El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-01-15
The New Play
"Grain of Dust" Poor Treatment of the Story.
By ALAN DALE.

I not go oUt-Out-into-th e-night (which
shows that Louis Even Shipman missed
a trick. but away in the sunshine. All
she takes IS a handbag, probably con-
I tanning the family jewels. In the last
act she comes back, naturally. We
were waiting for her and feeling for
our rubbers, as we OWNED her newt
able approach. During her absence he
has "dOwned" his enemies. and when
she arrives in a new black dress. al
though there is no intimation that she
IS wronged, she intercedes for that
enemy. He must show pity, as he may
need ii, and-as-she- needs-it-nOw.
So the sweet little typist stands with
dropped head. and he gathers her into
his arms. and they live happily ever
willing to take for granted, without any
additional act or sequel. Gallant as he
was kittenish as she tried to be, we
said good night without any very
particular regret
Not having read The Grain Of Dust."
I cannot say how Mr. Shipman treated
his author. can only imagine, and I
refuse to publish the result OF my i'm
aginatiOn. In some of the financier's
speeches there seemed to be traces OF
David Graham Philips's virile style, but
the plot" which emerged rather bald
" seemed decidedly trite.
There are four acts Of 1t. One or
two Of the characters seemed to be
worth while. The old family friend, z"
William TetloW. was good, and the so
ciety" sister not bad. The heroine her
self appeared 10 be unduly stESid, even
Tor a stage heroine. Her motives were
Of the thinnest, and she never made
you feel that she was a woman AS
him. All men do silly things. even IL
there didn't seem to be even the aver
age excuse for the silly thing that this
one did. The Grain Of Dust" unlike
most drama tizatiOns, is terribly easy 10
understand. 1t is not necessary TO have
read the book in order to get at the
plot, nor viii the play drive one to any
such reading.
may say that the typist looked very
much better in her typist garb than
with her position still, she was a
doleful creature at best. and any finan-
cier who employed her-at So per
might be excused for a bad attack OF
doldrums. Like many stage heroines.
she was happy only when she was mn
when she appeared prim. but with the
look Of the hunted antelope in her ewes
It really did seem odd to find our
selves in this midst" again. thought
the lovely typist was finished. Even
the comic writer's have relocated her
to the shelf with mOtherinIsw And
comic writer's cling to a topic until it
hangs in shreds! I feel sure that tbe
late David Graham Phillips did not
hinge his book too exclusively on this
though, as I said. never read A. Me-
cuipa
James X. Hackett played the finan-
cier in his accustomed stoclS-v sfV-ia
He stood up most Of the time-thus saw
ing hlmseI1 the trouble OF drawing
himself up 10 his full height" ne
spake with the fervor that some car
depressed. Yet he has Improved. He
is not nearly as much Of a Law figure
as he used 10 be- Once or twice he
even lnouIseu In facial expressiOn"-
which is going some II was "a role
that offered few acting opportunities
II was star" role for a modern
star" which means that IL catered
TO a personality.
The lovely typist was Miss Izetta
Jewel No, shall not play" upon the
tinkling name Of Tzetta. because last
time I did it I was told that II was a
real name and not make-believe. Miss