Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-15
IN A HAMMOCK.


Manley h. Pike In Puck.
Dramatis persone.-Harry-Sibyl
Dramatis rea-The hammock. Two scarlet gar.
oen cnaira paper-bound novel The moon. A
dense and opaque cloud.
esioyrs lawn a little after sunset. sibyl, occupy.
novel)
sibyl alternately reading and soliloquizing,.-
LADY Annerly prays no more, but strikes; and,
mingnng with the awful rattle and tattoo OF the
crashing reports, come groans and oaths and
snreks OF agony. Qawns) Oh, what stupic
sS,s It's nearly now. He'll certainly come
not used 70 killing people" i don't see what
Keeps him. Runs over various pages OF the novel.)
LADY Annerly desperately throws out the burn
ploding shells-corpses- beautiful face black
MIN power-bang, crack-Errola falls bleeding y
on. pshawl This book is too tame for anything
~ MS usual evening TO call; but II ne doesn't
choose to come / don't care single-oh, goodness,
there he Isl becomes absorbed In reading.)
on his lip, anxiety and preparation on his brow
,n Harry (o9t Of oreath)-As was sauntering by,
sl6yl, docking up, rather sarcasticany,.- That's
Harry perceiving his mistake).-I mean know
I'm S.h late; but hurried all could, you know.
Sioyl (onended by the assumption that she was
expecting him).-Late? Hurried? I'm sure know
OF no reason why you should hurry or why you
Qiarry covers his CONFUSION by attempting to
swing the hammock).
sioyL-Please don't do that. hate to be
Foiled in this attempt, Harry looks yearningly at
the hammock but is forced TO take one OF the two
scarlet garden chairs1
Harry Qor the sake OF saying something).-You
seemed much interested in your book when came.
SiDyl.-Oh, indeed / wasI The most fascinat-
ingiy dreadful thing! I'm perfectly enthralled
Harry.-I'm afraid Interrupted YOU
,SSaoyl..Oh, mol All the Arabs had Just been
Killed on, and they were waiting for a fresh sup
During the conversation, Harry has ostenta-
ti0usly ndgeted about his seat and given various
evidences OF uneasinesS WhereupOn)
Si0yl-Wnat troubles you?
Harry.-This chair.
Slbyl-Isn't 1t comfortable?
Harry Observation-Disclosures
SioyL-Perhaps then, you might prefer
Harry Qull OF joyous anticipation>-Oh should,
Sibyl very sweetly)-The other one.
~, TirsI complete failure. Harry changes chairs
put soon appears more restless than bef0re.)
harry (hazarding bold stroke9.-I really don't
think this chair Is so easy as the first one.
SiDyl-on, II that Is the Case, think you had
Harry rising eagerly).-You're very good.
sloyl sun very sweeily).-Change backi
SSecond complete failure. Harry edges up to the
Sibyi <with much decision).-won't you please
SIT little farther away? haven't room to swing,
g., Aarry.-l thought you said you hated swing
sibyl-I said hated to be swung. Swinging
myself is quite different thing.
DIARY sinks into sulky silence 1t is now nearly
siSyi 90 a Radically different tone OF voice.
Hairy Isouriy1.-weu,
SibyL-Is lido you feel-didn,t Won saw inst
now that-that-YOur chair isn't comfortable, is
liar Harry !sullenly,.-Yes, very. I'm perfectly
sioyl piqued).-oh, excuse mel didn't know
but thai you might like
thoughts, II isn't so nice as it might be.
Sibyl with LOFTY scorn)-There are a great
many things that aren't so nice as they might be,
lWhile Harry ponders upon this remark, enter,
above. the moon, which proceeds TO .siver ali the
landscape Oer," and to do everything else gen
orally expected OF summer evening moons.)
Harry.-lSnt that a magnificent moon2
one, don't you think?
Renewed and intensified sulks on Harry's part,
which bring about the following result-)
sioyi I'm cooling, deprecatory voice.)-Oh, dear
Harry (grunny.}-what is it?
Sibyl lplaintively.)-The back OF this hammock
nas Ioiueu over SO that l have nothing 10 lean
against. Would you mind Strengthening It out?
very near si6yrs They LOOK at each other, Lace
Sibyl replying to nothing, apparently.}-Yes.
(Another silence, but of very different oualitv
from preceding ones)
Sioyl again answering without question:
dUa mlg1c rest on the 6ack-they must be
Ao.NSu % you nave Iucul
soft scream)
sioyl Qaugning nervously)-There really was
nothing 10 support 1t up there. More quietly
Sl0ylEThats my class ring-the other Aunt
Julia gave me Christmas. The bracelet Is birth
DAY present Perhaps they are rather flexible
they al oend backward at the ups-yeS like that.
(Stillness relgns Enter, above, dense and opaque
cloud, which for about a minute plunges every
thing into indistinguishablN gloom The ham,
mock IS violently agitated. EXIT cioud Re-enter
the mOOn)
Conversation coplous enough now, but too frag-
mentary TO report. Only one remark clearly de-
tacheS itself from the rest, v1deliceO:
Sibyl-And papa will agree, l know You can
take my garnet cluster for the size-but please
don't be extravagant, dear. l honestly don't care
for q solitaire.