, 1904-04-20
INCORRIGIBLE
[orlEInal.l

@AttA o. "a 1ANA Vi
the room a lady, at the other an artil-
lery officer.
Oficer-Gwendoleni
Lady-Why, Duncan Webb!
Oficer-How came you here? I
thought you were abroad.
Lady-And l supposed you were In
the Philippines.
Officer docking at her admiringly)-
The same feminine figure, the same in
nocent eyesl
Lady-Where was it we last met?
Officer-Haye you forgotten?
Lady-At the graduating hop?
Ofhcer-After the graduating hop. 1
took you home. 1t was moonlight.
Lady-Was there a moon?
Oficer-A full moon. 1t stood mid
way between the horizon and the meri-
dian. To the east the hills were black.
Over the bosom Of the river the moon
light shimmered, lighting up the noun
tains to the west. The air was still.
Lady-1t seems to me | remember.
There was a loo
Officer (softly)-I can feel now the
thrill that ran through my arm as your
hand rested upon it.
Lady-And II remember what you
said to me; no, what you didn't say to
me.
Oficer-And your replies. All, If
they had only been sincerel
Lady-Does a man deserve sincere
replies from a woman when he is en-
gagged to three others at the same
time?
Oficer-G wendolen, you wrong me.
That was mere play. l would have
been transported at one real engage
ment to a fourth. But she would not.
Lady-Because she could not.
Officer-Could not?
L~ady-She would have been a fool to
trust you.
Oficer-There is a fallacy that takes
its name from a toy called the thau-
matrope, a card with a picture of a bird
on one side and a cage on the other. By
turning the card rapidly the bird is
made to appear in the cage. BY such
a process you
LADY, put you into a cage?
Ofhcer-By Sucn q process
Lady-You were too wise a bird. You
of all men to talk like this. l gave you
all the response your words deserved.
Oficer-I deserved? Why, Gwendo-
len, l was as putty in your hands.
Lady-Putty hardens very quickly.
Officer-So does a woman's heart on
occasion.
Lady-You men, whose game Is war,
who slaughter each other, what do you
know of n woman's heart? What to
you is a wound to a woman's very
soul? Less exciting than golf, more so
than pingpong.
Oficer-Gwendolen, had I believed
why did you not
Lady-Display my feelings like the
garrison flag which is saluted by the
boom of cannon?
Oficer-Gwendolen, l swear on the
honor of an officer
Lady-Which in all things save love
is of the highest order and in love not
worth that. Snaps her ingers.)
Oficer-What need for honor where
the heart is enlisted? Oh, Gwendolen,
many a night l have sat on the parapet
while the moon-the moon that looked
down on us so softly that night-shone
on the incoming waves
Lady Playing your guitar to the
colonel's daughter.
Officer Gmpatiently) = Gwendolen,
enough of this. Answer me-are you
still free?
Lady-Oh, go on about the moon
shine. It's delightful.
Oficer-You are laughing at me as
you did before. You cannot now; you
shall not. We are older; we are bet
ter
Lady-Better? You at least could not
be worse.
Oficer-Better or worse, for five
years | have been true to n love.
Lady-Now l remember. There was
a blue eyed, blond haired girl at the
Point that summer, n dainty creature,
whose voice was as soft as her eyes. l
confess she was lovely. l caught sight
one morning of your cadet gray and
her robins egg blue winding up to
Fort Peet. Well, I'm glad you've been
true 10 ue1.
Oficer-Gwendolen, l swear to you
Enter gentleman, with lady. They
approach the officer, his face turned
from them. Officer, hearing footsteps,
turns.)
Lady Ito entering gentleman)-John,
this is my old friend, Captain Duncan
Webb. Captain Webb, my husband.
Captain Webb-Well, upon my word!
Married? TO the entering LADY, Edith,
this is my very dear friend, Gwendolen
Swan, now Mrs.
Lady Pope-Plain Mrs. Pope, wife Of
a civilian.
Captain Webb-When did you two
meet? Mr.. Pope, l congratulate you
upon having shared so wild a bird.
How did you manage it?
Mr.. Pope-Gwendolen, is this the for
mer cadet you have told me about?
The one whom
Mrs. Pope-The sa~me-exactly the