The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1922-02-26
CHARACTERS,
GEORGE ROBERTSON,

GEORGE ROBERTSON,
an oldish young man, Of some thirty.oSd
rsthsr rapidly. and his success has gone
To his head.
JEAN ROBERTSON,
on the sunny side q thirty pretty IN IA :
s easS Si n " her f SasSands ehsrsessT
ETHEL QUENTOk,
much IN love with George. and believes his
wife is not the woman for him.
The scene Is the living room, OF
RobertsOn's apartment. Centre, rear,
q mantel, decorated totth vdses, pho
togrdphs and clock. Right Of the
mdntel, q HQueur stand. At q. c., the
main entrance. A hdtrdck Is DtSible
in the haH beyond phen the door is
open. Another door, !. c., opens into
the servants HALLIDAY, and q third,
doton left, leads into q bedroom. In
the left tOdll tDindOtO. There Is
plenty of furniture, the most con-
SpicuOuS pieces being Morris chair.
to right of centre, and large and
comfortable sofa, to left OF centre,
each placed didgOndlly. A small
table, toith smokers articles and tUo
or three books, is near the head OF
the sofa, tO,oGrd centre, and there
is q cheudl glass betUeen the mdntel
and the I. c. door. The room Is fur
nished rather erpensiUeiy and In
the best of good taste. There are
handsome rugs about the floor, cur
tainS at the toindoD and tapestries
and paintings about the WdHs.
The curtain rises, shouting an
empty stage. Elevator door, of r.,
is heard to slam. Door r. opens, and
Ethel enters, in street dress, Uedr-
ing hat and cloak, follOtoed by
GCOrge. tohO leaves his things out.
side on the cOdtrdcE, and t1hO closes
the door as soon as he is in the
room.
THEL fcrossing to c., throps
r back Wraps, turns.) Is she
out? Indicates lot1er !. door,
GEORGE (crosstng to herr - Yes.
with contempt.) She's gone
shopping for the afternoon.
ETHEL-You are sure she doesn't
suspect?
GEORGE-Not she. Tie opens his
arms. They embrace and kiss
fondly. Noise off ]. Pduse.)
ETHEL fpushing him aWay)-Now,
George. I have come here to say
something - something which l
should have said long ago.
GEORGE-Yes?
ETHEL (sits r. ell was thinking
the other night-how long have
we been friends?
GEORGE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES?
ETHEL-Well. more than friends.
GEORGE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the
time my new life began!
ETHEI.-which is to say, in or
binary reckoning, six months.
GEORGE-Is that all?
ETHEL-lt was in July we met
YOU remember?
GEORGE tenthusidsticdlly)-DO /
remember? With the stars shin.
ing down on us, and the breezes
signing through the pines
ETHEL-And wiley gone to bed
two hours ago.
GEORGE-And the whisper Of mil
lions Of insects, and love In the
very air we breathed, and you and
alone, hand in hand
ETHEL-And the next day avoid
ing each others glances, acting
as II we had never met! Oh, the
sham! The sham!
GEORGE lshrugging his shout
ders)-What would you have me
do?
ETHEL (rising and crossing tOt1drd
him)-What would have you-
George, tell me, you are a Dig
man, aren't you?
GEORGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ETHEL-You are big enough to be
above public opinion!
GEORGE-Perhaps.
ETHEL-Do you expect to keep up
the sham? Do you expect to con.
tinue this play-acting? Do you
expect to hide your real feelings
from the world?
GEORGE-What do you mean?
ETHEL-George, listen to me. You
and / have loved each other al
most from the day we met.
GEORGE-Tes, | know that.
ETHEL-DO you think there is any
thing sinful in It? =,
GEORGE-Sinful!
ETHEL-Or do you believe that our
love purities itself? What does
your wife matter? What does
anything matter? You and l love
each other-I need you and you
need me-isn't that enough?
GEORGE-Well-alm enough.
ETHEL-Then what is the future
to be-? Are we to indulge in our
love as II 1t were something
shameful? Something horrible,
which will not bear the light Of
day? Something vile, which we