Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-27


their millionaire father at his DEATH
Clayton, the boy, has fallen in with evil
companions, and has been accused
wrongfully of course-of stealing sum
# money from his father during that es-
Unable gentleman's lifetime.
Ross seniors business manager, who
was really guilty of the crime of which
the son is accused, helps the wayward
youth to hide away and plans his disap-
pearance SO that it appears the boy has
jumped from ferry boat and drowned
himself. Then he lures the youth slowly
into the opium dens of the city, making
"1end' of him, and plans his final
death through the continued supplying of
the drug This is the boys condition at
the opening of the play. Meanwhile, fol-
lowing her fathers death, Miss Flora has
been packed off to Europe for couple
of years, and the play opens on the day
of her return.
1 was cast for the "dope fiends"
brother.
In the first scene of the play, after
begging for drugs, or for money with
which to buy them and being knocked
down by the tyrannical false friend. the
boy manages to pluck UP enough courage
to dash to the rescue of his sister, who
has been thrown off the boat into the
ocean" by the female accomplice of the
rascally manager of Ross & Co., who is
guardian to the orphaned heiress.
Play Grows Thrilling
The brother rushes upon the scene at
hearing his sisters cries for help, knocks
the villain down, throws his accomplice
out of the way and dashing to the upper
deck" of the boat" leaps into the
water and saves her life.
The second scene depicts the ''robbing"
of the sisters sweetheart through the me-
dium of panel in the wall, and her
defiance of the villain in her lovers be-
half. The next scene is at the athletic
club, whittier goes the brother, very
foolishly, it would seem. to defy" the
villain, tell him that the poor sister
shall be protected, and be knocked down
and out for his pains.
Next the lover and the girl visit the
Villains gambling house to win from him
the money stolen from the hero. They
win it and depart, through the window,
just as the place is raided by the police.
The girl is recaptured and is next dis
covered imprisoned in a deserted cellar
room adjoining the cell in which the dope
fiend brother is slowly killing himself
through the opium pipe In his delirium
the boy sings a song of childrhood, the
sister recognizes his voice and calls Tor
bhelp. He dashes to her assistance, breaks
down the door between the two rooms,
grapples with the villain who has returned
to torture the girl, and with the assist
ance of the hero and the faithful comedy
Jew friend an escape is effected through
manhole in the sidewalk in plain view of
the audience.
A reunion supper attended by the faith
full friends the brother, sister and lover
at down town restaurant is the next
interlude. At an unexpected moment
enter the villains and an officer of the
law An attempt is made to incarcerate
the brother in an insane asylum. A
fight follows and the oppressed escape.
second encounter between the same
forces in a church, whittier shelter has
! been sought, ends less fortunately and
the boy, is captured, although the girl
escapes through the timely intervention
of her sweetheart and his ally, the Jew.
Last act of ALL the sister is poisoned
| by the villains at private insane hos
pital where she has been lured by a
decoy letter. purporting to come from
| her brother. Left alone as she is dying,
her sweetheart enters the place over a
high stone wall and with the assistance
of the brother and the Jew an antidote
| for the poison Is secured, so that all
may end happily with the sister and
brother reunited, the girl and her lover
| happy in each others arms and the viii
| lainS in the nandS OF tne law, or properly
put out of harms way with bullet
Now, can you beat that for excite
ment?
Clayton Ross, the brother, is supposed
to be on his last legs through smoking
opium when the play opens,Nyet he per-
forms feats Of heroism which would
bother a strong man, and ends the play
rehabilitated and on the way to COM
plete recovery The action of the play
is supposed to take place within about
forty hours, and that's making
some demands on the book, at that.
Was Afraid of Gallery
I don't suppose that for moment
got anywhere near to the real effective
work the part required-I know didn' t,
although my fellow workers were more
than profuse with their compliments
However, l suspect that their good
very good indeed" meant ''much better
than we expected you would be, and not
bad enough to make trouble with the gal
iery." l only know, though, that 1t was
the hardest work 1 ever did and fell
my general badness" more keenly than
anyone else possibly could.
Just how l managed to get through