The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-01-27
THE STAGE
4rhs Great pIyIde."

American play, will have its first re-
presentation in this city at the Grand
opera House next Thursday. This
truly great drama comes to town fresh
from two seasons run in New York.
The production is indentically the
same in every detail as that used m
the Empire city and the cast was Sc.
lected and rehearsed by Mr.. Miller
until that past master Of stage art pro-
nounces 1t perfect.
The story of the play is of unusual
interest because of its daring and
force. The scene Of the first act is
laid at the ranch of Philip Jordan in
the desert of the ella in Arizona. Phil
ip's wife is about to start for San
Francisco, and he leaves the ranch to
take her to the train. DR.. Newbury.
a young physician from Massachusetts
is called out to attend man with a
broken leg, and Ruth Jordan, Phillips
sister, who has come out from Mass
achusetts to help her brother, Is left
alone in the house. The ranch Is at
tackled by Stephen Client, Ouch and
Pedro, three desporatoes. and Ruth is
captured. They are about to throw
dice for her. when she appeals to
Client 70 save her. offering to become
his wife. He accepts her offer, buys
on the Mexican with necklace of
gold nuggets and fatally wounds the
other in a duel. When he returns
to the house to claim Ruth he sees the
horror which she has for him and pur-
posely lets her gain possession of his
revolver. She starts to kill herself, but
her nerve fails her. Client finally cow
es her and she goes with him to the
nearest justice of the peace to be mar
ried leaving note to tell her brother
that she has eloped.
In the second act the obligation has
been kept and the strangely welded
pair are living in cabin in the
Catalina mountains. Stephen Client,
the men has seen great light. The
spectacle of the woman crushed by her
humiliation. yet true to her bond. has
made him reltze his own brutality.
rewakened in him the better instincts
of his original nature and aroused in
Thin the ambition to win by fair means
what he has possessed himself of by
foul. He has discovered gold on his
reservation, is going to be rich and
can offer his wife the luxury and pow
er which she once desired. But the
iron has entered into her soul. She
perceiyes that there is the essence of
true chivalry in her capture. but the
fact that she was bought with price
ranlsles in her heart and puts bar,
rier-a great divide-between him
land her. While he is preparing to
surprise her with the plans OF pal
ace, she is working her fingers to the
bone. weaving mats in order to make
money enough to buy back from the
peon who sold his share in her, the
string of nuggets which was the price
paid. OF the money with which her
husband provides her she will not
touch cent. Meanwhile she repulses
efforts at reconciliation with ill.cou-
cealed scorn and aversion. while he
endures all with rough but wistful
stoicism. Finally her brother and 9TH
err old friends trace her to her retreat.
to them she tries to offer bold and
cheerful countenance. Yehemently de-
Tending her husband against the up
braidings Of her indignant brother,
but when-after passionate scene
with Stephen in which she tells how
she has striven in vain to overcome
clearly placed before her whether she
will remain in bondage or go home to
her mother. she turns from her hus-
band and throws herself into her
! brothers arms.
The third act is supposed to occur
after a considerable interval Ruth
is In her old home and is herself a
mother She Affects to regard the
child as a living symbol of her degre-
dalton. but actually flpds in it an ad-
vocate for It's father. Later she learns
that the latter has followed and
watched over her; that he has inter
posed to save her mother and family
from absolute ruin. and that he wishes
to bid her farewell When they meet
he makes no effort to extenuate his
fault, but pleads that he has paid the
full penalty for 1T, and that he, after
all, is as great sufferer as she. for
she has taken from him heart, hope
and respect AS he is about to with
draw. she melts. throws the string Of
nuggets around her neck in token Of
her resumption of the marital bond
and for the first time. clasps him in
loving embrace.