UC-NRLF 13-54 I 1917 B 3 The Other Girl MJGUSTUS THOMAS SAMUEL FRENCH, 28-30 West 38th St., New York THE OTHER GIRL A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS BY AUGUSTUS THOMAS REVISED, 1917, BY AUGUSTUS THOMAS COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY AUGUSTUS THOMAS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that " THE OTHER GIRL ", being fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States, is subject to a royalty, and anyone presenting the play without the consent of the owner or his authorized agents will be liable to the penalties by law provided. Application for amateur acting rights must be made to SAMUEL FRENCH, 28-30 West 38th Street, New York. Application for the professional acting rights must be made to the American Play Company, 33 West 42nd Street, New York. NEW YORK SAMUEL FRENCH PUBLISHES 28-30 WEST 38TH STREET LONDON SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD, 26 SOUTHAMPTON STREET STRAND Especial notice should be taken that the possession of this book without a valid contract for production first having been obtained from tne publisher, confers no right or license to professionals or amateurs to produce the play publicly or in private for gain or charity. In its present form this play is dedicated to the reading public only, and no performance of it may be given, except by special arrangement with Samuel French. SECTION 28. That any person who v.ilfully or f^r profit shall infringe any copyright secured by this act, or who shall knowingly and wilfully aid or abet such infringment, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by im prisonment for not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or both, in the discretion of the court. Act of March 4, 1909. T-4ST4 PREFACE This is the sixth printed play to which I have prefixed a rambling but intimate preface in the hope that the lot might make a series which, when taken with the plays themselves as illustrations would in some way be of help to beginners, and maybe less battered and less experienced playwrights. The prefaces have been without much dogma or set rules because the art of play writing is more flexible than most of us, particularly playwrights and critics, im agine ; and because in writing I felt more was to be conveyed by implication than by proclamation; and because the practice of the art is so amiable that even a person who has been called a " Dean " has no excuse for retaliating in fulminations. The first preface was for " The Witching Hour " and explained one way of constructing a play that was built to carry a theory ; that for " In Mizzoura " confessed how a star had been provided with a vehicle ; the one for " Mrs. Lefrmgwell s Boots " admitted the assembling of rag-bag material into a very light comedy ; " Oliver Goldsmith s " showed a short way of attacking the historical or dramatiza tion task ; and the one with " The Earl of Paw- tucket ". the way a comedy was constructed to fit a man of amusing and peculiar manner. This pref ace will relate the attempt to write for two men already coupled in the attention of the public, and to do so under pressure for time. Mr. John Drew had been playing in " The 3 4 PREFACE Mummy and the Humming-Bird ". He was the " Mummy " and Mr. Guy Standing was the " Hum- mind-Bird " ; but the second hit of the performance was made by the character part of an Italian organ- grinder played by Lionel Barrymore. The manager, Mr. Charles Frohman, liked the association of uncle and nephew, and the two family names of Drew and Barrymore, and was in search of a new play that would permit its continuance. In the Spring of 1902 I was about sailing with my wife to take our two children to school in France, and as " C. F." said good-bye he added " Write me a play for John with a good part for Lionel ; I need it early in the season ". That was an agreeable assignment, and it filled such places in the sum mer s prospect as amateur courier s duty left open. In " The Mummy, etc.," Mr. Drew had been a preoccupied and inferentially desiccated husband. Mr. Barrymore had played an unwashed and al most inarticulate Italian with no English speech but much effective pantomime. A play with two parts to follow these should obviously be as different as possible. Mr. Drew should be young ; and Mr. Barrymore should be American and have somewhat to say. The playwright s obvious obligation was to avoid suggesting even remotely the types the two gentlemen had just portrayed. In play-making the value of an objective, even a fairly vague one, is that it acts like a magnetized wire, selectively; sawdust and rubbish generally do not stick to it, but steel filings do. Useful trifles, of which without the objective you would make no mental note, twang against it like head-on beetles at a fly screen. In one of the newspapers I had carried aboard the Ivernia was a half -stick item of a young preacher who had resigned his pastorate because of his sense of humor. He couldn t control his impulse PREFACE 5 to laugh during funerals and other solemn functions if a provoking comicality invited. Mr. Drew him self has some of this humorous lightness of trigger, against which in his case sartorial exactness works as a safety clutch ; and the laughing minister struck me as a good Drew part. Mr. Drew s appearance and conscious deportment are Episcopalian. I thought of him as a Rector. For the values of intimacy, varied connections, brisk opportunity, rapid contrasts and the like, I put him in charge of a New York congregation. After a very hurried mental inspection, proper elimination cut out all scenes in any wise suggesting the church itself, and threw my inquiries altogether on his social side. Merely getting there made me feel easier and more free. " The Mummy " had been married ; my preacher should be single. That meant boarding- house, hotel, or relative s home. I chose fashionable relative, and by a logical process discovered his sister and her husband, Henry Waterman. Nature in her preservation of balances seems to give clergymen s relatives a slightly sportive touch, so I made sister thoroughly worldly and made hus band a broker with a leaning to champagne and large cigars. I tried the broker s clothes on Lionel but they didn t fit; besides I couldn t make him take broker age seriously ; and the wine and cigars took on comic values disproportionate to mere accessories. When I tried to take them away from him he grew argu mentative, and his attitude and gesture suddenly re called what many persons had often noticed a singular physical and facial resemblance to Kid McCoy, the champion middle-weight pugilist. It seemed valuable. Lionel was no mean boxer 6 PREFACE himself, and if cast to play a champion would have nothing to learn and very little to assume. I brought the two characters together in my mind, the preacher and the pugilist. The central idea of my play was found. Charles Frohman at that time had a small farm at White Plains immediately adjoining the health- resort owned and conducted by William Muldoon, the retired champion wrestler. " C. F." and I, who had both known Muldoon for years, sometimes walked over his place when I would be on a visit to the farm. The finest men in the country, bankers, lawyers, clergymen, went to Muldoon for recupera tion; Grover Cleveland, Elihu Root, and men of equal prominence were at times his clients. The great athletes also went to him for help ; Kid McCoy had trained there more than once. Nothing could be simpler than that my minister, Dr. Bradford, and my Kid Garvey, as I decided to call the characters, should meet at Muldoon s. I tell these ideas, considered and abandoned, be cause plays are built that way. The mental work room where a play is constructed is filled with the lumber of discarded contrivance. I dismissed the meeting at Muldoon s because I saw greater comic possibilities in the preacher s as sociation with the fighter if the fighter s profes sionalism and pre-eminence were unknown. But if they were not known the association would have to be very private indeed, because nearly all the world knows a champion. That led to the idea of home training; and Kid Garvay under his proper name of Sheldon. Locations are important matters of choice in the early stages of construction. For example : it would enforce very widely different avenues and results whether one chose Muldoon s gymnasium at White PREFACE 7 Plains or a private house in Xew York as training quarters. A location must be a place to which your characters may logically come, and in which they shall meet without straining credulity. Even the private gymnasium had unattractive features. The introduction of the ladies would require managing. About that time the Century Club, on its premises on Forty-Third Street, had built a summer extension of its second floor living-room out over the back yard. This extension is open to the sky while the flooring is slatted to let light and air through to the windows below. Round tables are out there, and easy chairs, and in that time between business and dinner, which is known as " the butler s hour ", re laxing gentlemen take mixtures of vermouth. There are some clergymen among the members. I had sometimes sat there resisting temptation or other wise, and feeling how wonderful it would be to have a private annex of that kind; and now that dream drifted into my lazy, deck-chair musings, and I de cided to show my stage as such a platform, built to the rear of the Waterman dwelling on Fifth Avenue. Half of the back drop should show the vine-covered wall of the neighbors brick extension running straight up. The other half should picture glimpses of rear ends and courts to houses some distance away, evidently fronting on the side street. To one side of my slatted deck would be an iron rail, pre sumably overlooking the remaining bit of back yard, where my training should be predicated. The other side would be doors to the dining-room, and above those doors the windows of two other floors, respectively library and sleeping rooms. That scene decision was a gold mine. Relatives and fine guests and servants came from the dining- room doors ; the minister and others looked from the library ; young ladies spoke from the windows above. 8 PREFACE My play began to be peopled and somewhat artic ulated. These top windows overlooked the bit of back yard where the minister and pugilist sparred. The girls covertly watched them ; the pugilist in gym costume was attractive. One of the girls fell in love with him. That was wrong on Fifth Avenue, but it was prolific in comic story. This forbidden love suggested elopement ; and elopement suggested automobile, then a newer factor in stage stories than it now is. The automobile sug gested costume mask and domino with modern ap plication; and this disguise brought in its train the chance for the substitution of one girl for another, and the element of sacrifice so potent in all human story. The two girls naturally contrasted as much as the two men; and I paired off the wiser and better and plainer one with the minister. A mesalliance of Fifth Avenue and the prize-ring would not have left a pleasant taste ; and as comedy and riot tragedy was wanted, it also would have been ineffective. That led to the elopement being de feated. This would be easy to do by arresting the Kid for speeding, and by having the elopement thus exposed. Having tentatively adopted that device, I looked about for machinery to get the Kid back again to the house. The detention by the police of the second girl with the first girl s bag and jewels in her posses sion sent the Kid rather chivalrously back for bail and explanation, but it left the now disillusioned first girl in a rather hard predicament. At this stage I was obliged to devise for her con solation, Mr. Lumley, the conventional suitor, rather insipid, until in trying to bring him also into the plexus, I hit upon the idea of having him be the man the eloping automobile should run over. Lumley and his torn dress-suit, his hospital bandages and PREFACE 9 his ether jag was, for this play, that clarifying solvent whose advent I have so pressed upon your notice in the earlier prefaces. In the extrication and when all was to be made known, I felt that Lumley s own sentimental vagaries should have been numerous enough to make him charitable to Catherine s one swerve, and in invent ing his college-day chorus-girl irregularity I found Mabel, the head-liner now engaged to the Kid, and the dramatic circle was compact and complete. Thus far I had not definitely planned a use of my preacher s disposition to laugh at the wrong time. Nothing in the story suggested its active employ ment. In studying it into his record, I had him reported as laughing at an important funeral. The funeral occurring to me as possibly fraught with the most enduring consequences if disturbed, would have been that of a newspaper proprietor, and would therefore involve the cherished resentment of his editorial staff against the preacher who had taken it lightly. That gave me added animus for the natural reportorial criticisms of the preacher s association with the pugilist. The libel suit against the paper was a logical result and lent motive power to the early part of the play. Closer knitting counselled the use of the same attorney for the minister s present libel suit, and for the legal phases of Lumley s earlier chorus-girl troubles. "\Yhen the play was done I sent the script from France. Mr. Froham cabled me to come over and put it on. "When I arrived in Xew York however, I found Mr. Drew was not to be in the company. The Kid was much too showy a part, and while the informed professional would know that the reason of his greater success lay in the opportunities and the char acter of the part, the paying public would only see io PREFACE that in two consecutive plays Mr. Barrymore had seemed to run away with the honors. That would be bad management of an established star. Mr. Frank Worthing was therefore substituted for Mr. Drew as the minister. It has nothing to do with play writing, but it is pleasant to recall that much of the success of the original production was due to the unsual cast. Old play-bills take on lustre with time, because with time these actors have often built up their reputations; but " The Other Girl " company was quite a star cast on its first night. The ladies were Elsie De- Wolff; and her sister-in-law Drina of the same name; Selina Fetter, in private life, Mrs. Milton Royle ; Maggie Fielding ; and Ida Greeley Smith. The men besides Lionel Barrymore and Frank Worthing ; were Richard Bennett ; Joseph Wheelock Jr. ; Ralph Delmore ; and Joseph Whiting. An incident of the first night is instructive. In the construction of the current part of the play, I had found the minister s laugh valuable as a curtain climax for the second act. His propensity for laugh ing in wrong places had been elaborated, " planted ", and an audience logically should be glad to see some instance of it. I chose the pressure put upon the finer girl in a circle of misapprehension and hostile criticism resulting from her sacrificial as sumption of Catherine s place in the motor; a circle of much snobbishness and some hypocrisy through which only the Kid and the minister saw. The accused girl was to one side of the library in which that act was laid, and her critics and accuser were baiting her. The minister was at the other side at the moment chosen for his laugh and the " cur tain ". On our first night all went well excepting this moment. The effect failed to function. In the usual council of war held by manager and author PREFACE ii after the first representation, we were unable to find the cause for this failure. By all our logic and technique the situation should have carried. We thought perhaps our first nighters were too sophisti cated, and had foreseen and discounted our effect ; but a second night s audience was equally im pervious. I sailed on Wednesday, happy over general results but troubled on that one point ; and on the quiet deck of the steamer, for two days I went over and over it mentally. In this review I saw again the aggressive group around the girl ; the audience deeply inter ested there; and then from the other side of the stage picture the explosive laugh of the minister, more surprising than mirth-provoking ; and I finally reasoned that the trouble lay in the surprise. I be came sure that if some action should first draw at tention from the girl to the minister, the attempted effect would work. This point had not been entirely overlooked in rehearsals, for the Kid set the minister off on his laugh by a very knowing wink as the snobs on the other side were delivering their heaviest bat teries. But a wink is a small demonstration to counterpoint a family row. Some broader action would be needed to command the attention of the whole audience. With this decision I went to the wireless room and telegraphed Mr. Frohman: " Have Kid step down and toucJi preacher before the wink ". The instruction was followed and the effect was obtained as first hoped for. In the theatre coincidence is so useful and is so constantly resented by callow critics, that any ex ample that may establish its legitimacy is valuable. I therefore append this incident : A few weeks after our opening, my brother-in-law Bainbridge Colby was smoking his after-dinner cigar in our Paris apartment after a business trip to London. " An 12 PREFACE amusing thing happened " he said " as I was coming over from America. I had gone to the wireless room on the steamer to send a message ; the operator was Italian and uncertain of his English; a boat further out had just sent him a message to relay to New York. It was addressed to Charles Froh- man and signed Thomas. The operator thought he had muffed it because it read " Have Kid step down and touch preacher before the wink ". I told him the message was correct ". Augustus Thomas. THE OTHER GIRL CHARACTERS IX THE ORDER OF APPEARANCE MR. FULTON HENRY WATERMAN MRS. WATERMAN DR. CLIFTON BRADFORD (The Parson) CATHERINE FULTON JAMES (Butler) ESTELLE KlTTERIDGE REGINALD LUMLEY ANN (The Cook) JUDGE NEWTON BATES TAYLOR (Reporter) " KID GARVEY " SHELDON (The pug) MAGGIE (The Maid) MYRTLE MORRISON 13 THE OTHER GIRL ACT I SCENE : The stage is set to represent a deck built at the rear of a city house as an extension to its first floor. At the back, covering one-half the flat (the right half) is the dead wall of the next house. Vines, grow on this wall. The left half at back is a high brick garden wall over which appear the ends and intervening light shafts of tall apartment houses. To the stage R. is the rear of the dwelling to which the deck is an addition. On the stage level two French windows let into the dining- room and one American window in 3 looking into pantry. On the floor above, the octagonal bay of the library protrudes some feet over the stage. This bay is surmounted by a pretty balcony which lets into the sleeping apartment on the 4th floor. To the stage left, from the foot lights to the flat, an iron rail covered with foliage guards the deck from the back-yard supposed to be below except at the up-stage end, the railing has a gate now open and giving upon a short flight of stairs to the garden level below. Tree wings are also L. and over the iron railings. The stage, representing a deck, is apparently slatted to let water through. (The lines indicat ing opening should be draii.ni on the ground 16 THE OTHER GIRL cloth lip and down-stage in order to show.) The center has a handsome rug on which is a round dining table sir feet in diameter. A huge Japanese umbrella 8 feet in diameter is fixed on the middle of the table-top by a weighted foot, or standard. The table has on it the coffee cups, a champagne bottle, cigar lighter, cigars and cigar etes. A champagne cooler is to the left of the table and above the chair at that place. Six chairs arc at the table. TIME: The hour is eight of a June evening. The sun has set to the stage R. Its last rays still light the chimneys of the tall houses to the* rear. Later the moonlight falls from the lefi Lights show in the various windows in sight. DISCOVERED : HARRY WATERMAN, a New York business man of the " bluff and hearty " type, aged about forty-five. He sits to the left of the table. His guest, MR. FULTON, a Philadelphia millionaire, aged sixty-two, stands looking over the railing left. Both men have cigars half smoked Both are in evening dress. FULTON. (Turning and regarding stage) Of course that shuts off the light a little from your kitchen. HENRY WATERMAN. (Easily) Some. But you see those joints are open (He indicates floor) and besides (Smiling) It isn t a good plan to turn too much light on that particular department. FULTON. (Also smiling) True. (Fixes his glasses and looking left into yard) You Why you haven t had any oppressively hot weather in New York this spring have you? HENRY. No why ? FULTON. Those mattresses Thought some- THE OTHER GIRL 17 body d been sleeping out of doors. (Suddenly) See here, the girls and I are not crowding you ? HENRY. (Heartily) No indeed your rooms are guest-rooms always. No ! Those two mat tresses belong to the Reverend Cliff. FULTON. (Rises) Who? HENRY. The " Reverend Cliff ". FULTON. Oh. Dr. Bradford? HENRY. Yes, he wrestles on them. FULTON. Wrestles? HENRY. (Nods) Training for his constant clerical struggle with temptation. FULTON. But really? HENRY. Oh. A matter of health. FULTON. Dr. Bradford actually practices wrest ling? HENRY. (Nodding yes) And now and then the chap that s training him gives Cliff a push with the gloves that makes him real glad those mattresses are there. FULTON. Boxes too? HENRY. Yes, indeed. If you ever go to the Reverend Doctor Bradford s church and they pass you the contribution box, you want to settle. (Smiles) FULTON. (Smiling) Oh! That s what the Times meant by its allusions to muscular Christ ianity. HENRY. (Joining FULTON at rail) In a measure. You see Cliff s always gone in for athletics. This this backyard business was my idea. Once or twice when I ve had a busy winter, too many dinners too much of this. (Touching bottle) I ve gone up to Muldoon s and got down to my proper weight again. FULTON. Muldoon s ? HENRY. Billy Muldoon don t know him? Cer tainly you do. Held the world s championship for ig THE OTHER GIRL wrestling years and years ( FULTON nods) Re tired unbeaten and opened a sanitarium up here in Westchester County. Well, when Cliff got all run down this winter nerves and everything you read about it laughed right out at a funeral where he was the officiating clergyman FULTON. No ! HENRY. Yes But then that s Cliff s weak point. If it wasn t for his sense of humor Cliff d be the banner clergyman of New York. Yes, sir Well, as I tell you he " went back " so much FULTON. "Went back?" HENRY. Physically. FULTON. Yes, yes. HENRY. That I advised him to go to Bill Mul- doon s. He did look it over but Billy said he d bet ter not. Nice fellow Muldoon gentleman s in stinctive feeling for the fitness of things He didn t tell Cliff but he told me, you see, that a house full of race track chaps and Wall Street men and so on Oh, he gets the best He instinctively saw they d rub Cliff s fur the wrong way; so he sent a private instructor down here. FULTON. A masseur, I suppose. HENRY. Ha, ha. Well, hardly No, sir, a pro fessional instructor wrestling, boxing, anything. You know Cliff was quite a boy at College. Got a hatful of medals for it. FULTON. Indeed ? HENRY. (Nodding) Runs in the family. Mattie s just like him hard as a base ball. FULTON. Mattie ? HENRY. Mrs. Waterman his sister. FULTLN. Oh, your wife ? HENRY. Yes Golf swim take a five bar gate on her hunter ! See her in the box at the opera you d simply say " trim, well groomed woman ", but THE OTHER GIRL 19 (Closing f.st) got an arm like a stocking full of ereen apples (Smoking) FULTON. (Regarding the back yard) And Dr. Bradford takes his exercise there? HENRY. Two half hours every day. FULTOX. (Looking about) And the neighbors? HENRY. Can t see him Some Japanese screens there Pull over make an awning ; notice ? FULTOX. I see ; and the newspaper people object to that, do they? HENRY. Only the Times. It was one of their proprietors that Cliff was burying at the funeral. Cliff was saying all. the nice things he could about him FULTON. Naturally- HENRY. man was dead and anyway Cliff s an awfully liberal minded clergyman so he was being decent, you understand when he happened to catch the eye of one of the reporters that had been sent up to " do " the funeral IV ell; the young fellow half smiled and kind o shut one eye that way (Winks; and then with explosive vigor dramatizing the clergyman s predicament he throws up both hands) Well, think of it and Cliff s sense of humor! He made a struggle of course and he d have pulled through if this little reporter d only gone out but there he was with a half strangled grin, getting more infectious every minute Well!! Dr. Bradford covered his face with his handkerchief and tried to pass the business off for tears, but dear me you read about it; the assistant had to finish and Cliff pretended to be ill and all that ; but naturally the Times never forgave him for it. We stood their criticisms of that affair but when they began assailing Cliff s private character why, we sued them for libel. (Smokes) FULTOX. His private character? / didn t see that. 20 THE OTHER GIRL HENRY. Didn t your daughter zvrite you about it? FULTON. No. HENRY. Happened since she s been here. FULTON. (Anxiously) It s nothing about Cath erine herself? HENRY. Oh, dear no. FULTON. You re quite sure. HENRY. Perfectly. FULTON. Any woman involved? HENRY. Oh, not that way Well here I ll read it to you. (Calls to library) Mattie James Oh, that you, Mattie? MRS. WATERMAN. (In library) Yes, it s I. HENRY. Won t you hand me the scrap book from the big table there with Cliff s notice in it. FULTON. Is Mrs. Waterman not sensitive about it? HENRY. Not a bit. MRS. WATERMAN. (Appearing in window, 2nd story) Here you are. (Handing book) Is there anybody that hasn t read that interesting publica tion? HENRY. Mr. Fulton hasn t. Tell Cliff to come down here, my dear. (MRS. WATERMAN disappears.) FULTON. I m not detaining you ? HENRY. Oh, no. (With book) Here we are Under religious notes mind you. (Reads) " The Reverend Clifton Bradford is taking a more muscular and, if possible, a more humorous view of life during these days, than even that which he formerly enjoyed. He had as companions to a suffi ciently jolly little dinner last week, Kid Garvey, the champion middle weight prize-fighter and Miss Myrtle Morrison, the leading serio comic and short THE OTHER GIRL 21 skirt dancer from the Pleasure Palace " Whole cloth, mind you whole cloth. FULTON. But how dare they? Here comes Dr. Bradford himself. (Tries to hide book) HENRY. Oh, Cliff doesn t care. (Enter BRADFORD from the house.) BRADFORD. (Referring to book) Sufficiently piquant, eh? FULTON. But why? BRADFORD. Oh an old enmity. HENRY. I ve told him about that. BRADFORD. We ve ignored the preceding publica tion. HENRY. Nothing like that however. BRADFORD. Oh, no. HENRY. (To FULTON) And it s always been a question before as to whether the stuff was libellous or not. You see they gave a humorous slant to everything. FULTON. Oh. I know them. HENRY. (Closing the book) And that s such an easy thing to do if you ve got a clergyman for your target. FULTON. Yes, yes. HENRY. Our lawyer s Newton Bates. FULTON. (In admiration) Newton Bates? HENRY. Won t he make em squirm? FULTON. Ah. HENRY. You know they wanted him on the Beecher trial only the other counsel thought him too young at that time. BRADFORD. Member of my congregation. FULTON. (In appreciation) m. BRADFORD. (To HENRY) Judge Bates says that s actionable? (Indicates book] HENRY. Unquestionably. FULTON. No ground for it at all ? 22 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. (At rail) None except that I m doing a little gymnastic work here my sister s private residence. FULTON. And your instructor s not a prize fighter ? BRADFORD and HENRY. (Both exclaim) Oh! BRADFORD. (Shaking his head) A mere boy named Sheldon charming manners not an edu cated man to be sure that is, not a college man, but FULTON. To be sure HENRY. (Emphatically) But he knows his busi ness. BRADFORD. (With laugh) Ha! HENRY. (With more enthusiasm to FULTON) Why, I thought Dr. Bradford was falling down as a joke This Sheldon mere boy you understand doesn t seem to hit him any harder than that (Taps FULTON S arm) Looks like a kitten playing with the darning cotton. BRADFORD. Feels different however. HENRY. Cliff had him tap me just for fun, on the shoulder now I m not an invalid, am I ? FULTON. (Smiling) I shouldn t call you one. HENRY. Well, he did that (Business of light tap) Mattie and the girls were up at the window she thought he was brushing a speck of dust off my waistcoat. I stumbled clear across that furthest mattress; and if that back fence hadn t been there, I d have gone through to Madison avenue Mattie thought I was " being funny " for the girls, but that night I showed her a green and blue patch there about the size of an alarm clock. FULTON. Man must be a Hercules. BRADFORD. Quite the contrary. HENRY. Doesn t strip noticeably big. (Enter CATHERINE from house.) THE OTHER GIRL 23 CATHERINE. You ready, father? FULTON. Is it time? CATHERINE. Almost. FULTON. I shall be excuse me. (Exit to house} (Telephone bell off.) BRADFORD. Beautiful evening for your concert- party, Miss Catherine. CATHERINE. Oh, it isn t my party. BRADFORD. No? CATHERINE. (Shaking her head) It s Mr. Lumley s. (She puts on gloves) HENRY. You must see the difference Doctor Lumley s party, not Catherine s. BRADFORD. One of the weaknesses of my profes sion always has been its impulse to prophecy. CATHERINE. (Stupidly) What s he talking about, Mr. Waterman? HENRY. About you and Lumley. These minister fellows, Catherine, watch the society columns like your father and I watch the markets. Their in comes depend on social futures. CATHERINE. Oh, I don t know anything about business. HENRY. Well, you won t have to if you marry Lumley. CATHERINE. It isn t at all certain that I shall marry Mr. Lumley. HENRY. Isn t it? CATHERINE. Xo I may not marry anybody. (Enter JAMES, a butler.) JAMES. Pardon, sir. There s a call at the tele phone. HENRY. Me? JAMES. (Clearing table) Yes, sir. 24 THE OTHER GIRL HENRY. Excuse me. {Exit to house) BRADFORD. I was going to ask you to excuse me from the concert this evening Miss Catherine but if the party s entirely Mr. Lumley s I ll ask him. {Exit JAMES with coffee cups and napkins.) CATHERINE. Can t you go? BRADFORD. I have some writing that I shouldn t neglect any longer and besides that, Mr. Sheldon s coming to get his things this evening. CATHERINE. (Interested and surprised) Mr. Sheldon? BRADFORD. Yes. CATHERINE. His things? Why? BRADFORD. He s through with me for the pres ent I ve graduated. CATHERINE. And he s not coming any more at all. (Enter JAMES.) BRADFORD. No (At steps) James! JAMES. (Going to BRADFORD) Yes, sir. BRADFORD. Mr. Sheldon s coming to take the gloves and shoes and some other things that belong to him. I ll show you which ones they are and you can help him do them up. JAMES. (Sulkily) Yes, sir. BRADFORD. (To CATERINE) You ll excuse me a moment. CATHERINE. Certainly. BRADFORD. (Going down steps) And to-morrow these mattresses can be put in the trunk room. JAMES. (Following, with disapproval) Yes, sir. CATHERINE. (Alone) He s not coming any more at all. ESTELLE. (From third story balcony) Shall we need opera glasses, Catherine what do you think? THE OTHER GIRL 25 CATHERINE. I m not going. ESTELLE. Not going why ? CATERIXE. I ve changed my mind. ESTELLE. Why ? CATHERINE. (Quick glance to garden) I ll tell you later. (Enter MRS. MATTIE WATERMAN from house. She is the athletic Nezv York woman of thirty-three.) MRS. WATERMAN. Oh. All alone, Catherine? CATHERINE. Dr. Bradford has just left me. MRS. WATERMAN. My! what a pretty gown my dear. CATHERINE. You like it? MRS. WATERMAN. Who wouldn t like it? Now don t tell me that was made in Philadelphia, too. CATHERINE. Yes, it was. MRS. WATERMAN. Well, you certainly have found a treasure in that woman. ESTELLE. Do you think so, Mrs. Waterman? MRS. WATERMAN. (Looking tip to balcony) Oh, you there Estelle ? Why of course I think so. I never saw anything like it. I ve two gowns that I brought from Paris that I d give her for it this minute if it would fit me. You must carry a long wrap with that, my dear. Y r ou know the concert s on the roof and the chairs are bound to have some dust on them soot or something. CATHERINE. You might bring my gray cloak, Estelle. ESTELLE. You ll go, then? Good. (Exit) MRS. WATERMAN. What does she mean, Cath erine? Did you think of not going? CATHERINE. I m not sure that I shall. MRS. WATERMAN. You re not ill, Catherine dear. CATHERINE. Oh, half no, it isn t that but I just can t go to-night. 26 THE OTHER GIRL MRS. WATERMAN. (Anxiously) My dear! What is it? (CATHERINE shakes her head) You must tell me, my dear. CATHERINE. Since my engagement s been pub lished, I ve felt half dazed all the time. MRS. WATERMAN. (Comfortingly) And quite excusably, my dear Catherine; Reggy Lumley s the catch of the season. CATHERINE. But, I want to think about it. I don t want to be rushed, in this way. MRS. WATERMAN. Rushed Why there s no day set is there? CATHERINE. No but the man himself Why don t you tell me what to do? MRS. WATERMAN. Why, I will, of course. What is it? CATHERINE. If I really loved him, I d want to see him this evening, wouldn t I ? and I don t. MRS. WATERMAN. You don t? CATHERINE. No I don t. My hands are so cold at the thought, that my gloves don t fit me. MRS. WATERMAN. Why, you strange creature and when you were here in October, you could scarcely wait until the evening for him to call. CATHERINE. I know it and I liked him in Phil adelphia too. MRS. WATERMAN. Well, of course, that doesn t mean so much and now? CATHERINE. (Explaining and extending her limp arms) This way. MRS. WATERMAN. And you think it s the an nouncement that has caused the change in you, my dear? CATHERINE. Oh, no, it s more than that. MRS. WATERMAN, (with match-making eager ness) Catherine ! you ve met some one else (CATHERINE turns away) My dear Catherine! (Puts arm about her) Tell me. (CATHERINE THE OTHER GIRL 27 shakes her Jiead) But, my dear, you haven t seen anybody else. Besides poor Lumley you haven t seen anybody but in this house. (CATHERINE covers her face) Catherine! It can t be that CATHERINE. (Impulsively) Oh, don t ask me MRS. WATERMAN. I won t I won t not a word, my dear. (Pause) Does Estelle know? (Looks up at balcony CATHERINE nods) What does she say? (CATHERINE shakes her head) Doesn t approve, eh? (CATHERINE shakes her head) m Well, my dear, your aunt Mattie CATHERINE. Please don t ask me? MRS. WATERMAN. Not a word. dear, not a word. (Pause) He s nice of course. (CATHERINE nods) Money? (CATHERINE shakes her head) Business man? (CATHERINE shakes her head) Profes sional? (CATHERINE nods. MRS. WATERMAN em braces her protecting! y) Well, if you love him, my dear, a professional man makes a very good hus band that is if (Pause) He s not a lawyer? (CATHERINE shakes her head) Not a physician? (CATHERINE shakes her head) Not a CATHERINE. Oh, please don t ask me. MRS. WATERMAN. Not a word, my dear not a word. There there (Pause) Well, if he hasn t money I hope he has youth and health. (CATHERINE nods) He s a good physical specimen? (CATH ERINE nods) Good! Good (Pause) But, dear me, it s going to be a trifle hard on Reggie Lumley, though Reggie really deserves it. CATHERINE. Oh. Mrs. Waterman what shall I do? MRS. WATERMAN. You re quite sure vou love him? CATHERINE. Yes. MRS. WATERMAN. Has he proposed to you? CATHERINE. Oh, no. MRS. WATERMAN. Of course he hasn t (Pause) 28 THE OTHER GIRL Do ? Well, the first thing to do my dear, is to make him propose. CATHERINE. But my father won t like it at all he won t like the man s profession, and he won t like his being poor. MRS. WATERMAN. (With some hauteur} m. The gentleman s profession supports him, doesn t it? CATHERINE. Oh, yes. MRS. WATERMAN. And it improves others? CATHERINE. Oh, yes. MRS. WATERMAN. Well, let me tell you, my dear, that this getting married is a very personal thing ; and if you love the man and you don t love Reggie Lumley at all CATHERINE. But I m not sure of that. I think I love Mr. Lumley too Do you think a girl can love two men, Mrs. Waterman? MRS. WATERMAN. (A trifle behind the times) Well, my dear. (Pauses) Hardly in the same way. CATHERINE. Not in the same way at all. I m proud of Mr. Lumley, and I feel so so safe and protected and respectable when he s with me. But the other one makes me almost forget Mr. Lumley. I m not myself, I feel like running away from people and hiding myself. I feel as though someone should scold me very hard for something I haven t done at all. I feel rebellious and lawless and not like my self. Why sometimes I almost want to strike Estelle. MRS. WATERMAN. Strike Estelle. You mean when she opposes you in this new affection? CATHERINE. Yes. (Enter BRADFORD.) BRADFORD. I ve asked Miss Catherine to excuse me to-night. I shall have to miss the concert and CATHERINE. I m not going either. THE OTHER GIRL 29 (MRS. WATERMAN pleased.) BRADFORD. Oh, you re not going? MRS. WATERMAN. (With meaning) No, Cath erine isn t feeling quite herself to-night and we ve decided between us that the concert would bore her. BRADFORD. Oh CATHERINE. Do you mind, Mrs. Waterman, if I pick one of those roses? (In garden L.) MRS. WATERMAN. Take as many as you like, my dear. CATHERINE. Thank you. (Goes doivn steps L. MRS. WATERMAN nods to BRADFORD to look at CATHERINE, he does so and looks back inquiringly) MRS. WATERMAN. Pretty? BRADFORD. Very. MRS. WATERMAN. She s about as stylish a girl as we know. Cliff, dear. BRADFORD. Yes, I think she is. MRS. WATERMAN. Everything looks well on her. There s an old fright of a gown done in Philadeiphia and she makes it look as if it had been made in Paris. BRADFORD. A very misleading young woman, al together. MRS. WATERMAN. Misleading? (BRADFORD nods) What do you mean by that? BRADFORD. She looks wise enough to give Greek lessons to Minerva and she hasn t the brains of a wax doll. MRS. WATERMAN. Why, Cliff, you re mistaken. BRADFORD. (Amused) Am I, Mattie? MRS. WATERMAN. You re very much mistaken. I ve seen a pincushion that she painted just as hand some as anything in the shops. BRADFORD . Really? MRS. WATERMAN. And I m sure she plays ver\ well and while she doesn t talk glibly at all, all the 30 THE OTHER GIRL men, every one of them, are crazy about her, I m sure, just crazy. BRADFORD. She seems fairly popular when her friend Miss Kitteridge is with her. MRS. WATERMAN. They make a very good con trast. BRADFORD. Very. MRS. WATERMAN. Estelle (Looks cautiously at zvindozv) Estelle s as plain as a mud fence and Catherine s a howling beauty. BRADFORD. Yes? MRS. WATERMAN. (Getting annoyed) Yes, and you re very much mistaken, Cliff dear, if you think the men are attracted by Estelle they come to see Catherine. BRADFORD. They come to look at Miss Fulton, I dare say, but they remain to talk with Miss Kit teridge. MRS. WATERMAN. Oh, you over-estimate the value of talk all ministers do. BRADFORD. So I begin to fear. MRS. WATERMAN. A man doesn t marry a woman because she can talk. Men frequently quit them for it. No indeed a man wants a wife that s stylish and looks well one who as Henry would say who " can make a front ". I m sorry to see you so interested in the Kitteridge girl, Cliff. She s only a companion, you know. It wouldn t surprise me if she got a salary. BRADFORD. My profession, Mattie, has no deep- seated prejudice against salary. MRS. WATERMAN. So I ve observed ; but her salary would stop if she got married and her ability to talk might even increase. BRADFORD. It would naturally grow with her in formation. MRS. WATERMAN. So would Catherine s and it might turn out that even Catherine d talk all you THE OTHER GIRL 3 1 wanted her to. There s a depth of feeling in the girl that none of us has dreamed of and she s cer tainly very bright at times. BRADFORD. Indeed I ve failed to notice that. MRS. WATERMAN. There are many things, my dear brother, that you fail to notice. BRADFORD. True. MRS. WATERMAN. For one thing you fail to notice that the poor girl s dead in love with you. BRADFORD. (Astonished and annoyed) What? MRS. WATERMAN. Sh yes, you I mean it. You ve driven her almost frantic with it. BRADFORD. Miss Fulton? MRS. WATERMAN. Yes. BRADFORD. Ridiculous, why she s engaged to marr\ Reginald Lumley. MRS. WATERMAN. That s a mere bit of finesse. BRADFORD. A bit of what? MRS. WATERMAN. Finesse she s trying to pique you into saying something yourself. BRADFORD. (Warningly) Now see here, Mattie I said the poor girl didn t know anything, but don t tell me she s immoral. MRS. WATERMAN. Cliff dear you ministers would do twice as much good in this world if you didn t call things such dreadful names. Immoral is a word we apply to a lady after the court decides that she deserves it and gives the divorce to the husband. A simple engagement in fact the very first engagement; and as pretty a girl as Catherine is mere vivacity. Now I won t talk to you, Cliff 7 won t. BRADFORD. I shouldn t Mattie, if I were you. It strikes me the burden of responsibility is in the other direction. MRS. WATERMAN. Never mind. The girl loves you she s got money and you haven t even a cer tainty in your profession. 32 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. No? MRS. WATERMAN. No with your ability to get amusement out of the burial service. BRADFORD. Now, see here, Mattie. We both know all about that. I have unfortunately laughed at critical moments when it would have been more generally agreeable to have remained serious. I ad mit it but my vestry understood the conditions very well. They recognize that when I m amused it is at some ridiculous pretence and not at any virtue or at any laudable endeavor. It seems somewhat incongruous that I should retain their confidence and that my own sister MRS. WATERMAN. (Going to him) Why, Cliff, it isn t you. It s your profession. Some ministers are born for it. They d rather be good but you re a man who could enjoy life if you had money. BRADFORD. My dear Mattie ! MRS. WATERMAN. No, listen to me, Cliff. We both know that your profession s a great struggle. Now here s the richest girl in Philadelphia. I ve suspected it all along when you re boxing or wrestling out there she s at the window BRADFORD. No no no why Mattie, I couldn t marry a woman I didn t love, even if MRS. WATERMAN. But Cliff, dear, you haven t tried BRADFORD. And I don t mean to try I m not striving to get out of the ministry, Mattie. I m working the hardest I know how to stay in it. And if I can marry, the woman will be one of character and MRS. WATERMAN. (Mocking) And piety. BRADFORD. I shan t insist on that but I shall hope for some intelligence and spirituality. (Enter HENRY and LUMLEY. LUMLEY is a young man of more money than brains.) THE OTHER GIRL 33 HENRY. Mr. Lumley, my dear. LUMLEY. (Following) I came a trifle early be cause (JAMES re-er.ters by steps L. and removes umbrella from table closing it.) MRS. WATERMAN. (leaking LUMLEY S hand) That was very proper, I m sure. BRADFORD. Good-evening; we were just discus sing you, Mr. Lumley. LUMLEY. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Pleasantly, I hope. MRS. WATERMAN. (Smiling) Oh, yes. BRADFORD. (Insinuatingly) My sister was plan ning a little surprise for you. (JAMES removes table cloth and blanket pad.) LUMLEY. Oh, I hope I haven t spoiled it, I love a surprise. MRS. WATERMAN. (IVarningly) Cliff! (Exit JAMES to house.) LUMLEY. At least tell me what it s about. A sur prise is so much more enjoyable if one knows what its about. (BRADFORD points off to CATHERINE) Oh Ah, I hadn t seen Catherine. (Calling off left to CATHERINE) Good-evening. (Impulsively starts off. Pause to MRS. WATERMAN) I may? (In dicates stairs) MRS. WATERMAN. Why, of course. LUMLEY. Thank you. (Exit by stairs) HENRY. What surprise? BRADFORD. \Vhy Mattie advises me to MRS. WATERMAN. (Interrupting and looking 34 THE OTHER GIRL quickly tozvard garden) Cliff? (To HENRY) Nothing at all. HENRY. Oh (Turns away to rail) BRADFORD. Can t we tell Henry? MRS. WATERMAN. I ll tell him myself some other time. HENRY. Handsome couple aren t they? MRS. WATERMAN. Very But don t stare at them, Henry. Can t you see there s a little un pleasantness ? HENRY. Is there? Unpleasantness? MRS. WATERMAN. Yes Some little disagree ment probably. BRADFORD. (Smiling and nodding tozvard yard) Best place in the world for an argument. HENRY. Two mattresses yes ha, ha ! MRS. WATERMAN. (Chiding) Henry! HENRY. (In mock obedience) What is it, Mattie ? MRS. WATERMAN. They ll think you re laughing at them. HENRY. Well I am. (Enter ESTELLE from house zvith cloak for CATH ERINE.) ESTELLE. Everybody ready? MRS. WATERMAN. I think so. ESTELLE. Didn t I hear Mr. Lumley s voice? BRADFORD. (Indicating garden) In the garden. ESTELLE. (Seeing) Oh. HENRY. But you mustn t look at them. ESTELLE. No ? MRS. WATERMAN. Catherine isn t going to the concert, and she s telling him so. ESTELLE. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Why not Has she told you ? THE OTHER GIRL 35 BRADFORD. (With back to rail) Its a little sur prise we re arranging for Reggie (Nods off) MRS. WATERMAN. (To BRADFORD) Nonsense. (To ESTELLE) But the rest of us will go, of course I m really sorry for Reggie, but then BRADFORD. But then finesse is finesse isn t it, Mattie? HEXRY. (Moving from rail) Time ! MRS. WATERMAN. (To HENRY) What is it? HENRY. First round s over they re coming. (Nonchalantly tries empty bottle) MRS. WATERMAN. (Turning with society man ner) Oh! Did you find some pretty ones ? (Goes to rail. HENRY winks to BRADFORD) CATHERINE. (Off) All these You won t scold me, will you? MRS. WATERMAN. Not this time, my dear. (BRADFORD goes to ESTELLE R.) ESTELLE. Is the finesse Catherine s or your sister s ? BRADFORD. You know of it? (Enter CATHERINE followed by LUMLEY.) ESTELLE. (Shaking head) Only what you just said but of course the ministry wouldn t use finesse, and Wall Street (Nodding toward WATER MAN) doesn t know how. So it must be finesse by one of the ladies. BRADFORD. But you think either Wall Street or the Ministry might prove susceptible to it. ESTELLE. Both ! LUMLEY. (At top of steps) It s too bad, isn t it, that Miss Catherine isn t feeling well? HENRY. (With surprise) Not feeling well? 36 THE OTHER GIRL (CATHERINE shakes her head and looks at ESTELLE who has a glance of enquiry.) LUMLEY. But she heroically insists that the rest of us shall go to the concert. CATHERINE. (Demurely) I shan t mind being alone at all. MRS. WATERMAN. Oh, you won t be alone, my dear all the servants here, and Doctor Bradford s staying in LUMLEY. (Disappointed) Oh! Doctor Brad ford can t go either? BRADFORD. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Yes, I ve decided to go. (CATHERINE half smiles, biting her under lip in restraint.) MRS. WATERMAN. (With disapproving surprise} Oh you have ? (BRADFORD nods with decision.) HENRY. (To BRADFORD) It ll be a trifle late however, Doctor. BRADFORD. Will it? HENRY. (Nods off) My telephone was Judge Bates he s coming over to see you. BRADFORD. Oh (To LUMLEY) Then I shall be late of course. LUMLEY. (Getting his tickets) Oh (Pause) Well, I ll leave you a coupon anyway and give your name to the man at the door. MRS. WATERMAN. You might leave two. Cath erine may feel better after a while. CATHERINE. No, I m sure I sha n t. ( LUMLEY gives two coupons to BRADFORD. Enter FULTON.) THE OTHER GIRL 37 FULTON. I hope I haven t kept you waiting. Good-evening, Reginald. LUMLEY. Good-evening. Too bad Catherine isn t feeling well. FULTON. (Anxious) Why, my dear CATHERINE. It s nothing, father. I m sure I shall be all right as soon as you ve gone and I lie down a few minutes. FULTON. I ll stay home with you. CATHERINE. Xo, no you mustn t. I want you to hear the concert I want you all to hear it. (Exit to house.) FULTON. (Follows) My dear Catherine LUMLEY. We can postpone it of course, Mrs. Waterman. MRS. WATERMAN. We should only lose our evening; all of us. Catherine wishes to be alone, you see. (Exit) LUMLEY. Oh. (Follows) ESTELLE. Do the " finesse " and the " surprise " relate to the same subject? BRADFORD. I believe they do. ESTELLE. Mrs. Waterman evidently approved? BRADFORD. (With a look to HENRY) So it seems. ESTELLE. (With some perplexity) Oh (Exit) HENRY. What s she mean by that? BRADFORD. She means that nobody in particular is fooling her. HENRY. Who is being fooled. (BRADFORD shrugs his shoulders) What s the surprise Mattie s arranging for Reggie? ^ BRADFORD. Mattie s going to marry the Fulton girl to me. HENRY. Good! And is Barkis willing? BRADFORD. Barkis is not willing. ^ HENRY. ^ (Amused) I ll be sorry to lose you, Cliff, but if Mattie s set her mind on it you ll either 38 THE OTHER GIRL have to marry the girl or move into an hotel. This place ll get too warm for you. BRADFORD. (Annoyed) Mattie s niy sister and now that you ve been married as long as you have there s no particular disloyalty in my criticising her to you HENRY. (Warningly) I shall be a very pre judiced umpire. BRADFORD. Be as partisan as you like ; don t you think there s something heinously cold-blooded in suggesting to steal another man s fiancee simply for her money and HENRY. (Laughing) My dear Cliff, with your facilities for Divine asistance why do you appeal to a weak and mundane broker BRADFORD. Hang your assistance, Henry I only wish to know if all my associates are as worldly minded as that. HENRY. I fear I m very commerical myself and ten years evil communication has probably cor rupted Mattie. BRADFORD. (Pause) How much longer do they visit here? HENRY. Fulton s over only for the day. BRADFORD. Of course. I mean the young ladies ? HENRY. Oh, that s entirely in Mattie s hands. (Suddenly) And and yours BRADFORD. And mine? HENRY. (Nodding) Yes, if you stubbornly hold out you know it may take Mattie a year to get you together. BRADFORD. Oh (Re-enter ESTELLE with cloak which she puts on a chair. ) ESTELLE. May I wait out here with you gentle men? THE OTHER GIRL 39 BRADFORD. Delighted. ESTELLE. Thank you. BRADFORD. (Indicating house) Any further complications ? ESTELLE. (Smiling) Mr. Lumley wishes to wait for Catherine to recover and Mrs. Waterman is ex plaining the hopelessness of that plan. HENRY. Mattie d better not manage too en thusiastically. Maybe a slight cough on my part eh? (To BRADFORD) BRADFORD. At least a cough. (Exit HENRY) (To ESTELLE) I feel very sorry for Miss Catherine. ESTELLE. I feel sorry for her poor father. BRADFORD. Do you why? ESTELLE. Because he takes all her little whims so very seriously. BRADFORD. Has she many whims? ESTELLE. Quite as many as the usual American girl. My father and Mr. Fulton were dear friends. My father had no chance to repay the great kindness of Mr. Fulton and / may never have a chance, but I can at least avoid adding to his cares. BRADFORD. I m sure Mr. Fulton must feel very grateful for your influence upon his daughter. ESTELLE. (Shaking head) Catherine s fairly self-willed in important matters and BRADFORD. I meant your unconscious influence. ESTELLE. Oh Thank you vou think it valu able? BRADFORD. Quite. ESTELLE. I should feel more complimented if you had had more opportunities to judge. BRADFORD. They are limited as to Miss Cath erine perhaps, but you must remember that I observe your influence upon this entire house-hold here. It is normal and womanly. Our plans for a day drift into quite other channels when you are part of the conference. 40 THE OTHER GIRL ESTELLE. Oh, don t say that I manage, Doctor. I don t like a managing girl. BRADFORD. I shan t. ESTELLE. I never introduce a topic never. BRADFORD. Perhaps not, but you bring sanity and moderation to its discussion. You bring moderation and temperance to our way of living if I may say so. There there isn t as much wine drunk at this table as there was before you came. ESTELLE. I knew you were judging unfairly. That s Catherine s influence, not mine. Catherine s a blue ribbon girl a tee-totle crank. / like a little wine, myself. BRADFORD. So do I. Total Abstinence isn t tem perance. It s total abstinence. I really believe that the example of your drinking one glass of wine and only one tones up the resolutions of a man like (Starts to indicate table) well, any man, much more than Miss Catherine s refusal. Yours is control. Her s is prejudice. Or, at least, we argue that way. ESTELLE. This is all very flattering, Doctor Brad ford, and I m almost tempted to accept it, but I m not as good as you think. To begin with, I m an awfully stingy person I think I d drink a second glass of beer sometimes, but I can t drink wine that costs three or four dollars a bottle when there are so many poor women, that I know of, working a whole week for that money. I simply can t do it, that s all. BRADFORD. I think you said as much to Mrs. Waterman one morning? ESTELLE. I know it wasn t it rude of me? BRADFORD. She didn t consider it rude, I m sure. (Enter ANN, the Cook Irish by stairs L.) ANN. (With asperity) Phwere ll you have this bundle, Doctor Bradford? BRADFORD. What is it? THE OTHER GIRL 4 ANN. It s a fannel shirt and two towels and some shoes and a horse s billy band and BRADFORD. Oh Mr. Sheldon s things. ANN. I blave they are, sor. BRADFORD. Keep them until Mr. Sheldon comes for them, please. ANN. (Descending) James said you wanted them. BRADFORD. James was mistaken. Axx. (Grunting as she goes) Ah o I ll put em under the porch and Mr. Sheldon can (Groins inaudible) ESTELLE. (Smiling) Ann is plainly not a mem ber of your denomination, Doctor. BRADFORD. Why plainly? ESTELLE. She wouldn t disapprove of her own pastors taking exercise. BRADFORD. Has she disapproved of m y doing so ? ESTELLE. All the servants have. BRADFORD. Oh, have they? Well, it Jias occa sionally added to their duties. ESTELLE. I think the unfriendliness is a question of your prayerbook. We girls add very much to their duties but they like us. BRADFORD. (With some fervor) There again you see your influence : and with me too May I say that it exists, Miss Estelle? ESTELLE. (Pause) If if it is true. BRADFORD. It is very true. (Pause) Is this knowledge unwelcome ? ESTELLE. (Very serious and somewhat startled) It is strange I don t know. BRADFORD. Strange in what way? ESTELLE. You ve seemed so right to me all the time as you were, that I shouldn t have wished to influence you. I ve tried to move towards the ideals that you ve expressed. I ve listened as one who fol lows, another listens. Why, of course, it s strange. 42 THE OTHER GIRL It couldn t be more strange if the morning paper came out with an editorial saying I d influenced the editor. (Laughs anxiously) BRADFORD. (Smiling) Can t you forget the preacher ? Can t you forget that I m one ? ESTELLE. I have at times forgotten it. BRADFORD. When ? ESTELLE. When you ve been the athlete there (Indicating garden) BRADFORD. Won t you remember that under the clergyman, however wide his clerical field, there is always the man, human, susceptible, with every im pulse to which a woman speaks (Pause) Will you remember that? ESTELLE. If you wish it yes. BRADFORD. And you won t resent my remember ing that I m a man when I can t forget for a mo ment that you are a woman. ESTELLE. But I ve never, never tried to make you think of me that way. Have I ? BRADFORD. I fear not. (Enter HENRY.) HENRY. This way, Judge (To BRADFORD) Judge Bates Doctor. (Enter JUDGE BATES. ESTELLE goes up.) BRADFORD. Good-evening, Judge. JUDGE. (They shake hands) Good-evening, Doctor. (ESTELLE quietly goes by 2nd door.) JUDGE. Now we ve only a moment, Doctor. I ve pushed this matter with the Times. Ordinarily the watchword is " Delay " but in this case I ve made THE OTHER GIRL 43 it "Action, action." (Taking chair] Now to Hecuba. My plan is an editorial retraction to morrow*. HENRY. But Judge, we can t rest on a mere retraction. JUDGE. Rest! Who said rest? My plan is action action. BRADFORD. Good. (Enter MRS. WATERMAN.) MRS. WATERMAN. You don t mind my hearing it, do you? (HENRY hushes her.) JUDGE. (Quickly) Not at all the retraction is only the beginning there must be damages. We ll demand one hundred thousand dollars and settle out of court for fifty thousand. HENRY, (to BRADFORD) Cliff; I can put fifty thousand into first mortgage bonds BRADFORD. / couldn t take the money, Henry. If some charitable institution JUDGE. (Interrupting) All that can come later. The paper is sending up the man who wrote the article I ve phoned him to meet us here. HENRY. Why not their lawyer? JUDGE. I don t know. HENRY. (Exaggerating) Oh, it s an appeal for mercy, the fellow ll have a wife and four children and his place on the paper ll be gone if we press the suit BRADFORD. Well MRS. WATERMAN. Now there s Cliff weakening already. (She goes to him) BRADFORD. Well, he may have children. HENRY. So may you some day Now you keep still and leave the whole business to the Judge. 44 THE OTHER GIRL (Enter JAMES.) JAMES. Card, sir. HENRY. (With card, reads) "Morton Taylor, New York Times ". JUDGE. That s the man. HENRY. Show him up? MRS. WATERMAN. Wait ! Not through the house, Henry. If he s the man who wrote that stuff about Cliff, I won t have him come though my dining-room, and I don t want to see him myself. (To JAMES) Where is the person? JAMES. In the reception room, ma am, below. MRS. WATERMAN. Bring him through the trade- men s entrance. (Indicates yard) JAMES. Yes, ma am. (Exit) MRS. WATERMAN. Come, Henry, we ll go before he comes. HENRY. (Protesting) But I want to hear the interview. MRS. WATERMAN. Isn t the Judge enough? JUDGE. Quite. MRS. WATERMAN. You must go, Henry. Cath erine wants Estelle to stay home with her, and we can t all desert poor Mr. Lumley. HENRY. (Going) I ll hear a bit of the music, Judge, and then come over to your house. JUDGE. Make it the Bar Association. HENRY. Very well. MRS. WATERMAN. (In emotion) Remember, Cliff. JAMES. (In garden) This way, sir. MRS. WATERMAN. There he is Oh. (Exit, fol lowed by HENRY) JUDGE. I d better conduct the interview, Doctor? BRADFORD. By all means. JAMES. (At stairs) Mr. Taylor. THE OTHER GIRL 45 TAYLOR. (Entering and regarding surroundings) This is pretty. Kind of roof-garden effect. (Exit JAMES to house. } JUDGE. (At once to business) You re Mr. Taylor ? TAYLOR. Yes, sir. Good-evening, Doctor. BRADFORD. Good-evening. JUDGE. (Savagely) I m Judge Bates. TAYLOR. (With irritating quiet) Oh, I know you, Judge Bates. JUDGE. Your chief telephoned me that he would send up the young man who wrote the article accus ing the Reverend Doctor Bradford of dining with a prize fighter and a skirt-dancer. TAYLOR. Yes, sir. JUDGE. You the man? TAYLOR. Yes, sir (To BRADFORD) I tried to make it humorous, of course, but JUDGE. Yes. But we don t take that view of it, Mr. Taylor. TAYLOR. (Smiling in conciliation) I m sorry. It seems my luck to offend Doctor Bradford when I want him to know that I admire him very much. You know, Doctor, I didn t write any of that stuff about the funeral not a line and I d never have winked at you in the world if JUDGE. We won t speak of that, sir. TAYLOR. Pardon me, Judge Bates, I ll speak of it. (To BRADFORD) I just want to say, Doctor, that I had no intention of breaking you up at that funeral, and I ve never roasted you in my life. Even this story about Kid Garvey was touched up by the City Editor. JUDAE. You admit it was a story, do you? TAYLOR. We call them " stories ". ^The news- 46 THE OTHER GIRL paper pays for them according to the space they occupy, and JUDGE. We won t take pay on the space basis. Now hear me. To-morrow your paper must print a retraction of that libel in its editorial columns understand ? TAYLOR. I understand but JUDGE. (Commandingly) Listen to me- TAYLOR. Why listen to you, I m up here to keep Dr. Bradford from being put in a ridiculous posi tion by going into court. We won t retract any thing. He knows that the item was right. BRADFORD. What ? TAYLOR. See here, Doctor you don t mean to make the usual clerical denial, do you, because the Kid and Myrtle are both personal friends of mine I m on the sporting page as well as on the religious and they ll both of them make affidavits if I ask them to. JUDGE. Affidavit to what ? TAYLOR. To having dined with Dr. Bradford as I said they did. JUDGE. What! You threaten subornation of perjury to support BRADFORD. Wait, Judge, there s manifestly some misunderstanding. Mr. Taylor has evidently mis taken some other person for me. TAYLOR. (Smiling) Oh, no, Doctor. I wish wouldn t do that with me. You re badly advised, that s all (An auto horn and machinery is heard off.) JUDGE. Badly advised! TAYLOR. Very badly advised. JUDGE. I m advising Dr. Bradford in this action TAYLOR. That probably explains it. THE OTHER GIRL 47 JUDGE. (With increasing intensity) I advise him to get a retraction. I advise him to get the heaviest possible damages a jury will give a verdict for I advise him to get TAYLOR. I advise him to get an attorney. JUDGE. (Rising) You re an impertinent young PUP- TAYLOR. (Rising slowly through respect) See here. Judge Bates, my paper doesn t ask me to stand personal abuse. Now it s only your age that makes " impertinent young pup " go with me. JUDGE. My age! TAYLOR. That s all. You re old enough to be my father or I d (Pause) JUDGE. You d what? What d you do, sir, what would you do? TAYLOR. (Very quietly) Why I d hit you on the nose. BRADFORD. (Interposing as the JUDGE blusters) My friends one moment. (Auto sound ceases.) TAYLOR. (To BRADFORD) A man shouldn t pre sume on his physical debility. JUDGE. Have the man leave the house. Doctor, or I can t answer for the consequences. BRADFORD. I think, Mr. Taylor, your visit has accomplished all that we can do at this time. TAYLOR. But if this man is advising you to make a denial and back it up with a lazv suit JUDGE. You ve been asked to go, haven t you? Do you want a servant to kick you out? TAYLOR. Oh, there won t anybody kick me out, Judge. BRADFORD. (Disturbed) Of course not. JUDGE. Go. TAYLOR. This 48 THE OTHER GIRL (Enter JAMES from dining-room.) BRADFORD. One moment, Judge. An automobile just stopped at the house JAMES. Mr. Sheldon s come, sir. JUDGE. Sheldon? Ask him to come up here at once. JAMES. Yes, sir. (Exit by stairs) JUDGE. Now remember, young man, you were twice asked to leave this house and refused to do so. TAYLOR. Is Sheldon going to put me out ? BRADFORD. I hope it won t be necessary, Mr. Taylor, for anybody to use violence. TAYLOR. I want only half a dozen words with you alone, Doctor. BRADFORD. (Refusing) My case is in my at torney s hands. (Enter KID from garden.) KID. Good-evening, Doctor. JUDGE. Mr. Sheldon, I want you to throw this man out on the sidewalk. TAYLOR. Hello, Kid! KID. (Easily) Hello, Taylor, what s the row? TAYLOR. How s Myrtle? KID. Great; why? TAYLOR. I thought she looked a little tired the last time I saw her ; when you and she and Doctor Bradford were at the table there, up at Rye Beach. KID. Tired ? I thought she looked great. Didn t you, Doctor ? That young lady I introduced you to ? BRADFORD. You mean Miss MacCarthy? KID. Yes. TAYLOR. She s Miss Myrtle Morrison in the theatres, you understand. She s the Kid s girl. THE OTHER GIRL 49 BRADFORD. You call Mr. Sheldon " Kid " is that a nickname ? TAYLOR. You didn t know that Mr. Sheldon s professional name was " Kid Garvey f " JUDGE. Kid Garvey? Are you Kid Garvey? (Kio nods. Pause) The middle weight champion? KID. (E-.isil\) Oh, yes, but I don t rub it in. If people don t get on themselves, why I don t go round puttin em wise but what s the trouble? You don t need me to put anybody on the sidewalk with the Doctor there Eh, Doc ! ha, ha. (BRADFORD sits stunned after a look at the JUDGE ) JUDGE. Mr. Taylor. One moment. (Exit, fol lowed by TAYLOR) KID. (Trying to divine the situation} The old man go na try it. (Laughs) Say, I want to sec that. (Following) BRADFORD. Mr. Sheldon! (KiD stops and turns) Sit down a moment. (KiD returns and sits. Pause. BRADFORD slowly passes his hand over his face) KID. Ain t you feeling well, Doctor? BRADFORD. Not very, no. KID. (Nodding to house) same trouble, eh? BRADFORD. Trifling misunderstanding, yes. KID. Well, that s a nice fellow all right, that reporter BRADFORD. Why didn t you tell me, Sheldon, that you were Kid Garvey when I asked you last week? KID. Well, you see, Doctor, I only took you on to please Bill Muldoon that s all. Sheldon s my right name, anyway, and Bill Bill said for me not to say anything, see ? It was the preachers mostly that backcapped the Horton law here in New York, and you bein a preacher, Bill thought you might get cold feet. 50 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. I see. (Pause) So you considerately said nothing to impair my circulation. KID. No. Besides it s a rest for a fighter not to have everybody on to what he is. Suppose they put up a fat purse for the best preacher, and you held the belt for America, England and Australia just suppose why you wouldn t butt in with your medals every time some guy dropped his guard now, would you? BRADFORD. I don t think I should, but in this case it would have spared some trouble if you had been frank with me. KID. Then again, you re wanting to keep every thing dark yourself, not wanting to go to a regular gym. Or even, put on a sweater and take a run in the Park why it all tipped me not to get too flossy. BRADFORD. Naturally, naturally. (Re-enter JUDGE and TAYLOR.) JUDGE. Doctor, Mr. Taylor s going with me to meet Harry at the Bar Association. I think the whole matter will be dropped. BRADFORD. Very well, Judge. TAYLOR. And don t get any fixed idea, Doctor, that I m unfriendly to you. BRADFORD. Thank you. TAYLOR. Or the paper either. There s only one man on the entire staff that s got it in for you. Good-night, Kid. (Exeunt JUDGE and TAYLOR) KID. Good-night, Beau. (Pause) His paper been turnin you over? BRADFORD. One might call it that. KID. Well, everything them fellows say, Doctor, good or bad, helps your business as long as the public don t think you re selling out. What is it they say about you? THE OTHER GIRL 51 BRADFORD. Oh, there was a rather unkind account of our little lunch at Rye Beach. You didn t see it? (Km shakes his head.) KID. (Taking a cigarette) Got a match, Doctor? BRADFORD. (Passing scrap book) Read that \vhile I get you one. (Exit) KID. (Slowly because of darkness with book) " The Reverend Clifton Bradford is taking a more muscular, and if possible, a more humorous view of life (A rose falls on iJie book from aboi c) Hello. (Regards rose. Looks up his face !:gJi:s up with recognition) Say (Looks after BRAD FORD in whisper) I want to see you (Gives a signal that BRADFORD returns) (Re-enter BRADFORD, with alcohol light.) BRADFORD. Read it? KID. Not all. It s kind a dark. (Takes the lamp and reads, also lighting his cigarette reads mum bling:) " Jolly little dinner m m Kid Garvey in m short skirt dancer pleasure palace ". (Speaks) You know / ought to kick on that Myrtle s at Kjgth s. She hasn t done a turn at the Pleasure Palace in two years. You know they don t care what they say, these newspaper guys. (Pause) That sort of thing don t help a girl any. BRADFORD. You can tell the young lady that I sympathize with her. KID. (Putting book on table) I will; and she ll appreciate it. You made a hit with her. BRADFORD. (Pause) I m very much obliged, Mr. Sheldon, for the good you ve done me physically. I think I still owe you twenty dollars. KID. Oh, that s good any time. BRADFORD. Better now. (Hands a bill) 52 THE OTHER GIRL KID. And you don t have to call me Sheldon any more if you don t want to men that know me as well as you do call me Kid. (Rises) BRADFORD. Thank you. I had your things wrapped up for you. The cook has them. (Crosses toward rail) KID. (Killing time, and watching window) Thanks. Can t sell you that automobile, then? BRADFORD. I don t think I could use it, really. KID. We made that run to Rye Beach all right, didn t we? BRADFORD. Excellent speed almost too fast for a clergyman, perhaps. KID. (Reflectively) Rye Beach! (Pause) What was the lawyer and that reporter scrappin about ? BRADFORD. Oh, the Judge had begun suit against the paper. That is what I might have avoided if you hadn t have been so modest. KID. Suit? Why? BRADFORD. Well you see, I didn t know that you were the Kid Garvey, or that Miss McCarthy was the dancer Miss Morrison, and the whole thing seemed malicious it seemed invented. KID. (Pause) Oh! (Getting sullen pause) So you sued the paper? BRADFORD. An action was contemplated, yes. KID. I see. Havin a sandwich with me was bad enough to sue about was it? BRADFORD. Well, you read the item t wasn t so much the fact as it was the spirit of it. KID. Lemme see that. (Takes book and light again. Reads) BRADFORD. My vestry has asked some very an noying questions about the item. KID. Who? BRADFORD. My vestry. KID. Who s she? THE OTHER GIRL 53 BRADFORD. The vestry is the managing board of my church a council of gentlemen. KID. A silk-stocking bunch, I suppose. BRADFORD. They might be more democratic, no doubt. KID. (Putting book on table) Well, say, Doctor, you tell em from me that I draw just as much water in ;;/v profession as any of them does in theirs. I ve come out of the ring in nothing but a pair of skates and and a " G " string and shook hands with the best men in the country. BRADFORD. Oh, it isn t a personal matter Sheldon. It is an ethical one. It s a clergyman s duty to do anything he can for every man ; and in your case it would be a great pleasure besides, because you re a most likeable chap but, don t you see, it s the business. Clergymen don t dine with with Cham pions because that would be as much as to say that the cleryman approved of the of the champion s business, and besides that, you own a liquor place, don t you? KID. I own a saloon, yes. Every fighter owns one if he wins out. BRADFORD. Well of course, a clergyman isn t ex pected to approve of that. KID. I suppose not. But on the Rye Beach trip, I just wanted to show you my auto. I thought no** body d pay any attention to us. Thousands of people that know me in the ring don t know me at all with my clot lies on and meeting Myrtle there was pure accident. BRADFORD. I m sure of it. KID. Because I like you, Doctor. You re a sure hit with me, and I don t need anybody s money. My saloon s worth 500 a week and I can turn ten thousand clear with a dub " knock out." I took your money just to make you feel easy, that s all, and you tell your vestry gazabos that I did this with 54 THE OTHER GIRL the last 20 you gave me. (Lights the bill by the lamp and starts to light his cigarette) (Enter ESTELLE.) BRADFORD. (Catching the bill and putting out the fire) Don t do that, Sheldon. It isn t like you. That s the first vain thing I ve ever seen you do. KID. Why not do it? Good-evening (To ESTELLE, easily) ESTELLE. Good-evening. BRADFORD. Because it s burning a week s sus tenance for some family. If you don t want it, Miss Kitteridge would like it, I m sure, to send to needy persons whom she knows, persons in distress, want and misery. KID. All right, give it to her. ESTELLE. Why was Mr. Sheldon burning it ? BRADFORD. (Going c. to ESTELLE) That I might tell my vestrymen that the champion middle weight fighter of the world, " Kid Garvey ", doesn t need their patronage nor their approval. ESTELLE. You mean ? BRADFORD. That Mr. Sheldon is that popular hero. ESTELLE. Oh. BRADFORD. Good-night, Sheldon. I must go over to my church a moment, and I ve considerable work at my table when I get back. KID. Good-night. Don t forget to go at the bag, Doctor, every day. BRADFORD. I won t. (Going) KID. And Doctor. BRADFORD. (Stopping at door) Yes. KID. (To ESTELLE) Excuse me a moment. (Crosses and apart to BRADFORD) Now that you know who I am you might feel like putting a little something on a fight now and then on the quiet. THE OTHER GIRL 55 (Pause) Keep oil the next go of mine in Septem ber. I ain t saying anything, only just keep off. (Winks) BRADFORD. % Thank you, Kid. I promise to keep oil. Good-night. KID. Good-night. (E.vit BRADFORD.) ESTELLE. Air. Sheldon. KID. Miss Kitteridge. ESTELLE. Do you think you ve acted the part of a gentleman? KID. When? ESTELLE. Do you think Miss Fulton would have given you her confidence as she has if she d known you were Kid Garvey? KID. Why not? It makes most women so easy that I don t tell em. ESTELLE. Well, you don t know Catherine. Kid Garvey s a name that s been pretty thoroughly dis cussed during the last few days in this house. "Why, you own a saloon. KID. (With pride) The finest in Xew York. ESTELLE. Think of it. KID. Do you ever drink anything. Miss Kit teridge ? Lots of fine ladies do, you know. ^ ESTELLE. Yes. I take a glass of wine with my dinner yes. KID. Well I don t not even with my dinner. (Displays his cigarette) Four cigarettes a" day. ESTELLE. But you don t know what you ve done. Kiss Fulton s engaged to marry one of the most fashionable and well-known men in Xew York, and your attention, Air. Sheldon, attentions that I ve al most felt it my duty to report to Air. Fulton, have made her discontented with her engagement. She s 56 THE OTHER GIRL thinking seriously of saying " no " to the gentleman and all on your account. KID. Don t / take any chances. I m engaged my self to marry, a girl that s got more reputation in a minute than Miss Fulton s friend has got in a year. She s a planet. ESTELLE. So much the worse, then. All this has been very disloyal to her. KID. Well, (Pause) that s a long story too. Everyone has to do the best he can. I m being square with your little friend, though. ESTELLE. Well, be square with yourself. Miss Fulton s waiting for you in the reception room, and KID. (Starting to steps ) Oh. ESTELLE. (Stopping him) But I want you to promise me that this shall be the last time you try to see her, the last time. KID. Oh, no. ESTELLE. Yes. You must know, Mr. Sheldon, that Mr. Fulton s daughter cannot continue an acquaintance with a man of your profession with a man who keeps a saloon. (Enter CATHERINE.) CATHERINE. Oh! Excuse me. KID. (Crossing) I was just coming to find you. ESTELLE. Where is Dr. Bradford, Catherine? CATHERINE. Gone out. ESTELLE. He has just told me Mr. Sheldon s real name and business KID. (Interrupting) Not too sudden, pardner. Let me do this, won t you? We re the principals here, Miss Fulton and myself. ESTELE. Very well you do it then. KID. All right. Suppose you wait in there. ESTELLE. (Pauses) Certainly. (Exit) THE OTHER GIRL 57 (KiD blows out the alcohol lamp which leaves the moonlight from the left and the light from the two doors with a shadow thrown by the wall be tween the doors. He then looks quickly and cautiously about and kisses CATHERINE, who is timidly shrinking into the shadow 1 .) CATHERINE. Don t! Km. \Yhy, that light stops anybody from see ing us in this shadow. CATHERINE. What does Estelle mean? KID. Oh. I ve got some money in a business that she don t like. I ain t in the business myself. An other man runs it for me and I take what it wins. CATHERINE. Gambling? KID. Not on your life, a fair and square business with a license from the State. I ll tell you later. You ve got some confidence in me, haven t you? CATHERINE. Yes. KID. (Eagerly) I m going to see how much. This little friend of yours is too busy. I ve never taken any trouble to " get next " with her and its always that way with girls, when a " looker " like you, and an " also ran " like Miss Kitteridge double up, the girl that s just " good to her mother " tries to foul the winner. Now we ll fool her, see ? CATHERINE. I don t understand you. KID. (With convincing earnestness) I m on the level with you, little one, my real name is Sheldon. That s the name I " arrive " at a hotel with and the name I put on a contract. The girl that goes with me will be Mrs. Sheldon. She ll get a man that can do a day s work and that never drank a drop in his life. CATHERINE. I know it. KID. Now it s up to you. My auto s outside and if you ll pack a little kit that ll stand you over night we ll drop all talking right now. 58 THE OTHER GIRL CATHERINE. Now ! Oh, dear, I don t know 1 KID. If you had any other lady friend but this one CATHERINE. I have I have another. Mrs. Waterman told me to do what I thought best. KID. Were you talking to her about me? CATHERINE. Yes. KID. And she said that, eh? Well, there you are! CATHERIN. I said you d never asked me to be your wife, but KID. Well, I ask you now see that? (Shows a ring) There s two rubies and a sapphire that a committee that was shy three thousand dollars put up to me to cover it. Fit one of your fingers, I guess. CATHERINE. I m wearing one ring. Of course you know that. KID. Yes, and I ll be just as open with you. I m engaged myself so you see it goes double. Take off that other one. CATHERINE. To whom are you engaged? KID. She s a star in an Opera Company. I don t suppose the name matters. I don t ask you any questions, do I ? CATHERINE. No. KID. Shake. (She gives him her hand. He embraces her again and kisses her} It s just a fairy story, my winning a queen like you. CATHERINE. Is it? KID. (With the girl in his arms) You bet it is. CATHERINE. Am I a queen? KID. You re my queen all right. (Gently releases her) Now I ll go out and light up the coal oil buggy* and when you hear two. toots on the horn you step out yourself. (Crosses toward steps, stops and turns ) Here s a mask to keep the wind out of your eyes. We ll go to White Plains in half an THE OTHER GIRL 59 hour, and I ve got a friend there that ll dig up a preacher and everything ll be as right as rain. CATHERINE. Don t go yet not yet. KID. Better not over-play our luck, Babe. Some thing may queer us. CATHERINE. Everybody s gone to the concert. KID. (Pushes her toward door) No, no. Go on, hurry up. CATHERINE. (Shrinking) I ve got to go past Estelle. KID. Never mind her. CATHERINE. I can t bring a bag down without her seeing it. KID. Drop it out the window to me. I ve got some bundles of my own down stairs and nobody 11 see it, nobod\. Now we re losing good time every second. CATHERINE. I think I should like to tell Estelle. KID. Not on your life. Just say we re going for a spin in the bubble. CATHERINE. But father 11 be so frightened when I don t come home. KID. Send him a note by an A. D. T. boy, now don t be long. CATHERINE. I won t Oh (Hesitates in door) ESTELLE. (Off) What is it, Catherine? KID. (Behind CATHERINE in the shadow) Don t wait. Just side step her. (Exit CATHERINE.) ESTELLE. (Loudly) Catherine, Catherine! KID. (Watching) Never touched her. (Starts to steps) (Enter ESTELLE.) ESTELLE. Mr. Sheldon. 60 THE OTHER GIRL KID. (At steps) Hello ? ESTELLE. Where s Catherine going? KID. She went upstairs, didn t she? ESTELLE. Yes, and she was carrying an automo bile mask in her hand. Why? (Pause) You haven t asked Catherine to go out with you, have you? KID. Why not? It s dark. Who ll see her? ESTELLE. I shan t let her go. KID. (Watching the window) Well, of course, that s for her to say, not me. ESTELLE. Have you told her who you are ? KID. Oh, yes. She knows my real name now. CATHERINE. (On balcony) Are you there? KID. Yes. (CATHERINE drops small handbag) Look out. (Km catches bag.) ESTELLE. (Startled and looking up) Who s that? Mr. Sheldon (Takes hold of bag) What does this mean? KID. What? ESTELLE. This is Catherine s. KID. I m borrowing it to take some of my things in, that s all. She can lend the bag, can t she? ESTELLE. I don t believe you. KID. Well, let go of it, and I ll show you. ESTELLE. I won t let go of it. KID. (Smiling) You don t think you can hold it, do you, if I start to take it? ESTELLE. I can hold it a while, and I will, and I can call the servants. (Calls) Ann! Ann! James (Enter CATHERINE.) CATHERINE. Estelle? what do you mean? THE OTHER GIRL 61 \ ESTELLE. What do you mean, Catherine? This is your bag. CATHERINE. Give it to me. (Takes it) Go, Mr. Sheldon, this way never mind your things. KID. (Taking bag) When I blow the horn. (Exit through house) ESTELLE. Mr. Sheldon! (Then to CATHERINE TV/ZO starts in) Catherine what does this mean? (Takes hold of her) At least, tell me. CATHERINE. You mustn t hold me, Estelle. (Picks up cloak) ESTELLE. This is a foolish infatuation, Catherine clear. I told you you were going too far in it. Think of your father, Catherine think of your posi tion, dear. \Yhy it s like running away with the coachman or with James. CATHERINE. That isn t so, Estelle Kitteridge, Mr. Sheldon s ESTELLE. The man s a prize-fighter, my dear, and a saloon keeper. CATHERINE. I don t believe you. He never drank a drop in his life, he told me so. Dr. Bradford and Mr. Waterman both say he s the most wonderful man they ever knew. ESTELLE. Of course he is. He s the champion of his class, but what is he socially? He may not be even honorable in this night s venture. CATHERINE. Honorable ! Why, there s his ring a perfectly beautiful ring. (A horn blows CATHERINE starts.) ESTELLE. Catherine. (Holds her) CATHERINE. You mustn t hold me, Estelle Kit teridge. You re not my mother. ESTELLE. But I don t believe the ring s in earnest. Let me see it. Just let me see the ring, Catherine. 62 THE OTHER GIRL CATHERINE. There. (Extending hand) ESTELLE. Is anything written on it? (Takes it quickly) Oh, I dropped it. Excuse me, dear, but I see it right there. I ll keep my eye on it. CATHERINE. You did that purposely because you know I m superstitious. Where is it? (Hesitates) ESTELLE. There I m watching. CATHERINE. (Laying down mask and cloak and going by steps) It s just too unkind of you for anything, Estelle. (Exit speaking off) and it s per fectly dark in this garden. (ESTELLE quickly puts on mask and cloak and goes into the house) Now where is it? Estelle, Estelle! (ESTELLE closes second door and locks it) Estelle!! (ESTELLE closes first door and locks it) Estelle!! (CATH ERINE appears up-steps. Horn blows off) Why, she s taken my things. Estelle. (Goes to door ist) It s locked. (A light appears in library) What do you mean? (Runs to second door) Both locked ! (Sound of auto working. Shakes door) Let me in, let me in why, she s tak ing my place I could kill her. (Runs to ist door and shakes it) Let me in (Kicks in small diamond panes at foot of door; beats the frame of it with her hands) Let me in Oh, open this door, somebody! (Is now hysterical) Open it, open it quick. (BRADFORD appears at window.) BRADFORD. What s the matter. Who is it ? CATHERINE. (Crying) Oh oh locked locked out oh oh. BRADFORD. Why, Miss Fulton. Locked out what is it? (Drops from window) CATHERINE. They re both locked both locked. (Weeps) BRADFORD. Well, come this way. There s an other entrance. (Starts to steps) (Enter ANN the cook, violently, upstairs.) THE OTHER GIRL 63 Axx. My lands, what s the matter who s killin somebody? Why, my darlint, is it you? And Dr. Bradford!!! (Takes CATHERINE in her arms) JAMES. (Opening door) What s the matter? (JAMES enters) Who is it? Why, what s hap pened? (CATHERINE is sobbing.) ANN. Phwat s happened? Is it? And where were you all along and this poor child locked up in the dark with Dr. Bradford. BRADFORD. I came to Miss Fulton s assistance. ANN. (Leading CATHERINE off) Oh, you did, did you? mind the door locked and the family all gone to the opra. You re a foine Priest, you are ! (Exit with CATHERINE.) BRADFORD. Miss Fulton speak, tell this woman. (Starts to follow} JAMES. (Interposing) Indeed you ll not. BRADFORD. What ! JAMES. You ll say no more to the child. BRADFORD. You speaking to me you stand aside (He crosses JAMES towards house) JAMES. Hold on! (Takes hold of BRADFORD by one shoulder) BRADFORD. Don t put your hands on me (Pause) A second time, take your hands from my shoulders (Pause. Then BRADFORD, puts one palm under JAMES chin and shunts him over the table) Curtain f) 4 THE OTHER GIRL ACT II. SCENE : The Library. Big door at back c. Beyond it in small hall another single door. The ordi nary winding stairs of a New York house as cend from below to the stage level zvhcre there is a landing and continue going up until out of sight. The library is modern and luxuriously furnished and supplied. There is a big table L. c., a fire-place and mantel R. At R. is a big couch. DISCOVERED: BRADFORD at R. of table trying to write. Pause. He goes to R. wall and rings push button Returns to table. BRADFORD. (Alone) It is useless. The thoughts do not come. Much less the words ! A man who has just laid violent hands upon a fellowman even under justifying circumstances, as the world would view them, can t utter words consonant with the spirit to which we look for guidance. I shall repeat my old sermon on " Let him cast the first stone." I haven t given it in five years. (Pause. ANN passes heavily up the stairs from below. BRADFORD hears her and turns to regard her) Oh! (Pause. Rises) The evening would have been much better spent at the concert ; and the music would have made me think productively as it always does. It is incon gruous the amount of inspiration to sacred work that I seem to get from secular music. (Regards watch) Too late to go now. (Rings) I ll explain to James how utterly unwarranted and how repre hensible in a servant his physical interference was. (To table R. Pause) (Enter MAGGIE.) THE OTHER GIRL 65 M AGGIE. (IVith dignity) Did you ring, sir? BRADFORD. Oh! That you, Maggie? Yes, I rang. Tell James that I wish to see him here. MAGGIE. (Without dialect) James can t come, sir. BRADFORD. Can t come? Why? MAGGIE. He s that bad, sir, in the small of his back and one hip. I m waitin up myself in James s place, sir, to answer the bell. BRADFORD. Oh ! MAGGIE. (Pause) Is that all, sir? BRADFORD. Yes, that s all, thank you. MAGGIE. Twas my night, sir, to visit me cous in s wife in Jersey City, but the cook said twas far better for all the help to stay in the house together this night, sir. BRADFORD. The cook ! She just went upstairs, didn t she? MAGGIE. She was down a moment to get a bit of cooking-sherry for James. She s on the top floor, sir, with her door open where she can listen for James and the young lady, sir. BRADFORD. You mean Miss Fulton? MAGGIE. I do. BRADFORD. Isn t Miss Kitteridge with Miss Ful ton? MAGGIE. I don t know, sir. BRADFORD. Do you know how Miss Fulton came to be locked out on the back porch this evening? MAGGIE. (Insinuatingly) I do not, sir. I only know what the cook told me. Perhaps your rever ence knows BRADFORD. You may go, Maggie. MAGGIE. Thank you, sir. (Exit) BRADFORD. (Regarding watch) Ten o clock! An hour yet even if they don t stop somewhere for supper. Strange that Miss Kitteridge doesn t offer some explanation of it. Probably disapproves of 66 THE OTHER GIRL my treatment of James. (Pause) Well, so do (Enter HENRY from below. He takes cigar and strikes match at mantel.) BRADFORD. Oh! you re early, Henry. HENRY. Yes I left Mattie with Mr. Fulton. (Pause) Lumley been here? BRADFORD. Reginald? Not that I know. HENRY. (R. c.) He phoned? BRADFORD. Not to my knowledge. HENRY. Funny! I went over to the Bar Asso ciation to meet Judge Bates and when I got back to the concert the folks said Lumley had gone out an hour before to telephone here about Miss Fulton. BRADFORD. Haven t heard of it. Perhaps Mag gie answered the phone. HENRY. Probably an excuse. Poor Lumley must have been dreadfully bored with just Mattie and old Fulton when he d planned a box full of young people . . . Well, I met the Judge (Laughs) ha, ha, I haven t told Mattie I told Ful ton, but not Mattie ha, ha! (Sits on the sofa) BRADFORD. Absurd, wasn t it? HENRY. No wonder he had a good punch with that easy looking left of his. We re pretty " jay," Cliff, not to have known all the time that he was a professional fighter. BRADFORD. You forget that I asked him directly and that he denied it. I suspected him when we dined together. When he reached for the biscuit with one hand, he instinctively guarded with the other. (Imitates him) HENRY. You know I d give a hundred dollars for a kodak of him and you at dinner together, ha, ha Cliff you re the most up-to-date clergyman in New York. Ha, ha. The next time I go to the THE OTHER GIRL 67 " Suburban " I want you in the betting ring with a handful of checks and BRADFORD. I ve a more edifying spectacle for you than that. HENRY. You have, eh? BRADFORD. Yes. HENRY. \Yhat is it? BRADFORD. (Rises) James took hold of me by the shoulders to-night to prevent my entering the house. HENRY. Who did? BRADFORD. James the butier and HENRY. Took hold of you? BRADFORD. Yes, and I HENRY. \Yith his hands? BRADFORD. Yes, with his hands. HENRY. Been drinking? BRADFORD. \Yho ? HENRY. James. BRADFORD. I think not. HENRY. (Rises) But this wasn t in earnest- was it? BRADFORD. Yes, in earnest Let me tell you of it. (Enter JAMES by the stairs from above, limping.) HENRY. (Goes up R. To JAMES) See here. JAMES. I beg pardon, Mr. Waterman, I ve come to give notice and HENRY. No, you haven t. You ve come to take notice. I saw you first. You move in the morning. JAMES. The cook goes too, sir. HENRY. Quite right. The cook goes too. JAMES. And I want to say, sir HENRY. (Coming down) Not to me. That s all (Turns) unless somebody else wants to go. (To BRADFORD) Any more of em? BRADFORD. (At table) I think not. But I m 68 THE OTHER GIRL very sorry, Mr. Waterman, that James is hurt. I m sorry HENRY. (Interrupting and to JAMES) Go. You did perfectly right, Doctor. JAMES. Very well, sir. (Goes down stairs) HENRY. (To door. In a whisper) He s limp ing. BRADFORD. The small of his back and one hip . . . HENRY. (In a hungry smile) What d you do to him? BRADFORD. (Walking down-stage and up around table) I used physical force when for years I ve been counselling only passive resistance. I fear that the time spent under Mr. Sheldon has been a mistake in every way. I was sure of my self-con trol, I thought, but when I felt James using his strength on me everything that I d practiced with Sheldon seemed to rush to my finger tips. I m thankful that I didn t strike the poor fellow. HENRY. What did you do ? BRADFORD. (L. c.) I applied a chin and elbow tackle that Mr. Sheldon favors very much. It was astonishing to note the leverage it affords. HENRY. Throw him? BRADFORD. (Going down R.) I regret to say nearly across the round table 0:1 the porch there. (Nods towards audience) HENRY. (In glee) Why, Cliff, shake ! I knew that seminary couldn t spoil a good man. But what was it about? BRADFORD. I don t know. Miss Fulton found herself locked out on the porch. She seemed in such terror and difficulty that I didn t wait to go downstairs but simply dropped from the window. Just then the cook came up from the garden and James unlocked the dining-room door. The cook took charge of the young woman who was incoher- THE OTHER GIRL 69 ently hysterical and led her upstairs. When I at tempted to follow, James took hold of me. HENRY. (Slowly) Why, they must have thought that (Pause) BRADFORD. (D. c. Pause) They did. They still think so. HENRY. And the Fulton girl didn t say any thing ? BRADFORD. (Shaking head) She d gone with the cook. HENRY. The cook came up from below, you say ? BRADFORD. Yes. HENRY. (Smiling) As James unlocked the door. BRADFORD. As he unlocked what was left of the door. HENRY. " Left of the door " what do you mean? (The smile fades) BRADFORD. The young lady had kicked in most of the lower part of it. HENRY. "Kicked in?" (BRADFORD nods) Those back doors in the dining-room? BRADFORD. With the diamond-shaped sash. HENRY. Why, Mattie brought those doors from Rome. BRADFORD. Yes. HENRY. Confound the little idiot, couldn t she wait a minute. BRADFORD. She gave a distinct impression of im patience. Even after I d come to her assistance she continued to kick in an occasional glass. HENRY. Why didn t you stop her? BRADFORD. I did finally. I think it was my ef forts in that direction that misled the cook and and James. HENRY. Well, of course ; it must have looked as if she was trying to get away from you. 70 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. It did look that way. HENRY. And then you tried to follow her? BRADFORD. Yes, to make her dissipate that im pression. (Walks L. ) HENRY. And James said " No, no." BRADFORD. Substantially " no, no." HENRY. (Folloiving R. Pause and smiles) Show me how you " took " him, Cliff. BRADFORD. (Dozvn R. Reluctantly) Oh, I just pressed his right elbow against his body with my left hand this way then I half turned and put my right foot behind his left toot so HENRY. Yes. (Enter MAGGIE.) BRADFORD. Then the palm of my right hand un der his chin so (Seeing MAGGIE, stops) HENRY. (Holding the position) Yes (Pause) And then? MAGGIE. (In doorway) Pardon, sir There s a man downstairs from the noosepaper. HENRY. (Goes up R. c.) A reporter? What s he want? MAGGIE. He wants to see Dr. Bradford and Miss Fulton s father, sir. (Pause. HENRY and BRADFORD look at each other) What ll I tell him, sir? HENRY. Tell him Doctor Bradford s retired. BRADFORD. (Crosses L. c.) No. Let s not make another mistake. HENRY. Doctor Bradford ll come down. (Looks to BRADFORD, who nods) MAGGIE. Yes, sir. (MAGGIE starts) BRADFORD. Wait (MAGGIE stops) Better have him come up here. The others will be passing through the reception hall. THE OTHER GIRL 71 HENRY. Yes show him up here. (MAGGIE exit. Pause. The men regard each other) Well? BRADFORD. (At table) I expected it. HENRY. You think it s about this busines ? BRADFORD. What else? "To see Doctor Brad ford or Miss Fulton s father." HENRY, (c.) How does he know about it? BRADFORD. Oh, the servants. The other items probably went by the same channel. (Enter MAGGIE and TAYLOR.) TAYLOR. (Coming down c.) Good-evening. BRADFORD. How do you do again ? HENRY. (R. c.) Have a chair. TAYLOR, (c. ) Thank you. We ve had a tele phone from the police station saying that Miss Ful ton had been BRADFORD. (L. c. Interrupting) Not a word of truth in it. Mr. Taylor. The young lady is of a very nervous and excitable temperament. She thought for the moment only that she had been locked out of doors. It was dark, she was ,1 alone TAYLOR. And the Kid came to her assistance? BRADFORD. (Cross R. c.) Who? TAYLOR. (To table) The Kid. HENRY. (Smiling) That was Doctor Bradford. But don t say anything about that side of it now, Mr. Taylor, for me. You say you re kindly dis posed. Here s the time to show it. TAYLOR. (Sits at table) Very- well. Only tell me the story. Where does Dr. Bradford come in ? HENRY. The man was impertinent he didn \ mean to be, but that doesn t matter, I ve discharged him. The Doctor took the man s right elbow this way stand up a minute. (TAYLOR stands and HENRY gladly illustrates the tackle) his right elbow 72 THE OTHER GIRL in the doctor s left hand and then the doctor s right palm under the fellow s chin this way and heave ! There you are. TAYLOR. Then the machine didn t run over him at all? BRADFORD. (R. c.) How s that? TAYLOR. Was this after the automobile struck him? HENRY. ( c. ) Automobile ? TAYLOR. Yes, the police said the machine passed completely over him and that the kid refused to stop. A bycycle policeman chased the Kid and had to fire two shots at him. BRADFORD. I know nothing of any automobile in cident. TAYLOR. I only got it over the phone but my information is that Kid Garvey and Miss Catherine Fulton are in the police station now and that a man whose identity is unknown is in the hospital with injuries inflicted by the Kid s automobile. BRADFORD. Miss Fulton and " The Kid," absurd ! TAYLOR. It caught me all right, because I d seen the Kid here with his machine this evening and I knew Miss Fulton was visiting here. Two things the police didn t know. Must be something in it. But I don t want to write a line until I ve given the young lady s friends a chance. HENRY. (To BRADFORD) What do you make of it? BRADFORD. Some other Fulton or Sheldon may have given that name instead of the real name of some lady with him. HENRY. (To TAYLOR) Miss Catherine Fulton? TAYLOR. Miss Catherine Fulton of Philadelphia. HENRY. (To BRADFORD) You sure she went upstairs with the cook? BRADFORD. Reasonably certain. THE OTHER GIRL 73 HENRY. (Crosses R.) Wait a minute and I ll send up and see. (Rings) TAYLOR. (To BRADFORD) But you were along, you say ? BRADFORD. I ? Along ? No, I didn t say that. TAYLOR. Then what man was it you took by the elbows and chin ? BRADFORD. (Going up c.) Oh, that was a per sonal matter. TAYLOR. ( L. c. ) Don t you care to talk about it ? BRADFORD. Xo, thank you. (Goes R.) (Enter MAGGIE.) MAGGIE. You rang, sir? HENRY. Yes, go upstairs to Miss Fulton s room and say that I wish to know how she s feel ing now. (Voice of MRS. WATERMAN below.) MAGGIE. Yes, sir. (Gazes sternly at BRADFORD and goes) MRS. WATERMAN. (Heard below) Why, I bought them in Rome. They were from one of the Palaces of the Medici. FULTOX. (Also outside) Deplorable incident. HENRY. Here s Mr. Fulton now. (Goes into hall) MRS. WATERMAX. (Off, but approaching) Why, Henry, have you seen those dining-room doors ? (BRADFORD walks with grim amusement to the mantel.) HENRY. Sh my dear one moment. There s a call. 74 THE OTHER GIRL MRS. WATERMAN. Anything else in this house rather than those Medici doors. (Appears) ( FULTON follows and goes L.) HENRY. (L. c.) Sh Sh Come in, my dear. This is Mr. Taylor, Mrs. Waterman. Mr. Taylor of the " Times." (TAYLOR bows.) MRS. WATERMAN, (c. Haughtily) Oh, indeed. (Starts toward TAYLOR) BRADFORD. (Interposing. Quickly) Mr. Tay lor s been very kind, Mattie, in some little matters ; and he s called again with a wish to help me still further. Mr. Fulton Mr. Taylor (Introducing them) Sit down, Mattie, there s something to con sult about (Motions the others to sit) (Enter MAGGIE from upstairs.) MAGGIE. Miss Fulton says she s some better, thank you. (HENRY turns to TAYLOR at this testimony.) TAYLOR. (Down L. c., and unconvinced) Did you see her? MAGGIE. No, sir she didn t open the door. FULTON. (Up L. c. Anxiously) Catherine? MRS. WATERMAN. (To BRADFORD R.) What s the matter? BRADFORD. One moment That will do, Maggie. (MAGGIE bows and goes.) THE OTHER GIRL 75 MRS. WATERMAN. What is it, Henry? Speak! Did they break in by the dining-room? BRADFORD. My dear, Mattie (Pause) FULTON. (An.rioitsly) Is Catherine hurt? HENRY. (R. c. Soothingly) There s nothing the matter anywhere with anybody. MRS. WATERMAN. (Maintaining the pressure) But those dining-room doors Mr. Fulton saw those. (Appeals to FULTON) BRADFORD. (Down R.) That was a little acci dent, rather incident which I ll explain, Mattie. The question before us now is a foolish report from the police that Miss Catherine had been arrested for fast driving in an automobile. FULTON. (Up c. Easily, to TAYLOR) Oh no no nothing in that. Our automobile is in Phila delphia and my chauffeur has positive orders from me regarding the speed at all times. HENRY. As I understand it, it s this chap Shel don who has been training Doctor Bradford BRADFORD. Henry! Instructing! Instructing! (Up*.) HENRY. I meant instructing. He has an auto mobile and he had some woman in it this evening. They were both arrested and he gave her name as Miss Fulton (To TAYLOR) Isn t that it? (TAYLOR nods.) FULTON. (Smiling) Fulton s a fairly common name. HENRY. (Tossing the matter off) To be sure. TAYLOR. (With reportorial insistence) But this girl is supposed to be Miss Catherine Fulton of Philadelphia. FULTON. You sure, sir. Why that supposition? TAYLOR. Because she had a bag with her with a set of silver toilet articles engraved " Catherine 76 THE OTHER GIRL Fulton "; and some jewelry and the bag had a tag " C. R, Philadelphia." FULTON. Catherine s bag is fitted with engraved articles perhaps (MRS. WATERMAN crosses to BRADFORD, who pan tomimes silence.) TAYLOR. If Miss Fulton is here why can t I see her a minute FULTON. She s retired, sir why should you see her? TAYLOR. That ll be the first question my chief 11 ask me " Why didn t you see the girl, herself." Now, suppose I write about it and say we all " held this convention " here in the library but that you wouldn t produce the girl? FULTON. Why should you write about it? TAYLOR. Why does a chicken cross the street? I ve got to write about it. That s my business. MRS. WATERMAN. (Starting over L. at TAYLOR. With crushing dignity) Are you the man that wrote about my brother and said he was dining with a prize fighter at BRADFORD. (Catching her arm and returning R.) Mattie one moment (Takes her aside and ex plains she gradually becomes dazed with the knowledge he imparts) HENRY. (To FULTON) It can t do any harm. (They hesitate) (Enter ANN, the cook, by the stairs from above.) ANN. (Boldly) Mrs. Waterman, can I see you privately ? HENRY. (Up R. c.) No. ANN. Oh (Pause Dismisses HENRY with a look and gives a parting shaft) Oh, Mr. Fulton, THE OTHER GIRL 77 you d better be with that poor child of yours up stairs FULTOX. What ! ( FULTOX exit goes upstairs.) HEXRY. You go to the kitchen. Axx. I m through with your kitchen, and I m through with your house. I ll have you know m am that I leave in the morning. (Axx goes bclo^^) (BRADFORD restrains MRS. WATERMAN.) HEXRY. (Down c.) You a married man, Mr. Taylor ? TAYLOR. Xot for mine. (Goes L.) HEXRY. (Also smiling) Then you know noth ing of this problem (Nods towards Axx) (Enter MAGGIE.) MAGGIE. Pardon, sir. HEXRY. (L. c. ) What is it, Maggie? MAGGIE. The wrestling teacher for Doctor Brad ford. BRADFORD. (R. c.) Mr. Sheldon. MAGGIE. Yes, sir. TAYLOR. Can t / see him for you ? HEXRY. Oh ! I guess we d better all see him to gether. (TAYLOR acquiesces) MAGGIE. What ll I say, sir? (Enter FULTOX.) BRADFORD. Ask Mr. Sheldon to come up here. (Exit MAGGIE.) FULTOX. (c. ) My daughter will join us as soon as she arranges her hair. She s been lying down. I said that we d excuse her appearing somewhat dis hevelled? (To OMXES) MRS. WATERMAN. (Down R. ) Why, of course. 78 THE OTHER GIRL I think it a great shame to make the poor girl come down at all. HENRY. (Crosses to MRS. WATERMAN) Now, Mattie BRADFORD. (R. c.) Come in, Mr. Sheldon. (Enter KID, he pauses up-stag e.) BRADFORD. Come in, Mr. Sheldon. KID. (Seeing TAYLOR) Hello, Beau some thing doing? TAYLOR. Heard you ran over a man. KID. (Smiling) That s right. TAYLOR. Who was the girl with you? KID. What girl? (Gives him the wink) TAYLOR. Oh, I ve told these persons about it. The police phoned her name down the line. KID. (Seriously) Did eh? Well, say I m sorry for that. TAYLOR. (Suspiciously) What are you doing here in this house? KID. Well a fellow needs some help, don t he when he s pinched. I I want to see Dr. Bradford. BRADFORD. I m at your service, Mr. Sheldon, of course. KID. (Going to BRADFORD R. c.) I thought I could count on you, Doctor. (CATHERINE appears in loose gown.) FULTON. (Meeting CATHERINE) Here is my daughter, sir. Come in, Catherine. MRS. WATERMAN. Why, Catherine, dear. (Goes to her, meets her up c.) FULTON. (Displaying CATHERINE. To KID) This young lady was not in your automobile, was she? THE OTHER GIRL 79 KID. (With significant emphasis) No, sir, she wasn t. FULTON. (To TAYLOR) This is my daughter, sir Miss Catherine Fulton of Philadelphia. (To KID) You never even saw the young lady before, did you ? KID. (Tactfully) Oh, I ve seen her ; yes up at the windows and that way FULTON. Did you tell the police that the young lady with you was Miss Fulton of Philadelphia? KID. (In disgust) Tell the Police! Tell noth ing. TAYLOR. Who was the girl with you, Kid KID. (With meaning) Oh, a little friend of mine and the Doctor s You know, Myrtle. TAYLOR. Myrtle. KID. Yes, Myrtle. TAYLOR. The sergeant said she had some silver v.-ith Miss Fulton s name on it KID. (Eagerly, crossing to TAYLOR down L.) Say! That was a funny throw too I took some bundles of mine away from this house to-night and I ve got a bag just like that one on the outside. You see it was a mistake. FULTON. Quite probably. (Smiles) KID. The desk sergeant opened this bag. Every thing in it had Miss Fulton s name on it and it was the sergeant himself said Miss Fulton. The lady with me was scared stiff because the fellow we ran over they took away in the " hurry up." FULTON. (To TAYLOR, in triumph) But the young lady was not Miss Catherine Fulton of Phila delphia. TAYLOR. So I see. FULTON. So you see. HENRY. (Going L. c.) And Miss Fulton s name needn t appear in the newspapers? So THE OTHER GIRL TAYLOR. (Hesitating) Well (Pause. Crosses the KID to meet HENRY) MRS. WATERMAN. (To CATHERINE, still agi tated. Brings her down R. ) There, my dear the gentleman will arrange it, I m sure. (CAROLINE sits) TAYLOR. (Answering HENRY) Perhaps not. (To KID) Then I ll phone the sergeant to correct his blotter give him Myrtle s full name Really an ad. for her why not? KID. (Down L.) Well, you see, it s it s this bag business, with the silver in it. I phoned Muldoon and he fixed bail for me -but the young lady had the bag and she said right off the reel that she wasn t Miss Fulton see FULTON. I m very much indebted to her, I m sure. TAYLOR. But didn t want to give her own name t KID. No so they said : " Oh, where d you get the bag? " See? Caught with the goods, that s all. (Crosses up c. to BRADFORD) Now if the Doctor ll go with me and say he knows it s all right. A preacher with his pull Or take a letter from the from the owner of the bag (Slowly and signifi cantly) This lady friend of mine won t have to sleep on a bench. BRADFORD. I know that Mr. Sheldon took some parcels from this house to-night. I had them wrapped up myself. KID. And I ve got a bag just like this on the outside but you see this bag happened to have some jewelry in it. Diamonds and Emeralds. FULTON. (In some excitement) Catherine s jewels also ! KID. (Down c.) Oh, they re all right in the Captain s safe. And they d been all right with the lady she don t have to lift anybody else s sparks, she don t . . . (Significantly to BRADFORD, who is up R. c. with FULTON) Why, she had a twenty- THE OTHER GIRL 81 dollar bill in her pocket with a corner burnt off . . . BRADFORD. (Down to KID) What is that? KID. (c. slewly gives his significant news to BRADFORD) My lady friend that s up in the station had a twenty-dollar bill with the corner burnt off. It was a bill I was lighting a cigarette with and a friend of mine snatched it and put it out. He said That ain t like you, Kid, cause it s only showing off and there s a lot of hungry folks could live on that for a week so he hands it over to Myrtle and she put it in her pocket and there it was when they searched her see? BRADFORD. Yes, yes ! TAYLOR. (Going up c.) \Yell, I m glad to get the story right. I think I can keep Miss Fulton s name out of it, if I can get the other men in time and you gentlemen better believe the Kid took the bag by mistake because a charge of that kind won t help his business. BRADFORD. Thank you. TAYLOR. Good-night. BRADFORD. (Up c.) Good-night, Air. Taylor! You you know your way out? TAYLOR. Oh, yes ! (Exit) BRADFORD. (Down c. Returning) I ll go with you, Sheldon ! KID. (c.) Good! BRADFORD. (Meaningly, to CATHERINE) Write me a line, Miss Catherine, saying that you lent the goods to to this young lady and the bag also. (Takes CATHERINE to table) FULTON. That seems strange counsel from a clergyman, Doctor Bradford. BRADFORD. (At table with CATHERINE) True- it might be better to put the note in the present tense and say the young lady " has " Miss Cath erine s permission to their use. FULTON. (Up L. c.) But why that? 82 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD, (c.) We recover the jewels; and with them out of the case entirely it keeps Miss Catherine s name out of print. FULTON. As the victim of a theft I m quite willing that Catherine s name should appear in print you stole those jewels, sir! (Crosses to KID) KID. Go slow, governor go slow ! (HENRY in terposes) MRS. WATERMAN. He broke in through my din ing-room door a door that I bought from HENRY. (Returning to his wife) Now, Mattie KID. (Amused) I m no porch climber, you know ! FULTON. I don t know ! You re a saloon-keeper and a professional pugilist, aren t you? KID. Am I FULTON. You re Kid Garvey, the prize fighter, aren t you ? KID. (c.) Oh, yes, I m called Kid Garvey on the bills. (He watches CATHERINE for the effect of his words) CATHERINE. (Goes to MRS. WATERMAN) Mrs. Waterman MRS. WATERMAN. (As CATHERINE weeps in her arms) Mr. Fulton, we re frightening Catherine dreadfully ! KID. R. c. To BRADFORD) You know this ain t any holiday for me, Doctor. The reason I m here now is to put it up to you to do the best we can for everybody, especially the lady in the cooler. It s a nine o clock call in the police court to-morrow, see? So there s a whole lot to do to-night! CATHERINE. (With resolution) I ll write the letter, Doctor. FULTON, (c.) Pardon me, my daughter, you will not. THE OTHER GIRL 83 BRADFORD, (c. Positively) It is quite necessary that she should, Mr. Fulton, and at once! Kid! KID. Doctor ! BRADFORD. (Comes c.) I want you to tell Mr. Fulton the true name of that young lady now in the station-house ! KID. On the level ? BRADFORD. On the level. KID. (Pa-use) It s Miss Kittredge! MRS. WATERMAN, HENRY and FULTON. (To gether) What!! BRADFORD. It is Miss Kittredge ! FULTON. Did you kno\v this, Catherine? (CATHERINE rests her hed on table, weeping vio lently. ) BRADFORD. (Pause) Yes, Miss Catherine knew it. (CATHERINE braces up and writes.) HENRY. Why didn t you say so sooner, Cliff? BRADFORD. (Going R. c.) I m as anxious to keep Miss Kittredge s name out of print as I am to keep Miss Fulton s. I couldn t say so with that " Time s " man here FULTON. Estelle! (Pause. BRADFORD nods) with you? (Kio nods) At night, and arrested for fast driving! (Kio nods) Where were you going? KID. (" Sparring for wind") I wanted to sell her an automobile, see? FULTON. That is a lie! (Start from HENRY and BRADFORD, who expect trouble) KID. (Up c. Pause) You re right, governor first guess ! BRADFORD. But we only lose time by this. We must go to her assistance ! Go not talk ! 84 THE OTHER GIRL KID. (Significantly) I thought you d feel that way, Doctor. I ve got the bubble outside at the door ! HENRY. The telephone will be quicker than the automobile ! KID. (Easily) You can t give bail by telephone! (Crosses up L. c.) BRADFORD. True I must go. (Exit upstairs) HENRY. (Going) Wait! I ll telephone Judge Bates to meet us at the station a little legal advice may come handy! (Exit downstairs) FULTON. (R. c.) Why was Miss Kittredge in your company, sir? (Pause) Why did she have a bag with her, with toilet articles in it? Wliat is the meaning of the whole affair, sir? KID. (L. c.) You see I thought that bag was empty. FULTON, (c.) Why take it at all ? KID. Well, you see, governor FULTON. ( c. ) Don t address me as " gover nor!" KID. All right if you say so (Re-enter BRADFORD with coat and hat.) FULTON. Why take the bag at all ? KID. Well you see I generally " show to pretty good business " myself, and we wanted something with handles on it to carry the gate receipts ! FULTON. (Puzzled) What ! BRADFORD. We are losing time, Mr. Fulton! The first thing to do is to get the young lady under our protection. Come, Kid! (Starts) KID. (Following) With you, Doc? ^ MRS. WATERMAN. (Calling to him in a tremble) Cliff, dear, you mustn t go ! BRADFORD. (Up c.) Why not? THE OTHER GIRL 85 MRS. WATERMAN. The newspapers ! A clergy man a police station ! BRADFORD. I m a man now, Mattie, a man! MRS. WATERMAN. But you re dressed as a clergyman. KID. (Up R. c. Quickly) We ll change coats, Doctor ! BRADFORD. (Misled by the rush) Yes! (Starts to change) (Enter HENRY.) MRS. WATERMAN. Let Henry go ! HENRY. (Up c. Announcing) The Juldge ll be there ! MRS. WATERMAN. (Down R. c.) I tell Cliff he can t go, Henry ! HENRY. (Up R. c.) Of course not. Mr. Ful ton and I ll be enough. Your automobile carries three? (To KID) KID. (Up c.) Seven. FULTON. With him? (Indicating KID) //"/^au tomobile? Why, sir, you could hardly have done me a greater wrong if you had had my own daugh ter arrested. You know, sir, / ought to thrash you within an inch of your life. KID. (With a joyous laugh) Oh (Prolonged) HENRY. (To KID) Come we ll go alone! CATHERINE. Here! (Hands letter to HENRY) FULTON. What s that? (Exeunt KID and HENRY, BRADFORD urging them downstairs. ) CATHERINE. The letter. FULTON, (c.) You wrote it? CATHERINE. (Crossing R.) Of course I wrote it ! Think of Estelle arrested and in a station 86 THE OTHER GIRL house! Oh, how can I bear it all? (Sinks into big chair, weeping) MRS. WATERMAN. (Comforting) Sh-sh There, there, my dear ! FULTON. (Explaining to BRADFORD, who is re turning) She loved Estelle like a sister! BRADFORD. I see. (Goes below the table L.) FULTON. (L. c. Confidentially) The older I get, Doctor, the more I become converted to the English idea that " blood will tell." BRADFORD. I thought that was a Kentucky idea ! FULTON. Perhaps but excellent notwithstand ing ! Kitteridge Kitteridge was an old soldier BRADFORD.. Miss Estelle s father? FULTON. Yes had all the sturdy qualities but lacked, if I may say so, just a trifle in in refine ment. There was just that shade of difference be tween a cultured cosmopolitan and Colonel Kitter idge that I fancy I have observed between be tween the two girls. Just enough difference to ex plain this this unfortunate escapade. BRADFORD. (With meaning) Yes you think perhaps that the inherited difference accounts for the whole affair? FULTON. (Cautiously regarding CATHERINE) Exactly. Catherine is engaged to Mr. Lumley- Estelle goes away with this prize-fighter m? There you are! BRADFORD. (Annoyed) Yes, yes ! FULTON. But perhaps Estelle didn t know he was a prize fighter. BRADFORD. Oh, yes, she knew I told her ! FULTON. Indeed? Well, there you are! (Enter MAGGIE.) MAGGIE. Mr. Lumley, ma am. I told him you were all in the library. He wants to come up! THE OTHER GIRL 87 MRS. WATERMAN. Very well, ask him ! BRADFORD. (Cross L. c. Interrupting) Wait ! Hadn t you better ask Mr. Lumley to excuse us, Mattie? MRS. WATERMAN. Why? BRADFORD. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Henry will probably bring Miss Kitteridge back in a few min utes. MRS. WATERMAN. Well? BRADFORD. Isn t it advisable to say nothing of this deplorable automobile business to anybody even Lumley perhaps, especially Lumley? CATHERINE. (Quickly) Yes! MRS. WATERMAN. Then ask Mr. Lumley to ex cuse us, Maggie say the ladies are not feeling very well and that they will be glad to see Mr. Lumley to-morrow, m ? (CATHERINE nods.) MAGGIE. Yes Ma am. (Exit) FULTON. Don t you wish to go down alone for a moment to see Mr. Lumley yourself, Catherine dear? CATHERINE. Oh no. FULTON. He spoke of you so frequently nt the concert. You know, my dear, a young lady can t presume too much upon the devotion of a suitor nowadays. MRS. WATERMAN. Reggie s devotion will stand the strain, Mr. Fulton, I m sure. Besides, I m a little cross-patch with Reggie myself for running away from us so long. FULTON. (Bowing) Ah if it s your discipline, M rs. Waterman I ve no more to say. (Enter M AGGIE.) MAGGIE. Beg pardon, Ma am, but he says he must see you, just a minute. 88 THE OTHER GIRL MRS. WATERMAN. Must see us? MAGGIE. Yes, ma am. Beg pardon, ma am, but he does look to be drinking. MRS. WATERMAN. Drinking to have been drinking ? FULTON. Impossible. MRS. WATERMAN. (Crossing L. c.) He some times did when he was younger drinking, Mag gie? MAGGIE. Yes ma am, and pardon, ma m, but there s that smell of liquor to him besides that fills the reception room. MRS. WATERMAN. You said we wished to be ex cused. MAGGIE. Yes ma m. FULTON. (Crosses to CATHERINE) Perhaps Catherine and I had better go see his together. CATHERINE. I can t see him, father. FULTON. Why not, my dear? CATHERINE. My gown! And and look at my face. FULTON. Your face is all right. BRADFORD. I m sure that is all Mr. Lumley con siders. MRS. WATERMAN. But if Reggie Lumley s been drinking LUMLEY. (Appearing) Beg pardon, Mrs. Wat erman he hasn t but (LUMLEY S dress-suit is soiled and torn his shirt also. The left arm is in a sling) CATHERINE. Oh ! MRS. WATERMAN. Mr. Lumley ! FULTON. What has happened? LUMLEY. Excuse my following your maid up stairs. I feared my friends might be anxious about me, so in spite of all the doctors could say MRS. WATERMAN. (She goes sympathetically to LUMLEY) Are you hurt? THE OTHER GIRL 89 LUMLEY. I left the hospital and took a four- wheeler FULTOX. Hospital ! LUMLEY. (He has a greet pride in his experi ence and talks in a post-ether falsetto_af-&xaltation) CATHERINE. Oh ! "| FULTOX. Ran over you? > (Together MRS. WATERMAN. Did you ever ! J Yes an automobile run over me, .Kear the theatre^/ BRADFORD. (Assisting him) No injuries, I hope ? LUMLEY. (Touching^ arm in sling) Slight sprain and contusion of the left radius and some contusions and sprains elsewhere but of course I feel the shock you see. (BRADFORD puts him in easy chair.) CATHERIXE. (Who has been very agitated in a burst of contrition) Oh, Reginald Reginald forgive me what a wicked girl I ve been. (Kneels by him R. of chair) LUMLEY. Nonsense how could you know I d get in front of an automobile and it was the stu pidest music we ve had all summer wasn t it? (To MRS. WATERMAX) CATHERIXE. Look at him, Mrs. Waterman. Oh, Reginald, I never knew how much I really loved you until this moment. FULTOX. My dear Catherine. BRADFORD. (R. c. Aside to MRS. WATERMAN). Finesse ? MRS. WATERMAN. Certainly not stupidity. LUMLEY. Now don t do that, Catherine darling. (To BRADFORD) Isn t it splendid? Wouldn t you be run over a few times for this? CATHERIXE. (Rising) Why did you leave the hospital when you were so hurt? 9 o THE OTHER GIRL LUMLEY. I wanted to save you from any worry, you see. I m all right. It s only the shock. BRADFORD. (Down c.) There must be consid erable pain. CATHERINE. Dear Reginald. LUMLEY. No I was unconscious most of the time. All right now. But I didn t want Catherine to worry. I knew she wouldn t understand my not coming back to the concert. MRS. WATERMAN. Of course not. LUMLEY. (To CATHERINE) Why, you have been crying haven t you? CATHERINE. Yes I ve been crying, but LUMLEY. Think of it. Well, don t any more, please because I m all right in every way (Sniffs) I smell dreadfully, don t I? (To MRS. WATERMAN left of chair) MRS. WATETMAN. (Qualifying it) Not dread fully no, Reginald. LUMLEY. They do put such weird stuff on you while you re unconscious. (Sniffs) It was quite noticeable in the four-wheeler. CATHERINE. (To MRS. WATERMAN) He doesn t think of himself at all. BRADFORD. How did it happen? Where were you? LUMLEY. Near the theatre. I was crossing the street to the telephone to telephone to you and this automobile struck me. I remember only the lights and the buildings mixing up together and then a doctor saying in a very loud voice : " That will do. He swallowed it." CATHERINE. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Medicine, I suppose. LUMLEY. I suppose so. I thought at first that he meant I d swallowed the building. But as soon as I could catch my breath I knew he meant the THE OTHER GIRL 91 electric lights the hottest stuff! (Indicates throat and chest) CATHERINE. He can joke about it ! Think of it, Mrs. Waterman. Oh, please forget everything I said on the porch. (On MRS. WATERMAN S breast. Up R. above chair) BRADFORD. They arrested the man in the auto mobile, no doubt? LUMLEY. So I m told and a lady with him. I ve got to go to the police court in the morning they said. BRADFORD. Do you intend to prosecute the per sons? (Goes to LUMLEY) LUMLEY. Rather ! I own an automobile myself and I m decidedly against these careless fellows that spoil the sport. Speed in the country if you want to BRADFORD. A farmer or two don t matter. (Re turns L. c.) LUMLEY. But a gentleman giving a box party BRADFORD. Of course. CATHERINE. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Oh, why didn t I go with you? LUMLEY. If it isn t safe to go out of a theatre between the acts FULTON.. In horror to BRADFORD) And to think that man was Reginald. LUMLEY. Did you see it? FULTON. No but BRADFORD. We heard of it. LUMLEY. (Anxiously) Didn t interrupt the performance? MRS. WATERMAN. Oh no! CATHERINE. (Displaying him) Did it interrupt the performance?" (Again to MRS. WATERMAN S breast) LUMLEY. Marvellous the way they do things in 92 THE OTHER GIRL these hospitals my first visit. One pretty girl in a cap was at the foot of the couch another pretty girl in another cap was at the side of the couch. Two young doctors doing everything possible and one old doctor telling them when they d done it too much. It seemed almost as though I were enter taining. BRADFORD. It seems almost that way now. LUMLEY. Well, the doctor s kept saying, " don t talk," " don t talk," when I never wanted to talk so much in my life. I don t talk much as a rule. MRS. WATERMAN. I know you don t, Reggie. CATHERINE. But don t talk if it s bad for you. LUMLEY. But I ve wanted so much to talk all the time since I " came to," that after I escaped from the doctors I talked to myself in the four- wheeler. CATHERINE. (To LUMLEY) But don t talk now. (To others) It s ether or something they must have given him. LUMLEY. " Ether " How happy I could be with " ether! " CATHERINE. (To LUMLEY) Don t talk, dear. I won t let you talk. Shouldn t we send for a doc tor, Mrs. Waterman? LUMLEY. I ve had three doctors. Don t send for them. Send for one of the girls in the ruffled caps if you want to send for another bottle of the stuff the fat one had in her left hand, but we don t need the doctors. (To BRADFORD) I d have bitten that little fellow with the black moustache if I could have reached him (Turns to CATHERINE) but the fat girl put her hand on my forehead CATHERINE. Please don t talk, Reginald. (Enter HENRY, with a bag.} HENRY, (c.) Here we are, Mattie and don t THE OTHER GIRL 93 say anything to (Sees LUMLEY) Oh, Mr. Lum- ley. (Sees his condition) Why, Lumley ! What s the matter? (Enter ESTELLE and KID. They stand up L. c.) LUMLEY. I was run over by an automobile, Mr. Waterman, just as I left the theatre. ESTELLE. Oh! (ESTELLE turns anxiously to MRS. WATERMAN, who purposely averts her gaze she then looks at FULTON, who is very stern BRADFORD advances and gives her his hand reas suringly) HENRY, (c.) What! BRADFORD. (Coming down L. c.) He s been in the hospital. LUMLEY. Two pretty girls bringing me things to drink three doctors. KID. (Coming down R. c.) Who was it run over you. D ye know LUMLEY. A man and a woman (KiD glances at ESTELLE) I don t know their names, but they ve been arrested. (Regards the KID) BRADFORD. (Introducing) Mr. Sheldon Mr. Lumley. LUMLEY. W T hat Sheldon? (Pleased) Not "Kid Garvey" Sheldon? KID. Yes. LUMLEY. (Beaming) Shake! I saw you and Ryan at Madison Square and (Faints) Oh CATHERINE. Reginald ! MRS. WATERMAN. He s fainted! KID. Give him air. (Pushes the others back) HENRY. Brandy. (Leaves the room and enters back room) ESTELLE. Here s water. (Takes a glass from table. KID takes large napkin that was under the glass) 94 THE OTHER GIRL CATHERINE. (Taking glass from ESTELLE) Let me give it to him. (Tries) He won t drink. BRADFORD. I ll lift his head. KID. Give me that (Takes water) Stand back a little, please. (Throws water full into LUMLEY S face and gives empty glass to ESTELLE and begins fanning LUMLEY with the napkin. The LADIES ex claim LUMLEY gasps at the water recovers with the fanning and sits up) CATHERINE. (As water is thrown) How dare you? LUMLEY. Why why I fainted, didn t I? BRADFORD. Yes. KID. But you didn t take the full count. LUMLEY. (Beaming and waving one hand in display) " The Kid" really! Catherine where s Catherine. CATHERINE. (Coming to his side) Here I am, Reginald. Please don t talk, you aren t strong enough, dear. ( ESTELLE is broken up at the idea that LUMLEY was the man hurt.) LUMLEY. This is Kid Garvey, Catherine, the most wonderful man in the world. I doubt if the famous Greek athletes excelled him although they fought with an iron glove Miss Fulton s the young lady, Kid, that is going to do me the honor of be coming Mrs. Lumley. (Enter HENRY with glass.) HENRY. Here s some whisky. We seem to be out of brandy. KID. Whisky s just as good. Take a swallow of this, Mr. Lumley, and don t talk your lady friend s right about that. THE OTHER GIRL 95 LUMLEY. (Apologizing) When it s prescribed, Catherine CATHERINE. Of course, drink it. Drink it. KID. And he ought to get to bed right away. BRADFORD. At once, I m sure. LUMLEY. (Starting to get up) Very well. I ll go home, then. But I thought you d all worry. CATHERINE. Oh no, he mustn t go home. BRADFORD. You must stay here. LUMLEY. Oh, my cab s at the door. KID. My automobile s quicker than a cab, but if your friends here ll give you a bed. LUMLEY. You got an automobile, Kid? KID. A bird. BRADFORD. (}Vho has consulted MRS. WATER MAN and HENRY) We shan t allow you even to go downstairs, Reginald. Henry s room is on this floor. KID. Let me help the gentleman, won t you ? LUMLEY. (Leaning on KID S shoulder) If some one will dismiss my four-wheeler for me FULTON. I will. (Exit) MRS. WATERMAN. (At mantel. Ringing) James will help you get to bed. BRADFORD. No I w r ill do that, Mattie. KID. (With a wink to BRADFORD) I ve done a good deal of this sort of thing myself and LUMLEY. (Pleased and pleading) Yes Let the Kid help me eh? HENRY. (Leading the ivay to door at back) This room. LUMLEY. (Following and leaning on KID) What is yours? A Peerless? KID. A Panhard. LUMLEY. (At door to KID) One moment. (Turns) Good-night, then, everybody. 96 THE OTHER GIRL CATHERINE, ESTELLE, BRADFORD and MRS. WATERMAN. (Answers in character) " Good-night, night, good-night." LUMLEY. (Hesitating, and tenderly) Good night, Catherine. (Extends hand) CATHERINE. Good-night. (Gives her hand) ( LUMLEY kisses her hand. BRADFORD, MRS. WAT ERMAN and ESTELLE turn away down-stage. KID releases LUMLEY and considerately looks over the bannisters. LUMLEY kisses CATH ERINE on forehead. As he turns away she turns to R. jamb of door and leans on it, weep ing. KID resumes control of LUMLEY.) LUMLEY. How many horse power? Thirty? KID. Eighty-five. (Exit with LUMLEY) ESTELLE. (At table) Oh, I m so grateful, so grateful, that he isn t killed. There can never be another moment in my life as dreadful as when we struck that man in the street. I thought we d killed him, and to think it was he Reginald Lum- ley that we ran over. BRADFORD. Don t think of it, Miss Kitteridge. The escape has been miraculous and I m sure that there is some hidden blessing in it. (ESTELLE braces up.) CATHERINE. I can t bear it. (Turns from door jamb and sinks weeping on step next to LUMLEY S room) (Enter MAGGIE.) MAGGIE. Did you ring, ma am? MRS. WATERMAN. Yes who broke the glass door in the dining-room? THE OTHER GIRL 97 BRADFORD. (U- ith authority) Never mind, Maggie, you needn t answer that. I ll explain, Mattie. (To MRS. WATERMAN) MAGGIE. Is that all, ma am? BRADFORD. Yes that s all. (MRS. WATERMAN nods. Exit MAGGIE) Miss Catherine, (Standing beside tier ct LUMLEY S door) it won t help Reg inald if he should hear you come! (Lifts her) ESTELLE. (Approaching from L. c.) Poor Catherine. CATHERINE, (c.) Estelle. ESTELLE. (Up c.) Catherine. (They embrace just inside the big doors. ESTELLE leads CATHER INE down to c., MRS. WATERMAN is R. c., BRADFORD stands at bannisters in hall) CATHERINE. He won t die, will he? He won t die, Estelle? ESTELLE. Of course not, dear. He couldn t have come this far if he were dangerously hurt. (CATHERINE sobs on ESTELLE S breast) (Re-enter HENRY, who is stopped by BRADFORD.) ESTELLE. You forgive me, dear, don t you. CATHERINE. Forgive you ! I never can be grateful enough. (MRS. WATERMAN, talking with HENRY, does not hear CATHERINE) (Enter FULTON. The girls are down L. c.) FULTON. (To HENRY) How is he? HENRY. (Reassuringly) Getting to bed slowly. FULTON. The hospital had sent a man with him, but I told them we d look after him. HENRY. Quite right. FULTON. (Seeing CATHERINE) My dear my poor dear. (Takes her in his arms) What a night of excitement this has been for you. (Sweeps an accusing glance over ESTELLE) 98 THE OTHER GIRL MRS. WATERMAN. Hasn t it? FULTON. And now go right up to your room. There s considerable to be talked over here that there is no necessity for your listening to. CATHERINE. (Up L. c., with some resolution) Yes, I must listen to it. ESTELLE. (Up c., going to her) Why? Your note is enough, my dear, saying that I took your bag with your consent. FULTON. (Up R. c.) I suppose you know why that note was written, don t you, Estelle ? CATHERINE. (Crossing to c.) Oh, father. ESTELLE. I think I do, Mr. Fulton. FULTON. Yes to keep Catherine s name from the public prints that is all. That is all. Come, my dear, to your room. ESTELLE. (As CATHERINE refuses) Go, please go. You can only grieve your father by remaining. CATHERINE. But I must tell him that ESTELLE. You can only grieve him by talking at all. Think, my dear Catherine. Your first duty is to him. CATHERIN. Perhaps but my next duty is ESTELLE. Is to Mr. Lumley. And you can t help him a little bit by saying anything. FULTON. Your sentiments, Estelle, would have weight if your behavior accorded with them go, my dear. (Exit CATHERINE, upstairs.) MRS. WATERMAN. (Down R. c. In a cast-iron change of subject) What s to be done about Reg gie Lumley, Henry? HENRY. In what way? MRS. WATERMAN. He needs a nurse, doesn t he? HENRY. He wants our distinguished friend . . . MRS. WATERMAN. But we can t permit that. HENRY. Why not? THE OTHER GIRL 99 MRS WATERMAN. The man who ran over him: ESTELLE. (Again ct the table. Shuddering) Oh_It was terrible. The sensation as those awful wheels went over (Covers her face) FULTON. Why were you there, Estelle? BRADFORD. If" I may suggest, Mr. Fulton? FULTON. (Pause) Go on, Doctor. BRADFORD. I think you were very wise to send Miss Catherine to bed why not Miss Kittendge also. (Goes L. of table facing ESTELLE) FULTON, (c.j Estelle certainly must wish to make some explanation, I should think BRADFORD. Should we permit it? Next to poor Lumley I think the incidents ci" the evening have been most trying upon her. She certainly needs rest and quiet herself. FULTON. An explanation may contribute to that. ESTELLE. I d rather wait until to-morrow, Mr. Fulton. BRADFORD. There ! FULTON.. An Innocent girl, Estelle, would scarcely be able to rest under the suspicions that this situation suggests it seems to me. BRADFORD. Perhaps we can be sufficiently chari table to dismiss our suspicions if we have any. FULTON. I can t rise to that standard, Doctor -where did Estelle know this man? When did she meet him? He has seen Catherine only at the window. What opportunities did Estelle take for a more intimate acquaintance ? She has been Cath erine s companion. I must know the influence that surround my daughter. BRADFORD. True! Inform yourself by all means, Mr. Fulton, but don t be unnecessarily cruel. Miss Kitteridge has certain rights as an individual that even the father of Miss Fulton should not transgress. (Goes c.) FULTON. (L. c.) I am measurably in the posi- ioo THE OTHER GIRL tion of her own father and / have certain^ rights that must not be transgressed even by Estelle s most sympathetic friends. MRS. WATERMAN. (R. c.) I think this isn t our affair, Cliff dear. BRADFORD. Pardon me, Mattie it is mine. FULTON. Yours, Doctor? BRADFORD. Mine. FULTON. Indeed? BRADFORD. I wish Miss Kitteridge to know that my trust and confidence in her character is so great that / need no explanations. FULTON. (Down L. c.) Which must be very gratifying to Estelle I m sure but I perceive that your confidence, Doctor, is not shared by your sis ter and I regret that I don t feel it myself to your reassuring degree. Now, Estelle, I haven t been a harsh guardian, have I ? ESTELLE. (Turning at table} Harsh! Why, Mr. Fulton, my own father could not have been kinder to me. (Goes to him) I m awfully sorry to grieve you awfully sorry. FULTON. What is there between you and this young man ? ESTELLE. Nothing nothing whatever. FULTON. Good we re getting along just as we used to do when you were considerably younger. Now, (Pauses) why were you in his automobile? ESTELLE. (Pause) I I was merely deceiving Mr. Sheldon. I meant to leave him as soon as he stopped any where, and come home. FULTON. (Not convinced) Yes? ESTELLE. Yes. FULTON. Was that your intention when you got into his car? ESTELLE. Yes. HENRY. (At door) Mattie. (Pause) We don t need to complicate this affair, do we? THE OTHER GIRL 101 MRS. WATERMAN. I think not. Good-night everybody. (Goes up c.) ESTELLE. (Coming to her) I want you to be lieve me, Mrs. Waterman. MRS. WATERMAN. (Up R. c. With insincerity) My dear Estelle, I ll do anything I can for you and so will Mr. Waterman, I m sure. (HENRY assents) I didn t know the man was a prize fighter and I don t suppose you did and perhaps the whole thing, as Cliff says, is a blessing in disguise if we can only keep it out of the newspapers. ESTELLE. That s all I care about myself. My personal conduct I m sure won t displease you when you know all. (MRS. WATERMAN moves to go.) FULTON. (Consulting watch) Won t you stay a moment longer. Mrs. Waterman, I don t wish to disarrange your household too much, but I think the girls and myself will go to the hotel to-night. HENRY. The hotel. BRADFORD. Why ? MRS. WATERMAN. Oh ! Do you really think so. FULTON. I wish to start very early for Phila delphia with both the girls and HENRY. But we ve an engagement at nine in the morning Miss Miss Kitteridge and I. MRS. WATERMAN. Where? HENRY. (To FULTON) Police court. ( ESTELLE goes to big chair R., and sits weeping and partly overcome by the strain. BRADFORD goes to her sympathetically and annoyed with the others.) MRS. WATERMAN. (Up R. c. To HENRY) She s bewitched poor Cliff. I ve seen it all along. 102 THE OTHER GIRL FULTON. (c. ) In the police court. rn. (Pause) m. BRADFORD. That part of it we men can consult about later. This girl must have what rest is still possible to her to-night. Come, come, Estelle. (Lifts ESTELLE from chair) (Enter KID. He puts his finger to his lips as he closes LUMLEY S door. ESTELLE stands at chair.) KID. (c.) Sh He s asleep all right, but he made me promise to stable my machine and then come back, if you people don t mind. You see, if I can square it with him and I ve got him a go in all right, I can fix it with the copper, because he was kickin himself all over the station after he found out / was the man he d run in. Then we can spar for wind in the Police Court. BRADFORD. I ll go with you, Kid, and we ll walk back together. KID. Good. MRS. WATERMAN. (Expostulating) Oh, Cliff dear. FULTON. There ll be twenty reporters waiting for that man. There were half a dozen when I dismissed the cab. BRADFORD. My idea exactly. The Kid will re turn here as the instructor of Doctor Bradford, not as a person interested in either of the young ladies. FULTON. Is his return necessary? BRADFORD. Advisable ? FULTON. (Down L. c.) I regret it. (Indig nantly) Police Court! (To KID) Do you know, sir, that I ve never been in such a place in my life. KID. (c.) You ve played in great luck, Gover nor. (Goes up R. and then down R.) BRADFORD. But before I go, I must insist that Miss Kitteridge retires. ESTELLE. Good-night. THE OTHER GIRL 103 FULTON. One moment, Estelle. As matters still stand, I think you had better not share the room to-night with Catherine. ESTELLE. Oh oh ! (BRADFORD turns away in restraint.) MRS. WATERMAN. (Aside to BRADFORD) The man s right, Cliff dear. FULTON. At the hotel we can have separate apartments and MRS. WATERMAN. No, no, Mr. Fulton, I ll take Estelle to my room (To ESTELLE) But I shall, my dear. I fear I ve been a very poor chaperone as it is but it s never too late to mend, as Cliff is always saying to his helpless parishioners. (Ex- fends hand) BRADFORD. My room will be unoccupied, Mattie. I have some writing that will keep me here in the library. ESTELLE. (To FULTON) But please don t keep me away from Catherine to-night. She s my one girl friend I can explain to her, Mr. Fulton, and if she understands me, you you ll take Cath erine s word, won t you, and not ask we any more? FULTON. Xo, no ! I must be firm, Estelle. I am both father and mother to Catherine you must not only not share her room but until every suspicion of guilt is removed from your conduct of to-night all companionship between you must cease. ESTELLE. Mr. Fulton, you may believe me rash or foolish but you can t think that I m a depraved woman. (Pause) Oh do I seem that way to the others? (Turns) Doctor Bradford (Pause) (BRADFORD looks at KID, who has nudged him in his amusement. KID slowly winks and grins. BRADFORD bursts into uncontrollable laughter. 104 THE OTHER GIRL the others regard BRADFORD in amazement. BRADFORD goes to ESTELLE, who is also amazed, and takes her hand. He then pats her head in a soothing manner as though she were a mis understood child. MRS. WATERMAN has gone to HENRY in pantomime fear that BRADFORD is crazy. The KID stands still and grins. BRAD- FOTD S laughter continues in bursts. He locks arms with the KID they exeunt. The others stand amazed.) Curtain ACT III The dining-room. Glass doors R. and L. at back. Left one broken, but both curtained at beginning. Buffet L. Side table between windows. Door to pantry 3 R. Door to house ist R. Screen below pantry door. Big dining table c. Handsome furniture generally. DISCOVERED: Dark stage empty Long pause An electric bell rings in pantry. Pause. Bell repeats impatiently. A match flickers at I R. and goes out. KID. (Off) Wait a minute, I ve got another. BRADFORD. Thank you. (Light of second match) We re all right now. The button s just here. (Turns electric button. Big lamp over table lights up) Servants apparently not down yet. KID. Did you tell him? BRADFORD. Yes listen ! (Pause. Looks at ceil ing) I thought I heard somebody overhead. KID. (Also looking up) That his room? THE OTHER GIRL 105 BRADFORD. No that s the library. He s just across the hall. KID. What s he say? What d you tell him? BRADFORD. I told him it was your automobile that hurt him and that you d meant to tell him so yourself. KID. I started to half a dozen times. BRADFORD. He understands your hesitation. He wants to se you. KID. Now? (BRADFORD nods. Bell rings) That him? BRADFORD. Yes, and he said he d like a cup of coffee. KID. I d like one myself. (E.rit BRADFORD 3 R. The KID sits on chair R. 2 and doses as BRADFORD looks about outside Bell rings. KID jumps to center on guard as at the beginning of a round in a fight Laughs foolishly at his mistake. BRADFORD re-enters) Well would you go see him now if you were me? BRADFORD. I think I should. (Enter MAGGIE) Where are the servants, Maggie ? MAGGIE. They re discharged, sir. BRADFORD. Oh, and the breakfast? MAGGIE. I don t know, sir. BRADFORD. I smell coffee. MAGGIE. I made some myself, sir, on the little gas stove. BRADFORD. I d like a cup of it for Mr. Lumley. (Bell rings) MAGGIE. Yes, sir. I ll answer Mrs. Waterman! (Exit i R.) KID. (Anxiously) I ll wait and take his coffee to him, eh? BRADFORD. Yes, if you wish to. (Consults watch) Seven o clock, we breakfast at eight. (Draws curtain of window R. Strong sunlight enters) 106 THE OTHER GIRL KID. Where d she break it? BRADFORD. It wasn t that window, it was this. (Draws curtain of L. window disclosing breaks of lower panes} KID. Gee whiz ! She mixed it up all right, didn t she? BRADFORD. James hasn t even swept up the pieces. (Looks about for something to put the glass in takes glass fruit bowl from buffet, with a little fruit in it) KID. (Down R. c.) Women are as bad as men when they get started, I think. My barkeeper s girl came in one morning after he d forgot to come home and she broke all the glassware you could reach with an umbrella, and then drummed tunes on the cash register till his business for that day showed forty thousand dollars. Here, let me do that, Doctor! (Picks up glass) BRADFORD. Thank you, if you will. (Enter ESTELLE, R. i.) ESTELLE. Oh! Why, am I so early? BRADFORD. (Turning) Good-morning! ESTELLE. Good-morning ! KID. (Standing and nodding) How are you? BRADFORD. I believe there s a strike this morning in the kitchen and pantry? (KiD resumes work.) ESTELLE. (Indicating window) It seems to have reached this room. BRADFORD. It began in this room. ESTELLE. Oh ! BRADFORD. But Mr. Sheldon and I don t belong to the union. (Comes down) ESTELLE. You look tired, Doctor Bradford; it THE OTHER GIRL 107 was unspeakably selfish in me to take your room from you. BRADFORD. (Stroking his face and adjusting his collar) This is not fatigue, Miss Kitteridge. It is negligence. The couch in the library is most com fortable, believe me ! (Enter MAGGIE, R.) MAGGIE. Will Mr. Lumley want anything else, sir? BRADFORD. I think not at first. (Pushes button, turning out electrolier) MAGGIE. Yes, sir! (E.rit L.) ESTELLE. (Anxiously) How is he? BRADFORD. All right I hope. He s able to turn over and he wants coffee. ESTELLE. (R. c.) You saw him this morning? BRADFORD. Yes; Mr. Sheldon was with him all night. ESTELLE. Does he know it was who it was? BRADFORD. He knows it was Mr. Sheldon and in all my experience I have never seen anyone so anxious to comply with the scriptural injunction: " Do good to them that injure thee ". ESTELLE. (Quizzically) Is that due to his ad miration for your precepts, Doctor? BRADFORD. (Pause) Mr. Sheldon s biceps! ESTELLE. Oh ! KID. (Rising with fruit bowl of broken glass) Do you want to hide this bunch of stuff, or put it in the show window? (Crosses down L.) BRADFORD. Set it there (Buffet) the maid will throw it away ! KID. " Throw it aivay ! " Why, I know a fel low in the vaudeville that eats broken glass. This platefull d feed a poor man like him for a week. (Glances from BRADFORD to ESTELLE. ESTELLE gives BRADFORD a quick glance, bites her lips in io8 THE OTHER GIRL restraint and exit at pantry door, R. 3. Both men smile mutually, KID puts bowl on buffet) BRADFORD. (Leaning on table, c.) That s an example, Kid, of what I meant in our walk last night. Life is too much of a joke with you. The twenty dollar bill you were about to burn will re lieve some suffering Miss Kitteridge will see that it does. She s in earnest and the window and the poor chap upstairs still jokes to you! KID. Oh, no, it ain t! I m dead sorry for him. Every time he woke up he commenced to gab about " his Catherine ". BRADFORD. As I told you and when the mere physical influence that you exert is away, her entire heart will be his also. KID. You re right. I got onto that in the library. (Pause) Women are that way! Out West one time before I d fought as a professional there was a girl playin about even between me and an other boxer. BRADFORD. A pugilist? KID. (Nodding "yes") Pretty work but he didn t like the gruel so we agreed to fight for the girl see ? BRADFORD. All unknown to her, of course? KID. (Laughing (( not much") She held the watch for us and called time. BRADFORD. The girl? Is it possible? KID. Oh, yes. Well, there bein a lady present, you see I thought I d make it short. The other fellow wanted to cut some " figure eights " and that sort of " fancy work ", but I got to his gold fillings in the middle of the second and it was " Sunday " for him. BRADFORD. (Assenting) Out! KID. Clean ! I turned around to collect the girl, and she wasn t there. Not her ! She was down on THE OTHER GIRL 109 the ground with the pretty boy s head in her lap and I wasn t one two three! BRADFORD. She was a more womanly girl than you thought, wasn t she? KID. A good deal. It was all I could do to get back the watch. Well, when this Johnny upstairs fainted in that big chair last night, I saw who owned " his Catherine." BRADFORD. Of course you did ! Her genuine sympathy at that time commanded my respect also. KID. My business teaches a fellow one thing, Doctor If you can t win, be a good loser! BRADFORD. And do be a good loser, Kid, in this affair. Lumley s great admiration for you makes any trifling with Miss Fulton all the more blame worthy. You see that, don t you? KID. Oh, I ve scratched that. I never fooled with any fellow s girl in my life. (Pause) After I d once shook hands with him. BRADFORD. That s a good rule. Kid ; there s only one better. Never fool with any fellow s girl, whether you ve shook hands with him or not. KID. It wasn t all fooling with this one. BRADFORD. What was it? KID. You see, everybody says a fighter ain t a gentleman. BRADFORD. (Controlling his wish to smile) I m familiar with that prejudice. KID. Well, here s a girl that has her picture in the paper if she goes to the horse show ; and her picture in the paper because she s goin to marry one of the richest men in New York a society queen. Now, anybody that catches her has got to be a gentleman, ain t he? And when I saw it com ing my way, I said : " I ll just steal this one and they ll all have to sit up and stop talking. Jeffries may be a shine and all the rest of them a chip i io THE OTHER GIRL shy but Kid Garvey Sheldon will be a real gentle man fighter, see? BRADFORD. (Seriously, shaking his head) I don t agree with you, Kid. It s the things a man does in his conduct not whom he marries. Your be havior since your auto run over Mr. Lumley has been much more the work of a gentleman than stealing even a society queen. Trying to protect the young lady s name ; coming promptly to me with the facts ; sitting up all night with Lumley that s the gentlemanly behavior. KID. Why, I did that just to be kind to you and him. BRADFORD. Well, kindness, my boy, is the chief mark of the gentleman. KID. Kindness? (BRADFORD nods) Then I should think a preacher d be a gentleman. BRADFORD. Many of them are. KID. Well, you re one all right, Doc. Because a man that was only a preacher d think he was due to turn me down so hard on account of this girl busi ness that he wouldn t speak to me now would he? BRADFORD. I fear that is a mistake that the man who was only a gentleman would be more likely to make than the preacher. My business teaches a fellow one thing also KID. What is it? BRADFORD. If you can t help a man, be very slow, to condemn him. (Enter ESTELLE, followed by MAGGIE with tray.) ESTELLE. I ve put some melon on Mr. Lumley s tray, Doctor. He probably has some fever and BRADFORD. Good but, Maggie (MAGGIE pauses) Mr. Sheldon wishes to take it to him. MAGGIE. Yes, sir. (Gives tray and exit ) KID. (With tray) You re sure he wants to see me, Doctor? THE OTHER GIRL in BRADFORD. Quite. KID. I wish I was sure I want to see him. (Exit) (ESTELLE and BRADFORD regard each other a mo ment. ESTELLE drops her eyes) BRADFORD. You saved her, didn t you ? ESTELLE. (Looking up) I hope so but have I? BRADFORD. Yes, you and the fortunate accident to poor Lumley. You ve saved her from a great scandal and a greater unhappiness. ESTELLE. She couldn t have been happy with him ? BRADFORD. Impossible. It was his vanity not his love that she appealed to. ESTELLE. And it was her youth and well her youth that made her like him and he really was very attractive when you were wrestling out there you both are. BRADFORD. Thank you! ESTELLE. Well, you knew it, didn t you? Men wouldn t allow ladies to watch them in their athletics if they thought they appeared to disadvantage. BRADFORD. I suppose not! ESTELLE. He won t try to take her away again, will he? BRADFORD. No, and if he did, Catherine wouldn t go. She has discovered that her love for Reginald is real. ESTELLE. If the truth can be kept from Reginald I shall feel repaid for any misfortune that may come to me. BRADFORD. No misfortune shall come to you. ESTELLE. If we could only put some creditable color on it to Mr. Fulton. I have valued his good opinion so highly. H2 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. What creditable color did you place on it for my sister? ESTELLE. None. That s the reason I took your room. If I d have shared hers I m sure I d have told her everything. Mrs. Waterman s such a masterful woman. BRADFORD. And why not tell everything? ESTELLE. I wanted to think it over. I wanted to counsel with somebody. I didn t know \vhom. I never dreamed that you knew until until it amused you so much. BRADFORD. (Smiling) You must remember that I have a cultivated taste for amusement ESTELLE. How did you know? BRADFORD. (Pointing to door of balcony) I was there. ESTELLE. (Inhaling and shaking head ominously) Catherine is all impulse at the first moment of any emotion all impulse. BRADFORD. Mattie fetched those doors from Rome. ESTELLE. Oh, I m so sorry. (Pause) She knew Catherine did it? BRADFORD. No. But she probably does by this time. I told Mr. Waterman last night and Mattie s a very masterful woman. ESTELLE. Did you tell him why I went in the automobile ? BRADFORD. (First shaking his head) I shall tell him this morning. ESTELLE. Is it wise to do so? BRADFORD. I don t know. But it s human. And that s a luxury that I occasionally insist upon. ESTELLE. But why should he know it ? BRADFORD. / live with him. ESTELLE. I don t understand you. BRADFORD. There s one qualification for the THE OTHER GIRL 113 ministry that a clergyman must have and must per mit no one to successfully challenge. ESTELLE. What is that? BRADFORD. His intelligence. (Pause. ESTELLE shakes her head, not comprehending) I m going to tell my sister and her husband this morning that I ve asked Estelle Kitteridge to be my wife and I don t want them to think that I d have done that if her greater inclination was to elope with a pugilist. (Takes her hand) ESTELLE. (Looking down) But you haven t asked her. BRADFORD. I shall have done so by the time I tell them I have. (Draws her to him) And she? She will have probably answered? ESTELLE. (Standing hint off) That depends. You know, Doctor, in our talk last evening on the porch BRADFORD. Ves ESTELLE. \Vhat I wanted to s?y wa^ that I d kind a " loukcl ,// to you." BRADFORD. [ understood you. ESTELLE. \Yhat I did say was that " I d tried to move toward the ideals you d expressed." BRADFORD. I remember the phrase perfectly. ESTELLE. So do I. "Move tow ard the ideals." You know I don t talk that way as a general thing and I couldn t promise to be your wife if I had to be as as literar\ as that all the time I couldn t stand the strain of it. BRADFORD. (Laughing) \Yhy, you dear girl, you shall be as natural as you wish. ESTELLE. Thank you ! (He starts to embrace her) No, wait one word about the charities. I love all kinds of charitable work simply love it as a pastime. I shouldn t like to look forward to a life of it and a minister s wife runs that risk, doesn t she? u 4 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. This minister s wife won t. Noiu may I tell them? ESTELLE. What? BRADFORD. That you ve said "yes"? , ESTELLE. No nothing, until everything between Reggie and Catherine is fixed all right. BRADFORD. But you do say " yes ", don t you ? ESTELLE. Yes! (Embrace) (Enter ANN.) ANN. My lands ! He has the other one now ! (Exit) (Enter KID with hat, R. i.) KID. Excuse me, but (Pause) BRADFORD. (Releasing ESTELLE) How is he? KID. (Perplexed) The old gent dropped in BRADFORD. Who ? KID. The girl s governor ! BRADFORD. Mr. Fulton. KID. Yes. BRADFORD. To Mr. Lumley s room? KID. Yes Mr. Lumley thought it was funny to tell him that it was my machine that hit him and all about it, but the old gent wouldn t shift a wrinkle so Lumley ups and asks him why he was pullin such a sour mug- BRADFORD. (Prompting) Yes- KID. (Half throwing up his hands) Well the old gent blows everything. Your lady s name and the bag and the whole business. BRADFORD. (Indignantly) What! KID. Just as I m tellin you and that Miss Kit- teridge can t train with his girl any more so I backed into my corner and ducked under the ropes. (Consults watch) It s nearly eight now and I ve THE OTHER GIRL 115 gol: to pump round a good deal before nine so I ll quit you. (Goes up) BRADFORD. But you ve had no breakfast. KID. That s all right. I ll catch a cup of coffee and a sinker on the wing (Pause) What you said last night, goes ; don t it ? BRADFORD. It does indeed. (Km extends hand and they shake.) KID. (At door up-stage approvingly) Say Miss Kitteridge! Anybody in your class You! (E.vit) ESTELLE. Y\ hat did he mean by that ? BRADFORD. I took it to be your professional rat ing. (Re-enter MAGGIE from pantry.) MAGGIE. Pardon me but Mrs. \Yaterman says for me to set the table. (Goes to buffet drawer for clothe) BRADFORD. Very well, Maggie. ESTELLE. I ll help you. MAGGIE. Oh, no, miss. (MAGGIE removes center piece from mahogany table) BRADFORD. I have your permission, Miss Kit teridge to invade my room a moment in order to ESTELLE. You ll find it in order, doctor. BRADFORD. And I take orders easily. (Exit) MAGGIE. (As ESTELLE takes table cloth) This pad goes first. Miss. ESTELLE. (Taking table pad) Can t I do this alone, Maggie, while you re getting the breakfast. MAGGIE. (Assisting) Thank you. I ll help you with the cloth and then I will go to the kitchen if ii6 THE OTHER GIRL you don t mind. And its the blue china from the pantry for breakfast. ESTELLE. Oh, / know Maggie. MAGGIE. And the egg cups, Miss boiled eggs are the quickest and we re all that late already ESTELLE. To be sure No, run right along and leave me with these little things. MAGGIE. (Going) Thank you, Miss Kitteridge. (Enter CATHERINE L.) MAGGIE. Oh, Miss Catherine I hope you re bet ter. CATHERINE. Much better thank you, Maggie. (MAGGIE bows and goes) Estelle ! ESTELLE. (Quickly to her) My poor Catherine. (Embrace) Don t my dear, I m sure everything s going to come out all right everything! CATHERINE. What about Reginald. ESTELLE. (Expansively) Why he s had break fast and he can sit up. CATHERINE. Who took it to him you? ESTELLE. Mr. Sheldon. CATHERINE. He s been here all night, hasn t he? ESTELLE. (Tentatively) Yes CATHERINE. Oh, Estelle, what made me behave in that crazy manner. I crept down to their door last night and could hear them talking. Reginald and him talking, talking mechanical terms: " Horse power " and " upper cuts " and " just saved by the bell " and I wonder at myself ; Reggie s words were so musical and genteel and that man s seemed so common oh, why did I do it? ESTELLE. It doesn t matter now why Compose yourself Catherine and help me at the table. There s some trouble wtih the servants. THE OTHER GIRL 117 CATHERINE. That s my fault too. Oh, I haven t slept an hour all night Estelle. ESTELLE. Never mind put some of those tum blers about while I get the blue plates from the pantry. (Exit) CATHERINE. (At buffet L.) What s all this in the fruit dish? (Enter MRS. WATERMAN. Turns with plate) Why the fruit is full of broken glass. MRS. WATERMAN. Is it? CATHERINE. Yes (Extends plate) MRS. WATERMAN. Don t you know where it came from, my dear? That broken glass. CATHERINE. (Really ignorant) Why no. MRS. WATERMAN. (Points to door) From the Palace of the Medicis. CATHERINE. Why the door is broken. Did I Oh, Mrs. Waterman. Did / do that? MRS. WATERMAN. (Enter ESTELLE with plates) You must have been vcr\ frightened not to have known it my dear Who locked you out? ESTELLE. I did, Mrs. Waterman. (Comes down ) MRS. WATERMAN. Oh, Miss Kitteridge. Just before you you went for your drive, I suppose. ESTELLE. Yes, but we will explain all that Mrs. \Yaterman, we ll explain everything when the gentle men are all gone. MRS. WATERMAN. Dear me! (Pause) Is it really so so piquant as that? (Goes to set dish down) CATHERINE. (Hurt by "piquant") Estelle! ESTELLE. (Comforting) Cheer up, dear please. (Arm about her) (Enter FULTON.) ^ FULTON. (Shocked at sight of CATHERINE in ESTELLES arms) Catherine come here. (ESTELLE n8 THE OTHER GIRL leaves CATHERINE. FULTON takes CATHERINE. To ESTELLE) Did I hear you at Catherine s door this morning, Estelle? ESTELLE. (Busy at table) No I sent Maggie for some of my things. You probably heard her. FULTON. Oh (Apart to MRS. WALTERMAN) There s a degree of composure that amounts to callousness, isn t there. MRS. WATERMAN. Isn t there? (Shrugging shoulders askance at ESTELLE) We are without a butler this morning, Mr. Fulton ; and a cook I be lieve. (CATHERINE turns to buffet and gets tumblers.} FULTON. I readily understand it and sympathize Mrs. Waterman did you learn which of them broke your door. (ESTELLE and CATHERINE pause. MRS. WATERMAN signals silence on that subject and FULTON dissembles) Oh, believe me, I like it. (Again, apart) I ve been utterly mistaken in that girl. (To MRS. WATERMAN. Then to CATHERINE) Now, Catherine darling, be as brave and as womanly as you know how to be. (Turns to MRS. WATER MAN) Mr. Lumley is coming down stairs, Mrs. W aterman. MRS. WATERMAN. (Apprehensively) Oh! FULTON. He wishes to dispel the family s anxiety by being with us. MRS. WATERMAN. Why Catherine, dear, you needn t do that. CATHERINE. Yes please I wish to do it. (Ar ranging table things with ESTELLE) (Enter MAGGIE.) MAGGIE. The breakfast is ready ma m shall we wait for Mr. Waterman? THE OTHER GIRL 119 MRS. WATERMAN. Xo He said not to (Exit MAGGIE) sit down please Mr. Fulton and young ladies. We don t need so many things, I m sure. (Sits) ESTELLE. I will in a moment. (E.vit to pantry. CATHERINE sits.) FULTON. (Looking after ESTELLE then speaking to CATHERINE) My dear a little more reserve with Estelle (To MRS. WATERMAN) Do you understand that assurance. (MRS. WATERMAN, shrucjs. To CATHERINE) A little more reserve. (Sits) CATHERINE. Xo father I can t you don t know HENRY. (Outside i R.) Not too fast not too fast (Appears I R.) Good-mornin everybody Mr. Lumley my dear He wanted to send for his own clothes, but I said " Why it s all in the family " Come in, Reginald. (Enter LUMLEY in a business suit and linen of HENRY S arranged for comedy. FULTON rises. CATHERINE pushes chair from table.) LUMLEY. (Apologising) You know, a dress suit at breakfast even a clean dress suit looks dissipated so (Displays his wake-up) MRS. WATERMAN. Why that s very good indeed Reginald sit there. LUMLEY. Xo, I ve had my breakfast. CATHERINE. (Offering another chair) But sit here by me won t you? LUMLEY. (Indicating clothes) These don t dis qualify me? (Sits near her) CATHERINE. Of course they don t won t you have a glass of water? 120 THE OTHER GIRL LUMLEY. Thank you. (CATHERINE pours out the water) I ll take a mouthful and perhaps a bite just a bite of fruit. HENRY. Fruit! (Takes dish from buffet) Oh! MRS. WATERMAN. Not that, Henry. (HENRY crosses with it to R.) LUMLEY. Glace isn t it? (Drinks) MRS. WATERMAN. (Smiling through set teeth) Yes quite. HENRY. (Despairingly at LUMLEY) Glace! Still very weak ha, ha ! (Enter ESTELLE with melon and dishes.) ESTELLE. Why, Mr. Lufcley! LUMLEY. (Rising) Good-morning. CATHERINE. Please keep your seat. ESTELLE. I m so glad to see you able to do this but are you strong enough really? LUMLEY. Oh, yes. FULTON. (To MRS. WATERMAN, and referring to ESTELLE S composure) Incredible! LUMLEY. Of course I look a trifle emaciated in this outfit but How are you doctor. (Looking to door i R.) (Enter BRADFORD.) BRADFORD. Hello Reggie! Isn t this rather heroic. (They meet in front of table) LUMLEY. The clothes are collossal but I thought / should be at this breakfast at all hazards (Enter MAGGIE with coffee pot.) MRS. WATERMAN. Here s the coffee sit down Cliff. THE OTHER GIRL 121 CATHERINE. (To LUMLEY) Please. (Leads him to chair again. Bell rings) (M AGGIE exit.) rlEXRY. What s that? MRS. WATERMAN. Front door probably Here is some iced melon Catherine I m sure Reggie will like that. CATHERINE. Yes (Gets a piece for LUMLEY) MRS. WATERMAN. (Insincerely and insinuat ingly) Sit down, Estelle dear. ESTELLE. Have you everything you need? MRS. WATERMAN. Oh, yes, thank you! LUMLEY. I had one piece of this before before I made my toilet. BRADFORD. Yes, Miss Kitteridge sent it to you. LUMLEY. I knew it was some good friend. ( FULTON looks at MRS. WATERMAN.) CATHERINE. And it was. ( FULTON looks at CATERINE, in surprise. Enter MAGGIE i R.) MAGGIE. Judge Bates, ma m! HENRY. Ask the judge to step up here. MAGGIE. Yes, sir. (Exit) LUMLEY. Judge Newton Bates? BRADFORD. Yes. LUMLEY. I haven t seen Judge Bates since I was at Yale. BRADFORD. (Grunting) m. (MRS. WATERMAN coughs.) CATHERINE. Was Judge Bates at Yale? LUMLEY. (With meaning) He was when I saw him last. So was Doctor Bradford. 122 THE OTHER GIRL FULTON. Why I thought you were a Harvard man, Doctor? BRADFORD. (Nods) My dear Reginald, aren t we on tender ground. LUMLEY. Perhaps. (To CATHERINE) Didn t you ever hear how Doctor Bradford and Judge Bates went to New Haven to see me? CATHERINE. No. LUMLEY. Nor read it in the papers? . CATHERINE. No. (Enter JUDGE with morning papers.) JUDGE. Good-morning. OMNES. (In character) Good-morning, Judge! JUDGE. (Full of his news) Do you know who the man was that we run over last night? BRADFORD. Yes, we ve got him here. JUDGE. (Astonished} What! LUMLEY. How are you, Judge Bates. Haven t seen you since New Haven (Half rises) JUDGE. Why, Mr. Lumley, this is astonishing. You re in bed for several weeks according to the papers. It didn t injure you? LUMLEY. Thank you, no. BRADFORD. Doesn t even hurt his feelings since he learned who did it. JUDGE. (Turning to ESTELLE slowly) Oh Oh! ESTELLE. What do the papers do with me, Judge ? JUDGE. Not mentioned. FULTON. Nor nor m\ family? JUDGE. Not at all. FULTON. Ah ! (In relief) BRADFORD. You have all the papers? JUDGE. All. That reporter fellow brought them to me to show that he d done as he promised he would. I offered him a check for his services but THE OTHER GIRL 123 hi -" r~~L ~~ J BRADFORD. Thank you. (JUDGE puts papers on table.) THE OTHER GIRL 123 he refused it His only request was that I should show the papers to you. (To BRADFORD) LUMLEV. Cheer up, doctor. BRADFORD. I! Do I seem unhappy? LUMLEY. Yes, you do, and the whole matter is less serious than you think. You ll pardon me, Miss Kitteridge but this seems a very opportune moment for me to make certain statements. (To JUDGE) The Kid sat up with me last night. JUDGE. Sheldon. LUMLEV. (Very seriously) Yes. He said a great many things about his influence over women that I didn t understand at all seemed mere boast ing and vanity until Mr. Fulton told me this morn- that well who the lady was that Sheldon had with him. JUDGE. The papers all agree Miss Morrison. LUMLEY. (Smiling) I understand. Now all I want to say is, and what he meant me to under stand was, that a person man or woman can be carried away temporarily by such an admiration as the Kid would inspire why he s the best man we ve got of his weight. \Yhy shouldn t that side of him attract a girl? ESTELLE. Thank you, Mr. Lumley. CATHERINE. (Pained) Oh Estelle don t. ( FULTON indignant.) LUMLEY. What s the matter? CATHERINE. (Rising) Excuse me, please. (Starts off) LUMLEY. (Pleading) Just a word, Catherine. FULTON. (Arresting her) My dear! 124 THE OTHER GIRL LUMLEY. You know doctor, what men are under similiar influences and you know what there worth afterwards So does the Judge ESTELLE. Mr. Lumley is tiring himself I can LUMLEY. (Faintly) Perhaps CATHERINE. (Returning) Then please don t, Reginald. You don t understand the situation at all. LUMLEY. Maybe not but let us all be charitable. (To BRADFORD) You did me a great service that time at New Haven doctor and now I ll do you one in spite of yourself. BRADFORD. Thank you, Reginald I know you mean it. HENRY. But I m sure we shouldn t permit Reginald to say any more just now. LUMLEY. (Indicating BRADFORD) Then let him tell it himself or the judge. I want Mr. Fulton and his daughter to know it They should have known it before. CATHERINE. What is it? LUMLEY. (Positively) Tell her! BRADFORD. (Pause) Reginald at college was quite the average college boy in many ways especially the young man at college spoiled by too much money. LUMLEY. Oh, I was wilder than the average. BRADFORD. He became involved in an affair (To MRS. WATERMAN) I think we called them affairs? (MRS. WATERMAN nods) with a girl in the chorus (Pause, CATHERINE looks down) That s all isn t it? MRS. WATERMAN. Why of course, it isn t all, Cliff or the affair would still be going on. Tell the extent of it now that you ve started and what stopped it. BRADFORD. The Judge stopped it. THE OTHER GIRL 125 JUDGE. (Smiling) Oh, I think you stopped it, Doctor I settled it. BRADFORD. Yes the Judge "settled it"- He paid the girl some money and got back Reggie s letters and I went with Reggie s mother and per suaded Reggie to quit following the opera company around and go back and finish out his term at Col lege. Now that s all of it, isn t it? LUMLEY. (Pause) Yes and that was a good deal worse than this little flyer last night. BRADFORD. Of course, but men expect women to forgive them they are seldom equal themselves to forgiving women. LUMLEY. They should be and a man of your calling above all others. BRADFORD. So you say my dear Reginald when you re advising me. Suppose you were in my posi tion You. LUMLEY. (With heroism) I ! Why then CATHERINE. (Standing up) Oh, stop stop. It s cruel of you Doctor Bradford \ou, the only one who knows, to make Mr. Lumlev commit him self LUMLEY. (Deprecatingly) My dear Catherine, it was all in the newspapers at the time thinly dis guised CATHERINE. Not what I mean. It was / Cath erine Fulton who was going with Mr. Sheldon last night. Estelle locked me out there and took my place see the door where I broke it. (In a burst) and now I m going out of the room. BRADFORD. (Stopping her) One moment where are you going? CATHERINE. Let me go please let me go. BRADFORD. Yes, in a moment. I m learning, Miss Catherine, that your first impulses are some times unsafe. FULTON. (Sternly) I ll take her, Doctor Brad- 126 THE OTHER GIRL ford. (Does so. BRADFORD, goes to LUMLEY) Catherine ! Catherine ! I wish you to control your self my daughter we have some apologies to make here. LUMLEY. (Rising) Rot! This isn t any time for apologies. I ve been all through this myself (Waves FULTON aside puts his arm about CATH ERINE who still cries convulsively starts out at R., she halts, looks at him an instant and buries her face in his breast with an added burst. LUMLEY gulps, looks back at the others, softly waves his left hand twice as if fanning them back) (E.vit zvith CATHERINE.) FULTON. (Pause) You kneiv? (To BRADFORD. BRADFORD, nods) m. (Looks about) Everybody knew ? BRADFORD. Only Miss Kitteridge. FULTON. Oh. (Turns to ESTELLE) What did she say " you took her place," Estelle ? ESTELLE. Yes, Mr. Fulton. JUDGE. (Slowly) Well well. FULTON. She was really going away (ESTELLE nods) with that prise fighter? (To BRADFORD) BRADFORD. (Comfortingly) The best man in the world in his class. FULTON. (Mildly) And my God! (Pause) what a class (To ESTELLE) is she in love with him? ESTELLE. Not now no. FULTON. Has there been any any dreadfully compromising thing ESTELLE. No ! FULTON, m. (Pause. Goes to ESTELLE) My dear Estelle (Pause) My dear Estelle! (Turns to others) What can I say to this noble girl? JUDGE. (With watch) You might tell her it s THE OTHER GIRL 127 time to go to the police court That s what I came to say to her. BRADFORD. That s not necessary, now, is it? There ll be no complaint. JUDGE. We were released from the Poilce Station last night under bond to appear this morning. FULTON. We ll forfeit the bond forfeit it. Pay anything what is it? JUDGE. It is m\ word. The young lady was re leased on my personal promise to produce her in court this morning. It will only be an appearance, my dear probably not have to say anything. BRADFORD. I shall go with you. (Easily to ESTELLE) It doesn t matter, my dear. MRS. WATERMAN. Is Estelle s name in the police record ? JUDGE. No, we appear under an alias. BRADFORD. An alias? JUDGE. Yes. The Kid in the fulness of his ex perience gave a fictitious name. FULTON. Then why must Estelle go? A ficti tious name? JUDGE. The name is fictitious, but it calls for a real girl. FULTON. Ah well we can at least bear our part of the consequences. If any girl will do Catherine shall go. (To door} ESTELLE. Oh, no, Mr. Fulton. FULTON. (Firmly) Yes. (Exit) BRADFORD. (To JUDGE) What will be the char acter of the the exercises in the police court i JUDGE. The proceeding? BRADFORD. Yes. JUDGE. They ll call out the case we appear ESTELLE. Do I say " present " or just hold up my hand ? JUDGE. Neither. You come up to the bar or rail- 128 THE OTHER GIRL ing with me. I do the talking for our side unless of course you should be put on the stand. BRADFORD. Is that likely? JUDGE. Not unless your pugilistic friend disputes the testimony of the policeman who will be the only complaining witness if Lumley stays away. HENRY. Well, ask him not to dispute it. JUDGE. I shall. But I believe that he s profes sionally disposed to rebuttal isn t he? BRADFORD. What is the punishment? JUDGE. I haven t read the ordinance. Some fine probably. HENRY. I ll pay the fine if he ll keep still. (KiD and MYRTLE appear at glass door KID knocks.) MRS. WATERMAN. This is the man now, isn t it? BRADFORD. Yes. (HENRY goes to door.) MRS. WATERMAN. Why doesn t he ring the front bell? HENRY. He s always used the tradesman s entrance, my dear. (Opens door) Come in, Mr. Sheldon. KID. (Entering) My friend Miss Myrtle Mor rison Mr. Waterman. (Introducing) HENRY. (Bowing) Miss Morrison. KID. ( With pride ) The " head liner " at Keith s. HENRY. Pleased to meet you. KID. (Still introducing) Mrs. Waterman! the minister s sister. MYRTLE. Good-morning. MRS. WATERMAN. Good-morning. MYRTLE. I feel like a " Reuben " coming in the THE OTHER GIRL 129 back way, but Mr. Sheldon seemed so very much at home I hope you ll excuse me. BRADFORD. (Advancing} Quite right. Good- morning. MYRTLE. Good-morning, Doctor. BRADFORD. May I present Miss Kitteridge? MYRTLE. How are you? BRADFORD. Miss Kitteridge is the lady who was in Mr. Sheldon s automobile last night when MYRTLE. (Freezing up. To BRADFORD) Yes, I ve heard (To ESTELLE) Do you know Mr. Sheldon pretty well? ESTELLE. I can t say that I do ! I ve met him only occasionally here when he has come to to assist Doctor Bradford. KID. (With an.viotts honesty) Just as I tell you, Myrtle. (To others) We came in the back way really, to see them two mattresses she thought the whole story was a steer. You know that ring I lost wrestling with you, Doctor? (Steady gaze at BRADFORD) BRADFORD. (Returning gaze) No, I don t re member it. (Pause. KID smiles tolerantly) Do I ? KID. Of course you do. Two rubies and a pale sapphire. BRADFORD. I remember the ring Oh, yes. KID. Well I lost it wrestling out there with you. BRADFORD. Oh. KID. And coming through the grass this morn ing there it was Myrtle saw it herself. Show it to them Myrtle. MYRTLE. (To all) Oh, yes just there by the railing but now really, would any girl swallow that story at first (Then to KID) And you know your self Kid you ve handed me a few with alfalfa on em (Shirty to ESTELLE) Did you tell him 1 30 THE OTHER GIRL you wanted an automobile to take flowers to sick people ? KID. (Quickly) I didn t say she said so, Myrtle that was just my guess at a minister s lady. (To BRADFORD) Didn t you tell me, Doctor, that her strong suit was givin things to the poor? BRADFORD. Yes practically that. KID. (Vindicated) I have to prove everything I tell that girl. (To JUDGE) Didn t I say " Myrtle Morrison" to the sergeant last night? JUDGE. You did. KID. (To MYRTLE plausibly) I don t want my name in the papers with any woman s but yours. (Sees that MYRTLE is regarding the JUDGE fixedly) This is Judge Bates our lawyer (Pause) What s the matter? MYRTLE. Oh! Judge Bates! (Pause) I thought I d seen him some place. Don t you remem ber you collected some money that was due me at New Haven? JUDGE. Perfectly. MYRTLE. (To KID) When I was with Rice. (To JUDGE) I was Sissy Crevecoeur on the bills at that time, but my friends thought that was kind of " ten, twent and thirt " so I changed it. And you re the lady that was with Kid in the choo choo ? (Pause ESTELLE bows) He said you d have to be in court this morning. JUDGE. Yes, and it s time now. MYRTLE. Just time? JUDGE. Yes. MYRTLE. Then wait awhile. It will only help our entrance. (Pause) You know I m going in your place. ESTELLE. (Gladly) Oh, are you? MYRTLE. Yes. BRADFORD. (To JUDGE) Is that possible. MYRTLE. Of course it s possible. Kid s seen the THE OTHER GIRL 131 policeman and squared it with him and who else knows the the difference and I m to be interviewed for the evening papers. I m going to get a doctor s certificate for nerves and cut out to-day s matinee. Don t you worry about me, Miss Kitteridge, I like it. MRS. WATERMAN. It s very amiable of you, I m sure, Miss Miss (Pause) MYRTLE. (To MRS. WATERMAN) Morrison! Not at all. BRADFORD. (To JUDGE) But your personal promise to produce the lady herself. JUDGE. Miss Morrison on the books and as I understand it, that is the lady s name. KID. Certainly I was laying pipe for this last night. MYRTLE. (To ESTELLE) Did you see Henry Miller in " The Only Way "? (ESTELLE shakes her head) Did you? (To MRS. WATERMAN) MRS. WATERMAN. No MYRTLE. Lots of people missed it but it was elegant. He takes another man s place that s goin to be killed He looked so much like the other one that the policeman didn t know him. Oh, I just wished I was a man and could have one chance at that part; and now if I take your place this morn ing, it s the same business exactly. I m afraid it sounds selfish and of course I don t mean it, but we d have appeared in a much more important Court room, if Kid killed the man. (Enter LUMLEY.) LUMLEY. (Seriously) Judge Bates are you quite sure it s necessary to (Pauses seeing KID) Oh! (With coldness and reserves) KID. Why, you re downstairs, ain t you? LUMLEY. (Slowly and with disapproval) Oh, Sheldon, Miss Fulton has told me fullv that 1 32 THE OTHER GIRL BRADFORD. (Interrupting to KID) Miss Fulton is the lady Mr. Lumley introduced to you last night as his fiancee. (Then to LUMLEY) Mr. Sheldon can now reciprocate, Reginald this young lady Miss Crevecoeur (The name strikes LUMLEY) MYRTLE. Morrison now. ( LUMLEY recognises her.) BRADFORD. Yes Morrison now this is Mr. Sheldon s fiancee. LUMLEY. (Slowly) Oh oh How are you? MYRTLE. (A bit nastily) How are you? BRADFORD. You ve probably seen Miss Morrison frequently, being an old theatre goer. LUMLEY. Yes the face is familiar. BRADFORD. And perhaps the manner? Miss Morrison is doing us all a great service, Reginald, She is going to take the place of the lady in the automobile with Mr. Sheldon (Pause) JUDGE. (Pause explains) In court this morn ing. BRADFORD. Yes and elsewhere. KID. (With meaning) I appreciate what you re doing in keeping still, Mr. Lumley. BRADFORD. (To MYRTLE who doesn t under stand) This is the gentleman you ran over. MYRTLE. Him! (BRADFORD nods. MYRTLE gurgles in glee as that rather "evens up" things) KID. (Extending hand) Shake? (Pause as LUMLEY does not respond) BRADFORD. (Persuading) Let s all have some " charity," Reginald. KID. You know I never even met you till last night. BRADFORD. And then informally come Reginald. It isn t as if it were an ordinary scorcher : " The best man in the world in his class ". THE OTHER GIRL 133 LUMLEY. (IVith impulse) You re right. (Takes hand) And I don t blame her we re none of us angels. (Exit) JUDGE. Well, it s time now , isn t it? MYRTLE. Yes. (Starts up) KID. Will you have a seat in the automobile ? JUDGE. Thank you, sir a cab. There are those papers, Doctor. (Km and MYRTLE to back door.) BRADFORD. Thank you. JUDGE. (To HENRY and MRS. WATERMAN) I ll phone the decision, Henry. HENRY. Here or the office? JUDGE. Here. (Exit i R.) MYRTLE. If the Kid don t win it ll be the first decision he ever lost. BRADFORD. Judge Bates is usually successful. (MYRTLE shrugs doubtfully.) KID. One of the biggest lawyers in New York. MYRTLE. (Regretfully) I know; but if we only had Abe Hummell. (Exit with KID. As KID closes door more glass falls MRS. WATERMAN winces.) HENRY. Never mind, Mattie, I ll get you a new one. MRS. WATERMAN. A new one. That was three hundred years old. HENRY. (Sitting) Is the coffee cold? MRS. WATERMAN. Yes. ESTELLE. (Taking pot) I ll get some more. MRS. WATERMAN. No, my dear why should you? I 3 4 THE OTHER GIRL ESTELLE. (With a look at BRADFORD) Why shouldn t I ? BRADFORD. (Taking the coffee pot from her) May I tell them? ESTELLE. If you wish. BRADFORD. Estelle has promised to be my wife. MRS. WATERMAN. (Half pleased and half as tonished) Why, Cliff! BRADFORD. Yes. (Puts arms about ESTELLE) (ANN appears opening back door and dressed to leave.) ANN. My lands ! (Shuts the door Exit more glass falls MR. and MRS. WATERMAN start at the clash) Curtain