The Washington times., 1919-06-03

artistry as do the major ones.
The theme is bit unusual and
yet extremely timely-the ubiquitous
servant problem. "Sherm" Fessen-
den has taken his wife and daughter
| to the country to live. Wifey, who
once was an actress, and who likes
cabaret music better than the jazz of
crickets and bull frogs, is bored, and
in order to compel her husband to
take her back to the city, she treats
the servants so shabbily that no one
will work for her.
"Sherm" tries in vain to get SER
wants and finally is compelled to do
the scrubbing and cleaning himself.
Then a happy thought strikes him.
He calls up detective agency and
| has two sleuths sent to the house
disguised as servants, pretending to
them that something wrong has been
going on and that his domestic hap
piness is jeopardized. The servants
work like dogs, and "Sherm" all the
time is laughing up his sleeve, for
ne knows that they won't quit on
him.
But Richie, the detective, and his
wife, Nom" soon bawI things up.
Ronnie Oliver. an actor, is a guest at
the house, and he borrows one of Mrs.
Fessenden's love letters to copy some
of the "lovey-dovey'' stuff for a vaude-
willie sketch. Mr.. Sleuth gets the let
ter, and then there's the very deuce
to pay. The actor gets run out of the
house, and it looks as though 'Sherm'
and his wife will wind up in the di-
voFce court: but finally everything is
Strengthened out and as a closing
touch Richie announces that he and
MON" deem sleuthing a very preca-
rious calling and that they would pre-
fer to remain as "Sherm's" butler and
cook
As for the cast they really make the
play; or, to be more exact. they make
the play doUbIy good. Emily Stevens,
as Mrs. Fessenden, has that natural
ness and utter abandon which is SO
Characteristic Of all real stage artists.
She is a carefree, unconcerned, don't
giYe-a-darn woman, whose policy is
to let the old man do the worrying for
the family And George Howell, as
''Sherm." does the worrying all right
too. He frets and fuses and grurn-
bles when he has to do the house
work; he chuckles and gurgles when
he puts the sleuths to work as serv-
ants; and he raves and fumes and
pants and grows red when the "lovey-
dovey'' letter of woe turns up.
It's necessary to begin a whole new
paragraph to discuss little Helen
Hayes, the Washington girl who got
her first lessons in acting at the CO.
lumbia and Polls when those houses
were running stock. Helen is as
cute and as pretty and as vivacious
as they come. and she'll be Tecog-
nized as a great actress some day.
She got round after round OF applause
last night. and it was every bit de-
served. She plays the role OF
Sherms daughter, who is in love with
a Senator's son, who has run away
from home, and is disguised as a
chauffeur.
Alfred Lunt. tall and good looking.
made the hearts of all the women
flutter. He was good in his minor
part. Sidney Toler. as Richie, the
sleuth, was source of laughter to-
gether with Josephine Hall, rs
Nom" the dctcctive-cook. Fania
she secs and then wonders why her
Marineff takes the role of a married
.fljrt who makes eyes at every man
she secs and then wonder why her
husband gets jealous and leaves
home.
You'll want to see ION the Hiring
Line" and the other four comedies,
too. if they are anywhere near as
good.