New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-03
THE CAST

Robert Jenkins. ..........A. Byron Beasley
Howard NJ smote. ...-.........R Richie Ling
Mrs. Lispanard Halworth ..... Hattie Russell
Tom Gillian. .....-.-.. -..-.... .harl Ritter
Kate. Observation-Disclosures. Alice Darlington
A. b. Maynard ............. Robert Mackay
II you were young bank clerk, living
in tidy little apartment with your tidy
little wife. and this tidy little person,
egged on by an INSCRIPTIONS mother ran
up dressmakers' bills way. way beyond
your bank clerks salary, would YOU
gently but firmly steal about half a mill
ion from your employers TO keep your
wife in clothes and automobiles?
Well. we hoped not. but that IL what
Augustin MacHugh made poor Herbert
Hostage do. and it gave him such mis-
erabiy unhappy time for four acts in tho
new play What Would You Do?' pre-
scented last night at the Hudson Theatre
that YOU had better trot right up and
have a look at it If YOU have even the
slightest tendency toward acquiring easy
money via the boss's funds.
You never can tell YOU know. Herbert
Hostage and his wife. Alice. were going
, along as nice as you please until the well
known serpent entered their Steam heated
Eden. lie was the villain. All he re-
ouired was a black mustache 70 make him
quite OwendaYis.
His name was Smote, Howard NJ.
Smote. and he smote terror to the hearts
OF spectators I'm Wall Street. for he was
a Power He pretended TO be interested
in Alice's sister. but it was really Alice
he loved Serpentlike. he dangled the
a.. ,svo
before the luxury loving wife OF Herbert.
the poor bank clerk. Alice tasted and
passed the core TO Herbert. and he, al
for love of his wife. plunged-and won.
1t was winning that did the trick. With
more TO spend. the nice. tidy little Alice
became Unsuitable, the unscrupulous
mother became more Of begging
nuisance. and poor Herbert plunged
again. This time, with about $4,000 be-
longing TO his employers at the bank.
He grew wretched, couldn't sleep, took
morphine and was beginning TO think Of
cyanide or an automatic when in hops
not steps--in hops Robert Jenkins,
special writer"
Oh, these newspaper men. Immediate
ly things began TO happen. out Of
fund of eruditon Robert hands out a few
well known truths, and out OF an equally
plentiful fund of resource he handed out
some cxpedient, but hardly moral. advice
and action.
There is a thrill or two. an anxious mo-
ment and some desperate deeds, but
who can withstand the wiles OF a stage
newspaper man? Tho money is regained,
the bank funds restored and. wonder Of
wonders, here We have $4,000 to the
good.
What 10 do with this unearned mere
ment is now the question. Heroert won't
take IT, and Robert won't take II, will
Alice. the once nice wife?
She will, at least she wants to. even
after Herbert finds her in the arms of
Smote, curse him. So Herbert casts her
off. after a scene which our bright young
Robert characterizes as cave man
stuff" and goes TO n farm TO live alone
and shake the dust OF New York forever
from his feet.
Now we come TO Mr.. MacHugh's ans
wer.
Herbert has decided. after a Ions ses-
sion OF sweet. silent thought in the coun-
try. that social climbing is "A curse and
living beyond ones income is the very
dickens. so what do YOU think he docs
with the money? It's really unique
idea lie plans TO build home for Grip
pied children And just 10 make the
authors answer stronger. and incident
ally to make happy ending, along comes
Alice. lonely without her Herbert. and all
Is well.
Better a dinner Of herbs where love
IT," etc, etc
This be- something OF tho plot upon
which Mr. MaciIugh has founded his
arrajcnment OF our citys social climbers
and our hordes OF moderately paid young
men who are weakly led 10 extravaganza
hv ovor.anbitious wives. Not go JOY fui
q theme or = play as his successful farce
"orccr 800. but interestingly done
nevertheless. and while II has Few mo
mcnts Of rather raw sentiment II Is ~
many spots clsvcrly managed In both dia
loguc and incident
robert jenkins. the writer rs
bright and VIGOROUS character sNins
mos, Of the go TO the mclodramatlc