The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-03-21
80 DRAMA OF THE flAINE. o.
Alan Dale Magnanmously Discloses to Playwights Much
Valuable Material.

carrying papers is soon made apparent
and the captain with a suppressed
''Ha, Hal" Qet 1t be suppressed, by all
means) announces his intention OF
! searching her. He orders the men
| away-far away-and declares that he
will deal with her himself.
Elvira almost faints in agony. Sud-
denly she remembers the poison given
to her by General Gomez. If she could
only stave off the Spanish monster, and
work the little bottle automatically. A
plan of action occurs to her. She may
tell the audience. in a gushy confidence,
what it is-although soliloquies are
barred in this drama.
The captain became elerhantiyely
tender He would not harm the little
Cuban maiden. She is pretty. She is
fascinating. 1t has been months since
he has gazsd upon anything so charm
ing. He tells her that Spain is playing
with him. and that he is perfectly will
ing to play with Spain. He will allow
her TO proceed to Havana, but on one
condition only. That condition is that
she wait until the morning, and spend
the intervening time in his company.
Elvira's active brain is at work. She
sees possibilities. She consents to TIE
captains cond ton. She even manifests
a certain pleasure in doing so. She fiat
tiers him. cajoles him. coquetteS with
MN, uOtS lIC odI dl Del Shlbbioil-
ness with him. She is extremely hun
CRY: horribly thirsty. and she suggests
that they dine as soon as possible. He
consents with joy. He has one bottle
of wine that he is saving for a state
! occasion. 1t shall be drunk in her honor.
How delightful she isl How the aspect
| of the gloomy tent has changed How
great is the power of one feminine ray
shining through the clouds of dire mas
| culinityi
The meal is prepared. The waiter
! takes his departure with an envioCS
glance at the couple. Elvira is vivacity
persOnified. The captain is electrified
with her beauty and her animation.
The bottle of wine is opened. Elvira
insists upon pouring it out. AS she
does so. with back turned to the cap
tain, she pours half the bottle of mar
cotic into his glass. They 6link glasses.
The drug takes very speedy effect.
While it is working, Elvila talks fran
tically and laughs Historically. The
captain grows brewster. He calls him
to her and falls asleep in her arms
Then Elvira girds up her loins. surveys
the outlook, and. falling on her knees,
| offers a prayer of gratitude for her de-
! liverance. Exit quickly from tent. Cur
tain.
ACT III.
! (The deck of the wa, ship Maine. in
/ vivid sunlight, on it's way to Havana.
! Splendid opportunity to give an accu-
rate picture of the warship. with its
! splendid discipline, its neatly appareled
officers, it's glistening metal work and
! its general spectacular wilderness. Cap
/ tain Sigsbee is on deck, hale. hearty
and smiling. Men pace up and down,
doing their various duties)
! Lieutenant Arthur, the Cuban girls
| lover, is seen talking excitedly with
Marine Orderly William Anthony,
whose phlegmatic utterances, a Ia Gil
I lette in Secret Service" indicates the
subsequent behavior that has made his
name famous. Captain Sigsbee is in a
chatty humor and he refers laughingly,
in conversation with Arthur TO certain
anonymously threatening letters that
he has received. They amuse him, and
as Havana harbor comes into sight
(panOramically). he points to the beau
tiful sunlight picture of one of the finest
harbors in the world. and scouts even
the idea of treachery.
Arthur tells Anthony of his expected
re-meeting with Elvira and INDUCES in
a great deal of lover-like enthusiasm
which the marine merely receives with
laconic rejoinders and a suspicion of
cynicism. Exercises with Old Glory
take place. and the men sing potrio'in-
ally mot patridiUtically). Manager
William \. Brady's idea of warshlps
finds no counterpart in the present
case. There are no soubtettes on board.
and no speciality performers to sing
coon songs apropos of nothing at all.
The ship enters the harbor. There
are symptoms of rejoicing among the
Americans and the Cuban insurgents
on shore. Arthur meets Elvira, who
has returned unhurt from hsr perilous
expedition with the papers. She whis-
pers to him fears, hopes, aspirations.
She will watch for his safety on shore.
as he will care for hers on the ship.
And later on, he tells her. they will be
married. He induces her to swear that
she will marry him before he leaves
Cuba. no matter what the circum-
stances may be. and 10 this oath every
body on board. including Captain Sigs-
bee, listens with interest Curtain.
ACT ".
(Scene General Blanco's headquar-
tiers in Havana General Blanco IN
very bad temper Eivira is there
ubiquitous like most heroines, and dis
guised as a servant. She has her eyes
and her ears open. There is no need
to inquire thoroughly into the ways
and means by which she obtained her
position. The Elviras of the drama can
do anything.)
Enter Consul General Lee. General
with due official courtesy, but it is
great effort. Lee is very much put out.
Americans are starving in Cuba, and
he feels the misery of his position. Con-
suls III other towns were filing their
grievances rapidly. Consul Barker had
informed him that a man YVES found
dead of starvation in the market place
OF Sa@ua la Grande Consul Lee asks
pathetically how much longer this kind
of thing will last. IF the United States
would only declare war;" he exclaimed.
General Blanco listens contemporary,
but tres to administer balm to the
consul general who takes his depar-
tCre wondering what wiz b. done. Cen
eral Blanco, as soon as he has gone,
laughs He intimates that Consul Gen
eral Lee will soon find out what can be
done, and there is a sinister intona-
tion to his voice that alarms Elvira.
She has heard the remark. although she
has not been eavesdIoppins. Caves
dropping has gone out of fashion, even
at popular price theatres.) She deter
mines 10 m,ngie with the SDaniards in
the cafes and listen to them in their
unguarded moments. For the best reg
ulated men have their unguarded mo-
ments and Elvira knows it.
Scene IL is the cafe where the Span
iards are rollicking and Elvira is lis
tening for any hint that may suggest
danger to her hearts Arthur and the
United States waIshio. She hears for
the first time that Havana harbor is
riddled with mines, and she hears
haunting words TO the effect that even
Mount Vesuvius is peaceful and baiIny
at times. The Soaniards sneer at the
presence of the man-of-war, ard boast
of the tricks of their country. All this
takes S,lce while the men. who are of
the verv lowest type, are in a state OF