The Washington times., 1922-08-20
Characters:
ROMA SUTR0. A married woman
GERMAlNE NORTH,
" Her former clsssmate
NED OSBORN. a.. Roma's admirer
HUGO SUTRO. .Roma's husband
tDrs%ssis Elfts: . Rs.srysS 4. b AyshsE ,s and
sut Kss Wrfttsn Pssn,ission.

night.
(The scene Is In darkness. There
Is the sound of an opening door,
accom- painted By gast OF ,oind.
Presently the White glare OF an
electric torch probes the obscrrity,
7'po pomcn, speaking In efcitei
accents, enter the room)
~ 0MA - Ugh! Those horrible
T bats In the garden! felt
one Craze my cheek. Look
quick, Germaine! Are you sure
It isn't clinging to my hair?
GBRMAINE ffashtng the electric
torch upon her comparionJ No.
Nothing is clinging to your hair
but a diamond butterfly. Where's
your hat?
ROMA - Lost IL a. ! ran. (She
HrOt0s aside her coat. revealing
a shin NJ ering erening g0,1n.N She
Is q Jra0iie blonde Of about thirty.
three. Her totnd-toss,d hair is
very luminous IN the concentrated
iight.J
--Titania bewitched.
ROMA-Bewitched! Yes, that's It,
I am. And, oh--the thrill Of 1t!
Gerry, shall never forget this
night. The stealtby journey from
the city-the helter-skelter race
from the depot - the moaning
trees along the roadside-the sin
lister shadows-the perfumed mist
upon ones eyelids! And over
head the vibrating stars!
GERMAINE-And under foot the
April mud.
ROMA--And now this silent, empty
house. feel as II the very walls
have eyes!
GERMAINE-And So they have
(She directs the electric torch
upon an oil painting oUcr the IRE.
place. Look here! Your hus.
bands portrait.
ROMA (With gdsp)-How start
ling II is staring out Of the dark.
1t almost seems to breathe. II
looks at me very accusingly.
GERMAINE-A trick of portraits
and husbands.
ROMA Al can't endure portraits
that watch me. Turn on the
lights, Gerry. And III open n
window. The air Is very stag
nant here.
(0ermdtne presses button De-.
meath q Tapestry. Numerous lights
gior like poppies In a spacious room
decorated in the fashion Of the
Italian Renaissance.
(Germdine is n lean. dark Uom1n
Of more than thirty. she Is rerB
plain. Her flesh Is pale and Opaque.
Her face, trith IT'S blunt. impaSsiro
features. suggests quaint CARED
tUory mask
ROMA (gdzing about rith an dir
Of possession We'll. everything
seems to be in its place. Appar-
entity the caretakers have not
broken anything. Ii is charm
ing room, isn't 1t? Rather too
elaborate for a country house, one
might think. But like my lux
ury 30 be always bit excessive.
GERMAINE-To think of this beau.
tiful house without a tenant for
eight months Of the year! The
gods have given you too much.
They have spoiled you. And you
don't deserve IT,
ROMA (tdaghing) - You haven't
changed nbre since we we're ut
school together. II makes me teel
so young to hear you scold!
GERMAINE - scoldl positively
long to shake you! tell you
that you are acting like q mad
woman. Oh, it's all very we'll tn
call It lark. But tragedies begin
like this.
ROMA (pldinttpely)--You lure me
to the threshold of romance--and
then wave danger signals and de.
sert me. I call IL, absolutely
treacherous--
GERMAINE--I have lured you! n
ROMA (hdlt seriously, hult In JcstD
Yes. you! And your old witch
entertainments. I should never
have dreamed Of falling In love
with Ned Osbo. Il IL you had not
put a spell upon me. Awakened
my Imagination about him,
mean. why, a month ago l was
as cold and practical as you are
now. laughed at you when you
colored the very air with poetic
fancies about Ned. Now II Is you
who are cold blooded, while am
romantic We seem somehow tn
have changed places.
GERMAINE - what nonsense! I
feel like an elder sister toward
that boy. And so should you.
There Is something almost i'm.
moral in loving n man younger
than ones self. Especially when
one already has a husband.
ROMA Cruel. bitter Gerry! Al.
ways quick to remind me- of my
L. A.. g.