The Washington herald., 1922-09-11
ce.ti.ses from Ysstsrdey.

darkness.
Messrs. Barnes and Paramore
have been engaged In conver-
subject, a subject 80 wholesome
that Mr.. Barnes has been try
ing for several moments to
creep into the more tainted air
around the central lounge.
Whether Paramore is lingering
in the gray house ouasof polite
y ness or curiosity. or In order at
some future time to make a
sociological report on the de-
cadence of American life Is
problematical.)
Maury: Fred. I imagined you
were broad-minded.
Peramore: ] am.
Muriel: Me, too. believe one
religions as good as another ano
everything
IPsramore: There's some good in
all religions.
Muriel: I'm a Catholic, but, as
I always say. I'm not working at 1t.
Paramore: Cwith a tremendous
burst Of tolerance.) The Catholic
religion is a very-a very powerful
religion
Aiaury: Well. such a broad-mind-
ed man should consider the raised
plane of sensation and the stimulat-
ed optimism contained in this cock
tail.
Paramore: CTaking the Crink.
rather defantly) Thanks, I'll try
--one.
p Maury: One? Outrageous! Here
we have a class of nineteen ten re-
union. and you refuse to be even a
little picked Come on!
Here's a health to King Charles,
Here's a health to King Charles.
Bring the bowl that you boast"
(Paramore joins in with a hearty
voice)
Maury: Fill the cup, Frederick.
You know everything's subordinat-
ed TO natures purposes with us. and
her purpose with you is to make
you a rip-roaring tippler.
Paramore: II a fellow can drink
like a gentleman
Maury: What is a gentleman, any
waya
Anthony: A man who never has
pins under his coat lapel.
Maury: Nonsense! A mans So
cial rank Is determined by the
amount Of bread he eats in a sand
wieh.
Dick: He's a man who prefers the
hrst edition of a book to the last
edition o: a newspaper.
Rachael: A man who never gives
an impersonation of a dope-fiend.
Maury: An American who can fool
an English butler into thinking he's
one.
Muriel: A man who comes from a
good family and went to Yale or
Harvard or Princeton. and has
money and dances well, and all
that.
Maury: At last-the perfect den-
milton, Cardinal Newman's Is now
a back number.
Paramore: 1 think we ought to
look on the question more broad
mindedly. Was il Abraham Lincoln
who said that a gentleman Is one
who never infiicts pain?
Msury: It's attributed. I believe,
to Gen. Ludendorf
Paramore: Surely you're joking.
Maury: Have another drink.
Paramore: / oughtn't to. Iow-
ering his voice for Maury's ear
aIone) What IL I were to tell you
this is the third drink I've ever
taken in my life?
CDick starts the phonograph.
which provokes Muriel to rise and
sway from side to side. her elbows
against her ribs, her forearms per-
pendicular to her body and out like
fns)
Mu-ieI: oh. let's take up the rugs
and dance,
CThis suggestion is received oy
Anthony and Gloria with interi IT
groans and sickly smiles of acqui-
esence)
Muriel: Come on. you Iazybones.
Get up and move the furniture back.
Dick: Wait till / finish my drink.
Maury: 0ntent on his purpose to-
ward Paramore.) I'll tell you what.
Let's each fill one glass, drink 1t
off-and then we'll dance.
A wave of protest which breaks
against the rock of Maury's insist
ence.)
Muriel: My head Is simply going
round now.
Rachael: Un an undertone to An
thony) Did Gloria tell you to stay
away from me?
Anthony: CConfused) why, GER
talnly not VI course not.
Rachael smiles at him inscruta-
bly,. Two years have given her a
sort of hard. well-groomed beauty }
Maury: CHolding up his glass.)
Here's to the defeat of democracy
and the fall of Christianity.
Muriel: Now really,
tShe flashes a mock-reproachful
glance at Maury and then drinks
They all drink. with varying de-
grees OF dificulty.)
Muriel: Clear the floor!
Ut seems inevitable that this
process is to be gone through, so
Anthony and Gloria join in the
great moving of tables, pilinE of
chairs. rolling of carpets, and
breaking of lamps. When the fur
niture has Nbeen stacked in ugly
masses at the sides. there appears
space about eight feet square.)
Mariel: oh. let's haye music.
Maury: Tana will render the love-
song of an eye, ear. nose and throat
specialist.
(Amid some confusion due to the
fact that Tana has retired for the
night, preparations are made for the
performance. The pajamaed Japa-
nese. flute in hand, is wrapped in a
comforter and placed in a chair atop
one of the tables. where he makes
a ludicrous ami grotesque spectacle.
Paramore is percsptibly drunk and
SO enraptured with the notion that
he increases the effect by simulat-