Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-09-22
THE FORGER.

day night. Sept. oath. has been
compared with The Thief" Ac-
cord.ng to the plots and construc-
ton OF both. there Is no comparison
in favor OF The Thief" for The
Forger.' is better written and bet
terbuilt play. ever IL Il is by an
American. young Joseph Byron Tot
ten, and not by Henri Bernstein. OF
Paris, France. II The Thief" had
been written by an American. IL
would never have been produced in
first class New York theatre, for
IL Is commonplace IN the extreme.
But The Forger' is worthy of the
finest theatres in the world. IL is
a wonderful piece OF construction.
1t has only five characters, as the
butler doesn't count. yet for two
hours and half those Ave charac-
ters are said to hold every audience
to which they have played in grip
of Carnegie steel.
The story Is: William Hawley
has beautiful and loving wife. her
name is Phyllis. They are go fond
of showing their fondness for each
other hat they make their friends
nervous. They have been married
six months when the curtain rises
on their billing and cooling. They
have some good friends, among
them, Frank Hunter and Reggie
Van De We're. Frank Hunter and
Phyllis we're boy and girl chums be-
fore, long before, Phyllis married
William Hawley. Frank calls her
Phil" Phyllis calls him Frank
Williams overhears AMI becomes an
Othello with no more cause than
had Othello to be jealous OF poor
Desdomona; but he has been
spoiled and pampered husband. so
he Is jealous. Frank is In love with
girl named Elsie Lombard and
and wants Phyllis to help him get
her. Hence, the green-eyed mon
ster in the soul Cf william. Reg
gle Van De We're is a wise young So
ciety swell. with a passion. This
passion is not woman. nor horses,
nor cords, nor stocks, nor art. But
yes. 1t Is Art, With a capital A.
The art OF Sherlock Holmes. He
has been detective for FIVE years
before the beg innlng of the play.
Phyllis has an elder sister. Alice
Irvington. Alice Is 2 born criminal
she loves the excitement Of Grimm
ality, and also the money derived
from CRIME; she loves money for it's
own sake: she is not clever enough
TO make her innocent sister, Phyllis
make her money for her. Phyllis
Is fine pen-man, or pen-woman :
she can initiate the signature OF
Russell Sage, J. p. Morgan, Harri-
man, Keene, Hetty Green. or Car
negle. Alice gives Phyllis blank
checks and induces her, through
fiattery, to sign them with the
names of some big financiers. After
she gets a signature to n check. she
fills IT in for fat amo mt and ne
gotiates 1t. without difficulty. OF
eourse. she has Phyllis hypnotised
but, at last. Phyllis realizes the en-
ormity OF her sin. or crime-signs
for the last time and blots 1T with a
new white blotter. The name on he
blotter is J. p. Morgan. or c. NJ.
Schwab, or John ID. Rockerfeller-
doesn't matter. Her loving hus-
band picks up the blotter. deci-
piers the name in a mirror, thinks
that the signer is his wife's lover
and breaks loose In the Hawley
homestead. He almost beats his low
ing wife; and finally advises her
10 shoot herself. She tries but fails.
She hasn't tho nerve. Then i'm
steps little Reggie Van De We're as
the New York Sherlock Holmes.
The manner in which he straigntens
things out Is marvellous. yet sim
plicity itself. II would not be fair
to author, actors or audience, TO
tell how he does e. but he does Il
so effectually that william Hawlsy
AZ the final curtain is on his knees
asking his poor little wife TO for
give him. which she, like a little
fool, does. for he ought TO be shot.