Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-03-20
PLAY MAKES A HIT.
High School Seniors Cover
Themselves With Glory in
Dramatic Roles.
GIVE "AMERICAN ClTIZENH
Parts All i'm Competent Hands, Seen.
cry Being Work of the Pupils
and Teachers.

The senior class play given at the
high school last evening by the class |
of '09 was, as expected, one of the
Very best senior plays ever given in
Rock Island. The American Citizen"
was the title and the title role was
taken by Sewell d. Collins. who played
his part exceptionally well. Miss Flor
|ence McCandless as Beatrice Carew,
the leading lady. portrayed her part
50 we'll that she was a favorite frou
her first appearance. The minor parts,
of which there were -, were in Just
as reliable hands as the main chara,
tiers. Georgia Chaplin. taken by Miss
Henrietta Eorblit. Sir Humphrey Bum
by Arthur Lundeen, Aunt Garcia
Chaplin by Miss Olive Berger and
Stroeble by Will Dripps were espec-
tally pleasing.
The scene for the first act was the
Office of Peter Barbury in New York.
Beresford Cruger. the American Cit
izen,' Barbury and a man named
Brown are in business together, but
the latter has just defaulted to the
extent of $4,000 and the firm faces
financial ruin. Cruger is in a difficult
position. as he finds that by obeying
|certain rather obnoxious conditions he
can inherit some 10000 pounds from
the estate CT an uncle This money
will enable the firm TO make good its
shortage caused by the defeaulting
Brown and at the same time give
Cruger comfortable fortune. The
conditions laid down are that he
change his name to Carew, renounce
his allegiance to the United States
and marry an English lady of noble
birth before he reaches the age of 80
years which is not very far distant
Marrics His Cousin.
The difficulty is solved by the mar
riage of Cruger with his cousin. Beat
rice Carew, who has been dsiutar.
tied. With his name changed to
Carew, the conditions of the will ap-
pear to be fulfilled but sorrow has
come into his life. The marriage was
purely for business reasons on both
sides. but Cruger soon found that he
was in love with his wife, as it were,
, and he feels sorry that they agreed to
part after the ceremony. A former
ttiance whom Beatrice thought dead
now appears on the scene and Cruge.
is PRESSED TO grant divorce to hiaI
/ wife in order that she may marry the
man she loves. He learns, howeve.,
| that the intended groom is no other
than the defauter Brown and decides
not to grant the divorce except on th,
| condition that his wife give ND the
money which she gained from her
| fathers estate by marrying Cruger.
The loss of her money removes Beat
rice from the affections of Brown, who
was after the cash only and she fin
ally finds out that he is a scOundreI.
Cruger in the meantime loses all his
money as the will by which he gained
| il was contested and his side of the
case lost He leaves mis- wife and
labors hard to keep her il the luxury
she is accustomed to. She learns II
his self sacrifice after time and goes
Ito him and decides that she returns
his affection and that they ought 10
live together About this time CruS.
er's pocketbook is repIenisheds by IN
old investment made in America and
everything has turned out right for
him.
The scenery used in the four acts
was all the handiwork of the high
school and was of an excellent char.
actsr Miss Barclay and Miss Jack
son, teachers at the high school who
coached the characters in the play
deserve great credit, along with th>
members OF the cast for the produo
ton. The play will go down in his
tory as one Of the very best ever given
here.
The Cast of Characters.
The cast was as follows: