The Washington times., 1922-10-29

TULIAN oDGEN docking around
pith a grimdce)-Ye gods!-
Back into the Middle Ages!--
(He gases NTH fascinated disgust
at the Mid-VictOridn horrors. He
does not observe fhdt tn sliding
doors of an dlcOUe haze opened
and that lady In q hi0h-necked
and long-sleeved ntght-go,pn Is re-
gdrdin0 him piercingly from be-
meath crown Of curlpdperS).
THE LADY lin quiet roice of
Uithering contempt) SO it's you!
Julian Odgen! Sneaking back
here like a thief-after five
years of vagabondage!
JULIAN (mentdlly racing doWn the
road)-Don't raise q row!-Ill
60 without a word
LAURA (Quickly)-Oh-no. you
shant!-That's how you left be-
fore. A coward's way! C,me in
at once (sWeetV GRIM. I've
several things to say to you.
JULIAN tsliding in NTH much re-
luctdnce) )-Hah!-I've jolly well
put my fool head in the moose!
LAURA-What's brought you Jack?
You've not come to see me.
Possibly you've planned to kidnap
the children
JULIAN-Fact is, I've visited this
house so frequently in night
mares that it's got to bother me
Il hoped the actual sight Of the
- place would chase the spectre
hair from the dog that bit me,
SO to speak.
LAURA (wih a blank erpressiOn)
Oh.
JULIAN (UiH dramatic Intensity
i used to dream that | was
sitting at the dinner table with
all the members Of your family
the squalling brats, the wheeZy
old men, the camphorated old
ladies! And you were always
there-licking butter off your
thumbs! I'd wake up with the
perspiration oozing from every
pore!
LAURA (Uith Threatening dcidity)
is this just a temperamental
vagary? Or a paltry way of be-
ing insulting?
JULIAN (irritdbly) - There. L
knew you wouldn't understand it!
LAURA (,rith q helpless grodn as
she sees cigarette flung on the
cdrpet)-You haven't changed a
fibre, have you?
JULIAN (rdther brutdlly)-YOU
have!
LAURA ttCincin0 trifie)-YOu
find me rather at a disadvantage.
Curlpapers in my hair
JULIAN laying about him ioith a
bludgeOn) - You've acquired a.
washtub figure and purely
vegetable cast of countenance!
That's what comes Of living in
the country. You are fifty years
behind the times,
LAURA-I'm lucky to have a home
to live in! No thanks to you I've
got it, either! This house was
wedding present from my
grandfather (Uith SdrcdSm).
Happily, he was a far-sighted
man!
JULIAN-Five years ago you were
a sylph! You fairly inspired the
imagination. Your willowy grace
suggested the Blessed Damosel!
LAURA (meltin0 a tritle)-Would
you care to see the children?
JULIAN (nerUouSly) - 1t might
frighten them.
LAURA-Lenore has grown to be
quite pretty.
JULIAN (uncomfortdbly) - Has
she? Have | ever met her?
LAURA--Under the cradle name of
GOGGLES"
JULIAN (shrivellino up)-The one
that slobbered! If you don't
mind, | beg to be excused!
(Julidn tCdlkS about the rOOm.
JULlAN-This droll old place, A
family museum! Isn't this the
room your great-aunt lied in?
LAURA-t'ncle, too--a devoted
pair.
JULIAN-How does it happen that
you're sleeping in it?
LAURA-Boarders. No spare beds
upstairs.
JULIAN (erploding) - Boarders!
You mean relatives! The same
old story! A raft of relatives
from cellar to garret! That's
why | went away, II you care to
know! got fed up on your
pestilential clan!
LAURA tlosing her slippers In the
ercitement)-Juliafi Odgen! You
are lying! You know very we'll
1T was-a woman!
JULIAN (loftily)-There has been
no deed in my career that need
blush for. Although I have COM
mitted n number of cerebral