The Washington herald., 1906-11-25


dicially-trsined elderly judge Of exact
habits, and 8Irs. Karslake, a lively. viva
cious. ardent society woman. with a love
for fast horses. Picture Ars- Phillimore.
rich. trite. souness, Ianguid creature.
with the romantic impGlses OF chamber
maid. and then Kar8iake, 2 sort OF Lord
Algy, a successful lawyer. sharing his di-
vorced wifes love O. horses and much OF
her liyelines Of disposition
The divorced PniInm0re has persuaded
the divorced Mrs Karsiake TO become the
second Mrs Phillimore. and the wedding
IS set for o'clock the next day. The
I judges fancee Is the guest Of his mother
and aunt at his house There calls the
divorced Karslake; there also, calls the
divorced MIS- PhilllnOre. stlI bearing the
judges name. The conjunction is not
forced at all They all meet on plausible
preteXts, and their reciprocal department
is evidence Of their perfect breeding and
culture. They speak OF their former rela-
tiOnship with the most delightful sang
froid. They discuss the future with the
same foUtitude, philosophy. or whatever
you choose to call IT, Ii is superb. Wa
have the divorce question presented in one
Of its most ridiculous aspects. The treat
ment is worthy Of Nolere-
Down to this point re have not seen
any evidence Of heart in these moving
automatons Of a social mlcrocosm con
forming TO q Waxen code Of eueuic con
ven,ious, whose every saying furnishes
"a cue for judicious laughter Nor does
the clever author sound the heart-not=
until he is well advanced into his Sec
ond act. in which Karslake and bis a.
vorced wife meet at the house, in the
Dcudoir. OF the divorced Mrs PmilimOTe.
Their interview is marvel Of brilliant
dla.ogistic writing Tt hits off the gilt
teriug sUperfcialiry Of the set with the
keen diagnosis OF a social analyst. Only
Jy indirectiJn we begin 10 suspect the
trend % things-nameiy that Mrs. Kars-
lake, her marriage to PEillimOre set for
that afternoon, has not wholly recov-
cred from her fancy Of Karsiake. The
symptoms are unnistakably those Of q
/ case Of premature divorce. She enjolns
+ her divorced spouse TO act as her best
man 10 give her away TO his success
sgr
But time IS speeding on and . o'clock
is not far of At this junCture the enter
prising Sir WIfrid is made TO play an
interesting part I'm the complication.
.
Of her second matrimonial leap. while
holding in allegiance d sentimental regard
for the divorced Mrs. PhlimOre he per
suades her TO jump into his automobile
and 60 10 the races. karsl2Ee, made best
man against his win. is further pressed
+ into service % forward q telegram 10
the waiting Phillim0re 20 postpone the
ceremony tiU Z. while she and the En-
glishman start for the race course with
furry Of eager delight
/ The PhiIim0re home is solemnly dec
GRATED with the floral embIems Of q wed
ding OF a funeral. as things may be, and
there is a torpid group Of virtuoUs but
. indignant relatives waiting and yawning
for the ceremony. It is ~ p. m.
~ last the bride arrives. There is a
scene - protests. accusations. remon-
srances, and defiance. But the troubled
waters are smooJhed, and the bride re-
I tires to her. room to dress for the cere-
mony. Now comes karslake as best man.
with a handful OF flowers. and confronrs
the amazed Philimore, who utters fur
+ ther protests, and now, zoo. comes the di-
yorced Mrs. phiIimore u offer her best
wishes. and Sir Wilfrid, as the logical Sc
. Queuce in the chain Of ludicrous but
plausible, events KarsIalZe however.
does not wait. The whole business has
/ assumed a phase that touches his amour
+ propTe. He does not tarry To witness the
ceremony that viii sever the last link OF
sentiment attaching him % the woman
f he once loved And on top OF it. Mrs
+ kaTslake COnCeiVeS q Jealous notion that
i her divorced husband has gone and en-
gagged himself TO the divorced Mrs Philli-
more in a MT Of resentment, so that af-
/ ter she joins hands with the judicial
+ Phillimore and coufronts the officiating
. clergyman, amid the sounds Of d choir
and the impressive tones Of the organ.
f her heart suddenly revclts. and wholly
F disregarding the s0.emnity Of the Occa-
sion she Interrupts the ceremony and de-
+ clares she is going % break off the match
. between Karsldke and Mrs Phiilimore.
+ As she interrupts The ceremony and starts
+ in pursuit of her former husband. tho
curtain falls on the third act.
/ The most sympathetic part Of the play
/ is the fourth act, a room in Karslake's
+ house, religiousIy kept just as it was the
+ day he and his wife quarreled and parted
/ the rejected wedding ring in the ash
/ tray on the table. a hat of hers and a
Z pair OF gloves on a stand-even the chair
as it was left UptUrned by her on the
floor in the debacle Of their domestic al
lance
II is late at night. after the wedding
fete At PLiilimOre's. Of whose termination
Karslake has no iutimatiOn He enters.
gray picture OF woe. Mrs PhilIim0re
enters with Sir Wifrid, 10 be married
While they are being joined in holy we'd
l9ck of the scene attended by Rarslakr.
Mrs karslake enters. Karslake's man
{ - har T.rF-
and she concludes that she is too late ia
prevent the marriage of her former bus
band to the former wife of the man who
was to be her husband
But the solution is at hand Mrs Phil
( Umore turns out 20 be the bride Of the
Englishman. and Karslake IS free. There
Is an impressive scene between the
karslakes. The room, undisturbed IN her
absence, suggests themes. and from IA
miliar objects OF mutual interest. their
conversation drifts toward something
very near their two hearts. The recon
citation is charmingly wrought out The
judicial Phillimore comes in pursuit Of HIS
truant bride, and is remorselessly sent
home. and when the curtain falls man
and wife are happily reunited.
Hrs. Fiske's impersonauon Of Mrs.
Karslake was delightfully."- brisk and
breezy. and John Aason's KarsIake could
not have been improved upon. The per
I FfOrmance was the highest example Of
complete unity I'm the details of a perfect
1 performance, such as one sees only at the
hands of the best stock companies. and
approximates more closely than any
comedy I have seen In years the best
standards of a European production.
FRED F. sCHRADER-