New Britain herald., 1915-10-08
"SlNNERS' PLEASES
 LYCEUM AUDIENCE
Harriet Remple Scores in Moral
 ity Play Here Last Night

SdlHIS, I1uCn as It IS III real lire. Those who attended the Lyceum last night and saw Owen Davis play, Sinners" will attest this.
 And here is about the way the play goes. A poker party is on in Hilda Newtons apartment, in New York. Gathered about the board are the habitues of the Rialto, worshippers of the bright lights. There is the man who is keeping Hilda going, willie" Morgan, and Joe" Garfield, a lover of Polly Cary, is there with Polly. Also among those present is Bob Merrick, a very nice young chap who has made big money in the Klon- dike and who, after being tilted in love, is out to see all the gaiety. A party is made up for a trip to At lantic City; but @ girl is wanted for Merrick. Enter then Miss Mary Hor- ten, fresh from the hills of New Hampshire. She has met Hilda, an old-h -home-town-friend of hers on the street, and, Mary being hungry, Hilda takes her home. It is suggested that Mary go along to the New Jersey re- sort to make up the missing link. She is supposed to satisfy the cravings of young Merrick But Merrick's good senses return to him about this time and he does not want to go through with it; old Willis" Morgan, how ever, as an enticer of fair maidenhood Is equal to the job, and succeeds in get ting little Mary to take a high-ball and also to consent to going on the journey, when in steps a holier-than- thou person, a good young man, fresh from the country, Horace Worth. Horace brings a message with him. Mary's mother is dying. So, instead of going on the party, and walking into the pit, Mary goes home to her mother with Horace. Curtain.
 Mary is now at her old home in the New Hampshire hills. Her moth CT is recuperating. Dr. Simpson, who has rescued Mrs. Horton, is anxious to know about his old sweet heart, Hilda, whom Mary met in New York. Mary tells him, and, no sooner is the tale told and the Doctor gone then the door swings open and Harlem flat They are all there, in cluding Bob Merrick. Mother eventu- ally meets the New Workers, and out of the goodness of her heart, closes a very touching scene
 with a psalm singing episode warrant ed to bring tears to the strongest. Mother Horton invites her intruders or guests, to. remain for supper, and after that meal, young Merrick has 8 heart-to-heart talk with the "old lady" in which he tells of his gay l life, always featuring, however, that 1t has been thrust upon him. She shows him a few pictures in the family album, tells a tale about how her own dear father wrecked the family home by seeking fools gold" and Bob is convinced. There is al- most happy ending here, but young Horace Worth intrudes and tells the mother just what he saw in New York. Good gracious. That is al- most enough to ruin any situation; but the mother looks into the eyes of her little darling Mary and knows it is not so. She promptly gives MT. Worth a good laying out.". The shock is terrible on mother, and in the last act we have everybody wait ing outside the cottage door for the news of her death. But she fools them all. She is not going to die.
 She had previously told Horace what she thought of him, and so she is going to stay to finish all the details
 Somehow, mother has an inkling that Bob Merrick should stop searching for fools gold and get some of the real article. And so, she comes out on the old front porch, and puts the proposition straight from the shoul- der. Clasping the hands of Bob and Mary in hers she asks her daughter: Deep down in your heart, do you really want him to go?" And Mary, like a good little girl, answers: Not if he wants to stay mother" and the play is over.
 There are of course, some things we have left out; how the Doctor and Hilda renew love acquaintance of earlier days; how Polly Cary goes back to the bright lights with a few lackadaiscal remarks about the country; how Sadie, the hired girl" at Mrs. Horton's made an expose of the good, young man, Horace Worth, etc.
 We'll, anyway, Sinners" the play, is not as bad as Sinners" are la beled. Particularly redeeming was the manner in which Miss Harriet Rempell portrayed the character of the simple little country miss, Mary Horton, who has gone to New York to seek her fortune and who finds out the loneliness and bitterness of it all. For one her age, there are few actresses on the American stage who could have equalled Miss Rempell as she played last night. She has all the little mannerisms, and winsome- ness of personality that captivate au- diences, and best of all, she possesses a wonderful speaking voice. Playing opposite her, J. Angus Gustam, as Bob, Merrick, presented in very capable manner a young man trying to be good under extenuating cir | .cumstances The next best We should