SKETCHER

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3102, 26 September 1899, Page 6

SKETCHER

What a Play Can Do. Scene : Private box in a fasfefonable theatre. In one of the front fauteuils of the box is a young.. girl, a belle of the season. Seated behind her, but leaning somewhat over the back of her fauteuil, is a man. He te smoothfaced and strong-featured. In ttie other front feauteuil is a conventional chaperon. She is quite busy *W»i_i her lorgnette, and discreetly deaf. The curtain has not yet risen. He (somewhat bitterly) : " Tou have been toid the same thing by many men, I suppose ; t*^ y She (calmly): "As many women have been told the same thing by yo«i." He (nettled) : «' You have ne knowledge of what you say." She (smiling) : " Have you of what you said ?" (He Is silent) She (after a pause) : " I don't fancy I dhall ".tike this play. They call it * romantic drama, I believe.** He : M Hare you read the book ?" She : " No. But I have been to!d that it is full of soda-water sentiment, and all that sort of thing." He : "It is fnll of brave deed* by gallant gentlemen for the smiles of true and tender women." fi*e (languidly) : " I soppeae so. But then, you see, it Is not necessary in i these days for gentlemen to do brave deeds." •He (quickly) : " And, therefore, equally unnecessary for women to be true and tender ?'* She (closing her fan with a sharp click) : " You are getting irrelevant" He (as the curtain rises on "The Prisoner of Zenda") : " Don't you think there are men, even in these days, who couW and would do all that their forefathers have done before them ? Don't you think that a man, were he. given tbe opportunity, mflj-tfht show himself worthy of the one being oo earth who denied herself to Mm ? Don't you think ?" She (Interrupting) : " Pardon me ; but dont you think that as this is a. play and not an opera, we had better' listen to it ?" (There is absolute silence until the end of the prologue.) ■ S*ie Cwitb a half sigh, as the curtain^ faHs) : "The skill of the dramatist today is simply wonderful. He» actually succeeds in clothing a lot of silly senti-j ment witb something that makes it'i for the moment— well, almost interest-' Ing." He : "Do you think it is altogether! l 'ehe skill of the dramatist ?" She (wonderingly) : "What else could, it be ?" He (quietly) : " Your own heart per-, Naps." (She does not answer.) She : " No wonder women look upon.. A. as an old story, when, as yon say, we hear it so much! and from so many men." He : " You — meaning the sex generally, of course— would not hear the* same old story so much if you did not* listen to so many men." She (coldly, as the curtain rises again) :'" " I cannot see anything more culpable ; than listening to that which is palpably* ♦alse in the telling of lt. Can you ?" (somewhat wickedly) : " I will telljf ftro when the curtain ls down." f He (at the end of the act) : M Perhaps/ after all, you are right. Too much of? this sort of thing can easily become TOonoronox**-." ' She : " Indeed ! I thought you revelled in romance and sentiment andi SI that." He : " Oh. well, these people on thek tege are only playing at it" She .'abstractedly) : "They seem to* play at it very well. One would think they feel it all." ne (cynically): "Does anybody feel| anything ?" She (recovering herself) : " Yes. Justp j*>w, I thftik, I feel thirsty. May Ijj. s ave some water ?" t brings her some water from the* 1- , carafe. In taking the glass from hera Hs hand touches hers. t JFe (quickly) : " I beg your pardon." I he (confused) : "it is nothing. It,j was my carelessness." He (apropos of nothing) : " The playf -"•eta most unnecessarily tragical a*ad2 wibre from now on." :■ •he : " Why so ? For, of courseis •hat stupid King dies in the dungeonJand the young Englishman, as the KingJ warrtes the Princess.'' , •He (gloomily) : "On the contrary,^ he meets the fate of all men who love* without reserve." * She (w«h some concern) : " What is^ that r* r * He : "WeU, in the slang of this con-) tury, 'he gets left' " / She: "Then I think the, Princess is? nothing more nor less thanf — " b He : " What T i She fas the next act commences) :) "O*, a wttman, of coorse." ; He (as be a3de her with , her wraps) :} "WeU, I appose yon arerawfu-ITy Mred# and bored T* i She (gently) : " An 'eontraire. ) Ihave', been more, than interested." / He : "What conld be more /than in-i terested 7" \ s She : " Instructed, perhaps." ■ He: "You said a , while. &ck \fhat, the Princess was only; a wr-famn. Wfoatdo you tbink of the yoongiEngßfehntan, who. loving her, gave her, up ?" She (as she moves|ont of the box)\: "I think he is— just 'a man. That is* W." Another Scene : She has (given him *a Jfcft to bis club. He is standing at the carriage door, saying "^Good-night.*" The chaperon seems to be) very sleepy ; ln fact, her eyes are closeJd. She (extending an ungloved hand out ' of the window) : " I want] to thank you for insisting that I shfcuHd like the play. You were right. I did. Thoroughly." , He <»bowing) : " You are • always polite." She : " And sometimes sincere." He (very Wtteriy. a 6 he. turns toVgo) : " I am glad, however, tlbait you -. are willing to admit thait on the sjtage wbich you deny in real life. It is 'something to know that whdle yon shut»your own heart to all approach of it, \ you still can " She (taking his hand) : " I ibeg your pardon for interrupting you,/ibut what are you going to do to-moi*row afternoon ?' He (puzzled) : "I ? Oh If Nothing, I suppose, as usual.** / She (hesitatingly) : " Wellil wish you would bring me a copy ofithe book. I think— that ls— l fancy, IP may be alone. Tell the coachman C home.'"—- . "New York Wbrid." V