UC-NRLF m GIFT OF !: - DOLORES OF THE SIERRA AND OTHER ONE ACT PLAYS DOLORES OF THE SIERRA And Other ONE ACT PLAYS by HARRIET HOLMES HASLETT SAN FRANCISCO PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY PUBLISHERS Copyright, 1917 By PAUL ELDER AND COMPANY SAN FRANCISCO Professional Dramatic Rights Reserved. THIS VOLUME Is HOPEFULLY DEDICATED To AN IDEAL 364 ? PROLOGUE / ask of you who read these bits of drama to receive them, not as fiction, but as fragments of the human life about you. Read be tween the lines, piece out the parts with your own knowledge and emotions, making of the whole a fair-sized square of that patch work which is called eternity. Of those who may act them I ask, do all this and something more; for the actor must receive and give. Not only must he live the life of his chosen character, he must so portray it that others will share it with him. Only by recognizing life as it is can he do this. Thus a triple partnership is formed author, reader, actor with life their medium, truth their guide. So equipped they ven ture forth on the stony path toward success. Ready? The cur tain is up! H. H. H. IV] CONTENTS Page PROLOGUE ........ V DOLORES OF THE SIERRA. A Mexican Episode . . i THE SCOOP. A Dramatic Sketch . .* . 15 UNDERCURRENTS. A Melodrama . -35 A MODERN MENAGE. A Tragic Farce .... 49 THE INVENTOR. A Dramatic Sketch .... 67 WHEN LOVE is BLIND. A Comedy .... 83 EPILOGUE . 97 [VII] DOLORES of the SIERRA A Mexican ILpisode "How still she was! She only knew his love. She saw no life beyond . . . . " [CHARACTERS] LEWIS BARCLAY, a railway engineer. DOLORES, a child of nature. [SCENE] A rocky gulch in the mountains of Mexico. Luxuri ant undergrowth and fallen logs form the foreground. At right center is a large tree-stump. At left is a fallen log. At back are palms y cypresses and cacti. High up on the left an adobe hut is seen y from which a trail runs down among the rocks, ending at right center. Half way up the trail there is a small shrine. DOLORES of the SIERRA ^AT curtain rise LEWIS BARCLAY enters from the right. He is a fine-looking man of thirty-five, alert, well-dressed. He carries a small parcel, a note-book, and a roll of architectural blue-prints. He looks about and up toward the hut. He whistles a sweet bird call. He walks restlessly to and fro, then sits on the fallen log at left, and examines the blue-prints. There is a faint whistle call in the distance, he answers, then thinking he is mistaken he resumes his study of the prints. There comes a nearer, louder whistle; he springs up with a response, and DOLORES comes quickly down the trail from left. For a moment she stands poised above him, trans fixed with joy. Her great dark eyes gleam with pleasure. She wears the simple, gay-colored clothes of a young girl of the people, and her dark hair is drawn loosely back, caught up in a soft knot. BARCLAY bounds up a few steps to meet her, and she throws herself into his arms as a child might. With hands clasped about his neck she looks up at him with delight, then hand in hand, laughing happily, they come down the trail. DOLORES [with fond murmurs, caressing his cheeks and hair] Bonito mio! Bonito mio! You have come back to me, Santo Luis! BARCLAY [drawing away] No, no, Dolores! Not that! DOLORES Not ? Ah, you have come back to me! Madre de Dios, how I have missed you, yes? BARCLAY It was a long six weeks, eh, little one? DOLORES Six weeks? Six. years it was, Santo Luis mio! BARCLAY Don t call me that, Dolores! If you only knew! DOLORES Not call you how? BARCLAY I am no saint, God knows! Santa Do/ores, if you will, but no saint in mine if you love me! DOLORES [as they sit together on the log at left} But how then may I call you? You are my saint, you say in El Ingles? [3] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA BARCLAY [seriously] No, amiguita, Lewis will do. You need give me no title. DOLORES But "Luis" it is so short such a little, little name, bonito mio, for all my love for you! BARCLAY Child, child, what do you know of love, you wild flower of the mountains! DOLORES [nodding wisely] I know! The flowers, they tell me their secrets the birds, they sing the trees, the sunshine, the breezes from the sea; all, all the beautiful world tells me of nothing but love, love and you, Santo Luis mio! BARCLAY A most unworthy subject! Leave me out, Dolores. See, I have brought you a present. [He gives her the parcel} DOLORES {delightedly} For me? Ah, muchas gracias, Santo Luis! BARCLAY Don t thank me too soon; you may not like it. DOLORES {reproachfully} Amigo mio! How could that be? [She opens the parcel, disclosing a gay silk scarf.] Ah, que bonita! Que bonita! [She tosses it about her head and should ers.] Gracias, gracias, Luis! BARCLAY You don t need any frippery of that sort. I like you best as you are, my wild bird. DOLORES But [coaxingfy] / like them! Soon you will bring me more, eh, Luis mio ? But no [dinging to him] that would mean to go away! Never, never must you go away again from me! BARCLAY That s a big promise, Dolores. Tell me, what have you been doing while I ve been away? DOLORES [evasively] But what have you been doing the many, many days? You tell me first. BARCLAY My affairs wouldn t interest you much. It was prin cipally work. DOLORES It was for rest you went bad man ! BARCLAY I rested too. But, enough of me! What have you been doing, that s the point! [4] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA DOLORES But not much, I think only only BARCLAY Only ? DOLORES I did help Tia Pacheco with tortillas and frijoles for the men, and BARCLAY [jealously] I don t like to have you go among the men, dear one! DOLORES But 1 like to see your work the great, beau tiful bridge you have made. The men ah, leperos, they are lazy! They do not work well when you are away. They stop all-the-time, and look at me ! BARCLAY [laughing] Naturally! Why should they work? DOLORES And one man told me some day from the valley would come, over the bridge, and over the great railroad you have made, a train like a bad, black snake, to steal me away. But I would not go, Luis mio! [dinging to him] I would not go! BARCLAY No, no, of course not, ninita! DOLORES We will stay always in our mountains, you and me. I hate the black snake that tries to take me away from my Sierra Madre! BARCLAY It shall not take you away, Dolores Dolores of the Sierra! DOLORES And you will always come back after your your rest in the world far away? BARCLAY [hesitating] Always ninita. DOLORES What have you done there? [imperiously] Tell me! BARCLAY The great black snake from down the valley caught me in his fangs and carried me far away to his home in the east, where men live like bees in a hive like parts of a machine and there is nothing but work work, my wild flower, and no time for God s sunshine! DOLORES And no love, Santo Luis? BARCLAY Precious little of the real thing. DOLORES What is that "the real thing" amigo mio? [51 DOLORES OF THE SIERRA BARCLAY You are the real thing, you mountain daisy! Come what have you been doing? Where are your books? [with mock sternness] You have not spent all your time on frijoles and tortillas, have you? DOLORES [goes reluctantly to the tree-stump and draws forth a slate, pencil, and book. She sits demurely , cross-legged, at his feet.} I have not read much, Padre, since you were gone. BARCLAY Padre! {laughing heartily} That s a good one! All your saints defend me, Dolores ! DOLORES [seriously, motioning toward the shrine and crossing herself] Laugh not at the saints! They hear you, Luis. The blessed saints, they care for us in all we do! BARCLAY They don t waste much time on me! Come, give me your book. Where were we? You were getting into words of two syllables when I went away. DOLORES [holding the book behind her] Amigo mio the words were so long and hard without you! BARCLAY But you speak them; why not learn to read and write them, you lazy little thing? DOLORES I speak them, yes, because you have taught me; and it is your language I love because it is yours. In the days long ago when the good Padre Corvelli taught me El Ingles, I loved it not, though it was my mother s tongue but it is easy when^o teach me S Luis mio! BARCLAY [sighing] Oh, Dolores! Dolores! DOLORES You have come back sad from the great black snake Why is that, Luis? BARCLAY Because I sad? Why should I be sad? [taking her book] Come, to work! [DOLORES, resigned, holds her slate and pencil ready .] Let me see "The cat ate the rat" we had that, hadn t we? DOLORES Poof! May he die of it ! Yes. BARCLAY What a blood-thirsty wish! Why shouldn t the poor cat enjoy his dinner? [He turns the leaves} [6] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA DOLORES As for me 1 care not what he ate! Luis mio, why must I write of cats and rats? Never do I think of them. Better do I like to think of the beautiful flowers, how they give their honey to the butterflies and bees. BARCLAY It seems our grim destiny that we must first learn about the cats and rats. Later we come to the flowers and bees, Dolores. Ah, here we are! " Mary was a good little girl, " [DOLORES writes slowly] "she studied her lessons every day, and did many useful things." DOLORES [making some erasures] Cielos! I hate that Mary! She was so good always she was so busy! BARCLAY She loved her teacher, you see, and DOLORES Ah, when you speak of love! She knew not love. [snatching the book] Let me see Mary ! You do not know love, you little girl in a book. Poof! [erasing] See how I rub you out on my slate! You are all wrong, you good, busy Mary! BARCLAY [laughing] Do you know how to write your own name, Dolores? DOLORES No, it is too long. Sometimes I cannot even re member it all! BARCLAY How is that? DOLORES I have many names. Some were given to me at my baptism pobrecita! At my first communion I took more my saints gave some to me. Ah, I have many beautiful ones! BARCLAY Tell them to me and you shall learn to write them. DOLORES That could not be, Padre, I am so stupid. [She counts on her fingers.] Maria, Domitilla, Concepcione, Dolores, Lucia, Guadalupe, Carmencita, Matilda, Pacheco, Juanita, see, I have no more fingers, and yes two more names, but 1 have forgotten them ! BARCLAY Why were you called Dolores? Why not use the others, one each week? DOLORES I have many names, yes; but only one means me. The DOLORES OF THE SIERRA dear mother, when her last sleep was soon to close her eyes, said : "My little Dolores the saints in dreams have told me life holds grief for you, and tears." But I think she made a mistake, the mother! The saints are never wrong, but she was too tired to understand because BARCLAY Because ? DOLORES Because life holds joy for me, and sunshine. Listen Luis, I will tell you. Long ago when the dear mother was dying que santa gloria haya! [crossing herself] she told me of the great mountain called "Iztaceihautl" in your tongue you would say, "The White Woman." BARCLAY Yes, one sees it from Chapultepec. DOLORES Have you seen "The White Woman" lying dead her snow hair drifting down the slopes? The Indians tell us, once she was a how you call it a lady giant? BARCLAY A giantess? DOLORES A gian/m, yes! And the other great mountain near, "The Smoking Mountain," he was a giant too. But so proud were they, they would always do just-as-they -liked! So one day the great God, he was angry, and said: "You shall be mountains!" Ah, the poor "White Woman," her heart was broken, and she died at once! But ever her lover must live where he can see her lifeless body. Sometimes he shakes the earth with his sobs, and his tears come forth like fire. BARCLAY Poor old chap! I forgive him his spouting now. But what have you to do with "The White Woman, "ninita? DOLORES The dear mother, she too was a "white woman." Always she said, she was too proud. She liked her own way too well, and left her people; so the dear God punished her. To me she gave the name Dolores, because because she thought I was a child of tears. BARCLAY You, my sunbeam, my wild bird? DOLORES Always I like to laugh and dance, yes? [She draws a small revolver from its holster at her side.] I carry my little friend here see to fight the tears away! [8] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA BARCLAY That s a dangerous plaything, Dolores. I am sorry I gave it to you. DOLORES It is not for play I wear it. You taught me for a game, yes, but it takes care of me yet, always must I do my own way. Will the great God punish me, Luis? [She replaces the revolver.] Poof! I will not write! [jumping up and catching his hand] Let us sing, and dance and love the sun shine and our dear Madre mountains Santo Luis! BARCLAY [drawing her down beside him on the log] Come, Dolores, I think I can give you something you will like to write. Write this: "I love my beautiful mountains 1 love my birds and flowers 1 love my teacher, Luis and bye and bye when the great bridge is finished, and he has gone away " DOLORES [jumping up, frightened] When are you going away, Santo Luis? BARCLAY [rising, takes her in his arms] Dolores, dear one! I can t stay here always in these beautiful mountains. Some day the bridge will be finished, and my men and I will work swiftly down into the Tierras Calientes, and out again into the busy world. DOLORES Then I go too, amigo mio! BARCLAY What would you do in the busy world, lazy one ? DOLORES I would be always with you, Luis. BARCLAY [A look of pain comes over his face.] The world out there holds no place for you with me, Dolores. [He puts her away from him.] DOLORES Why? Who cares where I go? Tia Pacheco would not care. There would not be so many tortillas to make. She would be glad. BARCLAY Tia Pacheco will take care of you when I am gone. DOLORES But I will go with you! I am alone who will miss me? You are alone together we will go! BARCLAY I 1 am not alone in the world out there, Dolores. I have there are people who care for me, and DOLORES OF THE SIERRA DOLORES Basta! I love not people! They are like that busy Mary in the book! [catching up the book, she throws it violently down] Do they love you, these people ? BARCLAY [hesitating] Yes. DOLORES Not as Dolores loves you! BARCLAY [sternly] No! DOLORES Ah, you are cross again! Is it because you do not love Dolores as she loves you, Santo Luis? BARCLAY I love you as you love me? No ninita! A man does not love as a woman does! DOLORES [laughing] But a woman? A beautiful senora with lace mantilla? All down El Paseo they ride to the Fiestas. I have seen them long ago. Oh, no, Luis, Dolores is not a woman! BARCLAY [catching her hand} What then, you witch? DOLORES {dancing away] A bird perhaps a breeze on the hills a flower! BARCLAY [catching her in his arms] Yes, yes you are all those and yet, a woman! Dolores! Dolores! [Suddenly he turns from her, and sinking down on the log, covers his face with his hands.] DOLORES [runs and kneels beside him] Santo Luis mio! Look up! What has Dolores done? Tell me, dear one! BARCLAY It is nothing, amiguita it is nothing. I m tired, I think; that is all. Run away now; I have some work to do. [His head sinks again.] DOLORES I know! You are hungry, amigo mio. When did you eat? At sunrise? Ah, bad one! See how high the sun is now! Quick, quick I must call Tia Pacheco to bring your frijoles [caressing his hair] Adios, Santo Luis mio! Soon will I call Tia. [She goes hurriedly up the trail and out of sight.] BARCLAY [Remains a moment with bowed head, then slowly rises [10] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA and looks after her. He walks restlessly about, picks up her slate and book and places them gently on the tree-stump.] Beast! Coward! What shall I do with you, my "breeze of the hillside" Little Saint of the Sierra! My God! [He sits on the log, takes two small photographs, a woman s and a child s from his pocket-book, and gazes at them.] Yes, you may look at me with your cold eyes, Edith! When did you ever give me one hundredth part of the love that this child of the hills does? You have let me leave you year after year. What do you care about my work? Would you follow me to these mountains and give me the love that every man craves? No you stay with the life that amuses you, and I must live alone! Dolores! Dolores, child of grief! Am I the dastard who brings you tears ? [looking at the child s picture] If it were not for you, little chap, I d cut the life of the east altogether. [DOLORES appears at the top of the trail. She wears the full calico skirt and shawl over head of an old woman. She comes down, carrying an earthen pot of frijoles, a tin of coffee and a cup; also some tortillas tied up in a napkin. She steals softly down, peering mischievously at BARCLAY. Half-way the im pulse comes to conceal her face. She stops and putting down the things she carries, pins her shawl closely about her head, almost concealing her face.] BARCLAY [hastily rising when he sees her, and absently dropping the photographs as he pockets his case] Hello, Tia Pacheco! Buenos dias! DOLORES [mumbling, when she reaches the foot of the trail] Buenos dias, Senor. BARCLAY You didn t waste any time. Did you meet Dolores? DOLORES Si, senor. [She busies herself spreading the tortillas on the log, and placing the frijoles and the pot of coffee.] BARCLAY Was she happy while I was away, Tia? DOLORES [mumbling] Quien sabe? Madre de Dios! In] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA BARCLAY [walking restlessly about] Tia! Tia! You old woman, what can you understand, I wonder? Do you know that I must go away away where more bridges are to be built more railroads? [DOLORES starts, and mutters.] You poor old fool, what do you know of such things ? You are to take care of Dolores, do you hear? Teach her to forget me! [DOLORES shrinks back; she sees the photographs , picks them up and examines them. Then she draws the shawl closer and holds the pictures out to BARCLAY. He, meanwhile, has picked up a tortilla, then puts it down distastefully^ DOLORES Senor! The senora the muchacho? BARCLAY [laughing wildly] That s my senora, Tia my wife; and my muchacho! My boy should be proud of his father, shouldn t he, Tia? [DOLORES shrinks back against the rocks with a smothered cry. She drops the pictures. Underneath her shawl her hands are busy.] I ve just been to see them, old woman, and I m going back to them soon. You ve got to keep Dolores for me, do you hear? I ve been here long enough. When my work is fin ished I shall go back to my wife and boy. DOLORES [with a smothered cry springs at him. Her up-raised hand holds the revolver. He catches her arm as she pulls the trigger, and she fires into the air. Her shawl falls back revealing her face. The power of his gaze compels her grasp on the weapon to relax and it falls to the ground. She sinks down moaning at his feet.] BARCLAY [trying to raise her] Dolores! Dolores! DOLORES Santo Luis! Santo Luis! Ah, Madre de Dios! The tears have come, and you have brought them, Santo Luis! You steal away my happiness and give me tears. [He tries again to raise her; she springs up madly at his touch.] Take away your hands! Why did you come to my mountains? Ay, Dios mio! Now I know what means the great black snake! You are the black snake you you! [BARCLAY can say nothing. He stands convicted by the torrent of her [12] DOLORES OF THE SIERRA rage and grief.] You come, creeping up my beautiful Sierra and bring me tears and sorrow! Cristo! Cristo! [She looks about for her revolver, but BARCLAY intercepts her and picks it up. He places it on the tree-stump with her book and slate and stands in front of her.} Ah, you need not be afraid, you you coward! I will not kill you now 1 think perhaps perhaps you will suffer more if you live! You make Dolores suffer, you must suffer too! Maybe you like to go back to your senora and remember remember always Dolores of the Sierra? That make you happy yes? BARCLAY [groans and covers his face] I can never forget you, Dolores Dolores ! DOLORES You take away my happiness and keep it yourself. That make you feel good, I think! [She snatches the photo graphs from the ground.] She is your wife! 1 hate you you pale woman! [Her wild expression changes, and she looks piteously at BARCLAY.] She does not love you as Dolores does. She knows not love she is white and cold! She cannot love you as Dolores can ! [She crushes the picture and drops it.] BARCLAY No that is true. Dolores, you are the one I love. But my boy 1 cannot leave him! He loves me, he be lieves in me. DOLORES [looking at the boy s picture] Ah, muchacho mio! He is you you again, Luis! Luis, Luis, Santo Luis! [She sinks, sobbing, on the fallen log.} BARCLAY [kneeling beside her, raises her in his arms] Listen dear one! Oh, my God, what can I say to you! [He holds her in his arms and kisses her. For a moment she yields, then her anger again breaks forth.] DOLORES Keep your kisses for your wife, you you snake of the mountains! Ay, Dios mio Dios mio! [Rising, she stag gers across to the tree-stump, and leans against it, looking at the boy s picture.} BARCLAY \followsher] I love my boy, Dolores; and when I was at home and looked into his clear eyes, I knew that I must go back to him. DOLORES [still looking at the picture] Ah, bonito bonito ! Yes, [131 DOLORES OF THE SIERRA you must go back, Luis, to this little one. Dolores will wait for you here. Every year you will come again to the Sierra, yes? BARCLAY Yes, amiguita, if it be possible. DOLORES Every year in the spring when the long snow- hair of the " White Woman " grows shorter, you will come, Luis ? BARCLAY Every year in the spring, Dolores! DOLORES See then happiness will come back to me! I will be busy, and laugh and sing again. [She gives him the boy s picture.] Go back to your beautiful little one, Luis. Take happiness to him. [She goes toward the tree-stump, BARCLAY follows her apprehensively.} Ah, do not fear, I am calm now. See, I smile again! [BARCLAY picks up the re volver.] Give it to me. Once more it will keep the tears from me. [He gives her the revolver and she replaces it in its holster.] You go not away soon no? You have still many days to work before the great bridge is finished ? BARCLAY Some weeks yet I think. DOLORES Bueno! You can still be with me then for many days and I will be calm so calm and still, Luis! BARCLAY That s my good Dolores! Ninita mia! [He tries to take her in his arms, but she repulses him.] DOLORES No no more kisses, amigo mio! I must go, Luis Tia will need me. Pobre Tia she is so old! BARCLAY Till tomorrow then ninita! DOLORES Till tomorrow, Luis and all the tomorrows! [She catches his hand and kisses it, then runs lightly up the trail. He stands at the foot, watching her. When she reaches the shrine she drops for a moment on her knees before it; then, rising, turns and faces him.] Till tomorrow and forever Luis! The "White Woman" is calling me Santo Luis! Santo Luis! [Drawing her re volver she turns it on her breast, and pulls the trigger. As he reaches her she falls into his arms, but the form he holds is life less. The "White Woman" has called home her "child of tears."] [Hi THE SCOOP A Dramatic Sketch [CHARACTERS] WHITNEY RAYMOND, cashier for Coleman Brothers. EDITH, his daughter. RUSSELL WHEELER, reporter on "The Herald." [SCENE] The Raymonds living-room. It is comfortably fur nished. There is a center entrance leading into the hall. Through the open portieres a portable telephone on a small stand is seen, also a hat-rack or hall chair. There is a window, upper left, with a tabouret and chair near. At right a door leads into a bedroom. There is a reading table with books, magazines, papers, and flowers down right center. An easy chair and a straight chair are left and right of the table. A small couch with cushions is down left. A small chair is up left center, and a mantel and clock are at upper right. THE SCOOP A Dramatic Sketch T curtain EDITH sits sewing near the window. One does not see her at first. The high back of her chair conceals her^ but her voice is heard humming a love song. Dropping her work she gazes out the window^ then rises , still humming. A postman s whistle is heard and a letter is dropped into the hall. EDITH goes through the portieres^ and returns with the letter. She saunters about^ smiling and catching her breath as she silently reads. Once she shakes her head. With the letter in her hand she tip-toes to the bedroom door, opens it softly and listens a moment. EDITH Did you call me, mother? [glancing at the clock] Yes, mother dear, it is time for your medicine. I ll bring it to you. The new bottle is here. Did the postman s whistle waken you ? Too bad! [in response to a question from within] No letters for you. Hm? Oh, this one is from Mr. Wheeler! [get ting the medicine bottle from the table] He wants to come to see me this afternoon. I don t know what I am going to do with him. Why, I ve only known him two weeks! [She goes into the bedroom.] [The telephone rings twice with an interval between. EDITH has tens from the bedroom and answers.] Hello! Yes? 1259, yes! Oh, yes, Mr. Wheeler! I m always well, thank you. Why, I ve just received it. Yes, the postman was awfully late today. Well, I yes I ll be at home this afternoon; be glad to see you! Hm? Which discussion do you wish to continue? Both? Oh, no, no! Not yet! How could I decide so soon? Yes, you may come right away, if you like. She s feeling a little better today, thanks. No, I don t think you ll disturb her. All right, see you in a little while! [laughing] No, I tell you, I haven t! I haven t! No! NO! Good-byl [She hangs up and goes to the bedroom door.] Mr. Wheeler is coming to see me this afternoon, mother. You don t mind, do THE SCOOP you? Would you like to sleep again? I ll pull down the shades. [She goes into the bedroom.] [WHITNEY RAYMOND enters from the hall.] [He is an elderly man, nervous and care-worn. His clothes are shabby. He leaves his overcoat and hat on the hall-stand, puts the newspaper which he carries on the reading table. With a gesture of weariness he goes to the couch and sits.] [EDITH enters. She closes the bedroom door softly.] EDITH Daddy! Why are you home so early? [RAYMOND looks helplessly at her and holds his head in his hands.] What is it, dear? Headache? RAYMOND [vaguely] I don t know, Edie. Headache heartache everything ! EDITH [caressing his head\ Poor old dad! Lie down awhile. What shall I give you? A nice cool drink? RAYMOND [leaning against her] Little cool fingers ! I think it is rest I want more than anything else. EDITH Then rest here, dad. [He lies down and she makes him comfortable.] RAYMOND [with closed eyes] How is mother this afternoon ? EDITH I really think she s better today. She is quite comfort able now. RAYMOND That s good news. EDITH She has just taken a dose of her new medicine. That always gives her hope, you know. RAYMOND And how is my little "stand-by," housekeeper, head-nurse? EDITH Never better! [brightly] Dad! I ve got a splendid plan. I was just inventing it as I sat sewing by the window. Every thing is so green and lovely here now; think what the moun tains must be like! RAYMOND [opens his eyes and smiles faintly] Think of brush- [18] THE SCOOP ing your way through a bed of cool green brakes and hearing the stream down below calling to you! EDITH [briskly] That s just it! RAYMOND Eh? EDITH My plan. You re to ask Coleman Brothers for an extra vacation this year. [RAYMOND protests.] What s two weeks when a man has given them the long years of faithful service that you have? RAYMOND [sitting up] Oh, no, no! I couldn t do that. EDITH Well, if you don t, I will! [She walks to the right, imi tating.] I ll go straight down town tomorrow morning and march into Mr. Coleman s office and say: "Good-morning, Mr. Coleman;" (of course I ll remember to be polite!) "my father s not well; he needs a whole month in the mountains this year. When can he go?" And the benevolent Mr. Cole man will say: [sarcastically, stroking an imaginary beard\ "Why certainly, Miss Raymond, he may take July; and here s his salary, doubled in advance, for expenses!" [laughing] RAYMOND [breaking down and covering his face] My God, child, don t! EDITH [kneeling beside him] Daddy! Daddy! What have I done ? RAYMOND [with a sudden resolve] You have been a staunch little pal all through, Edith. Through the pain of sister Nell s death then the baby s. Now your mother s illness! You have to bear the brunt of all that. EDITH But what could I have done without you? RAYMOND Ah, that s the hard part! What will become of you when you have to do without me? Can your tired little shoulders bear another burden ? EDITH I m not a bit tired; I m quite well. But what do you mean, dad? RAYMOND You ve got to know, dear. I d rather you d hear it from me first. Your brave heart will help me to face it, and keep it from mother if we can. [19! THE SCOOP EDITH Dad ! What is it ? RAYMOND [drawing her closer to him] You remember the Cuban Sugar Company I bought into that time, and the failure after ward? [EoiTH nods.] Well, that took about all I had. EDITH I never knew how much went; you didn t tell me. RAYMOND Why should I have bothered your poor little head with my mistakes? There was the bank failure before that, and I depended upon the Cuban investment to pull me up again. EDITH And you had nothing left? RAYMOND Nothing, except my health and my salary. I didn t let your mother know the extent of our losses. She had enough to bear at that time, poor little mother! EDITH Yes that s right. RAYMOND [hesitating] It began with Nell s funeral expenses. EDITH Father ! What ? Oh, no ! [She shrinks back.] RAYMOND Yes it was that! I couldn t put my pride in my pocket and ask a friend for money. I used Firm funds. There they were, going through my hands every day. [EDITH listens with intensity.] Then, once done, it was easier to do it again. Hospital expenses for your mother, her last year s trip to the mountams- EDITH And mine? RAYMOND Yes, and yours. Then Baby Jean s operation yet, it didn t save her. A poor man s child can t afford appendicitis! You see, no one knew how poor I was. EDITH I always wondered how you did it ! RAYMOND I suppose others wondered too; but I don t think anyone suspects. EDITH [springing up] Suspects! You, daddy? RAYMOND It is an ugly word, Edie. It comes before disgrace. EDITH [excitedly] There s no disgrace! You did it for love; yes, you did! [Thinking of her mother, she takes a step or two toward the bedroom door.] [20] THE SCOOP RAYMOND But disgrace will come, [rising] I feel it now in this weight oppressing me. I cannot stand it any longer. I must confess it to my employers! EDITH Then disgrace will come only in what other people think ! RAYMOND [walking up and down] I must take my chances. The world is always ready with its judgment, good or bad. EDITH The world! The world doesn t know what it thinks! A few newspapers and magazines tell it what it thinks; that s all! RAYMOND That is the "Power of the Press." EDITH [indignantly] And they don t use it right! RAYMOND [going to her] Is this my little optimist speaking? EDITH [ruefully] An optimist out of a job for a few minutes. RAYMOND I need all your bravery to help me. I shall tell Mr. Coleman tomorrow morning. I came home early today to rest, and to tell you if I had the courage. [He sits again on the couch.] I had it out with myself last night. We ll not speak of it yet to your mother. The Firm may be lenient and give me another chance, so we ll spare your mother needless anxiety, eh, dear ? EDITH [kneeling beside him] Oh, dad ! Must you tell them ? RAYMOND [turning her face toward him] Look at me straight, Edith! EDITH [looking at him a moment, her gaze falters] Yes you must! RAYMOND I ll go to the junior partner, Henry; he is not so hard as the senior, [thinking he hears a call from the bedroom} Is that your mother calling? I ll go to her and rest on the couch in her room. [He takes EDITH in his arms.] My brave little partner! EDITH Oh, it s you, daddy! It s you that s brave. [The door bell rings.] RAYMOND [nervously] Who s that? EDITH It is probably Mr. Wheeler. You know I told you [21] THE SCOOP about him. He s on "The Herald/ He just phoned that he was coming out for awhile. Oh, dear! I wish I d told him not to come! RAYMOND [hastening into the bedroom] I must go. [EDITH hurriedly picks up her sewing and stands near the win dow.] [RUSSELL WHEELER enters briskly from the hall. He puts his hat and gloves on the hall-stand.] WHEELER Hello, little girl! EDITH [going forward and shaking hands] How d ye do, Mr. Wheeler? WHEELER Bully! How are you? [surveying her] What s the matter? EDITH Why why what do you mean? I m all right; really I am! WHEELER No you re not! [ironically] You look as if you had "lost your job." EDITH [laughing uncertainly] Nonsense! RAYMOND That s no joke. Is your mother worse? This sick- nurse business is too much for you. EDITH I m not tired; honestly I m not. Father came home early today; he is with mother now. [She sits on the couch , and motions for him to take a chair. He sits at left of the table.] WHEELER I d like to meet your father. You know I have never even seen him. EDITH He s rather tired today. He s not feeling well. He came home to rest. [She gets her sewing from the tabouret.] WHEELER So you have two sick people to take care of! EDITH He s not really sick; he s tired from overwork; but he expects a good long vacation soon. [She sews.] WHEELER That s the dope! I don t see why employers don t think of that oftener. Most of them treat their men like machines. [22] THE SCOOP EDITH [sadly] Yes, but the poor machines have cares, and over strained nerves, and oh, everything WHEELER [sympathetically] Yes ? And ? EDITH [recovering herself with a start] Well er let s con tinue our discussion. WHEELER Discussion ? What discussion ? EDITH Why, newspaper work, you know. The ethics of getting a "scoop." WHEELER Um-hum! But I was thinking of something else. Of you! Can t you give me a little bit of hope, Edith? EDITH Only that 1 like you very much. WHEELER That s something! EDITH That is all I can say now. WHEELER Well, I am going to hope on that. EDITH Why, we only met two weeks ago! WHEELER Yes, but you said yourself that you felt as though we had known each other before. EDITH Yes, I know. WHEELER [impetuously, sitting on the couch beside her and taking her hand} And I felt so, too! Why, even last week I knew you were mine! EDITH [rising quickly, goes to the table] Did you? How interest ing! [teasing] Do you always make "copy" in a mad rush like this ? Am / a " scoop " ? WHEELER No! If you were a "scoop," I d have played you up with a seven-column head, and run you that night! EDITH [tantalizingly, sits left of the table} Gracious, how nice! You mean a big, scary headline ? WHEELER You don t believe me, do you? EDITH No. It takes two to make a "scoop" of that kind. WHEELER Yes, it does, worse luck! When do you think you will know, Edith? [231 THE SCOOP EDITH Know what? WHEELER If you will marry me? EDITH Honestly, Mr. Wheeler, I haven t the least idea. We must become better acquainted, [sadly] It may be a long time, and you may have changed your mind by then. WHEELER Never! Don t you think it might make you feel better acquainted if you called me Russell? EDITH Perhaps! [teasing] I ll practice it to myself first! WHEELER [rising] Good! We re progressing. You may get that "write-up" sooner than you think. [He goes to the table , picks up a newspaper, demonstrating. EDITH rises and looks over the paper with him.] Headline: "The Latest Engage ment," in regular color-scheme, dainty-refreshment-style, photo, et cetera! Much better than "Broken Hearts," written in "sob stuff." EDITH [teasing] How romantic! Oh, I should love that! WHEELER That s what takes with the "Dear Public." I always like to give it what it wants. EDITH [returning to the couch] How are you getting on with your work? Do you like it better here than in your own "home town"? WHEELER [sitting on the edge of the table] So, so! Humans are doing about the same things everywhere. You run against the same kind of "copy "in every town. Auto smash-ups, de faulting cashiers, [EDITH winces] college-student-elopements, and all the rest of it. The main thing is to get a "scoop." That s what counts. EDITH And nothing else? WHEELER No, gee whiz! Why should it? If I can get a line on a story ahead of the next fellow, it s mine ! EDITH A "line"? You mean only a rumor? Don t you wait to confirm it? [She sews.] WHEELER [moves to the chair left of the table] My dear girl, while I am waiting, John Smith is scooping it. [24-1 THE SCOOP EDITH Oh, it shouldn t be like that! WHEELER No, it shouldn t, but // is. EDITH And would nothing stand in your way of using it? WHEELER Nothing! Besides we can always contradict it^next day in a couple of "sticks." EDITH [indignantly] Yes! In a tiny paragraph in small type on an inside page! WHEELER Um-hum ! EDITH Meantime untold suffering may have been caused by the false news. WHEELER "All s fair," you know, "in love and " EDITH Maxims! Fables! I won t be ruled by them! Besides, you re misquoting. But newspaper work is war, isn t it? And "war is [demurely] hell!" WHEELER [surprised] Eh? EDITH Yes, I know the meaning of the word. It s a good one, not used half enough ! WHEELER [emphatically, bringing a small chair from upper left and sitting at her right] Look here! I have a great mind to give you an illustration a tip a fellow gave me last night, and I feel like telling you! EDITH Do you? WHEELER Yes, I can trust you. You re the first woman to whom I ever felt like telling a secret. EDITH [teasing] Thank you ! WHEELER Honest! I want to tell you this to show you how we newspaper men must work to hold our end up and get ahead of the other fellow. EDITH To convince me, in other words, how fair you are! WHEELER As you like. However, I ll not burden you with the secret if you don t wish it. EDITH You may. I ll keep it. When is it coming out? [951 THE SCOOP WHEELER It ll "break" tomorrow morning. EDITH Oh, then! I shall be able to contain myself for that short time. WHEELER It s a defaulting case. The man doesn t even know he is suspected. [DITH straightens and grows tense.} Great sensation for "The Public," eh? [rising] A welcome addition to its mush and coffee! It will be the neatest thing I ve ever done. EDITH But the man himself! He will read it too. WHEELER Of course, I can t help that. EDITH [breathlessly] Who who is he? WHEELER Joke of it is, I ve never seen the man; don t know his name. He s cashier for Coleman Brothers. EDITH [mechanically] Coleman Brothers! [Her work slips from her hands to the floor.] WHEELER [returns her work to her without seeing her face; sits] Yes, wholesale furniture, you know. A friend of mine in there got a clue of what he thought might be a good story for me, and followed it up. He overheard an argument between the partners. The senior s a hard old fellow, but the junior was inclined to give the man a chance to explain years of faithful service, and all that, but the senior prevailed. EDITH [evenly] What made them suspect him ? WHEELER Several discrepancies in customers accounts. The man has evidently been growing careless. The books are to be experted this afternoon without his being told in advance. [rising] It s a sure thing they ll find a deficit. So there s my "scoop"! Hurrah! I m looking for promotion next day. [sitting beside EDITH, and taking her hand} Now, may I hope just a little, Edith? EDITH [drawing away her hand, trying to sew] Why don t you know the man s name? WHEELER [beginning to notice her strained, mechanical manner} My friend gave me the story very hurriedly last night in a [26] THE SCOOP street-car. We couldn t discuss names; he whispered it. It sounded like er Reynolds, or something like that. I have an appointment with him after I leave here; I ll get it then. EDITH [recovering herself] Why doesn t the man know? How can he help knowing if his books are to be experted? WHEELER He is off duty this afternoon. EDITH [rising, with an impulse to get away] Oh, it isn t fair to him! WHEELER Why play fair with him? He hasn t played fair with them, the old scamp! EDITH [sitting again on the couch] He may not be wicked at all. I know 1 knew a case where the man was pressed through circumstances, through weakness there were reasons. WHEELER Those are not reasons, they are only excuses. EDITH Oh, have you no heart? WHEELER Yes, for you! EDITH [turning a way] I m not joking. WHEELER No, I don t believe you are. [laying his hand on hers] Don t take it so seriously, girl. You mustn t try to right all this world s wrongs at once, you know. EDITH [trying to speak lightly] I m not. Then you admit it is a wrong? WHEELER What? EDITH Your "scoop." WHEELER [rising] Nix! That s business. I ve got to fight my own battles in the world; the old cashier s got to fight his. EDITH But you are taking him at a disadvantage. WHEELER And he took them at a disadvantage, and so it goes! EDITH But you don t know what stress may have prompted him to this, while you are only working for self-advancement. WHEELER And you! THE SCOOP EDITH [rising] No, not me ! Count me out of your plans, please ! WHEELER I can t, Edith. You re in them to stay. EDITH You ve offered me your heart, but I have found you haven t any to offer. WHEELER Edith! EDITH You will not even admit that there might be circum stances through which this poor man was pressed to crime. WHEELER That s not my business. EDITH It is mine, though, to find out what sort of a heart is being offered me. WHEELER A nice soft old world this would be if we allowed our sympathies to run away with all our business ! EDITH It would be a much better and a happier one. WHEELER I m sorry I mentioned this, dear. EDITH I m not! WHEELER You re not the same girl you were when I entered this room. EDITH No, I ve learned much since then. WHEELER What, for instance? EDITH That "fair play" is only a pretty term that looks well in print! WHEELER On the contrary, it s often used. EDITH Yes, after a certain question has been asked. WHEELER What question? EDITH "What is there in it for me?" WHEELER That s what we ve got to ask ourselves. Let the other fellow look out for himself. EDITH Yes, you said something like that before. You and I are only traveling around in a circle, Mr. Wheeler. WHEELER Is there nothing I can do or say to make you see this matter in a different light? [28] THE SCOOP EDITH I m afraid not. I am more firmly convinced than ever that heads and hearts should work together in all the affairs of life. And now I must ask you to excuse me, Mr. Wheeler. My mother may need me. [She goes toward the bedroom door.] WHEELER Of course! I know you are busy and tired. Edith! If you will not give me any hope, will you at least try to take care of yourself for my sake, as well as the others ? EDITH I ll try to take care of myself for those who need me. I don t think you are one of them. WHEELER I am, Edith; more than you know more than / know, perhaps! [WHITNEY RAYMOND enters from the bedroom. He is wearing a smoking jacket.] EDITH [going to him, protectingly] This is Mr. Wheeler. My father, Mr. Wheeler. RAYMOND [offers his hand\ How d ye do, Mr. Wheeler? WHEELER [shaking hands] How d ye do, sir ? Glad to meet you ! RAYMOND Edith, your mother wants you. Excuse her for a few minutes, Mr. Wheeler. WHEELER I am just going. RAYMOND Oh, don t be in a hurry! Sit down [vaguely] sit down. [EDITH nods and goes into the bedroom. RAYMOND sits wearily in the easy chair at left of the table, leaving WHEELER to seat himself.] That s the best girl in the world, Mr. Wheeler. WHEELER [rather surprised at RAYMOND S manner, sits at right of table] I don t doubt it. RAYMOND Yes, she s everything everything we have left. WHEELER I admire Miss Raymond more than I can say. In fact I [He pauses and watches RAYMOND who has sunk back in his chair in a dull, dejected attitude \ Mr. Raymond! You are ill! RAYMOND No no, not ill. I m a bit tired, that s all. WHEELER Too closely confined in business, I presume? [29] THE SCOOP RAYMOND Yes, and my wife is very ill. I don t believe Edith knows how serious it is. I have been trying to get away for some time but it has been impossible. WHEELER Still, it s a man s duty to himself. You re occupied in office work, I suppose? RAYMOND [dully] I am cashier for Coleman Brothers. [WHEELER sits as though petrified.} I have been there twenty-five years. WHEELER [rises, stands at the table, fingering the books nervously] Coleman Brothers! [half audibly] Twenty-five years! RAYMOND Yes. A long time, eh? None too many holidays, either. Steady at it all the time. WHEELER [mechanically, making conversation] We er don t have enough regular vacations, and we re never even certain of the holidays. RAYMOND My vacations have been spent at home the last few years. We have had a run of bad luck in this household, Mr. Wheeler. But there, I m bothering you, a stranger, with our misfortunes. WHEELER Believe me, I am interested; intensely interested, Mr. Raymond. RAYMOND My wife broke down about six months ago after almost a year of anxiety over a daughter s illness. She was just eighteen, Mr. Wheeler; growing up to be a companion for Edith. But we lost her we lost her. WHEELER [incoherently] That was hard. RAYMOND [talking as though to himself] During Nell s illness our baby Jean was taken from us. My God! I gave my last cent to try and keep her here, but it was no use. And but I wonder why I am telling you all this! That little girl in there is fighting for the truth all the time, and just now the fight is a tough one. She s watching her mother die by inches, yet she never falters. And this is not the end! [His head sinks.] WHEELER Not the end? Surely you have had enough! [30] THE SCOOP RAYMOND [trying to rally] That s enough of our affairs. I ve bored you too long. You re a stranger here, Edith tells me. WHEELER Yes, a stranger, yet [with determination] Mr. Raymond, I want to do something for you help you in someway. What can I do? RAYMOND [evasively] A friend is a good thing. I may need a friend tomorrow. Will you be one? WHEELER [offering his hand\ I m your friend now, and tomor row, too! RAYMOND [rising, holding his hand\ Thank you. I like you, young man. What you do, you do quickly, with a will. I can see that. WHEELER I make infernal mistakes sometimes. RAYMOND [turning away] We all do. WHEELER [a sudden thought striking him] May I use your phone? RAYMOND Certainly. Right out there. Excuse me, will you? I ll go to Mrs. Raymond, and send Edith. WHEELER [looking up a number in the telephone directory] Please do. I d like to speak to her before I go if possible. RAYMOND I ll send her. [He goes into the bedroom.] WHEELER [at the telephone] Hello! Give me Sutter 3459 NO, 345p yes. Hello! Coleman Brothers! Is Ben ton in? Tom Benton. Get him, please. Hello, Tom! This is Russ. I say, Tom, that story we talked about last night; it s all off. 1 don t care what they think, it s all off, I tell you. Scare-heads, nothing! Drop it, I tell you! And look here, Tom, you tip that junior partner to come out here and have a talk with well, with the man discussed. He ll find something out to his advantage. Sure thing! I m in his house now, right on the job. No matter how I know. Tell him to come pretty damn quick! No, sir use it? Not for a million dollars! If the junior can t see him tell him to see me! Good-by! [He hangs up the receiver.] THE SCOOP [EDITH enters from the bedroom. WHEELER goes quickly to her, offering his hand.] WHEELER I only wanted to say good-by, Miss Edith. EDITH [without taking his hand} Good-by. WHEELER {nervously} I hope your mother will soon be better. And er Edith, I ve changed my mind about that story. I ve decided not to use it. In fact I don t think any one will get it. EDITH [her face lighting up, goes to him with clasped hands] Not use it? Oh! Why what has changed you? WHEELER [clasping her hands in his] Many things. You most of all! Good-by! [He goes out hurriedly.] EDITH [There is a pause as she looks after him.] Good-by! Russell! [WHITNEY RAYMOND enters from the bedroom. EDITH runs to him, takes his hands and draws him toward his easy chair.] EDITH Daddy! Daddy! He s not going to oh, I forgot! You don t know! RAYMOND [vaguely, sits at left of table] What, dear? [The telephone rings, EDITH answers.] EDITH Hello! Yes? Oh, yes, Mr. Coleman! He s awfully tired, but I m sure he d like to see you. [excitedly] Oh, do come ! Yes ! Yes ! Good-by. [She hangs up and runs excitedly to her father, kneeling before him.] Daddy ! Daddy ! It s all coming right, I m sure it is! Mr. Henry Coleman wants to see you, he s coming to see you now. Tell him today, dad, tell him today! RAYMOND Coming here? EDITH Yes, in a few minutes. How did he know? What changed him? 1 wonder ! [springing up] Dad! What did you and Mr. Wheeler talk about? RAYMOND [vaguely] I hardly know, dear; my head aches so today! I must have rambled on a bit; and yes, I remember THE SCOOP his saying that he d like to do something for me, and er he went to the telephone. But 1 must get ready to re ceive Mr. Coleman. [He goes hurriedly into the bedroom.] EDITH [with intense joy] It s going to be all right; I know! I know! [She picks up WHEELER S letter from the table where she has thrown it, kissing it.] He has a heart after all! Oh, I m so happy! So happy! [33] UNDERCURRENTS A Melodrama [CHARACTERS] THE MAN. THE WOMAN. A WAITER. THE OTHER MAN. A COUPLE. [SCENE] The entrance hall of an underground cafe of the better sort. At center a short stairway leads down from the street entrance. At right double glass doors lead into the main cafe. At left are two private boxes numbered one and two, with curtains half drawn, each containing a table set for two -persons. Box one, which is nearest the audience, has an open side showing the interior. An orchestra is playing in the main cafe. UNDERCURRENTS A Melodrama T curtain THE MAN is discovered leaning against the railing near the top of the stairway. An old cap is pulled down over his eyes. [A WAITER enters from the main cafe, looks suspiciously at THE MAN, then goes into Box two. THE MAN looks furtively about, draws a revolver from his hip pocket, looks it over, then places it in his right coat pocket} [A COUPLE enter at C, and brush against THE MAN. THE WOMAN lifts her skirts disdainfully aside, THE MAN pushes him rudely.] [THE WAITER enters from Box two at the same moment. THE COUPLE descend the stairway and go into the main cafe, THE WAITER open ing the doors for them] WAITER [surveying THE MAN on the stairway] Here, you! Get to hell out of this! You re blocking that entrance. This ain t no reception room. Beat it! THE MAN [straightens up and pushes back his cap] Damn your impudence! WAITE R Oh ! I er table, sir ? THE MAN Say, you damn fool, just salt yourself a bit you re fresh! Yes [looking about vaguely] reserve a table for me. WAITER Very well, sir. [He goes into Box one, tips the chairs against the table, then exits into the main cafe.] [Enter THE OTHER MAN C. He brushes against THE MAN.] THE OTHER MAN Hello! I beg your pardon! Look here, what are you blocking up this entrance for? You nearly knocked me downstairs. THE MAN Damn it I ve got as much right to this entrance as you have! The sooner you reach hell the better! Do you think you re the only [pushing back his cap]. OTHER MAN Why Bob? l37l UNDERCURRENTS THE MAN Hello Kent! I didn t know you ever came here to eat. OTHER MAN Same here. I m sort of off my beaten track lately. This is good enough for a change. Come in and eat with me. THE MAN Much obliged, not tonight. I m going to have a sandwich and then take myself out of this hell or into another! Take your choice! OTHER MAN \good-naturedly] You re not in an obliging mood tonight, are you? Come along, get over your peeve! [He draws him down the stairs.] THE MAN Oh, what s the use? What s it all worth, Kent? A man works and grinds and spends. [He draws Kent toward the glass doors of the cafe.] Look at them all in there. What s it worth to them, all that gorging and drinking? And what are you worth to a girl except the number of theater tickets, jewelry and suppers you can pony up? You play a cutthroat game with Life and Chance and you get euchred, that s all! How many of those in there will come out ahead, I wonder! OTHER MAN Cut it out, my son, cut it out! [with mock virtue] Behold your pattern in me! THE MAN Oh, I know you don t go in much for that sort of thing! It s a game you don t play; but it s all very well for you to preach you re on Easy street. OTHER MAN Who s preaching? THE MAN Well, it s easy enough for you to keep even with the world when your father is your employer too. But he isn t my father he s just my employer. Say, Kent 1 I m thinking of resigning from the company, and striking out for a new place. I didn t mean to tell you now, but you came on me so suddenly. Say a good word for me at the meeting tomorrow, will you ? OTHER MAN Sure thing! But, look here, you must reconsider that, Bob. The old man will give you a raise you re worth a lot more to him than I am. [38] UNDERCURRENTS THE MAN [fuming away] No, my mind is made up. OTHER MAN [faking hold of his arm] What are your reasons? You and I have been good friends, Bob. Can t you tell me? THE MAN Oh, I ve made a smudge of my life here, and that s the last word on it! Tomorrow my accounts will be turned in at the annual meeting, and then I ll skip. OTHER MAN Come in and have some dinner; you ll feel better after you ve had a cocktail and something to eat. I don t like this draught. What s your reason for standing out here? THE MAN Thought it might blow me out like a cheap candle, I guess. It would be the easiest way. OTHER MAN Look here, Bob, what s the matter? You re in a bad way. You d better come and have your sandwich with me. [Enter THE WAITER, from the main cafe.] THE MAN Oh, all right, thanks; maybe I will! Don t wait for me. I want some more fresh air before I go into that inferno. OTHER MAN Just as you say. See you later! [He goes into the cafe.] WAITER [to THE MAN] Then you won t want a table, will you, sir? THE MAN Oh, yes, I will! That was only a bluff to get rid of him. Me for a table all right. [THE WAITER exits R.] THE MAN One more drink one more "rag" and then what? [He fakes the revolver from his pocket, shudders, then turns abruptly up the stairway as though to flee, when THE WOMAN suddenly enters at center.] [She lurches forward and almost falls. THE MAN rushes up and steadies her, a look of disgust upon his face. She turns a white face to him and gasps her thanks. His expression changes to one of pity when he sees her despair.] [Enter THE WAITER, R. carrying a fray ho/ding several full cocktail glasses. THE MAN takes one and offers it to THE WO MAN. She thrusts it away with repulsion. He quickly guides [39] UNDERCURRENTS her into Box one, catches up a water bottle from the table , fills a glass and offers it to her.} Here, drink this! [He looks about, bewildered, as though wondering what he shall do with her.] THE WOMAN [sets her lips firmly and pushes the glass away] The lights made me giddy. I m all right. Don t bother about me. THE MAN Where do you want to go? I can t leave you here. You look star -faint, I mean. THE WOMAN [looking up quickly, springs to her feet] Oh, I know you! You are one of his kind. You sit in his fine office every day behind his plate glass windows. Oh, yes, you think you re mighty fine, you do, sitting there casting up their cash! Maybe you cast up a little on the wrong side now and then, eh, to pay for all your fine clothes and theater tickets! [He makes a quick movement as though to silence her.] I know you well enough in your old cap. I suppose you think no body knows you in that disguise! THE MAN For God s sake, hush; you ll have the whole crowd in here! THE WOMAN What if I do? THE MAN You re mistaken if you think you know me. I assure you I have never seen you before. THE WOMAN [sneeringly] Maybe not! THE MAN [with familiarity] But that s not saying I wouldn t like to know you better. Come, take a bracer and jolly up! So you know me, do you? [turning her face up] I bet I ve never seen those pretty eyes before. THE WOMAN Oh, I know you well enough; though I haven t the honor of a speaking acquaintance! THE MAN [recklessly] Well, now s your chance! I m the sure thing, all right. What s the diff who we are ? [He drains the cocktail glass.} We ll have some more of these. What do you say Polly? Maud? Maggie? Where s your visiting card? [He reaches out to touch the electric bell button on the wall.] [40] UNDERCURRENTS THE WOMAN [catching his arm] Yes you re all alike! Just one of his kind. I know most of his friends by sight, even if I m not good enough to talk to em. THE MAN [impressed by her manner] Who are you? And who is he? THE WOMAN [drawing him to the glass doors of the main cafe, and pointing within] There ! Look over at that table in the corner, the round one. Do you see that dark fellow that looks as if the earth s not good enough for him? Noble looking, ain t he? THE MAN Kent! THE WOMAN Yes Kent! Well, that s "he!" And I? Well I m the girl he ought to marry, that s all. Now, as you re so curious, I ll tell you what I m going to do. I m going to get a little straighter first, in my head then I m going to stand behind his chair and shoot him like a dog, do you hear? and then I m going to shoot myself! [She staggers y exhausted, and he supports her.] THE MAN [gazes into the cafe with horror-stricken eyes] Kent! My God ! [He guides THE WOMAN again to the Box and seats her at the table.] [Enter THE WAITER, R. He stands at the Box entrance.] THE MAN Coffee! And sandwiches for two. Rush order! WAITER Very well, sir. [He discreetly flicks his napkin over the table, and exits R.] THE MAN [hangs up his cap and pushes back his disordered hair. He takes of THE WOMAN S hat and tries to take of her jacket, but she repulses him. He again offers her the glass of water which she takes and drinks mechanically, seeming scarcely to be aware of his presence.] THE WOMAN [finally straightens up and looks around, faintly I m keeping you from your dinner. THE MAN Oh, that s all right! I m not worrying about my self. I was awhile ago; now I ve got something bigger to think about. UNDERCURRENTS [Enter THE WAITER, R. with coffee, sandwiches and service on tray. He pours the coffee into two cups.] Sugar? [serves] Cream? [serves] Anything more, sir? THE MAN That s all. I ll ring if I want anything more. [THE WAITER nods and exits R. As THE WOMAN shows no signs of either eating or drinking THE MAN places her cup in her hand. She looks up y dazed, then drinks. He offers her the sand wiches and she eats mechanically. He eats and drinks^ THE WOMAN [beginning to realize her surroundings again] How d you know I was hungry? THE MAN Oh, I er just guessed! It s dinner-time, you know. THE WOMAN I ll be all right. It was only a turn like I m used to. THE MAN A turn, yes! A sudden turning and a different outlook! THE WOMAN [suspiciously] Eh? THE MAN [half to himself] So the tragedy shifts! The chain tightens and strains at the links ! THE WOMAN I don t know what you mean. THE MAN [laying his hand gently on hers] Now you re better. Tell me all about it. Surely you had no such wild plan in your head when you came here! THE WOMAN I ask your pardon. You re not his kind after all. You ve saved him this time, but it won t be long before he s got to answer for it! THE MAN Will the darkening of many lives justify your act? There is no wrong that can be righted in the way you have chosen. THE WOMAN You re not a minister, are you? THE MAN A minister? Hell! No! Why do you ask? THE WOMAN Sounds like preaching. THE MAN I m the one that needs the sermon. Look here, UNDERCURRENTS girl pull yourself together! Go home and pick up your life again; don t fling it away like this. THE WOMAN Home! Where s that? "Where the heart is," eh? Out there? [motioning toward the cafe] Or back to the old place? A nice fortune to carry back to the old folks, ain t it? THE MAN A better one than the tragic despatch in a morning paper "One more murder and suicide added to the long list!" What good will it do you to carry two blackened lives into eternity? He ll get his punishment sooner or later and you? Why not pocket your misfortune and outlive it? THE WOMAN How many people women, I mean will help me to pocket it if I go home to Glennville? THE MAN [something striking him] What Glennville? THE WOMAN Ohio. THE MAN [glancing at her keenly] Why, that s my town ! How long have you been away from it? THE WOMAN [wearily] Oh, months and years! Long enough to live my life out. THE MAN And your name? THE WOMAN [suspiciously] What s that to you? THE MAN [gently] You took me for your friend, you know. THE WOMAN A friend! [Her head drops on her arms, and she sobs convulsively.] [THE MAN rises hastily with the impulse to get away. The re volver in his pocket strikes the table edge. With a shamed look he draws it from his pocket and lays it on the shelf above him. Snatches of gay music and the popping of corks are heard from the cafe] THE WOMAN [Her sobs slowly cease.] My name was Sarah Baxter. THE MAN [starting] Not little Sal? [She gazes at him fixedly] Sally whom I carried pick-a-back to pasture when the cows came in? Little Sal with the brown eyes and saucy nose? [43] UNDERCURRENTS THE WOMAN [springs up and grasps his hands] Bob Stirling! Oh, Bob, Bob! BOB [slowly] Little Sal! The sunset s in our eyes, Sally and can t you hear the cowbells tinkling tinkling? SALLY [dreamily] Yes and hear the echo over the hill, Bob! They re going home. 1 can smell the new milk and see the flowers, Bob, the flowers! BOB Yes the flowers. You were one of the flowers, Sal! SALLY You left us long ago to make your fortune. BOB Fortune, eh? That s good! SALLY The paths of men are easy, ours so hard! Oh, Bob! Save me save me! BOB [bitterly] Fortune! Yes, my fortune s made! [Sally sinks down again and buries her face.] A striped suit three meals a day a cell, a broom to make or work on the road! A fortune indeed! SALLY What do you mean? BOB Why did you leave home? SALLY Why did I? Why is anybody such a fool as to leave home? Oh, I was restless restless! The boys could go out into the world, why couldn t I? You slave away all your life on the old farm and what do you get for it? I came out here with a lot of other girls they told us wages were high, and anybody could find work. Everything was dead easy! It was a great lark. We just thought your golden showers out here would most drown us! [laughing unsteadily] BOB Yes, I ve heard of those showers myself! SALLY They said there wasn t enough girls out here. They said fine places in shops were just waiting for us. That was a lie there was too many women for the shops. So I took up housework. 1 guess you don t know what it is to work in a house where they think you re just a common machine, and when you get tired and dazed-like and and a bit homesick they think you re lazy! [44] UNDERCURRENTS BOB Why didn t you drop it all and go home? SALLY Go home? And me writing them about the fortune I was making, and the grand times I was having? BOB You always were a brave kid, Sal. SALLY The other girls, they liked to go out nights, and I got like the rest. The streets was gay, and the lights was kind o cheerful after you d been shut in all day. BOB Well? Tell me more, Sally. SALLY I know what you re thinking but it isn t so! I kept straight. There was nothing in it for me except the good times, and to be where everything was cheerful and bright. Oh, yes, sometimes I d go to a dance, but I wasn t much stuck on the men I d meet there, so I cut out dances. [Bob looks out toward the main cafe.] Oh, him? I didn t meet him at no dances; I met him in my last place 1 was working for his mother. BOB [between his teeth] Beast! SALLY O course I knew they was better than me, but he thought I was pretty nice at first. Then he wanted to get me away from there he said he could see me oftener. Oh, he was slick enough! And it all looked mighty nice to me. Him and me s been living in an apartment these last six months [sneeringly] and he says he s been trying to make things right so s we could be married; but he ain t been near me lately. Marry me? Nixey! I don t see him! [Her eyes grow wild again.] Oh, I hate him! I do, I do! [She springs to the Box entrance.] BOB [catching her by the arm] No! Listen to me, Sal. [She turns to him at the old name.] You re going home tomorrow. I have money [shrugging his shoulders] a little more or less, what does it matter? You re going home, I say, and you re going to take with you your good name! SALLY And you? What will you do? You re his friend and mine! [Enter the OTHER MAN from the main cafe. He saunters out C.] [451 UNDERCURRENTS [SALLY starts toward him y but BOB holds her fast, and by force of will keeps her quiet.] SALLY He s gone! I ll not see him again for days perhaps. I tracked him here tonight on chance. BOB Listen to me! Give me the pistol! And listen to me! [She clutches her jacket pocket where she has the weapon con cealed.] I want to make a compact with you. [SALLY catches sight of his pistol on the shelf. She snatches it and poises it in the air.] That s mine, [coolly] I want to tell you something. Two lives are saved tonight for something better or worse, who knows! Put that down on the table. [As though hypnotized , she obeys him.] There now put your own beside it! That s right. A pretty pair, aren t they? A dozen lives they hold between them. [SALLY shudders.] Do you know what you have saved me from? A column in tomorrow s paper too Oh, yes, you re not the only one! No matter what I ve done; it can t affect you one way or the other, only you re a pretty good guesser! I ve changed my mind since I met you tonight. I have some old folks at home, too, who are waiting for me and my fortune. You re to start home to morrow morning, and you re going to carry them my mes sage. Tell them I ll be working hard for a year or so, and then I m coming home. If ever I can repay you I ll try in the years to come if there are any left after ward! SALLY Bob! Oh, Bob! BOB I m going to take you back now wherever you sleep. In the morning you re going home Sally! SALLY Will they take me, do you think, Bob? BOB Why, Sal, can t you see their faces welcoming you? [pause] SALLY Yes, Bob I ll go. BOB Stay here, I ll call a taxi. [She sits as BOB goes toward the stairway. As he reaches the foot of the stairs ] [Enter THE OTHER MAN, C] [46] UNDERCURRENTS OTHER MAN [coming hurriedly down the stairs] Hello, Bob! I forgot all about you! Nice thing to do, wasn t it? Came back to look for you. Why didn t you come in, eh? [At the sound of his voice SALLY starts up and stands at the Box entrance.} BOB [motions for her to keep back, and stands partially screening her] Well I didn t forget you, Kent! I wish I could! KENT Haven t got over your grouch, eh? Oh, you re engaged I see! I beg your pardon! I merely thought I might have the pleasure of paying for your dinner, that s all! BOB There comes a time when every man has got to pay, Kent; not only for his dinner but for everything. That time has come to you and me right here and now! [He steps aside revealing SALLY.] Keep quiet, Sal; you needn t say a word! He knows all there is to say that you can tell him. [KENT starts a trifle when he sees SALLY, then deliberately gives his attention to BOB.] Yes, I know Sally; she was a friend of mine back in the old town. I thought I knew you, Kent, but I ve found I was mistaken. You think you know me y but you re mistaken too! [Enter THE WAITER, R.] Here, boy, call a taxi for me! [Exit WAITER, C.] I m going to send this child home tomorrow morning on your money, Kent yes, your money that I ve been living on for the last year or so I ll do some good with it at last! I came here in a bad way tonight, and I expected by now to be on my way to Kingdom come! but there are worse troubles than mine and this little woman has saved me! [Enter THE WAITER, C.] WAITER Taxi s waiting outside, sir. BOB All right. Come, Sally, you re going home. [He takes her arm as she stumbles up the stairway. THE WAITER starts forward to assist, follows them and stands obsequiously at the head of the stairs. BOB nods toward Box one.} You ll find your tip on the table. [THE WAITER bows his thanks, and comes down, looking back at them curiously.] I ll see you at the [471 UNDERCURRENTS meeting tomorrow, Kent. I ve changed my mind about not being there. I ll be on hand, all right, and my accounts are all ready to turn in. Have yours ready for me! Come, Sal! Home tomorrow, Sal! [They exeunt, C.] [KENT stands a moment, rigid, then buttons up his coat tightly.] WAITER [obsequiously] Table, sir? KENT No! Go to hell! Can t you see I ve dined? [He clinches his teeth firmly on his cigar, and exits C.] WAITER "Go to hell," is it? Nix! I might have to see too much o you! [He stands a moment looking after KENT, then remembering his tip, goes hastily into Box one. He discovers the two pistols on the table. Lifting one in each hand he surveys them with great surprise as] THE CURTAIN FALLS. [48] A MODERN MENAGE *4 Tragic Farce [CHARACTERS] CARL GILLESPIE, a near-business man. MRS. GILLESPIE, usually "Twink." DR. GRAHAM. FOOGI, a Japanese maid. THE INFANT. [SCENE] The living-room of the Gillespies American bungalow home. It is simply but comfortably furnished with a couch, chairs and small table at right, dining-table and buffet at left. Two dining chairs are near the table. The entrances are at center and down left. Through the center entrance are seen the last two or three steps of the stairway leading down from above at right. The hall leads to the outside entrance of the house at left. A door down left opens into the kitchen. A MODERN MENAGE -ATragic Farce ^T curtain the front door-bell is ringing loudly. THE INFANT S loud crying is heard from upstairs. [Enter FOOGI, running downstairs. She crosses the doorway C. and goes to open the front door. In response to an inquiry she is heard to say:] No! Ladee not home, not home. [She bangs the door and runs back just as another loud cry from THE INFANT is heard, and the sound of something falling. It is THE INFANT tumbling down stairs. FOOGI rushes up to him and is heard comforting him. He cries spasmodically with diminuendo.] FOOGI Ay yi ! The bad step bad step! Did bump head ? Where you hurt self? Ay yi! [The sound of a latch-key is heard and the opening and shutting of the front door, a cheery whistle in the hall.] [Enter CARL GILLESPIE, C. He is young and well-dressed. A good-looking man not long out of college. He stands C.E. ad dressing FOOGI on the stairs. She has gone up out of sight of the audience. THE INFANT still cries slightly.] GILLESPIE Bring him here. Hello, Dad s boy! What s the matter, kid? FOOGI He much sleepy, think. GILLESPIE Sleepy? Nonsense! Didn t he get his nap today? [snapping his fngers] Wake up, lazy-bones! Come and fight your dad! [THE INFANT cries.] Gee whiz! Dow / then! Take him along! [The cries grow fainter as FOOGI bears him aloft.] GILLESPIE [whistles and enters the living-room] Yoo-whoo! Twink! Where art thou, my cherished one? [silence] Yoo- whoo! [He looks into the kitchen.] Yoo-whoo! No star ling s in sight! Orbit s empty! [He enters the kitchen and rattles the kettle-top. Re-enters the living-room.] So s the kit chen. No feed in sight, and me with a square-foot space in- A MODERN MENAGE side. [Goes to the foot of the stairs.] Cherry-blossom! Iris! what is her damned name anyway! Say! FOOGI [from above] Any caller me? GILLESPIE Yes, what s your name? I wasn t introduced yes terday. FOOGI Name ? GILLESPIE Yes, name your name. What I call you? FOOGI [comes down and stands on the last step] You call me? What want? GILLESPIE Oh, Lord! Solid ivory! Somebody give me a bil liard cue! FOOGI No have got. GILLESPIE Where s your mistress? Where s Mrs. Gillespie? FOOGI No un stan Gillesp . GILLESPIE The lady -where s the lady? FOOGI Oh! Ladee! Ladee she go out long time. [THE INFANT cries.] GILLESPIE She go out, eh? Where s the dinner? Why aren t you getting it? FOOGI No dinner. Babbee kli all time. [THE INFANT cries. FOOGI goes up.] GILLESPIE [with an impatient shrug, re-enters the room] It s darned mean of Twink to go off like this. Another "Bridge fight," I suppose! [The sound of a latch-key is heard in the front door, and a brisk entrance into the hall. GILLESPIE, posing as injured innocence, stands at L, half facing C. E.] [Enter MRS. GILLESPIE, C. E. The picture of health and spirits. She carries a shopping bag and several parcels.] MRS. G. Oh, hello, Carly boy! What are you doing home so early? [At sight of her his anger melts visibly and by the time she reaches him he is quite ready to greet her lovingly.] GILLESPIE [reproachfully] Early? [shows her his watch] MRS. G. [horrified\ Good heavens! It isn t! [snatching her own [5*1 A MODERN MENAGE watch out of her handbag, dropping it, then holding it to her ear] Little beast! I never can depend upon it! There now, you ll say it s because I dropped it, when you know very well I m not in the habit of doing it! GILLESPIE Never mind, Twink, I ll believe that s the first time today. MRS. G. You d better! [laughing guiltily] Tisn t tho! [merrily] I nearly died this afternoon catching a car. Ran around the end of it, and of course it was one of those ^w^-as-you-enter fiends. I opened my bag and fell up the steps. Out flew my watch and a big, fat brute in front of me put his heel on it. The least he could do was to pay my fare! [worried, she shakes the watch at her ear] I do wish I had a watch I could depend on! GILLESPIE [with mock severity] May I enquire, Madam, if you are in the habit of falling over polite gentlemen who pay your fare? [She laughs delightedly.] Here, give me that long- suffering bit of iron. I ll take it to a blacksmith! [She hands him the watch.] MRS. G. Oh, Carly, I m dead tired! [taking of her hat and coat] Have you seen Kiddums? Isn t he the quiet lamb! GILLESPIE [sotto voce] Quiet! [THE INFANT cries.] MRS. G. [running to the foot of the stairs] There s no sense in her letting him cry! All he wants is to be amused. GILLESPIE I guess they amuse each other all right! The kid was so absorbed in his own particular kind of amusement when I came home that he wouldn t even look at me. MRS. G. She s probably been neglecting him. They are so careless. Maybe she s left him alone up there. I ll run up and see to him while Foogi brings in dinner. GILLESPIE Who o gi ? MRS. G. Don t be an idiot! Foogi! F, double o-g-i! [She opens the kitchen door.] You may bring in dinner, Foogi. Foogi! Foogi! Well will you look at that peaceful stove? [glancing at the dining-table] And the table only half set! [53] A MODERN MENAGE [disgustedly] Oh, this "help" problem is getting past all standing! She was recommended as a "treasure," if you please! Her husband brought her and said she "ver smart." In fact, she " knew too much!" GILLESPIE [ironically] Impossible! MRS. G. [gathers up her hat, coat, and bundles, then -puts the bundles down again on the couch] No, I must show you those. I ve got some of the sweetest bargains! [rapidly, in the door way] Now, I tell you what you do while I m upstairs. See if Foogi brought the meat in from the ice-box, and put on the kettle, there s a dear boy, and I ll send her down in a minute. [ExitC.E] GILLESPIE [with a heavy sigh, exits into the kitchen. THE IN FANT cries, the telephone on the table rings. GILLESPIE re-enters, not having heard the telephone] Hang it! I can t find any meat! [Goes to the stair-foot and yells] Twink! I can t find any meat! [THE INFANT cries, the telephone rings again, the door-bell rings. GILLESPIE looks distractedly from one to the other, then goes to the phone. FOOGI comes down and goes to the front door whence a man s voice and hers are heard in parley] GILLESPIE [at y phone] Hello ! yes got me first time ! Who did you say you were? Oh, yes! [He nearly drops the re ceiver in dismay.] Oh, y-e-s! Mr. Delafield! Yes, it was very unfortunate I had to be out this afternoon when you called. Yes, I know; I generally do keep my appointments. I m awfully sorry! You couldn t see me tomorrow morning, could you? You ve made other arrangements? 1 see! I see! Thank you, good-by! [Hangs up with a blank look] Well, of all the infernal chumps I m the limit! FOOGI [is heard outside remonstrating, then enters with a bill which she gives to GILLESPIE. He stares at it.] GILLESPIE Why, this was paid weeks ago! FOOGI Man say: "No pay, no meat!" He write see! [She points to the back of the bill.] GILLESPIE [reads] "I have called several times with this ac count but can never find the lady at home. Would esteem [54] A MODERN MENAGE it a great favor if you will remit as soon as possible. Yours respectfully, James Blodgett. Dealer in choice meats and poultry. Cold storage a specialty." Hm! Deals out the cold day with a glad hand! All right, Foogi; you tell man, I send tomorrow send tomorrow see? FOOGI [mechanically] I send tomorrow send tomorrow, see ? GILLESPIE Wait! Gentleman send tomorrow, see? FOOGI Yis! Gentleman send tomorrow, see? [Exit. She is heard remonstrating at the front door.] GILLESPIE [going to C. E. y calls] That ll be all right. I ll send a check tomorrow. [FOOGI bangs the front door and returns to C. E.] See here, PThoogi, you tell lady I find no meat. FOOGI [smiling coyly] Man say, "no pay, no meat!" GILLESPIE [with dawning intelligence] I see! I see! You go tell lady there s no meat. Ask her what we ll have. Great Scott ! I ll eat The Infant if she doesn t hurry! [FOOGI exits, giggling delightedly. GILLESPIE whistles cheerfully. He tries to finish setting the table, but only succeeds in mixing up the articles on it. He moves a large bowl of flowers from the small table and places it in the center of the dining table, thereby obscuring most of the service.] [Enter FOOGI.] FOOGI Ladee say, "schlimpy." GILLESPIE [meditatively] Schlimpy! Um schlimpy? What in thunder is schlimpy! FOOGI Schlimpy ver nice. GILLESPIE I believe you! [going to stair-foot, he yells] Twink! What the deuce is schlimpy, and where found? MRS. G.[from above] S-h-rimps, you goose! Find them in the ice-box. Let s have some, "Spanish." Let s have a good old college feed! GILLESPIE Oh, sure! You find the "Spanish," Foogi, while I [55] A MODERN MENAGE cast me net for schlimpy. [FOOGI is bewildered.] "Spanish!" Tomato sauce in bottle. There maybe on buffet, see? [He goes into the kitchen.} FOOGI [Goes to the buffet; searches, plainly without knowing what she is looking for. Then suddenly she looks on the floor in the corner, beside the buffet, and hurriedly takes a brush hanging near and sweeps something back into the corner} [Enter GILLESPIE carrying the shrimps in a bowl which he places on the dining-table . He gets a fork and spoon from the buffet.} FOOGI No can find "Spanish" sauce bottle. GILLESPIE Run up and ask the lady where it is. [Exit FOOGI. Gillespie picks over the shrimps.] MRS. G. [from above] What is it you want, Carly? GILLESPIE "Spanish." Where s the tomato catsup? MRS. G. [very loudly} Oh "Spanish!" Why, on the buffet where it always is! I wish you wouldn t yell so, Carl, you ll wake Kiddums. [THE INFANT cries.] There 1 knew you would ! GILLESPIE [grins, goes to buffet} "Where it always is!" [Not see ing it, he peers into the corner.} Gee whiz! What a mess! [He stoops to investigate and cuts his finger on broken glass. He twists his handkerchief around it.] [Enter FOOGI.] FOOGI Ladee say: "Where bottle?" GILLESPIE What bottle? There s a bottle, broken, behind there! [pointing] There s the "Spanish!" Whoo%\ broke that? FOOGI [with pretended innocence] Oh too bad! GILLESPIE Yes, "too bad!" What bottle does lady want? That bottle? FOOGI [giggling] No! No! Babbee s bottle. GILLESPIE "Babbee s" bottle! Does she think I take it to the office? [He goes to the stair-foot.} Twink! Oh, Twink! What bottle are you talking about? [FOOGI is busy at the table} [56] A MODERN MENAGE MRS. G[from above] Why, Kiddum s bottle, dear! What did you do with the other when you gave him one last night? GILLESPIE O-o-h! Gee! I chucked it under the bed. It wouldn t work. Kiddums fired it at me. You d better send him crawling under for it; it s all his fault. MRS. G. [sweetly] You unfeeling brute! He s asleep now. GILLESPIE And say, Twink, where s the witch hazel? I ve cut my finger. MRS. G. Why, dearie, I m so sorry! Is it bad? The Infant drank all the witch hazel there was day before yesterday. Don t you remember I had to call Dr. Graham? GILLESPIE Oh, sure enough! [He twists his handkerchief again around his finger. To FOOGI.] Here, please, tie this; tie, tie, tie! [She knots the ends and he takes the dish of shrimps and goes into the kitchen.] Fix the table, Fujiyama! Now for a good old college feed! Oh, you Twink! [He is heard rattling the stove. FOOGI finishes setting the table. GILLESPIE stands in the kitchen doorway.] I suppose you ve never been to college, my poor girl! At college one learns to make the best of all the /^practical situations of life! In the seething cauldron of [a hissing sound is heard from the kitchen, he turns hastily] Great Scott ! The kettle ! [He is heard rattling the kettle-top, and whistling.] [Enter MRS. GILLESPIE, C. E. She speaks loudly and distinctly to FOOGI, emphasizing about every third word in an effort to be understood^ MRS. G. Foogi! Go upstairs now. The baby is taking bottle. You stay with him watch! Make him eat his dinner not socks not bed-clothes! [GILLESPIE returns to the kitchen entrance^ Would you believe it, Carly, that wretch we had last week let him eat about six of those little tufts off his comforter! At least, I suppose he ate them. They were gone! GILLESPIE Modest kid! Conceals his carnivorous feats! MRS. G. He s a duck! I heard the sweetest lecture today about the hours a mother spends with her child ! [57] A MODERN MENAGE GILLESPIE Come and have a look at these shrimps. I decided to cream them instead. [He puts his arm around her and draws her into the kitchen^ The kettle s boiling; you make the coffee, Twink. [pause] MRS. G. Those are great, [returning to the living-room] Your major at college was chafing-dish recipes, wasn t it? Or was it cigarettes? [She goes to the buffet and gets a coffee per colator .] My dear! I m hungry! I only had time to eat a bite of salad and a cream puff for lunch. GILLESPIE [standing reproachfully in the doorway as she tries to pass] Take that back! MRS. G. [innocently] What? Don t you want your coffee per colated tonight? Oh! [laughing] The cigarettes! Well, that was mean of me! Call it pipes, if you like! [He kisses her and lets her pass.] Take in your shrimps, Carlo, and I ll bring the bread and olives. GILLESPIE [entering with the shrimps in a bowl which he places on the table] Never mind a dish tonight it ll save washing. [pause] MRS. G. [entering with bread and a bottle of olives] Well, you needn t be so economical! I m a real lady tonight; we have a minion to wash our dishes! Run out and get the rest of the cream. [GILLESPIE exits to kitchen.] Wasn t he the dear, artistic boy to remember the decorations! [She pushes the flowers back to make room for the eatables. Enter GILLESPIE with a bottle of cream. He opens the olive bottle, she slices bread. She is R. of table, he stands L.] GILLESPIE Well, what was doing today? MRS. G. I ve simply rushed all day. [rapidly checking of on her fingers] Shopped early; loveliest bargains you ever saw at Levison s! [starting up toward her parcels] GILLESPIE For heaven s sake, sit down, Twink! Let s eat! MRS. G. [resuming her checking] Class in infant psychology at eleven, awfully interesting, and we got talking and forgot the time so I couldn t come home to lunch. Then there was Ivy [58] A MODERN MENAGE Littleton s stocking "shower" at two, but I couldn t stay long at that because I d promised Alice Kingston to drop in at refreshment time after her "bridge" and a lot of the girls came in late and GILLESPIE [having finished opening the olive bottle] My dear girl cut it out! er cut bread! MRS. G. Oh, yes! and [there is a loud cry from THE INFANT and the sound of something dropped. They rise and listen.] MRS. G. [resignedly] There! Another bottle! That s the third this week! [They sit.] GILLESPIE [feels in his money pocket; draws out a handful of small change, and looks at it ruefully] By the way, dear, a col lector just came from the butcher. How was it you didn t pay that bill? MRS. G. Why, Carly, you said you d send a check from the office! Don t you remember month before last you said you thought you d run the butcher s bill for a change? GILLESPIE [sheepishly] Why, yes, so I did! Wouldn t it be cheaper and safer for The Infant to eat meat instead of break ing so many bottles? MRS. G. [reproachfully] My dear! That is just the exuberance of youthful energy which we are told we must not check. [THE INFANT continues to howl.] I must go and see what is the matter. Eat your dinner, Carly, it s getting cold. [She exits, and he begins to eat hurriedly. Suddenly there comes a scream from MRS. GILLESPIE, and he y running to meet her as she comes hurriedly down, catches her in his arms. She carries a child s white dress and skirt, stained with bright red spots which she displays to his horrified gaze.] MRS. G. [sobbing] Oh, Carly, Carly! What awful thing has happened to him? He s so hot, and cries all the time! I didn t see these at first; Foogi had taken them off, and he was all covered up. Oh, I m afraid to look! Telephone for the doctor, quick, quick! I m sure he s dying! My baby s dying! [She sinks in a spasm of sobs on the couch while GILLESPIE calls up the doctor.] [59] A MODERN MENAGE GILLESPIE Hello! Central quick Give me Oak 1904 yes (well, she got it, first time on record!) Oak 1904? Dr. Graham? Yes, can you come right over here, Doctor? The Infant seems to be a little upset, [MRS. G. sits up indignantly. " Upset!"] and my wife s nervous over him. Thank you, yes, right here, please! Oh, here means Gillespie s down on the cerner! All right, thanks, good-by! [He hangs up, surveys the dress and skirt.] Gee! That looks bad! No won der he wouldn t play when I got home. I don t want to reproach you, Twink, but don t you think it would be better for the kid if you let some of these outside things go? [THE INFANT cries.] MRS. G. Oh, Carl! [She puts down her head and sobs again.] GILLESPIE [conscience-stricken] There, there! I m a brute! Gee whiz! I suppose that coffee s boiled all over the place! [He bolts for the kitchen, and returns with the steaming coffee pot; places it on the table^ Come and take a cup, dear. You must brace up before the doctor comes. MRS. G. I can t take a bit. [sotting] You eat your supper. GILLESPIE [goes to the table. The shrimps are now cold and he turns them over distastefully^ I m not so hungry now somehow. [He pours out a cup of coffee, drinks part of it, then carries another cup to her. He tries to tempt her with a spoonful.] Here, Twink! Brace up! [She takes a few spoonsful, smiling dolefully as he feeds her.] [There is a ring at the front door, and GILLESPIE exits to admit DR. GRAHAM, a tall, grave man of middle-age. He leaves his hat and coat in the hall.] DR. GRAHAM [smiling kindly as he greets MRS. GILLESPIE] Good- evening, Mrs. Gillespie. What s the trouble this time? I m sorry the boy needs me so soon again. MRS. G. Oh, doctor, I don t know! I came home late and the maid had put him to bed and I just found these [showing him the clothes] Oh, he must be terribly hurt some way! DR. G. [examining the clothes] Why, my dear lady! But I must see the child! Every minute counts. [60] A MODERN MENAGE GILLESPIE Come upstairs, Doctor. DR. G. We ll probably need some hot water immediately. Can you tell your maid? [to MRS. GILLESPIE] MRS. G. Oh, Carly, dear, you put on the kettle! Foogi ll never understand. I ll send her down. Come, Dr. Graham. [They exeunt, the doctor carrying the stained clothes. Exit GILLESPIE into the kitchen.] [Enter FOOGI. She goes to the table and begins to clear it y taking the eatables into the kitchen, and putting the plates and small articles on the buffet.] [Enter GILLESPIE. He carries a small copy-book.] Foogi! [She starts and looks at him demurely.] What you do all day? FOOGI Work - alle day! Take care babbee. Ver good, nice [THE INFANT cries.] GILLESPIE What makes the baby cry? What you do to him? FOOGI Aw! Ver good, nice babbee! No much kli! GILLESPIE He is crying too much now. He s sick - baby s sick. Don t you know why he cries? FOOGI Aw! Babbee sick? Too bad! Ver bad! GILLESPIE [impatiently] Yes, too bad! [He shows her the copy book.] See, here! Is this yours? Is this what you do all day? I pay you to work, take care baby, not write all day! FOOGI [sullenly] Aw! Write li l - can no alle time work! Babbee sleep sometime. Foogi write, study - same Mer - can girl. GILLESPIE [groaning] " Mer can" girl! What was the baby crying about when I came home tonight? FOOGI [innocently] Kli? Babbee kli? Ver nice babbee! GILLESPIE [insistently] Something has happened to him. He fall down ? Where did he fall down ? FOOGI [reproachfully] Aw! No fall down! No! Ver nice, good babbee! [61] A MODERN MENAGE GILLESPIE Oh, this is hopeless! Clear the table! Clear the table! [He stands at the foot of the stairs and listens ^then turns away with a sigh.} Let me know when that water boils [pointing] water boils! FOOGI [meekly] Yis, Mis Gillesp . [Exits into kitchen.] GILLESPIE [starting up the stairs meets the others coming down. They enter.} DR. G. I cannot really discover any cause for excessive alarm, Mr. Gillespie. He has considerable temperature, but I think that when his mother has made him comfortable he will probably go to sleep. After he has had the hot bath, Mrs. Gillespie, give him another of the powders. MRS. G. And you think he ll really, really be all right? That awful blood, Doctor, what can it be ? DR. G. [smiling gravely] Nose-bleed probably. If not his, then someone else s; or his nurse may have cut her finger. I ll call early in the morning and make a more thorough investi gation. Sleep seems to be what the child wants at present. I ll leave this prescription to be filled, Mr. Gillespie. GILLESPIE Yes, I ll go for it right away. Thank you so much for coming, Doctor, at this hour. DR. G. No thanks; that s what I m for, giving prescriptions only another name for advice which we re all fond of giving. Good-night, [shaking hands with MRS. GILLESPIE] Cheer up! Take my word for it, the little chap will be better in the morn ing. [Exit.] MRS. G. [To MR. G. as he starts to follow.} Oh, Carl! I m sure he s concealing something. Ask him to tell you the truth. [Exit GILLESPIE. She walks nervously up and down.] [Enter GILLESPIE and DR. GRAHAM.] DR. G. I am concealing nothing, Mrs. Gillespie. You are nervous and excited and are conjuring up phantoms. May I talk with you a little? MRS. G. Oh, I should love to have you! [62] A MODERN MENAGE DR. G. As soon as that water boils I ll go. Your dinner was disturbed by that little plague upstairs I m afraid. GILLESPIE [ruefully] Well, yes, rather! But that s no matter. DR. G. Don t you know that you are playing right into my hands, into mine and all my fraternity s with this constant rush, rush, rush . Here s this little lady how often of a morning do I see her running past my house for a car! MRS. G. [hesitating] Yes this morning it was for the child psychology class! DR. G. [slowly] I ve left one prescription for the baby. May I leave another? One that will benefit you both? MRS. G. Why, yes indeed! DR. G. Give him more of his mother, Mrs. Gillespie. Study infant psychology at first hand; you ve no idea how interesting it is. [MRS. G. begins to sob.] Pardon me if I distress you, but I see so many mistakes in going my rounds. Oh, we old people make them too! GILLESPIE Cheer up, Twink! It s all right. MRS. G. Oh, I m a beast! A selfish beast! When you re slav ing away at the office all day, here I am gadding about, and dear Kiddums getting killed! GILLESPIE [guiltily] Well, I m not er slaving all the time, Twink. Guess I could stick to business better if I tried. DR. G. You re a stranger to me, Mr. Gillespie, although I ve watched you grow up from a distance. Pardon an old friend of your father for speaking plainly. May I give you a pre scription too? GILLESPIE Why, sure! I mean, of course! Glad to take it. DR. G. It may be a bitter pill. Will you swallow it? GILLESPIE Just watch me! DR. G. Mr. Delafield consulted me about you last week. Per sonally I knew almost nothing about you, but I told him that the son of such a father must amount to something, so he [63] A MODERN MENAGE decided to make you the offer for which you had an oppor tunity this afternoon. GILLESPIE Yes er 1 DR. G. Late this afternoon he told me that one of his boys had seen you at the baseball game. GILLESPIE [ruefully] Yes, an afternoon thrown away! The "Brown Bears" lost after all! DR. G. It was more than an afternoon thrown away, Mr. Gillespie. That was a fine offer from a splendid man that you missed; but, as he said, one of his first requirements was promptness. Well, a physician s prescriptions should always be brief, and [smiling] we re always afraid of our own medicine, you know. It s sometimes effective! [abruptly] Good-by. I ll call the first thing in the morning. Good-by. [He hurries out, followed by GILLESPIE.] MRS. G. [rises, wipes her eyes. Seeing her parcels on the couch she throws them impatiently on the floor and kicks them under the couch.] [Enter GILLESPIE.] GILLESPIE Why, Twinkle-Star, what are you doing? MRS. G. I never want to see a bargain again! [catching up the baby s dress] I must ask Foogi about this. Maybe she can throw some light on the subject. GILLESPIE No use, Twink, I ve tried. You might as well try to get cream from water. [He puts his arm around her. She notices his finger.] MRS. G. Oh, poor finger! [kissing it] Is it very bad? GILLESPIE No, just a slight cut on a bit of broken glass, [glanc ing toward the corner near the buffet] Why the dickens! Of course! Twink! There s your bloody tragedy. [He leads her to the corner and points.] There s your "Spanish," broken to bits. Of course that s The Infant s work, while Whoogi struggled with the higher education. [He shows MRS. G. the copy-book.] Well he was a small shrimp smeared "Span ish" all right! [roaring with laughter] A MODERN MENAGE MRS. G. Oh, Carl! Do you really think? [She dabs her finger in the corner and makes a new spot on the dress.] It is! It is! An exact match! [She sinks on the floor and laughs hysterically .] GILLESPIE Trust you, old bargain hunter, to know a match when you see it ! MRS. G. Carl! Don t! Oh, my little Kiddums! [pressing the dress to her cheek] Carly- do you know the Doctor was right? The lecturer this morning said a whole lot about re sponsibility, and I ve always hated that word, it sounds so middle-aged and awful, and I didn t listen to that part, but I liked the psychology part of it, the colors and all those things, you know, "as related to the child." [Her voice un consciously adopts a lecturer s tone.} GILLESPIE Yes, but I ve heard that the colors are really the least part of it. Do you know, Twink, I somehow feel differ ent since I came home tonight? [He helps her to rise.} I think you and I have got to remember that we re grown up, don t you? MRS. G. [soberly] Yes 1 suppose so! [He takes her in his arms.] FOOGI [appearing in the kitchen doorway. Short pause] Water boil long time. [They start.] MRS. G. Oh, yes, we must go up to Kiddums! Foogi, bring the water. [FOOGI exits into the kitchen, and re-appears with the steaming kettle. MR. and MRS. GILLESPIE go toward C. ., talking volubly, she with the dress and skirt over her arm.} GILLESPIE No more baseball games for me! MRS. G. Oh, you don t need to get too old all at once, Carly! But I tell you! We ll have a calendar all fixed up, and when you get a baseball game, I ll balance it with a "shower" and GILLESPIE Well, perhaps about one a month MRS. G. [as they disappear up the stairs] I m sure I don t want one very often. A MODERN MENAGE GILLESPIE will do me MRS. G. They re silly things anyway FOOGI [stands at the foot of the stairs a moment, looking up] "Silly things anyway!" [She giggles and ascends. THE IN FANT is heard crying as] THE CURTAIN FALLS 66 THE INVENTOR - A Dramatic Sketch [CHARACTERS] CLEM CURTIS. MARY CURTIS. BOB MATTHEWS. [SCENE] A cheap lodging-house bedroom. A bureau, table, and chair are at right, a bed is at left. The entrance from the hall is at center. THE INVENTOR A Dramatic Sketch T curtain a woman s sobs are heard from the adjoining room, left. [Enter CLEM CURTIS and BOB MATTHEWS.] [They are of the average young American type of which one sees thousands every day. CLEM is rather better looking than BOB, and better dressed. He carries a roll of blue-prints and a newspaper. BOB, whose room it is, carries a loaf of bread and a package of cheese. Hearing the woman s sobs they pause at the entrance to listen.} CLEM Say, Bob, what s the row? BOB Oh, that s a kid next door! She s been at it like that two or three times this week. [He closes the door.] CLEM Kid? That s no kid, that s a woman. [He tosses the roll of prints on the bureau.] BOB [putting packages on bureau] I don t mean exactly a kid, but I ve caught glimpses of her going in and out a few times, and she looked pretty young and down on her luck. [The sobbing ceases.] CLEM Not a very cheerful neighbor, I should say. [opening newspaper] BOB No, but she s considerate, I ll say that for her. She always stops when she hears me come in. CLEM [scanning the front page of the paper] Hum ! There it is. [He looks rather pleased with himself.] BOB [looking over his shoulder] Let s see. Good for you, old man! [slapping CLEM on the back] That s what success means. CLEM [impatiently] What s it all worth to me! BOB Say, what s the matter with you, Clem? You ve got a grouch lately, worse than ever. [69] THE INVENTOR CLEM Well I guess I have, Bob. There s no use trying to hide it. BOB What s the trouble? Spit it out. CLEM Oh, dry up! It s enough to be soured on the world with out bothering all your friends. BOB That s the kind of friend I am; made to be bothered. CLEM You re all right > Bob; you ve stood a lot from me. I ll tell you it s this way. A year ago I had a wife BOB [surprised] First I knew about it! CLEM and a home and everything. There was a kid ex pected, and we were just waiting for that, thinking how happy we d be. BOB And you busy, meanwhile, over your invention, I suppose? CLEM Yes, of course. Naturally I was busy over that. Some nights I couldn t go home at all. I couldn t really work at home. BOB Well, what happened? CLEM I came home one night and she wasn t there. Simply walked in and found the house empty, and [His voice freaks.] "Box [sympathetically] And? CLEM And from that night to this I ve never heard a word or found a trace. She made the cleverest get-away I ever saw. BOB Strange! Why should she go? CLEM They do say women are queer at such times. BOB How long ago was this? CLEM About eight months. BOB What did you do about trying to find her? CLEM I notified the police to work on the quiet. I did every thing I could think of. The trouble is she left absolutely no clue to work on. [70] THE INVENTOR BOB Hum ! Queer ! CLEM And since then all my luck has come. BOB All your luck? Perhaps she thought she was part of your luck! CLEM Oh, well, you know what I mean! Your wife and your business are two different propositions. BOB Are they? I didn t know! CLEM Of course! BOB Maybe that s where you made a mistake. CLEM What do you know about it? You never had a wife. BOB No, nor invented anything. I never had brains enough! CLEM For which? BOB Both! CLEM Brains to get married! That doesn t take brains! BOB So you thought. That s where you were dead wrong. But whatever it took, you didn t make a success of it, did you? But I needn t talk. I don t know anything about women! CLEM Oh, come off! BOB Sure thing! I know there are two kinds good and bad. The good ones are just like a fairy dream, out of my reach! And, well er nix on the bad ones! CLEM You re a queer duck! BOB Maybe! CLEM Well, mine turned out to be a "fairy dream," I guess! But I ll never stop looking for it to come back again, [excitedly] Sometimes the suspense is hell, Bob. I imagine all sorts of things. Sometimes I picture her the victim of some dreadful outrage; then again I get into a devil of a rage against her for leaving me like that. It just puts me back again a few years to the time when I hadn t any faith in the sex! BOB I don t see that they have anything on us in that respect! [711 THE INVENTOR CLEM Oh, well, what s the use! Let s forget it! [looking at his picture in the paper] Doesn t this look like success and happi ness ? Look at that grin ! Say, I never looked like that, did I ? BOB [taking paper] Can t say you ever did! A whole column about you, eh? Gee, that s great! And the board of direc tors is going to give you a dinner! CLEM Yes! What do I want a dinner given me for! But I suppose it s all part of the game. BOB Sure! You said you were going to show me the drawings of your invention. Have you got them there? CLEM Yes. [taking roll of blue-prints, opening it] It doesn t look much on paper. You see this little jigger here? That s what the whole fuss is about. That s what cost me months of study and work. But fascinating ! Holy smoke, how the time slips away from you! The company says it s what they ve been looking for for years. It just fits into the machine like a miracle and reduces the wear and tear one half. BOB Wonderful! And all out of that old top of yours! [thump ing CLEM S head] Describe it to me. CLEM [looking at his watch] See here, I haven t time now. I m late for an appointment as it is. Suppose I leave these here; you can look them over, and I ll come around tomorrow evening. BOB All right; I ll take care of them for you. CLEM [rolls up the prints and tosses them on the bed\ So long, then. Eat hearty ! [indicating the bread and cheese] BOB Thanks. So long. [CLEM goes out. BOB takes off his coat and shoes and puts on. slippers. The sobbing next door recom mences. It makes BOB nervous. He takes a plate , knife and glass out of one of the bureau drawers and puts them on the table. The sobbing continues. Unable to stand it any longer he pounds on the wall near the bed.] Say, won t you quit that, please? Please do, kid! [The sobbing becomes hysterical.] Oh, Lord! Here s a nice cheerful tune to eat supper by! Some cabaret stunt, all right! Listen here, Gracie! Mamie! Arabella! THE INVENTOR Mary! [The sobbing ceases.} Ah, ha! I thought I d strike it! I ll come in there and get you if you don t look out. [The sobs are spasmodic.] I guess I ll come anyway and settle this. [He goes out and is heard knocking.} Come on, now, I won t hurt you. Be a lady! Come out here! [The sobbing ceases. BOB reappears, talking of.] Come along and tell me all about it. I can t stand this every night. It gets on my nerves. Come in; I may be able to do something to help. [MARY CURTIS appears in the doorway, then reluctantly she fol lows BOB into the room. MARY is a young woman of twenty- three or so, very pale, and shabbily dressed. She has a refined, sweet face.] BOB I m no crook. I m not going to hurt you. MARY [her breath coming in gasps] I m not afraid. It it isn t that. I 1 just get so awful lonely in there at night 1 can t stand it. BOB This is the first time I ve had a good look at you. I thought you were a kid [MARY ejaculates " Kid/"] when I heard you bawling these last few nights, but I guess you re a woman grown with troubles of your own like the rest of us. MARY That s right. I ve had troubles enough. BOB [getting the bread and cheese, and arranging them on plates on the table] You don t happen to be hungry or anything, do you? Because I m having a party right now and you might like to stay to it, eh? MARY Hungry! [She sways a trifle. BOB catches her, and seats her on the edge of the bed, then makes her lie down.] BOB There now, you stay right there. [He puts a slice of bread into her hand.] I haven t got a blamed bit of booze in this shebang. Chew away on that till I get back. All right now, are you? [MARY nods.] You just keep quiet; I ll run down and get a drop of something to add to my party. Don t you worry; nobody 11 be in. I m not bothered with swell visitors at this time of night. [He goes out. MARY lies still a moment with closed eyes, munch- [73) THE INVENTOR ing the bread. The newspaper is under her head, it bothers her, she draws it out and pushes aside the roll of blue-prints. She raises herself a little and glances over the newspaper. She sees the picture of CLEM.] MARY Oh, Clem, Clem! [Reads.] "Young Inventor to be hon ored by Steel Company with banquet." [Her voice drops as she murmurs a few more words from the paper, then louder.] Oh, Clem, I guess it s good I didn t stand in your way! [There is a knock at the door. She cowers down, her face hidden.] CLEM [Outside,] Hello, Bob ! [partially opening the door] Can I come in? I forgot I d need those prints tonight. I had to come back for them. I ll let you [Realizing that BOB is not there, amused at himself, he enters.] Hello, where are you? [He goes to the bureau.] Where did I leave them? [Going toward the bed, he sees MARY.] Well, I ll be ! [He stands transfixed at the foot of the bed. The roll of prints is out of his reach, near her head. She stirs.] I m sorry to disturb you, but would you mind handing me that roll of prints, if you re not asleep? [MAKY fumbles blindly for the roll.] Oh, no, that s not where it is! [a murmur from MARY] All right, I ll take them myself. [Going to the side of the bed he reaches for the roll. A bit of her hair catches on his sleeve. He frees it, gazing fixedly at her. He hesitates, then goes to the door.] Thanks, sorry to have disturbed you. [Still looking back, puzzled, he runs into BOB, entering.] Excuse me! I had no intention of butting in. My mistake! [BOB protests.] Oh, that s all right! No explanations necessary. [CLEM goes out hurriedly, leaving BOB speechless. He enters, carrying a bottle of " Tipo " Chianti.] MARY [sitting up, gasping] Oh, Oh, Oh! BOB It s too bad you were disturbed, little girl. Never mind; I ll have it out with him soon. MARY [excitedly] That s my husband. Oh, Clem, Clem! BOB [starting to the door] Your husband? MARY [springing up and catching him] No, no, not yet! He must not see me yet. BOB Why not now? You could have it all over in a minute and be happy. [74] THE INVENTOR MARY Oh, you don t know! I must be sure that he wants me. BOB Wants you? Why, he s dying for you. Didn t he tell me that this very evening? [He still tries to get to the door, but MARY prevents him.] Oh, all right then, we ll wait! Come along, I ll tell you all about it. [He makes her sit at the table.] Let s see, where s my chair? [He looks cautiously out into the hall.] Seems to me I noticed it out here. [He brings a wooden box in from the hall, and sits on it at the table.] There now! Let s have our party while we discuss our troubles with light and airy persiflage, eh? MARY [smiles, and begins to eat] You re great on kidding, aren t you? BOB You bet! It makes life go easier. MARY That s true; but sometimes life gets so hard you can t smile. BOB Guess you ve had it pretty hard, eh? MARY Um-hum ! BOB Don t you feel like talking about it? It might do you good. MARY Maybe it would. It seems easy to talk to you. Here s something I want to show you. [She draws a small photograph from the bosom of her gown, her eyes shining.] This is my baby. Isn t he a darling? I guess I was foolish getting his picture taken, but that was two months ago when I had work, and it didn t cost much. BOB [enthusiastically] Gee! That s some baby, all right. MARY And he s the perfect image of Clem, [wistfully] Isn t he? BOB Oh, sure! I m an expert on babies likenesses! [He makes a wry face, unseen by MARY.] How old is he ? MARY Six months. BOB And eight months ago you wandered out into the world thinking you could face it alone, eh, with this little chap? MARY Why, how did you know? BOB Oh, I know some things! [751 THE INVENTOR MARY But there s lots of things you don t know. There s so much men don t know! BOB Well, tell me some of them. Tell me what happened when you left home that night? MARY That night! Clem has told you! BOB I m a "Wiz," I tell you. I know everything! MARY I think you do! BOB Well, go on anyway. I want to hear you tell about that night. MARY [reminiscently, vaguely] It was dark and late and cold. I sat so long in front of the fire that I don t remember when it went out. I only remember how long it seemed since I had seen Clem. He had been gone all day, since early morning. I had got up earlier than usual to give him his breakfast. When supper time came he sent word by a boy next door that he couldn t come yet; that he had to see a very important man. I didn t feel well that day. My head was all funny, and I couldn t think straight, and I began to think how nice it would be if I went to sleep and never woke up. BOB [emphatically] That s where you should have got up and gone to bed, and had a good sleep like a sensible girl. MARY Yes, that was what Clem was always telling me. But, you see, he didn t understand how I felt. BOB Then what happened? MARY I forget. But the people that I went to told me that I must have put a few of my clothes in a bag, because I had them with me. The next thing I remember I was lying down by the water near the lake. I guess I must have fainted. I 1 sat there for awhile and and 1 crept back into some shrubbery because I heard a policeman go by. Then I could remember everything, and I was ashamed to think I had run away. I thought I had better end it right there. Then I thought of Baby, and how wicked it would be to take away its little life without its having a chance to say if it THE INVENTOR wanted to live. But I didn t want to go back. Clem didn t want me. His business meant more to him. So I just sat there, and by and by morning came, and I knew what to do. BOB What was that? MARY I went straight to the milliner s where I used to work, and she was awful kind to me. I told her all about it, and I found out she was unhappy too. She promised to let me stay there, and wouldn t ever tell. I could sit in the back room and work on the hats, and nobody except two of the girls ever knew I was there. I could do a lot of work, you see. It was easy for me because I was an old hand at it. Then some times I cooked her dinner for her when she was tired. BOB And you weren t ever tired, I suppose? MARY [simply] Yes, I was always tired. But then, you know how it is, you don t always have time to be. BOB Yes, I know! Same as some men don t have time to be kind! MARY I guess they mean to be, but they don t know! BOB Go on, I m interrupting your story. MARY It was all right till Baby came. My friend was so good, but afterward it wasn t so easy to work, and it was hard keep ing Baby in the little back room. Then my friend got sick and I couldn t stay there in the way. She felt awful bad about it, and got one of her rich customers to put Baby into a home where they take care of em for just a little paid in every week. Then I got work for awhile in the shirt factory but, you know the strike s been on for three weeks, and and oh, I ve been looking everywhere but I can t find anything to do! Some times I try to get housework, but I haven t any references, and when I go into a house where they don t ask for references they are so awful mean. [She sinks her head on her hands.] BOB So you got the blue jim-jams, eh? MARY And, oh, I did want Clem to see Baby! BOB Why didn t you go back? MARY How could I, and me leaving as I did? Besides I did THE INVENTOR creep back one night, late, and hung around awhile, but the house was dark, no sign of anybody, so I just came away again. BOB Didn t it ever strike you that you were treating Clem unkindly? MARY Yes. I hated to think of that. But then I thought may be it was best, because when I came away I didn t know I was doing it, and perhaps he wanted to be rid of me anyway, so he could spend all his time on his work. BOB You see that s where you made a mistake. MARY I didn t know. How could I know! It s a queer way to love a person, to stay away from them all the time! BOB He realizes that now. MARY [pushing aside her plate] Tell me what he said. BOB His success in business now means nothing to him. He is "soured on the world," to use his own expression. And why? Because he has lost you! MARY Ah, did he say that? Are you sure? BOB Sure thing! In this very room not half an hour ago. You heard us come in, because you stopped short in that cabaret stuff you were pulling off. MARY Oh, don t! BOB Never mind, little girl, you run along now and dream about tomorrow. You leave it to me; we ll have the grand finale all right. Family reunion and all that stuff! MARY I can t believe it s true! How long have you known Clem? BOB Only a few months. Come to think of it, it must have been very soon after you took that evening walk, that I ran across him at "Coffee Dan s." Of all the glum individuals he was the worst ever! I sort of took it on myself to jolly him along. MARY Didn t he ever say anything about me then? [78] THE INVENTOR BOB Not a peep out of him! I kept meeting him around dif ferent places, you know how it is; we fellows never talk much about personal affairs unless we run plumb up against it. MARY What made him tell you tonight? BOB Well I pinned him right down to it. He s been coming to me lately more and more. I taxed him with a grouch and he came through with it. You see, success doesn t mean much to him now. MARY [picks up the paper] Poor Clem ! And it s wonderful what he has done. Oh, I was the selfish one! BOB Not on your life! Don t take it that way. There s no invention in the world worth a little woman like you, and he s found it out! MARY Oh, do you think so? BOB Sure! [A sharp knock on the door startles them. CLEM S voice is heard. "Can I come in? Bob, I must speak to you!" BOB starts up, MARY catches hold of him, imploring.] MARY Oh, no, no! Not now! BOB Yes, it s best now. [He opens the door; CLEM enters. MARY shrinks back a little but faces him bravely.] CLEM Mary! [furiously, looking from one to the other] I knew it when I saw you there! [pointing to bed\ Something pulled me right back here. Oh, you, you ! [BOB tries to restrain him.] MARY Yes, I m here because CLEM Shut up! Don t invent any lies; I m no fool. So this is where you ve been while I was eating my heart out and searching the town for you! MARY Clem, dear, listen ! CLEM "No fool," I said. That s not true. I m a damned fool ever to have trusted a woman! BOB Clem, listen! MARY Clem, Clem, I didn t know! You never told me you [791 THE INVENTOR needed me. You were always busy. I could never do any thing for you, you always CLEM What does it matter what you thought or what I thought? I find you here! And Bob "didn t know anything about women," oh, no! BOB You re mistaken. Listen to me. MARY I never spoke to him until tonight. CLEM You think I m "easy," don t you, to believe that? MARY It s the truth, Clem, I swear BOB Leave him to me, Mary. CLEM Seems to know your name all right! [sneering] Yes, "leave it to him, Mary!" I ll soon fix you both. [He whips out a revolver and covers BOB. MARY runs in front of BOB, stretching out her arms to protect him, and facing CLEM.] BOB [trying to force her away] No, no! Think of your boy. MARY [will not step aside] I am thinking of my boy. His father must not be a murderer. CLEM [his hand drops] A murderer! MARY I ve never seen this man before tonight. I don t even know his name. He is your friend, yet you are ready to shoot him down without a word. Very well, shoot him through my body! [Her clear gaze disarms CLEM. He drops the revolver and sinks on the bed y his head bowed on the foot of //, half sob bing.] BOB [manages to force MARY into the chair] I told you I didn t know anything about women, Clem! [He picks up the re volver and places it on the bureau.] MARY [going to CLEM] If you want me back, Clem, I ll come. You are the man I love. But I never would have come if it hadn t been for your friend here. CLEM [brokenly] But you went away you went away! BOB She went away, yes. In her loneliness she wandered [80] THE INVENTOR away, not knowing what she did. She worked, suffered, she starved! While you CLEM [fiercely, springing up] I suffered too! BOB Yes, in your selfish, well-fed pride, you suffered. What was that in comparison? MARY Don t! We ve both been wrong. Clem, dear, this man says he doesn t know anything about women, but he knows something better. He understands human feelings. He has shown us both where we were wrong. [She slips her hand into CLEM S.] May Baby and I come home? CLEM [catches her in his arms] You first, Mary! Just you! [MARY frees herself, takes the baby s photo from her gown and holds it up for CLEM to see. He is astonished.] A a boy did you say? [She nods.] When may I see him? MARY Tomorrow! [CLEM catches her in his arms, while BOB, with a whimsical look toward them, ostentatiously clears away the plates^ [81] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND A Comedy Lend me thy fillet, Love, I would no longer see; Cover mine eyelids close awhile y And make me blind like theel Lend her thy fillet, Love, Let her no longer seel If there is hope for me at all, She must be blind like theel EDWARD ROWLAND SILL. [CHARACTERS] ROSE ELLISTON, who has been blind for six years. KENNETH Ross, an artist; her fiance. [SCENE] The Ellistons* living-room. It is comfortably fur nished. There is a table down left on which are books and ornaments, also two photographs of Rose and Kenneth. Chairs are right and left of the table. A small chair is down right, and a large chair up right center. A large mirror hangs up right. A small hassock is right center, and a couch up left. The entrances are an arch-way at center with portieres and a door at left. It is mid-afternoon at the present time. WHEN LOVE IS BLIND A Comedy 77 JL-jNTER KENNETH ROSS, C. He is a man of thirty , and is handsome enough to justify the references made to his good looks in the dialogue. He carries a bunch of flowers and a box of candy. He places the box on the table and arranges the flowers carefully in a vase on the table, talking meanwhile to Rose s photograph which he places in close proximity to the flower "s.] KENNETH There! I hope those will please your ladyship! At any rate they ll help me through the trying ordeal. [He draws the large chair forward and places the hassock in front of it.] There s your throne, my Queen-Rose, where you may pass judgment on your stricken subject! [He places a small, straight-backed chair at left, near the large one.} That will do, I suppose, for the prisoner s box. I need something stiff and bracing! Pity I m not a drinking man! Nonsense! Why am I taking it all so seriously! [taking up the photograph] After two years of faith, dear, why should I doubt you now? [Enter ROSE ELLISTON, C. She comes in quietly. She is slight and very sweet-looking. One sees that she has pretty hair, becomingly dressed, but her other features are partially obscured by the bandage she wears over her eyes and tied at the back of her head.] [KENNETH feels her presence, goes to meet her, takes her hand and leads her to the large chair.] KENNETH Queen-Rose ! ROSE [nervously] Please excuse my keeping you waiting, Ken neth, but I only this moment heard you were here. KENNETH You knew what suspense I would be in, didn t you? [He seats her in the chair, and places the hassock carefully.] ROSE [surprised] How very careful you are of me today! I m not sick. KENNETH [whimsically] No, I suppose not; but I am, may it please your royal highness ! [85] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND ROSE [anxiously] Oh, what is the matter? And why should it please me, you silly boy? KENNETH [laughing nervously] Mine is an affection of the heart, not necessarily dangerous, but very wearing while it lasts! [leaning over the back of her chair] Oh, you cruel little judge! Have you any idea what an ordeal you are putting me through when you sit there so calmly waiting to pass judgment on me? ROSE [excitedly] Calmly, do you say? Am I to have no credit then for controlling my feelings? When you talk of the ordeal of a moment, are my six years of suspense to count for nothing? Oh, Kenneth, think what they ve meant to me! The gradual fading away of the light, the sunshine and the flowers all the dear faces of those I loved! Then when the dreadful darkness came, the thought that so it must be all through my life! Then you came, and brought so much light and happiness to me that at first I thought my trial counted for nothing. But was it nothing, do you think, to hear your voice, to feel your presence near me, and never to catch even a glimpse of your face? Ah, when you talk of ordeals, you don t know you don t know! [She hides her face.} KENNETH [conscience-stricken , strokes her hair] Forgive me, dear! You have always seemed so happy since I ve known you that I ve not realized the depth of the trial you have been through. Then all the past year you ve had the hope of regaining your eyesight. ROSE Yes, but [sitting up suddenly] what are you doing over here, sir? I wish you to stay over there in that chair. [She points vaguely. KENNETH sits in the straight chair L, with mock humility.] They were never sure of the operation s being successful, you know, but they always hoped, and I hoped too. And now [standing up excitedly] now I am going to see see! The sunshine and the flowers, my dear father and mother whom I haven t seen for six long years! [KENNETH goes to her.} And and you! [shrinking from him] KENNETH [with repression] And me! So / come last? [86] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND ROSE [rallying] Ah, no not last! Haven t I chosen to see you first? Was it wrong, do you think? No, I think they understand. KENNETH Yes, they understand. Was it only yesterday you told me that my face was the first you wished to see when the dark bandages were taken off which have hid your sweet eyes so long from the light? It seems an eternity. ROSE [shivering nervously] Oh, these last twenty-four hours! KENNETH [lightly] And how much longer, may I ask, are you going to keep me in suspense? Your experience should make you more lenient toward the trials of others! ROSE [in a spoiled-child tone] Papa says I m about as "spoiled as they make em," so I m going to keep you on the anxious seat just as long as I choose! [She goes toward him.] Let me feel what chair you are sitting on. [KENNETH sits quickly in the straight chair.] Good and straight and hard? [running her fingers over the back of the chair] Yes, that s all right. KENNETH [folds his arms with a resigned air] Oh, it s hard enough! One of those company chairs your mother keeps for people whom she doesn t wish to stay long. She never makes me sit in it! [reproachfully] ROSE I m quite aware that mother is very fond of you. She is continually telling me what a fortunate girl I am. KENNETH [quizzically] Well, aren t you? ROSE Of course I am! And in the intervals of hearing of my own overwhelming good fortune, [making a profound curtsy] I am continually informing her that you are not altogether unlucky yourself! KENNETH [starting up] Unlucky, Rose? What are you saying? ROSE Sit down! [listening until he sits] There, there, did his good luck go to his head? But really, you know, it is very dangerous having a person s virtues held up before one all the time. It wouldn t be any wonder if I hated you instead of KENNETH Instead of er ? Continue, please! [87] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND ROSE Instead of standing you the way I do! That s one proof positive I have that you are real nice and homely, be cause homely people are always good ! KENNETH [uncomfortably] That s rather a sweeping assertion, isn t it? ROSE Well there are a few wicked homely ones, I suppose, to prove the rule! [standing in front of him] But I don t see how you can be as homely as you say you are when you have such a nice nose! [running her forefinger lightly down his nose] KENNETH [laughing and catching her hand] Not having been born blind your sense of touch has not become much more strongly developed than the other four. Otherwise you would have been convinced long ago. Just wait till you see it! Ye gods! ROSE [running her fingers over his face] Are you quite sure you are very ugly, Ken ? KENNETH [solemnly] As ugly as 7 can be! Perhaps my capa bility in that line may not come up to your expectations. To be sure my nose hasn t a "Cyrano" bump, neither did I have the good luck to be born cross-eyed, but you may discover points of ugliness in me that I never dreamed I possessed. ROSE Now you are laughing at me. Never mind, young sir! "He who laughs last," you know! It s really a serious matter with me. I cannot abide a handsome man. KENNETH Believe me, I shall never be barred from your favor on that account, however far I may fall below your standards in other matters. But you took me on faith and you ll have to keep me. "Love is blind," you know! ROSE Yes, I know. Too blind sometimes! [She walks away, sniffing.] What do I smell that is so sweet? [Going to the table she feels the flowers .] Oh, my roses, how lovely they are! You dear things I m going to see you in a little while! [She finds the candy box.] Candy too! You extravagant man ! When are you going to begin to save up your pennies for the rainy days that are sure to come? KENNETH They ll never be more than April showers let us hope. [88] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND ROSE They ll have to be brief to correspond with your pennies I m thinking! But never mind, it s so nice to be poor! KENNETH Might a stricken subject inquire what experience the queen of this realm has had along the lines of poverty ? ROSE I have had so much of the other thing that I positively think a little grinding poverty would be refreshing for a change. It is so tiresome to get everything you want for the asking just by putting out your hand! [suiting her words by a gesture] KENNETH [promptly putting his hand in hers] There s one thing you didn t get for the asking. Very important too! ROSE [retreating with her hands behind her] That does sort of balance things, doesn t it? [airily] I have got so into the habit of taking things, however, that I suppose I took you as a matter of course, along with the rest! KENNETH It s fortunate for me, under those circumstances, that I arrived first. ROSE Oh, there wouldn t have been very many! Not many men would want to be burdened with an ugly old blind wife. KENNETH Come, come, I can t allow any such remarks about my future wife! Why do you insist upon making your self out so ugly? That doesn t speak very well for my good taste. ROSE [pompously] It must have been my superior intellect, of course, that attracted you. The triumph of mind over mat ter. You ve seen by my pictures what a thin, hope/ess little girl I was. To be sure Mama would console me by telling me that sometimes ugly ducklings turned into swans; but I must say I don t feel very swan-like! [flapping her arms up and down] KENNETH You don t mean to say you ve not seen yourself yet? What marvelous self-denial! Not even one little peep in the glass ? ROSE Not a peep! Didn t I say that you were to be first? It was a temptation, though, when my hair was being brushed, [89] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND not to look. I had to sit with my back to the mirror and my eyes tight shut, I was so afraid I might turn around by mis take. KENNETH Just think now, how much time you are wasting! You might have been quite well acquainted with your own face by this time, and mine too! ROSE Mine will not interest me much if you have been de ceiving me about yours. KENNETH [stirring uneasily] Do you know what you will see when you look in the glass? Instead of a swan, a nice little white goose! Of all the absurd notions I have ever heard, that is the worst! To object to a man because of his good looks! Why, most girls think of that first. ROSE Indeed they do not! That s a man s idea of girls. Hand some men are apt to be vain and frivolous, and amount to nothing at all, because they must always be thinking of them selves. Besides it would never do for you to be too nice looking for poor little dowdy me ! I like to think that no one would have you but just me. KENNETH [amused] Oh, then you took me out of pity, did you? Let us have no question of looks between you and me. Come, off with the bandage! Remember, I have never had a good look at your eyes. Who knows? I may not be at all pleased with them. What then? ROSE Oh, you can t frighten me that way! I would just tie them up again when you were around. Why don t you sing: "Lend me thy fillet, Love, and make me blind like thee!"? KENNETH I would if I could! [ROSE sits again in the large chair.} Rose! [He rises determinedly y and goes to her.] ROSE [startled} Yes? KENNETH Today may be the turning point in our lives." We must leave nothing untold between us. There is something I must tell you. I should have told you before, but ROSE [nervously] Kenneth! What is it? KENNETH Nothing to startle you, dear, only this. You^have [90] WHEN LOVE IS BLIND taken pleasure in believing me poor in thinking that your money was to take care of us by and by but ROSE But what? [starting up] KENNETH My only claim to being "poor and struggling" lies in the quality of my work, I fear. My pictures are slow to sell, but in the meantime we shall not starve. ROSE Then you re not poor, but rich? Oh, Kenneth, and I trusted you so! KENNETH I m afraid that my father left me quite "comfort ably off." ROSE [sits dolefully in the big chair] And I was to take care of the studio, and cook our little meals in the chafing-dish, and perhaps once a week we would have chicken for a treat and and I was to do all that while you worked and studied and grew famous. KENNETH You shall do all that and more. And I shall study and work. As for becoming famous, the ungrateful world does not always give genius such as mine its due! [with an ironical shrug] ROSE Is is there anything else? But that is enough, [rising] I am so nervous ! I don t think I ll take off the bandage today. KENNETH [imploringly] Rose! ROSE [shrinking from him] I m I m afraid of you. You seem different today. Let me wait until tomorrow. KENNETH Another eternity, Rose? Come, be sensible. You are not at all like yourself. I am the same man you have trusted for two years. Surely it is myself you care for and not my looks nor my possible fortune! ROSE How can I be myself when everything is going to be different? I thought I knew you [imploringly] but I can not tell how it will be with me. Suppose I don t like you after all! Oh, Kenneth! [She turns away from him. Pause.] KENNETH [in a hurt, repressed voice] I didn t know it was a question of liking. WHEN LOVE IS BLIND ROSE [turning quickly] Forgive me! You can t know what it is, to be emerging suddenly from the shadows. It frightens me. [She goes to the big chair and leans against it, nervously.] Stay there, please ! [She begins to untie the bandage.] KENNETH Shall I help you? ROSE No, no! Stay where you are! [She takes of the bandage slowly, keeping her eyes turned from him, and shading them from the light until they become accustomed to it. Then she faces him.] KENNETH [smiles and stretches out his hand] "Lend me thy fillet, Love!" ROSE [gazes at him in silence, her expression of curiosity changing to one of displeasure and bewilderment. Turning away with a gesture of dislike she leans her head upon her arms on the back of the chair.] KENNETH [impulsively going toward her] Rose! My Queen- Rose! ROSE Don t touch me! Don t come near me! [She begins to sob. KENNETH walks up and down nervously. She keeps her face hid, and when he comes near her she shrinks away.] You re you re not at all what I thought you. You re not a bit ugly and you re glad that you re not. You ve been treating me like a child all this time, telling me fibs and KENNETH [for the first time becoming impatient] If you act like a silly child, Rose, you should be treated like one. ROSE I am not silly! If you deceive me in little things you will in the more important ones. I could never trust you in anything! KENNETH I m sorry that my conduct toward you has not been worthy of trust! [He walks back and forth.] ROSE [peeping at him when his back is turned, but hiding her face again when he comes toward her] You have thought it a good joke, I suppose, to take such an advantage of me. If you treat me so now, how will it be when we are married? [9*1 WHEN LOVE IS BLIND KENNETH [intensely, going to her] This is more than I can stand. Do you know what you are saying? For God s sake, Rose, don t try me too far! ROSE [frightened^ I 1 never knew before that you had a temper! KENNETH [with repressed anger] Yes 1 have a temper, and I ve held it in check long enough. Am I a stone that I should give no sign when you trample on my most sacred feelings? ROSE [breathlessly] Kenneth! KENNETH You have thought nothing of my feelings during all this time of suspense. Has it been nothing to me, do you think? Nothing to be criticised and pulled to pieces accord ing to a girl s foolish whim? Perhaps my idol has fallen too who can say? ROSE [imploringly] Kenneth! KENNETH [restraining himself, formally] If your feelings have undergone such a change toward me it must be painful to you to prolong this interview. I shall leave you to reason it out for yourself. I think that when you have looked back over the past year and realized all the happiness it has held for us you will not allow a foolish whim to destroy it. If you send for me when you have decided I will come. If you have found any good reason for breaking our engagement I suppose I shall have to accept it. [There is a pause in which he gazes down at her sadly.] Good-by! Good-by! [He goes out C, forgetting to take his hat.] ROSE [remains in the same attitude for a short time, then raises her head and wipes her eyes. She looks toward the door in a startled way .] Good-by? [faintly] Good-by, Kenneth? Was it my Kenneth who spoke like that to me? [She goes to the portieres and looks off, then comes slowly back to the table.] What am I to do now? Oh, that I might be blind again! [She sits at right of the table, and buries her face in her hands. Tableau curtain, or dark stage, for one minute, during which a woman s voice is heard singing:] [931 WHEN LOVE IS BLIND "Lend me thy fillet, Love, I would no longer see; Cover mine eyelids close awhile, And make me blind like thee! Lend her thy fillet, Love, Let her no longer see; If there is hope for me at all, She must be blind like thee! She must be blind like thee! (Music by Kate Douglas Wiggin.) [ROSE is discovered wandering about the room gazing wonderingly at everything.] ROSE Was it true? Was it true that I behaved like a silly child? How strange it seems, this room! Perhaps he thought it would make me happier to deceive me, and humor me in everything, till I m tired of myself and of everything else, [coming to the table] Oh, here are my roses! [She puts her arms impulsively around them.] Dear, dear flowers! You are only one of the kind thoughts he has had for me and I have sent him away! [snatching up KENNETH S photograph] His pic ture! I remember when he had it taken last year for mother. What clear eyes! They seem to see right through me. [slowly] I think if I had those eyes to help me I might be good. And I have had them for two years, "The very eyes of me!" [She takes up her own picture.] I suppose this is me! [examining it closely] How silly I look with my eyes cast down! [She walks slowly about the room comparing the two pictures.] It s rather nice-looking though. Certainly better than two ugly old frumps. [She suddenly finds herself in front of the mirror. Startle d, she gazes at her reflection^ So you are Rose Elliston! The blind girl blind in more ways than one! [smiling and nodding into the mirror] I had no idea how nice I was. [She compares KENNETH S picture with her own reflec tion.] Why should I be selfish and want to monopolize all the good looks in the family? A little goose he said I would see. More than that a big idiot, not to know when I was well off! [to his picture] Why, I know you better already. I [94] WHEN LOVE IS wish you would come back! You said you would come if I sent for you. [She puts the photographs on the table, and sees KENNETH S hat where he has left it on the chair near. She joy fully catches it up, caressing it, then stealthily hides it beneath the couch cushions, very much pleased with herself. She looks timidly through the portieres, then goes out L.] [Enter KENNETH, C. He hesitates until he sees that the room is empty. He searches vainly for his hat.} KENNETH Where the dickens? I m going to have about the best mother-in-law a man ever had! [taking up ROSE S picture] She says I must be patient, dear, and leave you to yourself a little while, [sitting despondently at right of the table] How long will it be, my Queen-Rose? [Enter ROSE, L. She comes quietly forward, hesitating, looking at KENNETH first from one side then from the other. Catching sight of the bandage on the big chair where she has left it she snatches it up and quickly slips it over his eyes, tying it and singing, gaily:} "Lend him thy fillet, Love, Let him no longer see! If there be chance for me at all, He must be blind like thee! He must be blind like thee!" KENNEHT [Starts, then puts up his hands and catches hers. She frees herself and runs back to the portieres, where she stands watching him while he takes of the bandage. He speaks seri ously.} What does this mean, Rose? ROSE [smiling nervously} It means it means that there is a blindness more dense than that of the eyes, Kenneth, and it has lain on my soul too long. But, if you can forgive you can lead me away from it into the light of your love! [She stretches out her hand.] Come, mother is waiting for us ! [KENNETH kisses her hand, and together they disappear through the portieres.] [951 EPILOGUE Reader, are you a trifle more complete than you were in human experience? Actor, have you lived, and given of your knowledge as you prom ised when this partnership was formed? If so the venture has been successful, and the third partner is satisfied. Go back to your mountains, you characters who came down the rocky trails at our bidding. Pull down the shades in the living- rooms, so that we cannot peep in. Lock the door of the poor hall bedroom, draw the curtains in the gilded cafe. For a little while we have shared your lives, and you gave us nothing but the truth. We thank you, and let you go. The curtain is down! Encour aged we start forth to find material for another square of patch work! H. H. H. 197] UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW Books not returned on time are subject to a fine of 50c per volume after the third day overdue, increasing to $1.00 per volume after the sixth day. Books not in demand may be renewed if application is made before expiration of loan period. 9 1919 SEP 4 19I9 1920 13Dec 49J(t SOm-7, 16 14563 364383 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY THE WOTE HOUSE! 5Ai FRANCISCO BOOKS