The age-herald., 1899-01-13
~THE PLAY~

The Hispano-Amercan furry has ce- | mented the bonds of north and south. It obliterated the bloody chasm and all that sort of thing, but a southern audience can not yet forgive stage folks who come among them with a counterfeit, dialect labeled. "Ihe way we talked in de South bef0 de wah," and ''endurn' of de wah" William Gillettes serious attempt at the drama 'Se- cret Service" suffers from this misnomer, just as all others of its kind. It Is a TO- nance of the southern confederacy laid in Richmond during the stormy times. The interest of the story centers around the dar- ing escapades of Lewis and Henry Dumont secret service agents of the United States government, working in Richmond. Lewis Dumont dons a confederate uniform and masquerades as Captain Thorpe. He se- cures an introduction into influential family, the Varneys, and is thus enabled to carry on operations to greater advantage. Edith Varney and the secret service agent fall desperately in love with each other, and here lies the real interest of the plot Se- cret service agents of the confederacy get on the trail of the brothers Dumont. Ben ton Arrelsford, the chief of the agents, is in love with Edith Varney, and behind his efforts is a two-fold purpose. Henry Du- mont is captured, and Edith Varney is con fronted with the guilt of her lover. She arranges to betray him. Henry is turned in the same room with his brother Lewis. while the officers stand on the outside to watch the effect. Not sign of betrayal fs given. Henry tells Lewis that she must kill him CHenry) to ward off suspicion. Lewis refuses, and Henry kills himself. Lewis, grabbing the revolver which his brother drops, confronts the officers and points out the prisoner. The web is wound tighter around Lewis from the fact that Jonas" the negro house servant, is caught with a note from his brother, telling him to telegraph important details. The next act
 is laid in the department telegraph office of the confederacy. Lewis Dumont assumes charge, sends the operators and messengers away on false errands and begins sending the fatal message. Arrellsford, the secret service man and Edith Varney are watching him from the balcony. While Dumont Is sending the message, to which he has at tached the signature of the secretary of war torn from another message, Arrelsford shoots him in the hand. The guard fushes
 
 the tables on Arrelsford by te ling the guard to arrest him. General Randolph appears at this moment and Arrelsford tries to ex- plain and calls for Miss Varney to prove his assertions. True to her lover she comes to his rescue with commission she had pro- cured for him in the confederate army. Arrelsford is then taken away under guard. Dumont hurries on with his message but is interrupted by Edith, who pleads with him te stop. As she leaves one of the oper- ators returns. Dumont declares he will not send the message and the curtain drops. In the next act he Is taken prisoner and condemned to be shot While the trial is l being held, "Jonas" the negro servant, | hampers with the rifles which had been stacked by the guard in the Varney resi- dence. After the courtmartial Edith ob- l tains permission to speak to Dumont. She | tells him of this and that to save his life 1 he must fall as though dead. He calmly | tells the corporal to reload the guns. The l arrival of the general stays the proceed :ngs. 1'he young secret service agent Is 1 sent to prison, the fact being proven that | he did not send the message.
 No fault can be found with the play. Its !