours. 
 [The whistle of a train is heard faintly. 
 [The curtain rises. The stage is in black 
 darkness. There is the rattle of keys and 
 the clang of drawn bolts. The iron 
 hinges of the door creak. The men are 
 still asleep. SCOTT enters and turns on 
 the light. He takes it to DAN S cell and 
 flashes it in. 
 SCOTT, [briskly.] Cell four! 
 
 DAN. Huh? 
 
 SCOTT. Cell four! 
 
 DAN. [half awake.] What s yours? 
 
 SCOTT, [roughly.] For Christ s sake answer 
 your name, so I ll know you ain t dead! 
 
 DAN. [snapping.] Daniel Moyne. 
 
 SCOTT, [cheerfully.] Hello, Dan. 
 
 DAN. [sitting bolt upright in the light; he cannot 
 see the speaker because of the glare.} Who is it? 
 
 SCOTT. Scott. 
 
 [They talk in lowered tones. DAN rises and 
 leans against the cell door, 
 
58 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 DAN. Said you d be back, didn t you? What 
 are you doing down here ? This ain t your regular. 
 SCOTT. P. K. s orders. For to-night only. 
 DAN. Say, the stuff you gave us sure got us in 
 wrong. 
 
 SCOTT. Stuff was all right. [He grins in.] 
 
 DAN. [grins.] Sure. 
 
 SCOTT. On my way. 
 
 DAN. [settling back.] Bad luck to you! 
 
 [SCOTT goes to JACK S cell. JACK is huddled 
 in a corner. When the light is flashed 
 on him he does not move. The keeper 
 turns the light into every corner of the 
 cell. In the corner nearest JACK S feet 
 he pauses for a moment to rest the light 
 on the tin cup of water. 
 SCOTT. Cell two! 
 
 [JACK does not move. 
 
 SCOTT. Hey, you, two. [He holds the light in 
 JACK S eyes. JACK jumps awake.] Two! 
 JACK. Yes, sir? 
 SCCTT. Answer your name. 
 JACK. Wilson. 
 SCOTT. John Wilson? 
 JACK. Number 25,683. 
 SCOTT. Right. 
 
 [He goes on to JOE, and JACK tries to find 
 his former position. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 59 
 
 SCOTT, [coming to JOE who has been waked.] 
 Cell one! 
 
 JOE. Joseph Ruffio. Is it morning? 
 SCOTT. Midnight round. 
 
 [JOE mutters half to himself. 
 SCOTT. What s eating you? 
 JOE. Can t sleep. First night here. 
 SCOTT, [friendly.] You ll get used to it. 
 [SCOTT leaves the room, putting out the 
 light, and locking the door behind 
 him. The stage is again in utter dark- 
 ness. 
 
 JOE. How s the head, Jack? 
 JACK, [crying out miserably.] Why can t they 
 let us alone at night? 
 
 JOE. Precaution against accident. Get back 
 to sleep, kid. 
 
 [There is a moment s silence. Suddenly, 
 tearing the heaviness of the darkness, 
 comes a wailing scream, hopeless, bitter, 
 as of a child who is tortured unspeak 
 ably. Both DAN and JOE leap to their 
 feet, speaking together. 
 JOE. Who s hurt? 
 DAN. For God s sake 
 JACK. I ve spilled my water! My water is 
 spilled ! 
 
 DAN. [with infinite relief, his voice broken from 
 
60 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 nervous strain.} Damn you thought you were 
 killed! 
 
 JACK, [wailing.] Might as well be! Might 
 as well murder me in cold blood. I ll die with 
 out water. I m sick . . . sick. I need water! 
 
 JOE. [gently] How did you do it, old man? 
 
 JACK. I got turned round. Hit it with my 
 foot and tipped it over. Thought it was at my 
 head, and reached for it. And then I hit the cup 
 with my foot. [His voice rises uncertainly] It s 
 all spilled . . . it s all spilled! [The tin cup 
 rattles on the iron floor] My cup of water . . . 
 I want water ... I want water now! 
 
 JOE. Wish I could get you mine. 
 
 DAN. [snapping] Well, you can t! 
 
 JACK, [quickly; feverishly] I ve got to have 
 water. I can feel it on the floor. [His voice 
 flames up again in delirium] I ll take my shirt 
 and throw it over his head! . . . There s 
 water out there. ... I can see it ... a 
 whole pond . . . [He goes to bars and clutches 
 them as he stares into the black corridor] and 
 it s cool. . . . Oh, please! . . . I ll throw 
 my bucket at him . . . while he s cursing me 
 I ll get his gun ... if I only had one swal 
 low . . . just one . . . it s on the floor . . . 
 in drops . . . but when the keeper comes 
 I ll . . ah-h-h! 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 61 
 
 JOE. [briskly.] You re a sick boy, Jack. 
 
 JACK, [wildly.] I ain t so sick I can t put it 
 over on him when he comes with his can of 
 water. You wait. I ll put it over on all of them. 
 They think they ll starve me to death. I ll 
 show em! I ll show the whole lot. Casey 
 too, Dan ... I don t care if he is a friend 
 of yours . . . he s a damned . . . I ll get 
 water. . . . I ll just take my bucket and throw 
 it at the keeper ... he won t be looking for 
 that. [He laughs horribly.] . . . Oh, I m sick! 
 
 JOE. Men sicker than you have been here, 
 Jack. You tell us all about it, old man. 
 
 JACK, [speaking in gasps.] I was sick when 
 Casey sent us that stuff. [Yelling.] He did send 
 it, Dan! I heard the P. K. I tell you ... 
 Joe, I m sick ... I want to go to the hospital ! 
 
 JOE. [soothingly.] Maybe you can in the 
 morning. 
 
 JACK, [now utterly delirious begins beating with 
 his cup on the iron floor. He keeps it up until the 
 curtain falls. His voice rises and falls in a steady 
 singsong.] Kill me, will you? Wait . . . you 
 wait. Wait till you come in. You won t have 
 a chance . . . not a chance. I ll jump at you, 
 and . . . Ah-h-h-! [His voice wails away in a 
 long moan.] 
 
 [The curtain falls for a moment to indicate 9 
 
62 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 for the second time, the passing of hours. 
 Silence. 
 
 [The curtain rises to show the cells lit by the 
 faint, gray light of early morning. DAN 
 lies flat on his back, breathing heavily. 
 JACK coughs pitiably, but does not wake. 
 JOE is sleeping quietly. Suddenly the 
 dynamo in the power house next door 
 starts up for the day. Its beat and 
 throb are endless, implacable. It con 
 tinues to the end of the act. Next the 
 levers opening the cell-rows in the build 
 ing above can be heard clicking. Click! 
 Click! Click! Click! Four times re 
 peated; sixteen in all. Then the tramp 
 of the marching men leaving their cells 
 follows, rhythmically. As the sound of 
 the feet dies away there is a pause. JACK 
 coughs. DAN grunts like an animal with 
 the night-mare. The grate of a key is 
 heard in the door of the jail. The bolts 
 are shot back. JACK coughs again, and 
 JOE open his eyes and half sits up with a 
 start. Keepers SCOTT and FRANCIS come 
 in. FRANCIS goes to the clothes locker 
 while SCOTT goes to JOE S cell. SCOTT 
 opens the door of No. 1 and leaves it 
 open. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 63 
 
 SCOTT. Joseph Ruffio? 
 
 JOE. [trembling with eagerness.] Number one, 
 sir. Do I get out now? 
 
 SCOTT. Yes. Come out. Change your 
 clothes. 
 
 [DAN wakes easily and listens during the 
 following. JOE, followed by SCOTT, goes 
 to the anteroom where FRANCIS has put 
 out his clothes on the bench. JOE slips 
 out of his jail suit and puts on his regular 
 prison clothes. As he puts on the coat 
 he sees that the disk and stripe have been 
 taken off. 
 
 JOE. These aren t my clothes! I had a disk 
 and a good conduct stripe. 
 SCOTT, [impatiently.] Well? 
 JOE. [looking from him to FRANCIS.] They re 
 gone. 
 
 SCOTT. Say, come on now. You know you 
 don t keep good conduct stripes when you go to 
 the cooler. Do you think you ve been on a 
 Sunday school picnic? Hurry up unless you 
 want to stay here. 
 
 [JOE says nothing more, but hurries on with 
 his clothes. SCOTT goes out and JOE 
 follows him. FRANCIS turns out the 
 light again and goes out, locking the door 
 behind him. DAN groans, yawns 
 
64 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 noisily, stretches himself, and gives a 
 disgusted grunt. The door rattles, and a 
 key is heard again. DAN listens. SCOTT 
 comes in alone and goes at once to DAN S 
 cell 
 
 SCOTT, [to DAN through the grating.] Wake, 
 Dan? 
 
 DAN. [tensely.] Sure. 
 
 SCOTT. Visitor for you. Wait a minute. 
 
 [While DAN sits nervously waiting, SCOTT 
 
 goes back to the outer door and looks out. 
 
 SCOTT, [to someone outside.] All right, sir. 
 
 [CASEY comes in and waits while SCOTT 
 
 locks the door again. Then SCOTT takes 
 
 him to DAN S cell and unlocks the door 
 
 which squeals on its hinges. JACK 
 
 coughs and wakes up. CASEY appears 
 
 in DAN S cell. 
 
 DAN. [under his breath.] Mr. Casey. . . . 
 CASEY. Shut up, Dan. [Sharply.] Anybody 
 else in here, Scott? 
 
 SCOTT, [who has been standing in the door of 
 the cell.] Wilson in number two; two doors 
 away. 
 
 DAN. My cell-mate. He s a pal. 
 CASEY. Don t trust nobody! 
 DAN. He s sick anyway. 
 CASEY. Keep your eye out, Scott. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 65 
 
 SCOTT. Yes, sir. 
 
 [SCOTT closes the cell door and goes and sits 
 on the bench in the anteroom. During 
 this JACK has wakened fully. He 
 stretches slowly and painfully, holding 
 his head between his hands. He reaches 
 for his cup and, finding it empty, moans 
 a little, remembering. CASEY is not 
 wholly at ease. He takes out a cigar and 
 chews it. 
 
 DAN. Good of you, Mr. Casey, to. ... 
 CASEY. Nothing. Sorry you didn t get 
 your pardon, Dan. [Champs on his cigar.] 
 DAN. Damn hard luck. It s the Governor. 
 CASEY. He s a fool. All reformers are, Dan. 
 Thinks he ll turn our State into a little heaven 
 on earth. 
 
 DAN. Well I should worry. 
 CASEY, [feeling his way slowly.] Every boy 
 in the ward is sore over your pardon. The 
 Governor made a lot of enemies when he did 
 that. 
 
 DAN. The boys have been mighty good to me. 
 CASEY. They like you, Dan. [Chews steadily.] 
 Don t blame em. Like you myself. 
 
 DAN. Huh! [Embarrassed.] Quit your kid 
 ding. 
 
 CASEY. Let me have my little joke eh, Dan? 
 
66 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 DAN. Sure thing, Mr. Casey. 
 
 CASEY. Stopped in to see your mother the 
 other day. Smart old lady, Dan. And that 
 girl, Maizy some kid! 
 
 DAN. [eagerly.] Maizy s like her mother 
 quick. 
 
 CASEY, [leading up to his point.] Getting to 
 be quite a woman, the little scrap. Made me a 
 cup of tea, she did! 
 
 DAN. [heavily.] Casey, I ain t seen Maizy 
 in fourteen months. 
 
 CASEY. Well, she s grown, I ll bet, in that 
 time so you d hardly know her. [He plays with 
 DAN S emotion.] You won t see her for some 
 time either, I m thinking. 
 
 DAN. I ll serve out the rest of my bit, I 
 guess . . . there ll be no chance till there s a 
 new administration. 
 
 CASEY, [lowering his voice.] Dan, how d 
 you like to see the kid well say, next week? 
 
 DAN. [staring at him.] What s the use of 
 kidding me, Mr. Casey? 
 
 CASEY, [raising his voice again.] I m giving 
 you straight stuff, Dan. 
 
 [When CASEY S voice rises, JACK who has 
 been sitting on the floor of his cell, gets 
 up and goes to the grating in his door. 
 He listens. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 67 
 
 JACK. Joe, did you say something? 
 
 [SCOTT springs from his bench and goes 
 to JACK S door. CASEY and DAN are 
 tense and silent. 
 
 SCOTT. Here, you. Shut your noise. Ruffio 
 went upstairs long ago. 
 
 JACK. I heard someone talking to Dan. 
 
 [CASEY stands with his finger on his lips. 
 SCOTT. You re off your nut. You re hearing 
 things. How could anyone be talking to Dan? 
 JACK, [pausing an instant.] Dan ! You been 
 talking? 
 
 [DAN hesitates a moment. CASEY makes 
 
 violent signs for him to say No. 
 DAN. [blurts out.] You re dreaming, Jack. 
 Joe s gone. 
 
 SCOTT. You lie down there and mind your 
 own business! 
 
 [CASEY goes on talking to DAN in dumb 
 
 show for a moment. JACK lies down 
 
 again slowly, unconvinced, and still 
 
 listening. DAN S face as he listens to 
 
 CASEY, shows surprise and then frank 
 
 incredulity, and finally, utter disbelief, 
 
 as CASEY tries to convince him of the 
 
 truth of what he is saying. 
 
 DAN. Don t con me, Mr. Casey ! 
 
 CASEY. I speak truth! The boys say to 
 
68 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 me Dan is a friend of ours. He s a good 
 friend, the kind that would do anything for a 
 pal. We want to help him. You can help him, 
 Mr. Casey, they say to me. 
 
 DAN. [much moved.] They re good friends 
 to me, all right. 
 
 CASEY. Help Dan, they say. The Governor 
 won t give him no pardon because he s a stink 
 ing reformer. Well let s get him out another 
 way then. 
 
 [DAN S eyes grow wide. He clenches his 
 
 fists. 
 
 CASEY. Dan what I say is the straight 
 goods. If you ll take a chance, and beat it, 
 out of this, you ll get all the help you need 
 inside and out! 
 
 DAN. The guards. . . . Oh, I couldn t 
 make it! 
 
 CASEY. Sure you could. Buck up, man! 
 DAN. [his voice rising.] How could I? 
 JACK, [springing upright.] Dan? 
 
 [At a sign from CASEY, DAN answers. 
 DAN. What s yours, Jack? 
 
 [SCOTT has again risen from his bench, but 
 this time he goes, not to JACK, but to 
 CASEY. He opens the door of DAN S 
 cell, and he and CASEY talk a moment 
 in low tones. 
 
ACT n] PUNISHMENT 
 
 JACK. Ain t you been talking, Dan? 
 
 DAN. Pipe-dreams, old man. Lie down and 
 forget it. 
 
 [SCOTT leaves CASEY and goes to JACK S 
 cell, where he speaks to Jack through 
 the grating. His attitude has changed 
 to one of the greatest friendliness. 
 
 SCOTT. Say, kid, what do you want most in 
 the world? 
 
 JACK, [eagerly.] Water! 
 
 SCOTT. Hold on then. 
 
 [SCOTT goes out to the bench near which 
 stands a can of water and the keeper s 
 funnel. He takes these up and goes 
 back to JACK S cell. Meanwhile the 
 whispered conversation between CASEY 
 and DAN goes on. SCOTT thrusts the 
 end of his funnel through JACK S 
 grating. 
 
 JACK, [hoarsely.] Water! 
 
 SCOTT, [soothingly.] Go to it, Wilson. 
 
 JACK scrambles for his cup which he holds 
 to the mouth of the funnel. CASEY con 
 tinues to urge DAN in an indistinguish 
 able tone. JACK holds his cup which 
 SCOTT fills and refills while JACK 
 drinks. 
 
 DAN. \in a low voice.} But I work inside. 
 
70 PUNISHMENT [ACT n 
 
 CASEY. I ll fix that. And I ll make it right 
 with [his voice drops again.] 
 
 [There is a moment s pause; the beat and 
 throb of the motor is the only sound. 
 DAN is tense. 
 
 JACK, [with a long, quivering breath.] I 
 can t . . . any more. [He staggers across the 
 cell into a corner, where he slips to the floor.] 
 
 [DAN has not moved. SCOTT goes grinning 
 back to the bench. CASEY watches DAN 
 intently. He waits for a moment. 
 JACK is quiet. DAN S breath comes in 
 long gasps. 
 
 CASEY, [keenly.] Well, Dan? 
 DAN. [lifting his head slowly and looking 
 CASEY straight in the eyes. He draws a long 
 breath.] I ll do it, Mr. Casey! 
 
 [CASEY S face lights with triumph. He 
 slaps DAN on the back. DAN S face is 
 set for battle. 
 
 THE CURTAIN FALLS 
 
ACT III 
 
 rHE Warden s office. Right are two long 
 French windows. Back is a door, the only 
 one, and Left, a safe and letter files. Center is the 
 Warden s large, flat top desk, with a swivel desk- 
 chair behind it. Down stage Left is a wash-stand, 
 around which is a great leather screen. This screen 
 serves to hide the wash-stand from the people on the 
 stage, but not from the audience. The room is 
 cold looking with an indefinable air of menace. 
 From the windows can be seen a bit of the prison 
 yard, and a corner of the cell-block. 
 
 CALVIN is standing near the window looking 
 intently into the yard. As the curtain rises he 
 turns away nervously and paces the room once 
 or twice. The telephone on his desk rings and 
 he jumps to answer it. 
 
 CALVIN. Yes? [His voice changes all the 
 life leaves it.] Tell him I can see no one to 
 night. 
 
 [He walks back to the window impatiently. 
 There is the sound of someone coming 
 outside the door and he listens anxiously 
 71 
 
72 PUNISHMENT [ACT in 
 
 until the footsteps die away. Then, 
 with a long sigh of disappointment) he 
 seats himself at his desk. He takes the 
 telephone. 
 CALVIN. The Principal Keeper. 
 
 [There is a knock at the door and CALVIN 
 
 leaps in his chair. 
 CALVIN. Come in! 
 
 [The door opens to show CASEY standing 
 on the threshold. CALVIN frowns, but 
 CASEY without waiting for an invitation, 
 enters. 
 
 CALVIN, [turning back to the telephone.] Is 
 Mr. King with the search party? Well, if the 
 orders for to-morrow are on his desk, please 
 send them in to me at once. I ll sign them now. 
 [He hesitates, and then adds tensely.] No news? 
 [CASEY is all attention although he seems 
 to be engrossed with the cold cigar he 
 is chewing. 
 
 CALVIN. Thanks. [He hangs up the receiver 
 and turns to CASEY.] Mr. Casey, I 
 
 CASEY, [breaking in affably.] They told me 
 you were busy, but I said I d come right in. 
 [CALVIN stares at him in growing amazement 
 and anger.] Thought you d be glad of diversion. 
 Ain t all roses being Warden of this shebang, 
 is it? 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 73 
 
 CALVIN, [icily.] No. 
 CASEY. We-e-11. . . . 
 
 CALVIN, [in a burst of cold rage.] Mr. Casey, 
 by what right do you enter this room? When 
 you telephoned I refused to see you. That 
 still holds good. I cannot see anyone to 
 night. 
 
 CASEY, [grinning.] Hospitable, ain t you? 
 CALVIN. If your business is very impor 
 tant. . . . 
 
 [CASEY starts to speak, but CALVIN cuts 
 
 him off. 
 
 CALVIN. I can t listen now. It may be that 
 later in the evening I can give you a mo 
 ment. 
 
 CASEY. You re the boss, Warden, you re 
 the boss. I ll drop in later. Oh re-voir! 
 
 [He moves smoothly to the door, and with a 
 wave of his hand, vanishes. When the 
 door has closed behind CASEY there is a 
 muttered ejaculation from CALVIN. He 
 sits at the desk, glancing idly through 
 the papers that strew the top, and then 
 with a long sigh sits for a moment with 
 his head in his hands. 
 From outside there comes a low rumbling, 
 the banging of metal, the shouts of 
 keepers, and the yells of prisoners. 
 
74 PUNISHMENT [ACT in 
 
 The noise grows rapidly in volume 
 until it is a cursing, screaming pan 
 demonium. Almost before it reaches 
 CALVIN S consciousness., a sharp knock 
 at the door brings him to his feet. 
 
 CALVIN. Come ! 
 
 [KING throws the door open. The two 
 men stare at each other for a moment. 
 KING is evidently much excited, but 
 his face looks sullen. 
 
 CALVIN. They ve found him? 
 
 KING. He s in his cell. 
 
 CALVIN. Where was he? 
 
 KING. Not five minutes outside the walls. 
 
 CALVIN. Man, he s been gone for hours! 
 
 KING, [with some resentment.] He was asleep. 
 
 CALVIN. Asleep ! 
 
 KING, [disgusted.] Drunk in a hollow tree. 
 [lower.] The poor fool. 
 
 CALVIN, [thoughtfully, with a sharp look at 
 KING.] Drunk. 
 
 [The disturbance outside dies slowly away. 
 From the moment of KING S entrance 
 CALVIN becomes active again. 
 
 CALVIN. [with sudden decision.] I shall 
 thrash this out now. 
 
 KING. It s late, Warden. 
 
 CALVIN, [looking at his watch.] I ll take time 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 75 
 
 for something to eat. It s nine o clock now. 
 Did you have dinner? [KING nods.] I didn t. 
 Is Moyne sober yet? 
 
 KING. Yes he d slept most of it off. But 
 it s 
 
 CALVIN. The sooner we examine him, the 
 less time he has to cook up a story. [Keenly.] 
 A confession will save trouble all around. 
 
 KING. He was getting away fast enough. 
 
 CALVIN, [suddenly.] Where did he get his 
 whiskey? 
 KING, [blank and then defiant.] I don t know. 
 
 CALVIN, [in his old brisk tone.] Have him 
 here in twenty minutes. And his cell-mate 
 [hesitates.] 
 
 KING. Wilson. 
 
 CALVIN, [watching KING.] And the keeper 
 in charge of the road-gang from which Moyne 
 escaped. 
 
 KING, [swallowing.] I ll find out who it was, 
 sir. 
 
 CALVIN, [swiftly.] Don t you know? 
 
 KING. I think it was Scott. 
 
 CALVIN, [without emotion.] We shall want 
 Scott. 
 
 [There is a pause. CALVIN thinks hard. 
 KING shifts from one foot to the other, 
 stealing glances at his superior. There 
 
76 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 is a knock at the door. CALVIN goes to 
 it and receives from someone outside 
 the orders he has asked for. He keeps 
 them in his hand. 
 
 CALVIN, [through the door as he closes it.] 
 Thank you. [To KING.] Who caught Moyne? 
 KING. Francis. 
 
 CALVIN. Bring Francis too. [Glances at the 
 papers he is holding.] I ll get these orders signed 
 for you so that nothing need interrupt us if 
 the examination keeps us late. That s all. 
 [He watches KING as he goes toward the door.] 
 Better eat something, King. This business 
 has fagged us all. 
 
 [KING goes out with a nod. CALVIN looks 
 at the papers on his desk. He takes up 
 the telephone without sitting down. 
 CALVIN, [in a tired voice.] The kitchen. . . . 
 Martin? How soon can you have something 
 for me to eat? Oh, then I ll come at once put 
 it on the table. What? Yes, you can leave 
 on the six-thirty train. Come in and say good 
 bye before you go. I shall be up most of the 
 night, I think. 
 
 [CALVIN glances again at the papers on his 
 desk 9 and after a moment s thought, 
 grimly gathers them all up and puts 
 them into the desk drawer which he locks. 
 
ACT in] PUNISHMENT 77 
 
 CALVIN leaves the room and there is a 
 moment s silence. 
 
 There is a knock at the door, twice repeated. 
 The door opens and CASEY slides in. 
 He goes to the desk and looks over it, and 
 finding nothing, takes a key from his vest 
 pocket and unlocks the drawer. He finds 
 the papers with a grunt of delight which 
 changes to one of disgust as he sees 
 that they are still unsigned. He swears 
 under his breath and glances over the 
 desk again only to turn away disap 
 pointed. There is a sudden knock at 
 the door. CASEY has a moment of panic. 
 Then he goes over and slips in behind 
 the big screen. The knock is repeated, 
 and the door opens to admit KING who 
 hesitates upon the threshold. CASEY, 
 who has been peering through a crack 
 in the screen, now comes out. 
 
 CASEY. Calm yourself. 
 
 KING. You d better keep out of this. 
 
 CASEY. Where s the Warden? 
 
 KING. Eating something. 
 
 CASEY. Then keep your shirt on. He won t 
 have an appetite long. Here s what I came after. 
 Had to use your key to get em. [He motions 
 towards the papers which he still holds.] They 
 
78 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 aren t signed yet, worse luck. It s a good lot 
 several in pencil easy to [he makes a gesture 
 of erasure.] 
 
 KING, [irritably. ] I wish you d let em alone. 
 Ain t it bad enough to have Dan Moyne caught? 
 
 CASEY. I want those orders. As soon as he 
 signs em and gives them to you you slip them 
 over to me. 
 
 [KING starts to protest. 
 
 CASEY. Oh, your hide s safe enough. Dates 
 will be changed as well as other things. You 
 can say you mislaid them in the excitement. 
 
 KING. You re safely out of this 
 
 CASEY. No safer than you. Nobody can 
 touch us, King. You hand the orders over. 
 That s all you have to do. His papers may be 
 straight now, but a little changing will make em 
 incriminating enough to damn a saint. Then 
 we have our high and mighty Warden by the 
 neck. [He makes an unpleasant gesture of pulling 
 a noose tight under his left ear, and chuckles.] 
 Violent deaths run in the family. Son killed 
 himself, didn t he? [KING nods.] Maybe Pa 
 will follow suit! 
 
 KING. I don t want to take such long chances. 
 
 CASEY, [impatiently.] Well, I got an order 
 for them, if that makes you feel any better. 
 [He takes from his pocket a paper in a blue 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 79 
 
 envelope which KING reads. CASEY grins.] You 
 notice it don t specify what papers. I can take 
 any I want and with authority. 
 
 KING, [brightening.] If you give the Warden 
 this [tapping letter] he ll have to give you the 
 papers himself. 
 
 CASEY, [taking the letter and putting it back in 
 his pocket.] I ll give him the letter after I ve got 
 the papers in my pocket. 
 
 KING. But it s so much easier to do the other 
 thing. 
 
 CASEY. The fancy Warden is getting foxy. 
 He might have the originals witnessed to or 
 some such nonsense. [Suddenly severe.] You do 
 as you re told! 
 
 KING, [sulkily.] Oh, very well. [Flaring up 
 again.] You don t seem to realize that Moyne s 
 getting caught puts us in the hell of a 
 hole! 
 
 CASEY, [grunts.] Dan is safe enough. 
 
 [CASEY goes over to the desk and replaces the 
 papers in the drawer, leisurely locking it 
 again. 
 
 KING. He could give the whole thing away 
 like that. [Snaps his fingers.] 
 
 CASEY, [coolly.] He thinks I m a pal of his. 
 I took care of that when I picked him for the 
 job. . . . Dan won t squeal on a pal. 
 
80 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 KING. You can t tell what the skunk will do. 
 I wish he d made his getaway. 
 
 CASEY, [assenting.] He was a fool to drink 
 the whole bottle. It was put there to give him 
 nerve, not to get soused on. 
 
 KING. He d been in the cooler for a week 
 with nothing much to eat. 
 
 CASEY. Hard luck. I wish he d made it. 
 
 KING, [flatly.] Well, I m damned nerv 
 ous. 
 
 CASEY. Oh, come on. Don t fret about Dan. 
 He s the real goods; hates the Warden like 
 poison. He won t squeal. And when those 
 orders [pointing to desk] get up to the Chief 
 good-night, Mr. Calvin! 
 
 [KING shakes his head in uncertainty. 
 CASEY moves to him and puts a hand on 
 his shoulder. 
 
 CASEY. Cheer up, man! You hand me the 
 papers and I ll leave the note as I go. He knows 
 I m waiting to see him. I told him so myself so 
 he wouldn t think there was anything phony 
 about it if he heard I was here. It s up to you 
 to get me those orders before I have to make 
 good on my bluff. Then our tracks are covered 
 all right. 
 
 [With a final slap on the back he slips to the 
 door, looks out, and goes. 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 81 
 
 CASEY, [as he exits.} I ll wait for you in the 
 outside office. 
 
 [KING growls to himself when the door has 
 closed on CASEY. He walks over to the 
 window and stands looking out into the 
 dark yard. The rumble and roar of the 
 men rises again suddenly from the cell- 
 block. There are footsteps outside the 
 door. KING jumps nervously and crosses 
 quickly to a chair where he sits waiting. 
 The door opens to admit CALVIN. 
 
 CALVIN, [briefly.] Ready. 
 
 KING, [moving his head toward the growing 
 uproar.} They re bringing him. 
 
 CALVIN. Do you think there will be trouble? 
 
 KING. Men are in a bad state. You re too 
 easy on them. 
 
 [CALVIN makes an enigmatical sound, with 
 a swift glance at KING. The noise out 
 side seems to come nearer and nearer. 
 CALVIN goes to his desk and seats him 
 self. KING goes over to the window again 
 and stands looking out, but his eyes fur- 
 lively seek CALVIN who, however, is not 
 paying the slightest attention to him. 
 Suddenly the riot outside ceases. There 
 is a moment of silence and then a quick 
 knock on the door. KING goes at once to 
 
82 PUNISHMENT [ACT nr 
 
 the door and throws it open. DAN 
 MOYNE, JACK WILSON, Keepers SCOTT 
 and FRANCIS enter. They stop in a 
 group in front of the Warden s desk. 
 At a gesture from CALVIN, KING brings a 
 chair to the desk beside the Warden and 
 seats himself. 
 CALVIN. Daniel Moyne, step forward. 
 
 [DAN does so. He is haggard and un 
 kempt, and at first his eyes droop, almost 
 as if he were in a stupor. As the situa 
 tion grows more tense, this apathy is 
 succeeded by a resentful sullenness which 
 grows more and more vigorous. He is 
 like a small boy who has resolved to 
 brazen it out. 
 
 CALVIN. Moyne, you are accused of trying to 
 escape. You know, as every inmate of this 
 prison knows, that attempted escape is no light 
 offense. You ll be given a chance to defend 
 yourself. What term are you serving? 
 
 [DAN does not answer. JACK, who is as 
 pale and thinner than DAN, listens 
 alertly to all that goes on. CALVIN 
 turns inquiringly to King. 
 KING. Six years, I think. 
 CALVIN. Moyne? 
 DAN. Six to twenty-four. 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 83 
 
 CALVIN, [startled.] You are serving the 
 minimum sentence for your offense six years 
 and the maximum is twenty-four years? 
 
 [DAN growls assent. 
 
 CALVIN. Do you know that when a man serv 
 ing less than his maximum sentence tries to 
 escape, he is compelled by law to serve out his 
 full term in your case twenty-four years and 
 that the County Court may add several years 
 to this at their discretion as punishment? 
 
 [There is a pause. DAN makes no reply, 
 but his hands clench and his body 
 stiffens. 
 
 CALVIN. That s the law. . . . Francis. 
 
 [FRANCIS steps forward. 
 
 CALVIN. You found Moyne? 
 
 FRANCIS. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Where? 
 
 FRANCIS. Hill-top to the north, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. What was he doing? 
 
 FRANCIS, [with a smile.] Sleeping, Warden. 
 He was in a big hollow tree in a stupor, sir, with 
 an empty whisky bottle in his hand. 
 
 CALVIN, [to KING.] Where have repairs been 
 made on the road? 
 
 KING. At the foot of the hill. 
 
 CALVIN, [to FRANCIS.] How far from the tree 
 is that? 
 
84 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 FRANCIS. Two hundred yards, I should 
 say. 
 
 CALVIN. Thank you. [to DAN.] What were 
 you doing in that tree, Moyne? 
 
 [No answer. 
 
 CALVIN. When did you come out of the 
 punishment cells? 
 
 KING. A week. . . . 
 
 CALVIN, [stopping KING.] Moyne? 
 
 DAN. Week yesterday. 
 
 CALVIN. You were put on the road-gang at 
 once? [DAN nods.] Your idea, wasn t it, 
 King? 
 
 KING, [uneasily.] He was in bad shape from 
 the cooler. I had no idea. . . . 
 
 CALVIN, [smoothly.] Naturally not. [To DAN.] 
 How did you get to the tree from the foot of 
 the hill? [Pause.] How did you get to the 
 tree? 
 
 DAN. Hid in the long grass. When the rest 
 of the bunch had gone inside I crawled to the 
 tree. 
 
 CALVIN. No one saw you? 
 
 DAN. No. 
 
 CALVIN. Where was the keeper? 
 
 [SCOTT moves slightly. 
 
 DAN. There. 
 
 CALVIN. What? 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 85 
 
 DAN. He was there. 
 
 CALVIN. Couldn t he see you? 
 
 DAN. He might! [He grins.] 
 
 [At this a stir runs through the room. 
 KING carefully avoids looking at anyone. 
 SCOTT shifts from one foot to the other. 
 JACK moves toward DAN. CALVIN tight 
 ens. 
 CALVIN. Why did you go to the tree? 
 
 [Silence. 
 
 CALVIN. You wanted to hide so that you 
 could escape after dark, didn t you? 
 
 [JACK half speaks, and the others listen 
 
 closely. 
 
 DAN. [uncertainly.] No. . . . 
 CALVIN. Then why did you go to the 
 tree? 
 
 DAN. [gulping.] To get the whisky. 
 CALVIN. To get the whisky hidden in the 
 tree. [Pause.] And then? 
 
 DAN. [with relief.] I drank it. That s all I 
 remember till he found me. 
 
 CALVIN. How did you know the whisky was 
 in the tree? 
 
 DAN. [seeing the trap.] I didn t! 
 CALVIN. You just said you went to the tree 
 to get the whisky. Isn t that true? . . . 
 Where did the whisky come from? 
 
86 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 DAN. [doggedly.] I don t know. 
 CALVIN. Then you went to the tree not know 
 ing it was there? 
 
 [DAN glances from side to side, but makes 
 
 no answer. 
 
 CALVIN. Come, Moyne, answer. 
 DAN. I don t know. 
 
 CALVIN. Either you knew the whisky was 
 there or you didn t. 
 
 DAN. I ve told you all I know. 
 CALVIN. If you did not know the whisky was 
 there, you must have gone to the tree to hide 
 until you could escape. If you did know it was 
 there. . . . 
 
 DAN. I ve told you all I know. 
 CALVIN. You won t answer any further ques 
 tions? Then step back. 
 
 [DAN steps back, and everyone, except 
 CALVIN, draws a long sigh of relief. 
 CALVIN. Mr. Scott. 
 
 [SCOTT comes forward. His attitude is one 
 
 of defense and defiance. 
 SCOTT. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. You were in charge of the road-gang 
 from which Moyne escaped? 
 SCOTT. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Did you count the men when they 
 came back into the prison yard? 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 87 
 
 SCOTT, [shaking his head.] When they passed 
 into the cell-block, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. That must have been about five 
 o clock. 
 
 SCOTT. A few minutes after five. 
 CALVIN. What did you do then? 
 SCOTT. Reported to the Principal Keeper. 
 CALVIN, [sharply.] It was six o clock before 
 the whistle blew. 
 
 [He makes the statement sharply, yet sim 
 ply. KING shifts in his chair. DAN 
 glances at the keeper and then at KING. 
 JACK looks at CALVIN as if trying to 
 read his face. There is a pause and then 
 the moment passes. JACK seems always 
 more interested in what SCOTT says than 
 in anything else. 
 
 CALVIN. Do you know anything about the 
 whisky that Moyne says he found in the hollow 
 tree? 
 
 SCOTT. No, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. What is your regular duty? 
 SCOTT. Hall-keeper in the cell-block, sir. 
 CALVIN, Were you on duty there when 
 Moyne was sent to the cooler for drunkenness? 
 SCOTT. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN, [to KING.] Nothing was ascertained 
 of that whisky, King. 
 
88 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 SCOTT, [quickly to CALVIN.] I knew nothing 
 of that, sir. 
 
 CALVIN, [watching him quietly.] Of course 
 not. 
 
 [CALVIN continues to look for a moment 
 steadily at SCOTT, who feels that he has 
 made a mistake and is consequently un 
 comfortable. KING SCOwls at SCOTT. 
 CALVIN looks at JACK who is watching 
 SCOTT intently. 
 CALVIN, [abruptly.] Wilson. 
 
 [JACK steps forward 9 and SCOTT drops 
 
 back. 
 
 CALVIN. You are Moyne s cell-mate? 
 JACK, [rather breathlessly.] Yes, sir. 
 CALVIN. How long have you locked-in the 
 same cell? 
 
 JACK. Ever since I came here, sir; six weeks. 
 
 CALVIN. Nothing you say will be used 
 
 against you in any way, Wilson. I want the 
 
 truth. Did you and Moyne ever talk of escape? 
 
 JACK. No, sir. Dan was expecting a pardon, 
 
 sir, 
 
 CALVIN. And when you were together in 
 the dark cells, after his pardon had been refused? 
 JACK. No, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. And when you came out of punish 
 ment? 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 89 
 
 JACK. I went into the hospital. 
 CALVIN. Oh, so you didn t go back to your 
 own cell? 
 
 JACK. No, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Is there any information you can 
 give me relative to Moyne s being found in 
 the hollow tree? 
 
 [JACK has been showing throughout this 
 scene a restless, half desire to speak. 
 Now he gulps and, looking at DAN, 
 hesitates. 
 JACK. No, sir. 
 
 [KING draws a breath of evident relief. 
 SCOTT too, is pleased. DAN smiles at 
 JACK. CALVIN speaks sharply. 
 CALVIN. Very well, Wilson. [He glances 
 around the room.] This is merely a beginning. 
 I shall know more by the time I have finished 
 with Moyne. 
 
 [DAN shudders involuntarily at the menace 
 in CALVIN S tone. A look passes between 
 KING and SCOTT. JACK sees it. He 
 glances at DAN who is steeling himself. 
 Suddenly JACK makes up his mind and 
 moves forward. 
 JACK. Mr. Calvin! 
 
 [The change in his tone electrifies the 
 room. 
 
90 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 CALVIN. Well? 
 
 JACK. Can I see you alone, sir? 
 CALVIN. No. Anything you have to say 
 must be said here and now. What is it? 
 
 [JACK hesitates. He does not like this, but 
 he feels that he has gone too far to retreat. 
 JACK. I m fond of Dan, sir. He s a good pal. 
 I want him to get a square deal. 
 CALVIN. He will be treated fairly. 
 JACK. He ain t been, sir. Somebody is trying 
 to double-cross Dan. 
 
 CALVIN. What do you mean? 
 JACK. Dan is getting a dirty deal. [CALVIN 
 looks up sharply.] Oh, it ain t you, sir. I don t 
 know who it is, but. . . . [He hesitates, puzzled.] 
 CALVIN, [impatiently.] Do you know some 
 thing or are you guessing? 
 
 JACK. I ain t guessing. Somebody is double- 
 crossing Dan. 
 
 [Again the thrill runs around the room. 
 KING is trying to make out just what 
 JACK knows. SCOTT is very uneasy. 
 JACK is wholly self-possessed. 
 CALVIN, [impressed.] What makes you think 
 that? 
 
 JACK. Two things. 
 
 [Suddenly CALVIN sees JACK for the first 
 time, not as a convict, but as an intelli- 
 
ACT m] PUNISHMENT 91 
 
 gent human being. He speaks to him 
 in a new tone. 
 
 CALVIN. Will you tell me what they are? 
 
 JACK. When we was in the cooler, somebody 
 came to see Dan. . . . 
 
 CALVIN. What! 
 
 JACK. Dan and the keeper pretended there 
 was nobody there. But I heard them both 
 Dan s voice and the other. The other voice was 
 different I d never heard it before. 
 
 CALVIN, [leaning forward.] Wilson. You 
 say that Moyne had a visitor while he was in 
 the punishment cells? 
 
 [KING squirms, and SCOTT is restless. 
 
 JACK. Yes, sir. 
 
 DAN. [in a quick undertone.] Aw you was 
 loony from sickness. 
 
 JACK, [to CALVIN.] Dan kept telling me I 
 was queer in the head, sir, but I know I heard 
 them talking. . . . And the cell door opened 
 and shut. 
 
 CALVIN, [to KING.] Would it be possible for 
 Moyne to have a visitor in the punishment cells? 
 
 KING. No, Warden. Keeper, probably. 
 
 [CALVIN turns back to JACK. JACK shakes 
 his head. 
 
 JACK. The keeper came with him to let 
 him in. 
 
92 PUNISHMENT [ACT in 
 
 CALVIN, [pleased, nods.] A keeper would 
 have let himself in. You are sure there was a 
 keeper there beside the other? 
 
 JACK, [involuntarily turning to SCOTT.] Why 
 yes, sir. He gave me water to drink while 
 they were talking. . . . Keepers don t give you 
 water for nothing, Warden. I d been sick all 
 night, and begging for water. 
 
 [SCOTT stares furiously at JACK. CALVIN 
 turns and looks at SCOTT.] 
 
 CALVIN. Keeper Scott was on duty there? 
 [With bitter emphasis.] You move about a good 
 deal, Scott. [SCOTT starts to speak.] The cell- 
 block, the road-gang, and now the jail. 
 
 SCOTT, [taking a chance.] He was out of 
 his head, Warden raving. I gave him water 
 because he was making threats. 
 
 KING, [too quickly.] Wilson was a sick man, 
 Warden, when we took him out of the jail. 
 
 CALVIN, [to JACK; sarcastically.] The con 
 sensus of opinion, Wilson, is that you were 
 raving. However, I want to hear all you have 
 to say. It is your opinion that Moyne had a 
 visitor who was not a keeper. Another pris 
 oner? 
 
 JACK. Only Dan and me was in the jail, sir. 
 Ruffio had just been taken out. . . . And 
 Dan didn t talk like he would to a pal. 
 
ACT in] PUNISHMENT 
 
 CALVIN. Then this call took place on the 
 morning of Ruffio s release from punishment? 
 JACK. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. At what time do you think? 
 JACK. Early about six-thirty. 
 CALVIN, [startled.] What in the morning? 
 [JACK nods. KING and SCOTT grow in 
 
 perturbation. 
 
 CALVIN. You think that someone from out 
 side the prison saw Moyne at that hour? 
 
 JACK. Yes, sir. And I think it s the same 
 man that sent Dan a present of whisky to make 
 him drunk. I told Dan then, and Joe Ruffio 
 told him, that man wants something. 
 CALVIN. Wants what? 
 
 JACK. Well if Dan made his getaway, 
 you d look pretty cheap, wouldn t you, Mr. 
 Calvin? Is the whole world so dead for you 
 that nobody wouldn t like to see you lose this 
 job? You wouldn t be the first Warden that 
 got framed up and jolted out of office. 
 
 [KING and SCOTT are genuinely and 
 frankly frightened. DAN has become 
 alert. He is a different man from the 
 sullen, dull creature who came into the 
 room. He is also deeply enraged with 
 JACK. 
 CALVIN. You mean ? 
 
94 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 JACK. Dan did try to beat it, Warden. But 
 it was a plain frame-up and he s not to blame. 
 Somebody else got him into it. And they don t 
 just say to him, here s something for you if you 
 make your getaway; they pretend to be friends 
 with him, and help him. . . . But what they 
 want is something for themselves ! 
 
 DAN. [in a low, tense voice.] Shut up, Jack. 
 Keep out of this! 
 
 CALVIN, [to JACK, convinced by his earnestness.] 
 Do you know who this man is? 
 
 DAN. [to JACK again.] Jack! [to CALVIN in 
 an appealing tone.] He was sick, sir, and when 
 the keeper slipped us the whisky 
 
 CALVIN, [cutting in.] The keeper, eh? 
 
 [DAN gasps. SCOTT cringes. KING glares 
 at DAN. 
 
 DAN. [frightened, and on the defensive.] It 
 ain t the first time a keeper has done a man a 
 favor and got him a bit of 
 
 JACK, [flashing at him.] It s the first time 
 he ever gave it to us! And [pointing to SCOTT] 
 he knows who sent it. 
 
 [SCOTT S guilt is written all over his face. 
 There is a moment s pause. KING half 
 rises from his chair. 
 
 SCOTT. I do not! [Snarling at JACK.] You 
 damned rat! 
 
ACT in] PUNISHMENT 95 
 
 CALVIN, [whirling on SCOTT.] You be quiet! 
 [to JACK.] We ll see. [He takes up the phone 
 and says into it.] I wish to consult the General 
 Register the Visitors Book. Yes, here, at 
 once. [He rises, and going to the filing cabinet, 
 unlocks it, takes out a drawer, and looks through 
 the cards.] Ruffio was released from punish 
 ment at six o clock on the morning of the 
 twelfth. [He smiles at JACK grimly.] You were 
 sane enough to know the time of day, Wilson. 
 JACK. Yes, sir. 
 
 [There is a knock at the door. CALVIN mo 
 tions to FRANCIS and goes back to his 
 desk. The room is tense and silent. 
 FRANCIS goes quickly to the door and 
 opens it far enough for him to take in the 
 great Prison Register which is handed 
 to him from someone outside. He takes 
 it at once to CALVIN. KING and SCOTT 
 look at each other. SCOTT looks as if 
 he would like to run. KING scowls at 
 him. CALVIN opens the book in silence. 
 He runs his finger down the page while 
 they all watch him. SCOTT still fur 
 tively looks at the door. KING is white 
 with rage at SCOTT and JACK, and with 
 a great uneasiness for his own skin. 
 CALVIN S finger stops, and his face 
 
PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 shows that he has found something. 
 He reaches for the telephone and then 
 hesitates. Then with a sharp glance 
 at JACK, he takes a pencil and writes 
 on a card. 
 CALVIN. Mr. Francis. 
 
 [FRANCIS goes to him and CALVIN in an 
 inaudible voice gives him instructions. 
 KING, who has been trying hard to listen 
 to CALVIN, jumps suddenly. FRANCIS 
 nods and goes to the door. 
 
 CALVIN, [fo FRANCIS.] At OIICC, please. 
 
 FRANCIS. Yes, sir. [Exits.] 
 
 [KING rises with great nonchalance. 
 KING. Warden, if you ll excuse me a mo 
 ment. . . . 
 
 CALVIN. I will detain you only a few minutes 
 longer, Mr. King. 
 
 [KING sits down again. He waits closely. 
 There is a moment of silence. Then 
 outside, CASEY S voice is heard. KING 
 rises again that he may attract CASEY S 
 attention when he enters and warn him. 
 DAN and CALVIN watch JACK who has 
 moved forward at the sound of CASEY S 
 voice. 
 
 CASEY, [outside.] I dropped in to see him a 
 little earlier, but I know how it is with busy 
 
ACT in] PUNISHMENT 97 
 
 men. I m busy myself sometimes. Shall we 
 go right in? I suppose this escape now. . . . 
 
 [FRANCIS throws the door open. CASEY 
 comes in. For a moment CASEY is non 
 plussed by all the people he sees. KING 
 makes a desperate effort to attract his 
 attention, but fails to do so. JACK 
 searches CASEY S face and finds it un 
 familiar. CALVIN and DAN still watch 
 JACK. 
 
 CASEY, [with unfailing sang froid.] Decided 
 to see me after all, Warden? 
 
 [JACK half takes a breath and nods a little. 
 
 CALVIN Waits. DAN turns tO CASEY 
 
 as if he would shout to him to run. 
 CASEY, [with a chuckle.] You seem to be 
 having a regular show-down. 
 
 [JACK whirls to CALVIN. The words seem 
 
 to be torn out of him. 
 
 JACK. That s the voice, Warden! Who is 
 that man? 
 
 [There is again a slight pause. CALVIN 
 turns to CASEY who stares at JACK in 
 amazement. KING sinks back into his 
 chair. DAN makes a gesture of despair 
 and anger. 
 
 CALVIN, [smiling, and with his finger on a 
 line in the Register.] Yes, come in, Mr. Casey. 
 
98 PUNISHMENT [ACT m 
 
 I want to ask about a visit you paid Daniel 
 Moyne, in the punishment cells, on [consults 
 Register] the twelfth of this month, at six-thirty 
 in the morning. 
 
 [A slight flicker passes over CASEY S face. 
 JACK looks at DAN in triumph. At 
 a signal from CALVIN, FRANCIS closes 
 the door behind CASEY and stands in 
 front of it. 
 
 THE CURTAIN FALLS 
 
ACT IV 
 
 flT HE Warden s office, unchanged, except in 
 * time. It is just before dawn the next morn 
 ing. At the opening of the action the window 
 spaces show black, but during the act they grad 
 ually lighten, until at the close, the sun rises. 
 
 CALVIN and CASEY sit on opposite sides of the 
 desk. CALVIN is alert and dogged, though evi 
 dently somewhat baffled. His face is set and grim. 
 CASEY chews his cold cigar with an affectation of 
 boredom and easy sarcasm. After a moment of 
 silence, CASEY yawns. 
 
 CASEY, [stretching.] If you re going to make 
 folks spend the night here, Warden, you ought 
 to have a trundle bed in the office. [He slides 
 back in his chair.} 
 
 [CALVIN makes no reply. Another silence. 
 
 CASEY yawns again. 
 
 CASEY. Now in some men I d take it hard. 
 
 [CALVIN, although he watches CASEY, seems 
 
 far away. CASEY looks at him sharply, 
 
 grins, and takes a match from the box 
 
 which stands in an ash tray on the desk. 
 
100 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 With seeming nonchalance he strikes the 
 match suddenly on the box in an effort 
 to startle CALVIN to attention. As he 
 does this the telephone bell rings sharply. 
 CASEY leaps in his chair and the match 
 goes out. CALVIN snatches the instru 
 ment. 
 
 CALVIN, [into the 9 phone.] Yes? Oh yes, 
 Martin, to-day. Stop on your way out. You 
 can take the early train. [He works the hook up 
 and down.] Where s Mr. Francis? He s dis 
 covered nothing yet? 
 
 [As CALVIN returns the receiver to the 
 hook 9 the tense offhandedness with which 
 CASEY has been listening, vanishes. Un 
 consciously he reveals great relief. The 
 strain has been telling, even upon him, and 
 the result has been to exaggerate his ease. 
 CASEY. Come now, Warden, throw down 
 your cards. You re up against it. Why should 
 Dan Moyne confess when he ain t got anything 
 to tell? He tried to make a getaway. He didn t 
 pull it off. You know that as well as I do. And 
 you know that there s nothing in that crazy 
 story of Wilson s! 
 
 CALVIN, [snapping.] I intend to find out just 
 how much there is in it before morning. 
 
 CASEY, [looking at his watch.] My train 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 101 
 
 leaves at six-thirty. [CALVIN scowls.] Come, 
 Warden, you can t keep me here forever. Last 
 night I wanted to show you that you were sus 
 pecting me without any reason. You must see 
 by this time that I was right. Better drop the 
 whole matter. 
 
 [CALVIN looks at him in unmoved silence. 
 CASEY. You ve got your runaway. What 
 more do you want? If you must have blood, 
 give him a little taste of discipline. 
 
 [CALVIN, his face more stern than ever, 
 looks steadily at CASEY, who becomes 
 annoyed under this silent inspection. 
 CASEY. Don t start something you can t fin 
 ish, Warden. [CALVIN moves, but does not look 
 away.] You can see you aren t fitted for this job. 
 You take things too hard. Why not step out 
 while you got the chance? We d be glad to 
 [CASEY is leaning over the desk in friendly 
 enthusiasm. There is a sudden knock 
 at the door and CALVIN leaps to open it. 
 MARTIN, dressed in his new suit of 
 citizen s clothes stands on the threshold. 
 MARTIN. Came to say good-bye, Warden. 
 CALVIN. Good-bye, Martin. My good wishes 
 go with you. 
 
 MARTIN, [his face aglow.] This is a great day 
 for me, sir. I ve often dreamed of the day when 
 
102 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 I d leave, but I never thought it would be like 
 this. 
 
 CALVIN. I m glad of that. 
 
 MARTIN. You ve always had friends, War 
 den. You don t know what it means to me to 
 have a friend like Mrs. Calvin, sir. She s a saint 
 from God, sir, begging your pardon, Warden. 
 [CALVIN is slightly embarrassed. 
 
 MARTIN. I m going to a good job, sir. I m 
 going straight. I couldn t go wrong with her 
 trusting me. Say often when I was alone in 
 your rooms I ve stood by the door looking out. 
 Nobody in sight. All I had to do was to walk 
 out. But when I d put my foot over the step 
 I d see Mrs. Calvin, smiling a little, like she 
 does, sir. That s why I ain t tried to run for it 
 these last two months, Warden. 
 
 CALVIN, [thoughtfully.] I hope you ll keep 
 your resolutions, Martin. 
 
 MARTIN. Do you think I d hurt Mrs. Calvin? 
 It ain t my place to say so, Warden, but I m an 
 old man and you ll excuse it. I wish every man 
 could go out of this prison hopeful like me. I ve 
 been here sixteen years, Warden. I ve seen lots 
 of men come and go. And I ve seen more men 
 go with hate than hope. 
 
 [There is a knock at the door, and MARTIN 
 opens it. MRS. CALVIN and Keeper 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 103 
 
 FRANCIS stand outside. FRANCIS carries 
 a small tray upon which is a pot of 
 coffee and several cups. 
 CALVIN. Mary! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Good-morning, John. I ve 
 brought you coffee. 
 
 CALVIN. You should be in bed. 
 MRS. CALVIN, [shakes her head, smiling.] 
 When I saw how breakfast improved Mr. Fran 
 cis [She nods to FRANCIS who has put the tray on 
 the desk. MRS. CALVIN sits down behind it.] 
 Thank you. [ There is a slight pause during which 
 MRS. CALVIN glances at CASEY.] Mr. Casey, 
 isn t it? 
 
 CALVIN, [recovering himself.] I beg your 
 pardon, Mary. Mrs. Calvin Mr. Casey. 
 
 [FRANCIS withdraws upstage, where MAR 
 TIN is standing, watching MRS. CALVIN 
 in fascinated admiration. CASEY rises, 
 bows, and sits. 
 
 CALVIN. One moment, Francis. 
 CASEY, [to MRS. CALVIN.] You re a minis 
 tering angel, Mrs. Calvin, a ministering angel. 
 MRS. CALVIN. Do you take sugar? 
 
 [CALVIN has been listening to FRANCIS who 
 has just been answering a question CAL 
 VIN put to him. Now CALVIN S voice 
 snaps back. 
 
104 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 CALVIN. Use every means in your power 
 force, if necessary. 
 
 [MRS. CALVIN lifts her head, tensely. 
 CALVIN. We must get at the truth of this one 
 way or another. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. John, you won t get at it by 
 torturing Dan. 
 
 [CALVIN hardens. He looks at his wife and 
 
 then dismisses FRANCIS with a nod. 
 
 There is silence while FRANCIS goes. 
 
 MARTIN stands, forgotten, by the door. 
 
 CASEY, [nodding.] Why, there s no truth to 
 
 get at, in a man like that. Ain t I been saying 
 
 so all along, Warden? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. We mean different things, I 
 think. I object to the method. . . . 
 
 CALVIN, [dryly.] Just what do you suggest, 
 Mary? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I I wish I knew. 
 CALVIN. I confess I m ready to try anything. 
 I must have the truth. 
 
 [MARTIN moves forward with great interest, 
 
 but he does not speak. 
 
 CASEY, [cheering up under the influence of the 
 coffee.] There s no such a thing as truth in a 
 convict. 
 
 [MARTIN moves again. 
 MRS. CALVIN. You are wrong, Mr. Casey! 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 105 
 
 MARTIN, [nervously.] Excuse me. . . . 
 
 [They all turn and look at him. He has 
 
 been forgotten. He stops, embarrassed. 
 MRS. CALVIN, [kindly.] Yes, Martin? 
 MARTIN. I can t help saying it! I can t help 
 it! I knew Dan before he ever came here. . . . 
 Dan s a square guy. . . . [He hesitates again.] 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Yes? 
 
 MARTIN. He won t squeal on his friends. 
 That s why he won t talk. 
 
 CALVIN, [thoughtfully.] That s what Wilson 
 said. 
 
 MARTIN. It s true, Warden, but if. ... 
 [Hesitates.] 
 
 CALVIN. Well? 
 
 MARTIN. Let Mrs. Calvin speak to him, 
 Warden. [He turns to MRS. CALVIN.] Talk to 
 him like you talked to me, ma am, about your 
 trusting me. If you trust him, he ll be on the 
 level with you. Honest, he will ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You think he ll tell me the truth ? 
 
 MARTIN. I know he will, ma am. 
 
 [There is a short pause. 
 
 CASEY. Trust that con bah! 
 
 MARTIN, [quickly.] She trusted me. 
 
 [CALVIN is thinking, looking from one to 
 another of the trio. MRS. CALVIN has her 
 eyes on MARTIN. 
 
106 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 MARTIN. I know because she trusted me. 
 Trust Dan, too, Mrs. Calvin. He ll be on the 
 level. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [briskly to CALVIN.] Could I 
 talk with Dan? 
 
 CALVIN. He s in his cell. You can t go there. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Bring him here. 
 
 CALVIN. What could you say to him . . .? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I don t know. I ll find some 
 thing. Bring him here. [CALVIN hesitates.] 
 Surely you have nothing to lose by letting me 
 try. You said you d use any means. Don t 
 you remember his mother s visit? He listened 
 to me then. Let me try, John! 
 
 CASEY. I agree with your husband, this 
 time, Mrs. Calvin. It s tomfoolery senti- 
 mentalism! 
 
 [CALVIN gives CASEY one look and takes 
 the telephone. MRS. CALVIN smiles a 
 little and crosses to the window. 
 
 CALVIN, [into the phone.] Francis ... I 
 want Moyne brought to the office. Yes . . . 
 at once. [He hangs up.] 
 
 CASEY, [crossing to MRS. CALVIN.] You ladies 
 let your feelings get the best of you. Moyne 
 is just a crook. You can t trust him. For 
 that matter I know some things about his 
 past. [He indicates MARTIN.] 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 107 
 
 MARTIN, [steadily.] So does Mrs. Calvin, 
 Mr. Casey. 
 
 [For a moment CASEY and MARTIN are 
 eye to eye. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I can t talk to Dan while 
 Mr. Casey is here, John. [To CASEY.] You 
 understand that, Mr. Casey. 
 
 CASEY. Certainly, certainly. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I ll have to be with Dan 
 alone. 
 
 CALVIN, [shaking his head.] That isn t possi 
 ble, Mary. I shall insist on being here. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Don t you see that you and 
 Mr. Casey will both frighten Dan? He won t 
 dare say anything against either of you. I 
 must see him alone. 
 
 CALVIN. Even if the prison rules allowed it, 
 I could not, Mary. 
 
 CASEY. If I m in Mrs. Calvin s way, I d 
 better run along. It ll be train time soon, any 
 how, and I ll walk to the station. 
 
 CALVIN. Not yet Mr. Casey. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Take Mr. Casey into the outer 
 office, John. I must talk to Dan alone. 
 
 CASEY, [turning away; jocular.] What can 
 I do? Warden won t let me go; Mrs. Calvin 
 won t let me stay. I m not interested, of 
 course ! 
 
108 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [to her husband, in a lowered 
 voice.] Let me see Dan alone, dear. 
 
 CALVIN, [to her in the same tone.] I couldn t, 
 Mary. 
 
 [CASEY, who has been strolling aimlessly 
 about the room, looks at the wash-stand 
 about which is the great screen. This 
 evidently recalls to him his past skir 
 mishings, for he remarks in a bantering 
 tone, not unaware of the irony: 
 CASEY. Put me behind the screen, Mrs. 
 Calvin! Put me behind the screen! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I have no intention of being 
 anything but fair with Dan. You will have to 
 take Mr. Casey away, John. 
 
 CALVIN, [flatly.] You cannot be left alone 
 with a criminal who has just made a desperate 
 attempt to escape. 
 
 [There is a pause. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Then I can do nothing. [In 
 voluntarily she turns to MARTIN.] 
 
 MARTIN, [his eyes aflame.] Let them do it! 
 If Dan s square with you, and tells you the 
 truth, he won t be afraid of having it heard. 
 It s more fair for him to have a chance than to 
 be condemned without a hearing. 
 MRS. CALVIN. You really think so? 
 MARTIN. Yes! Yes, Mrs. Calvin. You 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 109 
 
 believe somebody is double-crossing Dan, and 
 that he won t squeal, don t you? If you really 
 trust him it won t hurt for the Warden and 
 Mr. Casey to hear what he says! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You re right, Martin. You 
 may sit behind the screen, Mr. Casey. 
 
 CASEY. Say, you don t think I meant that, 
 do you? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Perhaps not, but I did. 
 
 CALVIN. It s too far-fetched, Mary. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I feel no anxiety about what 
 Dan may tell me. [She turns quickly to CASEY.] 
 Do you? 
 
 CASEY. I do not. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Then you won t object to 
 doing what I ask? 
 
 CASEY. It s nonsense wasting time for 
 nothing. 
 
 [CALVIN has been watching CASEY closely. 
 
 CALVIN. I agree, Mary. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Good. Put two chairs behind 
 the screen then. It may take some time. 
 
 CALVIN. Two ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Dan must feel free to talk, 
 John. [CASEY enjoys CALVIN S dismay.] You 
 and Mr. Casey may sustain each other s dignity. 
 
 CALVIN. Nonsense! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. That s just what Mr. Casey 
 
110 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 said. Don t hesitate because of a little false 
 pride. 
 
 CASEY. She s got us in a forked stick, Calvin. 
 [There is the sound of someone outside the 
 door. MRS. CALVIN stands between the 
 two men. She appeals to CALVIN with 
 a gesture. CALVIN replies by going be 
 hind the screen. CASEY follows him 
 out of sight. There is a knock at the 
 door. MRS. CALVIN draws a long breath. 
 Then, with a quick glance at MARTIN, 
 she opens the door. Keeper FRANCIS 
 stands there with DAN. 
 FRANCIS. The Warden said to. ... 
 MRS. CALVIN. Come in. The Warden has 
 said I may speak to Dan. 
 
 [FRANCIS and DAN come inside. FRANCIS 
 
 sees the empty room with a start. DAN 
 
 gives one quick, suspicious glance about 
 
 and drops his eyes again. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [holding out her hand to MARTIN.] 
 
 Thank you, Martin. Write to me. Good-bye. 
 
 [DAN looks up in time to see MARTIN take 
 
 MRS. CALVIN S hand. 
 
 MARTIN. Good-bye, Mrs. Calvin. . . . May 
 God bless you! 
 
 [MARTIN S eyes travel to DAN. MRS. CAL 
 VIN smiles. 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 111 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You know Dan. 
 
 MARTIN, [to DAN.] Well, old pal be good! 
 [He steps forward and puts out his hand. He 
 chokes, unable to find words. Then in a low tone 
 She s white! [He exits.] 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. That s all, thank you, Mr. 
 Francis. Will you wait outside? 
 
 FRANCIS. Outside? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I have something to say to Dan. 
 
 FRANCIS. Alone? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Just as you see me. 
 
 FRANCIS. But, Mrs. Calvin, it s against the 
 rules. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. It s never been done, I know. 
 But I am personally responsible for Dan s 
 safety, and for my own. If any accident should 
 happen it will be wholly my fault. 
 
 [DAN is interested in this view. 
 
 FRANCIS. Well, I never. . . . 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I ll Call VOU. 
 
 [She closes the door behind him although he 
 is but half convinced. She turns to DAN 
 and smiles. DAN looks around the room 
 with suspicion. MRS. CALVIN goes to 
 the desk and draws the chair away from 
 it, sitting comfortably. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Sit down, Dan. [He is em 
 barrassed and half refuses.] Please do. We can 
 
PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 talk better so. [DAN perches on the edge of a 
 
 chair uncomfortably.] You haven t been very 
 
 comfortable for the last two days, have you? 
 
 [DAN scowls.] Oh, I know all about it, and I 
 
 think I understand more than you d think. 
 
 [She pauses a moment, uncertain how to go on.] 
 
 [DAN does not look at her. She watches him 
 
 and then throws a swift query at him. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You don t like the Warden, do 
 
 you, Dan? 
 
 [DAN lifts his face to her 9 startled. 
 MRS. CALVIN, [following it up.] I knew you 
 didn t. I m not surprised. He s been very 
 hard with you, hasn t he? [She pauses. DAN S 
 eyes are fastened to her face.] He s been hard 
 with me too, Dan. 
 
 [Behind the screen, CALVIN S face sets. 
 CASEY turns to look at him. They are 
 both unhappy and uneasy, though for 
 different reasons. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. How many children did your 
 mother say you had; three, wasn t it? [DAN 
 nods.] Three. And the baby is a boy Jimmy. 
 [DAN nods again, pleased that she remembers. He 
 sits more at ease in his chair.] I remember your 
 mother said he had a new tooth. [She smiles.] 
 DAN. [for the first time; gruffly.] He was two 
 weeks old when I saw him. 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 113 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [gently.] His mother died when 
 he came? 
 
 [DAN nods. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. It s sad that women should die 
 when their babies are born. . . . 
 
 DAN. [looking away.] She s better out of 
 it. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. But you re not better without 
 her. 
 
 [VAN flashes another look at her. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I can t help thinking how she d 
 have loved little Jimmy. 
 DAN. Maizy s my pet. 
 
 [Behind the screen both CALVIN and CASEY 
 fail to see where MRS. CALVIN is leading. 
 They cannot fail to be interested in the 
 fact that she is making DAN talk, even 
 though the conversation is about some 
 thing which is apparently beside the 
 point. CASEY, who understands her 
 method better than CALVIN /or after all, 
 her method is his method grows in 
 creasingly uneasy. 
 MRS. CALVIN. How old is Maizy? 
 DAN. She s ten, ma am. 
 MRS. CALVIN. You told me that before, I 
 remember. 
 
 DAN. She s a little woman. You ought to see 
 
114 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 her, sewing on her daddy s buttons, or making 
 him a cup of tea. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Like her mother, isn t she? 
 DAN. Just like. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I had a little boy, Dan two 
 years ago. 
 
 [DAN waits, slightly embarrassed. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. He was older than your 
 
 Maizy he was twelve. We were pals. [She 
 
 smiles.] He used to call us that when he could 
 
 scarcely talk. His name was Walter. 
 
 [There is a tense pause. Behind the screen 
 CALVIN grows stiff with fury. CASEY is 
 more on edge than ever. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I know how you feel about 
 Maizy. It was that way with Walter. I never 
 looked at him without seeing his father. He 
 was eager, too eager, too quick, impulsive, 
 too easily hurt by things just like his 
 father. 
 
 [DAN looks up in surprise. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. You don t see those things in 
 
 the Warden, Dan. It s hard for me to see them 
 
 now. He s hidden them. But they were all 
 
 there when we were married. 
 
 [Without realizing it MRS. CALVIN has been 
 pleading, not only with DAN, but with 
 her husband. CALVIN S face is a study 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 115 
 
 in incredulity. CASEY is restless. DAN 
 forgets his embarrassment and suspi 
 cion; all but his interest in MRS. CAL 
 VIN S simple earnestness. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I see things in the Warden that 
 you do not; just as I see much in you which the 
 Warden cannot see. 
 
 DAN. [with polite acquiescence.] Yes, ma am. 
 MRS. CALVIN. Walter was very like his 
 father; too like him. They couldn t understand 
 each other. I used to be very unhappy, some 
 times, but I always hoped that Walter would 
 grow into a fine, strong man. . . . 
 
 [DAN nods. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [swiftly.] Do you know how 
 my little boy died? ... He took poison. 
 
 [DAN gulps. CALvm s/ace is set with pain. 
 
 Even CASEY flinches. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [in a monotone.] It came from a 
 little thing. Walter wanted to go to the circus. 
 His father said, no. And Walter was rude. 
 He spoke to his father in a way which the War 
 den could not forgive. 
 
 [DAN looks at her mute with suffering. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I d been ill. That very day 
 
 Walter carried up to the medicine chest my 
 
 strychnine. He knew it was poison. We d 
 
 talked about it. And so when his father sent 
 
116 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 him up to a dark room for punishment he 
 swallowed four of the little pills, Dan. 
 
 [For a long moment MRS. CALVIN looks 
 
 straight into DAN S eyes. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Strychnine. Do you 
 know. . . . 
 
 [DAN turns his head away. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I found him that way ... on 
 the floor of the dark room. 
 
 [Dumb with emotion, DAN turns back to 
 
 her. There is silence. MRS. CALVIN 
 
 rises and stands looking into the gray 
 
 light outside the window. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. The Warden never understood. 
 
 He does not know, as I know, just what the child 
 
 was thinking. Walter was unhappy because he 
 
 had hurt his father. He thought he d been 
 
 wicked. He knew that he d made me unhappy 
 
 too. And he was afraid to stay alone in the 
 
 dark. [She turns. For the first time, her voice 
 
 quivers.] The dark is very terrible sometimes, 
 
 to children. 
 
 [DAN rises. He stands in misery, looking 
 
 at her. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Do you know what kept me 
 alive, Dan? The Warden. 
 
 [DAN darts a glance at her. 
 MRS. CALVIN. I pitied him so much. My old 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 117 
 
 love for him all swept back. . . . He s tragic, 
 Dan. He believes he s right. The truth is, 
 he s afraid afraid to let himself feel afraid to 
 believe in good, wholesome things. . . . My 
 hopes for Walter were gone. He could never 
 grow into a fine, gentle man. After he had come 
 to me, I d loved him better than my husband. 
 But I longed to have his father take his place 
 again. When we came here I felt that here per 
 haps he might throw off his shell, and try to help 
 the men, building up their lives instead of tear 
 ing them down. 
 
 [DAN S face lights in admiration. There 
 is a moment s pause and then MRS. CAL 
 VIN turns to him quickly. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Do you know what I want to 
 see in this prison? Cheerful men. [DAN looks 
 up.} Healthy men. Men who are helping one 
 another. Good pals, Dan fifteen hundred 
 friends of the Warden. And I d like to see the 
 Warden an honest pal to every man here. 
 Every man should go out better than when he 
 came in instead of worse. . . . Couldn t you 
 go straight, Dan, if you had a chance? 
 
 DAN. What s the use? I was straight enough 
 the first time I got sent up. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [eagerly.} Yes? Tell me. 
 
 DAN. I was living in a house with some pals 
 
118 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 and then I got married. We just went to the 
 priest. But when I went to my room to get my 
 things, the old woman was mad. Said I couldn t 
 leave without permission. I didn t care for her, 
 so I went. Well they framed me up, and sent 
 me here for two years. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. And your wife? 
 
 DAN. [with infinite meaning.] She waited. 
 When I got out we thought everything would be 
 right. But no one wants to give a good job to an 
 ex-con. . . . The boys was there ready to help 
 me if I d help them. What could I do? It was 
 the only chance I could find. So I took it. If I 
 got pinched, they helped me out. They tried 
 to get me a pardon this time. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Was this last sentence a fair 
 one, Dan? 
 
 DAN. Oh, I soaked the guy, all right. But he 
 hit me first. [Defiantly.] Your law s damn 
 foolishness ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. I don t wonder that you think 
 so. 
 
 DAN. The Warden hated me from the first. 
 They tipped him off, I was an old-timer. He 
 made up his mind I was bad. [Snarling.] So I 
 gave him what he was looking for! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Of course. We all do that. 
 
 DAN. Does he think I care a damn for his 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 119 
 
 punishment? I ll bet I can hold out as long as 
 he can! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. If if the Warden helped you 
 if he really tried to understand you couldn t 
 you help him? 
 
 DAN. [puzzled.] Help him? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Oh, Dan I want him to be a 
 friend to all the men. He ought not to stand 
 over them with a club ! You can help him. You 
 can help me! Will you? 
 
 [DAN is pleased, even eager, but he is still a 
 little gruff. 
 
 DAN. How? 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. The Warden won t believe me. 
 You re the one to do it you and Jack and the 
 rest. Show him you ll stand by each other, not 
 against him, but with him! Martin s been help 
 ing me ... won t you? 
 
 DAN. I ll I ll do what I can. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [putting out her hand.] We ll be 
 friends pals? 
 
 DAN. All right. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Help me to show the Warden 
 his mistakes. I ll promise that no harm comes 
 to any friend of yours. 
 
 [Behind the screen, CALVIN draws a long, 
 quivering breath. His face is white, and 
 wet with perspiration, but it is set 
 
120 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 in new lines. CASEY turns and stares at 
 him. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. We ll trust each other. Even 
 if circumstances point against us, you ll trust 
 me as I trust you. Is that a bargain? [DAN 
 nods.] Dan, tell me the truth about Mr. 
 Casey. 
 
 [CASEY gives a quick, uneasy movement. 
 CALVIN is all attention. This is the 
 turning point for him. If DAN speaks 
 frankly, and sincerely, CALVIN S shell 
 will break, and his whole philosophy be 
 shattered. But if the man fails to meet 
 the test, the new ideas which have been 
 kindled by the train of circumstances, 
 since JACK S information on the night 
 before, will be lost. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Mr. Casey says you re a crook, 
 and can t be trusted to tell the truth, Dan. 
 
 [DAN has a momentary return of sus 
 picion. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Remember don t be afraid to 
 trust me. [He looks at her longingly.] You stick 
 by people who stick by you, don t you? 
 DAN. You bet I do ! 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Jack Wilson s a friend of yours? 
 [DAN frowns.] 
 DAN. He was. 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. He thinks Mr. Casey is double- 
 crossing you. 
 
 DAN. [bitterly.] Jack s turned stool-pigeon. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. He only did it to help you. He 
 
 only wants you to have fair play, Dan. And 
 
 you want him to have it too. If Mr. Casey is 
 
 really back of all this, and you tell me that he 
 
 isn t, you ll double-cross two pals Jack and me. 
 
 [She waits. DAN thinks this over. CASEY 
 
 clenches his fists. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN. Jack thinks you re square; so 
 does Martin. And so do I ! [She pauses for an 
 instant.] Mr. Casey did manage your escape, 
 didn t he, Dan? 
 
 [For a moment DAN looks straight into 
 
 MRS. CALVIN S eyes. 
 
 CASEY tries to leap out and so prevent the 
 answer, but CALVIN is prepared for this, 
 and throwing one arm around CASEY S 
 shoulders, with his free hand over 
 CASEY S mouth, prevents his escape until 
 after the monosyllable has left DAN S 
 lips. 
 MRS. CALVIN returns DAN S gaze without 
 
 flinching. 
 DAN. Yes ! 
 
 [CASEY makes a violent lunge and the 
 screen totters. The two men struggle for 
 
122 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 an instant. Both DAN and MRS. CALVIN 
 turn toward them. DAN, forgetting he is 
 a prisoner, strides past her toward the 
 screen. Then he turns and looks back 
 at MRS. CALVIN. At this moment CAL 
 VIN thrusts CASEY back and steps 
 out. 
 
 DAN. [to MRS. CALVIN.] You tricked me! 
 [CASEY also appears. CALVIN is a changed man, 
 and is elated in the change. CASEY is raging.] 
 It s a plant you ve double-crossed me! Ah 
 MRS. CALVIN. No, Dan! Trust me! Remem 
 ber trust me! 
 
 CALVIN, [speaking to DAN as one man to an 
 other.] She s square, Dan. Trust her. [DAN 
 looks at him in stunned bewilderment.] And 
 trust me too. I ve been wrong wrong for a 
 long while. We ve been pulling different ways 
 it s time we pulled together. . . . you re a pal 
 of Mrs. Calvin s. ... I d like her pals to be 
 mine. I ll stand by you. Wilson s right. You 
 have been getting a dirty deal. So have a good 
 many others. . . . But that s over now. 
 
 [DAN gazes at him in stunned awe. 
 CALVIN. We ll just shake hands on this, Dan. 
 [DAN and CALVIN shake hands, not without 
 sentiment, but wholly without senti 
 mentality. CASEY, who has been en- 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 123 
 
 gaged in assembling his routed forces, 
 sneers. 
 
 CASEY. Very touching scene! 
 
 CALVIN, [whirling on him.} As for you. . . . 
 
 CASEY, [cutting in flatly.] Now just what 
 are you going to do about me, Warden Calvin? 
 You can t do anything! If you ve got the 
 sense of a louse, you ll let me strictly alone. 
 [He goes to the desk, and takes the blue envelope 
 from his inside pocket, removing the enclosure.] 
 Slide your eye along that, Mister Warden. 
 It may give you just an idea of what you re 
 up against. [He hands the letter to CALVIN who 
 takes it unwillingly.] Read it read it! 
 
 [CALVIN reads the letter and looks up with 
 a start to meet CASEY S grin. 
 
 CALVIN. The [his look shows how startled 
 he is.} 
 
 CASEY, [nodding] The Superintendent of 
 Prisons in this State is no fool ; he knows a good 
 thing when he sees it. He s your boss, ain t 
 he? Well he s mine too. He ain t going to 
 let you turn this place into a comic supplement 
 Sunday School. [He points to the letter.] Take 
 what you want, he said leave this when you 
 go. ... Well what could you say when I 
 [he takes the desk key from his waistcoat pocket, 
 and opens the desk drawer, taking out papers.] 
 
124 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 took these and left that order behind? [He 
 tosses the papers back in the drawer and slams it 
 shut.] 
 
 [CALVIN, by his expression, shows that he 
 
 could have said or done nothing. 
 CASEY. Don t think the Superintendent is 
 the only boss I ve got. There are bigger than 
 him. You aren t fighting me, Stephen Casey. 
 There s more to it than that, friend Warden. 
 Powerful men are behind men I don t even 
 know! They send me my orders and I jump! 
 And don t you forget it they ll spend money 
 against you. This prison is too slick a thing 
 to let slip. There s money to be made from 
 it it s a paying proposition! We d be crazy 
 to let it go without a fight! . . . You re one 
 man and you re fighting a machine. Drop 
 it! 
 
 [CALVIN is thinking hard. The windows 
 reflect the rosy light of dawn. Of a 
 sudden there is heard the clicking of the 
 levers opening the cell-rows. Then there 
 follows the sound of the men marching 
 from the cells. At the sound CALVIN 
 involuntarily straightens. He looks at 
 CASEY. 
 
 CASEY, [pointing to the letter which CALVIN has 
 dropped on the desk.] You ain t got evidence of 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 125 
 
 anything. I told you to find out the difference 
 between testimony and evidence once before. 
 [He turns to DAN, laughing nastily.] Do you 
 think your word s worth an ounce of plug-cut 
 in any court in the country? It ain t! [He 
 turns back to CALVIN.] You can t touch me. 
 CALVIN, [slowly.] No. 
 
 CASEY. Don t be a fool. Throw up the 
 sponge, while you can, Warden. We re organ 
 ized, rich. You re one man! 
 
 [A flash the old fanatic look sweeps 
 CALVIN S face. He turns to DAN. The 
 sound of the men marching is beginning 
 to die away. 
 
 CALVIN. Dan listen [the marching ceases] 
 They ve gone to breakfast. ... If I stand by 
 them, will they stand by me? 
 
 DAN. [huskily.] You bet they will, Warden 
 or we ll know the reason why! 
 
 [CALVIN looks past DAN to his wife. She 
 smiles at him and involuntarily moves 
 nearer^ but stops by DAN, as CALVIN 
 with a smile of understanding, moves 
 to the door. 
 
 CALVIN, [calling into the outer office.] Francis! 
 [He turns to CASEY.] I begin to see what I m 
 fighting, Mr. Casey. And I ve found, I believe, 
 the one weapon which will prevail against it. 
 
126 PUNISHMENT [ACT iv 
 
 [He drops his hand lightly on DAN S shoulder. 
 The gesture is half unconscious.] 
 
 [FRANCIS stands in the doorway waiting 
 for orders. DAN stands between CALVIN 
 and MRS. CALVIN. CASEY, in spite of 
 his bravado, is impressed. 
 CASEY. Think you ll try a little brotherly 
 love, eh? Huh that s a joke. You re a fool. 
 You forget they re only a lot of crooks. 
 
 MRS. CALVIN, [flashing at him.] We hope 
 they ll forget it too, Mr. Casey ! 
 
 [CALVIN smiles and turns to FRANCIS. 
 CALVIN, [briskly.] Mr. Casey will go to 
 town by the first train. Release King and 
 Scott we shall not need them. They may 
 resign by letter. 
 FRANCIS. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. Moyne will go to the mess-hall. 
 FRANCIS. Yes, sir. 
 
 CALVIN. And in ten minutes I wish to 
 speak to the men. 
 
 FRANCIS. Yes, Warden. 
 
 [CALVIN nods dismissal and FRANCIS goes. 
 
 CASEY. Think you ll stick it out, do you? 
 
 I tell you, John Calvin, within one month there 
 
 will be a new Warden appointed for Riverside 
 
 Prison! 
 
 CALVIN. Riverside Prison has a new Warden, 
 
ACT iv] PUNISHMENT 127 
 
 Mr. Casey. He was appointed some fifteen 
 minutes ago, by my wife. His name is Calvin, 
 and if he s not enough for you and your su 
 periors you will find fifteen hundred of his 
 deputies in the mess-hall at breakfast. . . . 
 Good morning! 
 
 THE CURTAIN FALLS 
 
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