A man's world; a play in four acts

Act I

Time — The present — Eight o'clock a winter evening.

Scene — Frank Ware's living room in an old house in lower New York. There is a door at C. back leading into hall. One at L. leading into sleeping room. A wide window cuts off the upper R. corner diagonally. Another window is down R. At L. a large old fashioned fire-place of white marble. Low open book shelves fill the wall spaces. In the upper corner L. is, a large round table on which are magazines, a lamp — a box of cigarettes and a bowl of red apples. At L. C. a very large upholstered davenport facing the fire at a slanting angle. Below the fire a large arm-chair.

At back a baby grand piano stands R. of the door C. — the keyboard facing the window — a single chair before it. Below piano a small round table holding books and a work basket — a chair at L. of this table. Well out from the window R. is a large table desk with a chair on either side. The desk holds a student's lamp — magazines, newspapers, brass desk furnishings — and a great quantity of Mss. letters, etc.

On the book shelves are vases, several busts in 7 bronz and white — old bowls, a large Victory in white, and a great quantity of pictures on the walls — water colors, oils, sketches — all good.

The walls and ceilings are done in faded, old frescoes — and there is a C. gas chandelier of an old fashioned design.

The furniture is all old, but solid and the general air is that of past elegance grown shabby and invaded by up-to-date comfort and cheerfulness.

At curtain — Kiddie Ware, a sturdy boy of seven, is lying full length on sofa looking into fire. After a slight pause he rises — punches pillow and sulkily crosses to piano. With one finger he plays "Can you come out to-night boys" three times, with one note always wrong. He then crosses to window and looks eagerly out into the street. There is a soft rap at the door C. Pause — and the rap is repeated.

Kiddie — {Lifelessly.) Come.

Fritz — {Opening the hall door.) Wie gehts. Hello.

Kiddie — {Without turning.) Hello!

{Fritz Bahn is a young German. He is in evening clothes and carries a shabby top-coat, a cap and a violin case.)

Fritz — Where is de Frankie mutter?

Kiddie — {Still not turning.) She hasn't come yet.

ACT I 9

Fritz — Ach! She is late. Don't you worry. She come soon. It is not eight o'clock all ready. (Goes to child at ivindow.)

Kiddie — I want Frankie.

Fritz — Ach Gott, so do I — but we don't get everything we want.

Kiddie — (Still not turning from window.) Why don't she come?

Fritz — I tink she has had a very busy day with dot old publisher down town to-day. She will be so tired. Un? Yah, I tink it. Don't look all de time on de outside. She not come so. Look a liddie on de inside an she come. So.

Kiddie — Light all the gas. She likes it.

Fritz — (Lighting the gas.) So. Dere iss one — dere iss two — dere iss dree. So. Better? Un? Who lighted the first one for you all ready?

Kiddie — Old Grumper, when she brought my supper. She was awful cross to-night.

Fritz — No, iss dot so?

Kiddie — Light the lamp.

Fritz — (Lighting student lamp on desk.) Oh, yah. De light at de shrine. So. We are ready for her. Un? Wat did you do to-day?

Kiddie — Nothing.

Fritz — Nothing? Didn't you go to school?

Kiddie — Yes.

Fritz — And didn't that nice girl wat takes care io A MAN'S WORLD

of you, take you to de park dis afternoon?

Kiddie — Yes.

Fritz — And did she go home already? -

Kiddie — Yes.

Fritz — And you was alone dis evening waiting for de Frankie mudder. Ain't you going to smile yet? Wat will make you smile now? Shall I tell you — oh — such a funny story aboud Chris Kringle, wat's coming down your chimney next month already? {Kiddie shakes his head.) No? shall I —

Kiddie — (Sole?nnly.) Be a monkey.

Fritz — (Hopping on a chair and imitating a monkey.) Ach Gott! Dot iss too easy.

Kiddie — I like that.

Fritz — Well I am glad you like something.

Kiddie — (Going to kick the end of a couch.) I want Frankie to come.

Fritz — Du Leiber! Can't you forget a liddle? She come soon, now. I tink she iss eating her dinner all ready down in de restaurant.

Kiddie — She's going to take me to dinner to eat with her down in that restaurant, she said so.

Fritz — No! How fine! I will haf to get invited on that time. You tink I can?

Kiddie — Sing a song.

Fritz — All my tricks, un? (Going to piano he begins a German song — extravagantly — after first few bars — loud voices are heard in hall singing

ACT I ii

same tune. Wells and Emile bang on the door and enter arm in arm singing.

Wells — For heaven's sake, can't you hear anything but your own voice.

(Wells Trevors is a happy go lucky young American, good looking and goodnatured. He wears a shabby lounging coat. Emile Grime aux is a small Frenchman of the unmistakable artist type. He wears a blue working blouse.)

Wells — Where's Frankie? Kiddie?

Kiddie — She hasn't come home yet.

Fritz — (Rising from piano and going to Wells thumping him in the ribs.) It's too early all ready. Don't you know anything?

Emile — Um — he knows nossing.

Wells — I know a good sport when I see one. (Going to Kiddie.) Kiddie, old man, doesn't care when Frank gets home, do you? He can take care of himself, can't you? (Wells doubles his fist and makes a pass at Kiddie, to which Kiddie quickly responds. They move to C. going on with mock fight.)

Fritz — Gif it to him, Kiddie. Goot! See! Ach du lelber Himmel! Keep at him! You have him going! (Wells doubles back to L. towards the couch. Kiddie is excited with his victory.)

Emile — Viola! See ze liddle champion! En garde! Bien! Voila!

Fritz — Reach for de chin.

Emile — Non, no, — Kick him wiz se feet! (Wells falls full length backwards on couch among pillows. Kiddie wildly excited.)

Fritz — (Snatching a newspaper from the desk and giving it to Kiddie.) Here — here — fan him! You must be goot to a man when he iss down.

Wells — (Gasping.) Where am I?

Fritz — You are wid friends. (Kiddie takes paper and holding it at arms length, in both hands, fanning Wells laboriously.) Haf you got your wind all ready?

Emile — (Laughing.) I wonder where iss a cigarette. Oh — le voila!

Wells — Let me have that paper, Kiddie. Did you see a criticism of Frank's book this morning?

Emile — Non — I had not ze time. I haf painted all day like mad. I have had ze most wonderful —

Wells — Here you are. (Finding the article.) "The Beaten Path" is the strongest thing that Frank Ware has ever done. Her first work attracted wide attention when we tho't Frank Ware was a man, but now that we know she is a woman we are more than ever impressed by the strength and scope of her work. She has laid her scenes this time on the East side in the wretched poverty

ACT I 13

of the tenement houses, and the marvel is that any woman could see and know so much and depict crime and degradation so boldly. Her great cry is for women — to make them better by making them freer. It is decidedly the most striking book of the year. (Kiddie with a heavy sigh goes back to the window.) Bully good criticism.

Fritz — It's a bully good book.

Wells — You bet it is. Where does she get her stuff, anyway? After all, that's the point! How does she get it?

Emile — Sere iss only one way. (Rising and stretching himself complacently, standing with back to fire.) A woman only gets what a man gives her. (Fritz draws Kiddie away from the window and sitting R. of desk, takes him on his knee.)

Wells — (Still lying on couch.) Lione says the man is Gaskell.

Emile — Zut! Gaskell has not ze romanse — ze mystery — ze charm for a secret love.

Fritz — (Attracting Kiddie's attention from the others by showing him a trick with his fingers.) Can you do dot ? It iss not so easy. Un ?

Wells — I'm hanged if I can tell whether it is Gaskel or not — but if it is — why the devil won't she marry him? I tell you Malcolm Gaskell's going to be a big man some day. He's got the grip on this newspaper all right, all right, and he's not i 4 A MAN'S WORLD

going to let go till he's got a darned good thing.

Emile — Zat would be nossing to her. She wants ze love of ze poet — ze artist. It is not —

Fritz — Wat are you talking about? It is not dis — it is not dat. It is not nobody.

Emile — Oh, la, la! She is a very brilliant woman, but she cannot do what is impossible. She cannot write like a man unless a man help her — and no man could make her write like zat unless she love him.

Fritz — {Frowning fiercely and shaking his head at Emile, takes up picture to show Kiddie.) Mine gracious! Look at dis beautiful ladies.

Kiddie — I don't like 'em.

Fritz — Ach Gott! Der is Fraulein Keppel who used to sing wid dot beautiful voice when I played in the orchestra in Berlin.

Kiddie — There ain't anything funny in that old paper. Why don't they have Buster Brown every day?

Fritz — Ach no. They have to keep Buster so we can tell ven it iss Sunday.

Wells — {In a lower voice to Emile.) You can't see beyond the love idea. Frank isn't a Frenchwoman. What if there is a man helping her — it might be only a business deal.

Emile — Oh — mon enfant!

Fritz — {Rising quickly as he puts Kiddie to the

ACT I 15

floor.) You are two big fools. (To Kiddie.) Kiddie, why don't you go down to the lower hall and wait dere for Frankie mutter?

Kiddie — (Going up to hall door.) I'll stay by the door and when she comes in, I'll jump out at her. (He goes out.)

Fritz — (Going out into hall after him.) Oh my! Dot will be so funny! She will jump so high.

Emile — (At fireplace.) Au revoir, mon mignon.

Wells — So long, old man.

Kiddie — (Calling from the hall.) I'm going to slide down the banisters.

Fritz — (In the door way.) Don't break your neck, all ready. I vill watch! Ach Got! Be careful! Der you go. (He closes door and goes down C.) So you — her friends — are talking too.

Emile — Oh — la — la !

Fritz — You have listened to de gossip, de —

Wells — (Throwing down paper and sitting up.) Oh, come off Fritz. Don't get excited. I say I don't know whether it's a love affair or not. If it is Gaskell—

Fritz — If — if — if! Why do you always use dot mean little 'if? Are you cowards? Are you afraid to say it is a lie?

Emile — She does not deny it.

Fritz — She would not stoop to deny it.

Wells — I think Frank has had some grand smash up of a love affair sometime. I don't know whether Kiddie's her child or not — don't care — none of my business — but after she's had the courage to adopt the boy, and refuses to explain who he is — after she's made people respect her and accept the situation — I can't see for the life of me, why she lets another thing come up for people to talk about.

Fritz — There is no other thing! That iss a lie.

Emile — How do you know?

Fritz — You know — you know it iss a lie! Why don't you kill it?

Emile — How can you kill a lie about a woman?

Fritz — Wid de truth.

Emile — Mais! What is ze truth? .

Fritz — De truth iss — that she is a good woman and you are too small too liddle — too — too — too bad in your mind to know wat dot means.

Emile — (Following him to C.) Prenez-garde ! I am a Frenchman!

Fritz — Yah, dot iss yust it. You don't know a good woman when you see one.

Emile — "Good!" I said nossing about good or bad. It iss you — you who make her bad. You say she must live like zis or like zat — or like one little way you think — or she iss bad! Bah! What is bad? She iss good because she has a great heart — a great nature. She is brave enough to keep ziz child wiz

ACT I 17

her — and snap ze fingers at ze world. She is kind as an angel — she is free — she is not afraid — but she must love because she is too great to live without love. Does zat make her bad? Allons done! Because she does not tell who ze lover is does zat make her bad? Bah! It is you who are too small — too little too bete — too German to understand.

Fritz — Oh, yah! yah, yah. You can talk wid your French talk. You mix up de good and de bad like you mix your black and white paint till you get a dirty something and say it iss beautiful. You say — "Oh, yah, she iss a good woman," and you damn her wid dat nasty liddle shrug of dat nasty liddle shoulder.

Emile — Wat do you —

Fritz — You cannot do dat wid me. You are her friend or you are not her friend. You know dat she is what I know she is, and if you don't stop winking and wiggling and smiling — I vill —

Emile — You will? What will you? It is not to you to tell me what I sink of her. You are only jealous. You say zer is no ozzer man because you are crazy wiz ze jealous. Hein! If you was ze man you would not care what I zink — (Fritz rushes at Emile.)

Wells — (Springing up from couch and going between them.) Drop it you, fools!

Kiddie — (Bursting into the room and getting behind the hall door.) Don't tell 'er where I am.

Frank — (Coming in with a rush.) Oh, I'm so frightened! Something jumped out at me and ran up the stairs. Where's my Kiddie man to save me? Where is he I say.

Emile — II n'est pas ici. I do not see him.

Wells — Didn't you see him? He went down to meet you. (Kiddie and Frank both cautiously peer near edge of the door which is between them until they see each other and Kiddie springs into Frank 1 s arms.)

Frank — (Catching Kiddie to her and covering his face with kisses.) My Kiddie man! Was I long? I tried so hard not to be late to-night. I must have a bigger hug than that.

Kiddie — (With a bear like hug.) You was awful scared — wasn't you?

Frank — 'Deed I was — all to pieces!

Kiddie — She jumped awful high, Fritz!

Fritz — Yah, I told you.

Frank — Well, how are you? You're lucky dogs to be so poor that you don't have to work. (She smiles at them all with the frank abandon of being one of them — strong free, unafraid, with the glowing charm of a woman at the height of her development. Her clothes are simple and not new — but have a certain artistic individuality and style.)

Emile — Zen why do you kill yourself to get rich ?

ACT I 19

Frank — I have to get rich for my Kiddie, don't I? See what you think of that, boy. (Giving him a small package.)

Fritz — {Helping Frank off with her coat.) Have you had some dinner?

Frank — Yes, I had a bite down town, but I'm hungry. ' i

Fritz — (Putting her cloak on piano.) I will get you some-ding.

Wells — No, I'll chase out and get it.

Emile — I will make you a salad, toute de suite.

Frank — (Sitting on the couch.) No — no — no. Stay where you are — all of you. I know what I want. It's an apple. Give it to me, Wells. Oh — This is good! Be it ever so high up, there's no place like home. Take off my gloves, will you, Emile? Somebody might poke up the fire a bit. (To Kiddie who is struggling with the toy.) Can't you make it go, old man? Wind it up for him, Fritz. (Emile having taken the gloves off goes back of couch and takes off her hat. Fritz takes the toy and sits on the floor tailor fashion. Kiddie sits in front of him with his back to audience. There is a long pause. Wells, peeling and slicing the apple sits on the L. arm of couch, holding the slices out to Frank on the end of the knife.) What's the matter with you all? Anybody had bad luck? You're a cheerful set. Why don't you talk? Amuse me. What are you good for? You look as cross as sticks, Fritz. Have you had a fight?

Emile — Qui. We have had a grand fight.

Frank — What about?

Emile — About you.

Frank — That's good. Who was on my side?

Emile — We were all on your side, only in ze different way.

Frank — What's your way? (Kiddie runs to Frank, sitting on her lap.)

Emile — I say I have ze advantage of zem all — because I can put you in my pictures as I see you — as I understand you. You are in zem all — many women — in many moods. Mon Dieu! I have had a wonderful day! I have painted every minute till ze light is gone.

Frank — You look it.

Emile — I haf got it to-day — what I want — and it iss you zat I see in ziz picture.

Fritz — (Working with the toy on the floor.) Nobody else vill see it.

Emile — Ah, not ze nose — ze ears — ze chin, maybe — I am not, painting the photograph. I am painting the soul — ze soul of a woman.

Fritz — How can you paint what you know nudding about?

Frank — (Laughing.) How's the play, Wells?

Wells — I rewrote the great third act to-day.

ACT I 21

May I read it to you in the morning?

Frank — Yes. (As Kiddie hugs her.) Aw — Kiddie — between you and the apple I am choking to death. What have you been doing to-day, Fritz?

Fritz — (Reaching for the toy which has run away from him.) I have been gifing a five dollar violin lesson for a dollar fifty.

Wells— Cash?

Fritz — Yah.

Wells — Then you haven't got any kick coming.

Frank — Go and see that thing, Kiddie. Don't you like it? (Kiddie goes to sit on the floor again.)

Fritz — (Winding the toy.) One of his legs is a liddle longer than he really ought to be.

Kiddie — Make him go.

Frank — What are j^ou doing in your glad rags, Fritz? You ought not to be sitting on the floor so dressed up.

Fritz — I am going to play Lione's accompaniments. She says it is a very fashionable function.

Frank — Oh, yes, I remember. Get up and brush yourself off. What is she going to sing?

Fritz — (Rising and going to piano.) She is going to sing dis for an encore.

Wells — (Putting apple and tray back on table up L.) Lione's encores are her long suite.

Frank — That's because she always sings Fritzie's songs for them. (Fritz plays a tender little german song, singing a strain here and there. Wells whistles. Frank closes her eyes listening.) Um — sweet. I could tell that was Fritzie's in the moon. Come and listen, Kiddie. (Kiddie runs to kneel on couch by Frank with his head on her shoulder. Lionels voice is heard singing the song from the hall. She throws open the hall door on a high note. Wells and Emile applaud her with good natured guying.

Lione Brune is a tall ivoman with rather striking beauty of a bold type, emphasized by her black gown which is very low and long.)

Wells — Bravo! Bravo! Make your entrance again, my dear, — and I'll throw the lights on the door.

Lione — I'm on now. You're too late for the cue.

Frank — No one will dispute your Italian blood to-night, Lione.

Lione — (Sweeping down to fire.) Why should they dispute it?

Wells — (Imitating her.) — Why should they — but they do.

Emile — A man say to me ze ozzer day — "Wat iss Miss Brune?" and I say — "Can you not see by ze look — ze voice — ze temperament?" And he says to me — "You mean Irish?"

Lione — Beast! (Sitting in arm chair down L.)

ACT I 23

Wells — Italian extraction. Lione from Lena — Brune — from Brown.

Lione — That's brilliant dialogue, Wells. Put it in a play. Give me a cigarette, Emile. (Emile lights a cigarette for her. Fritz plays again — they all whistle or sing for a moment with comfortable abandon.

Clara Oakes opens the door. She is a mediumsized woman of about 37 — with a generally drab and nondescript appearance, looking thrown into her clothes which are somewhat passe. One refractory lock of hair falls over her face and her hat is on one side of her head — both of these she constantly tries to adjust. She speaks in a nervous gasping way and is just now very much out of breath.)

Clara — Hello, everybody.

All— "Hello Clara."

Lione — (Condescendingly.) Ah, cara mia, where have you been all day?

Clara — Did you miss me, dearest?

Lione — Of course I did. I wanted you to hook my gown.

Clara — I am so sorry.

Frank — Sit down, child.

Clara — (Sitting on the edge of the couch by Frank.) I went into Cousin Mabel's and she asked me to stay to dinner. So I did of course.

Wells — Of course. Don't miss any of Cousin Mabel's dinners, Clara.

Clara — (Still out of breath.) She sent me home in the motor.

Frank — Too bad she didn't send you all the way up stairs in it.

Clara — Yes. I ran up three flights I was in such a hurry to see you I have an idea.

Lione — Well, sit back and either take your hat off or pin it on straight.

Clara — Oh, is it crooked ?

Emile — It make ze whole room crooked — out of drawing. I cannot see anything else.

Clara — (Struggling with her hat and hair.) Well — I'm going to give an exhibition.

Fritz — (From the piano where he is still playing very softly.) Ach gott!

Wells— What?

Lione — Now, Clara, don't be a fool.

Emile — And what are you going to exhibit?

Frank — Be quiet. (To Clara.) Go on. Why shouldn't you give an exhibition? I wish to goodness you'd finish that miniature of Kiddie you began about six months ago.

Clara — I will. I'll get to work at it right away. I'll make it the important picture of the exhibition.

ACT I 25

Frank — Kiddie can be there and walk up and down in front of it to show how good it is.

Wells — I wouldn't run any unnecessary risks, Clara.

Clara — You mean thing!

Frank — Shut up, Wells. {Throwing a pillow at him.)

Clara — You just wait — you just wait, you people. You don't believe in me. You don't think I am in earnest. I'll show you. I am going to get to work right away.

Emile — Oh, you have some orders, zen?

Clara — No — I didn't mean that. But Cousin Mabel says she'll let me do her miniature.

Lione — Let you? For nothing?

Clara — Well, yes. I don't mind that.

Wells — Good Lord! {An uproar from the others.)

Clara — Now, listen!

Frank — Listen! Listen! Go on, Clara.

Clara — Then if she likes it, she'll interest other people. That's what I've always wanted her to do, you know. Because if Cousin Mabel really wanted to she could do anything with her social position.

Lione — Your Cousin Mabel and her social position make me sick. Why doesn't she give you an income ?

a6 A MAN'S WORLD

Clara — Oh, I couldn't accept that.

Wells — You couldn't — if you didn't get it.

Clara — You don't understand how conservative my people are.

Lione — How stingy — you mean.

Emile — Why don't you tell them all to go to ze devil?

Clara — Oh, I couldn't do that. I can't afford to cut loose entirely from my family — tho' of course they object horribly to my working.

Lione — They're a pack of snobs. Why don't they boost you along in society then, if they object to this?

Clara — Well, I really think if I succeeded, they wouldn't mind so much.

Lione — No — you bet. They'd all be running after you then.

Emile — Zat is ze trouble. You are still hanging to ze petticoats of your fashionable world — and what do it do for you? Look at me — I am alone in a strange country. I have no influence — no rich friends. I am working for ze art — not for ze money.

Fritz — {Rising, getting pipe from overcoat and going to window.) Dat is a good thing den.

Emile — Bah! What is money?

Wells — Don't ask me.

Emile — Why don't you live for your art — and

ACT I 27

starve for it if it must be.

Fritz — Yah! And when you are hungry — eat one of your beautiful miniatures.

Emile — Art has nossing to do wiz money.

Wells — No, but money has something to do with art.

Emile — In America, yes. Oui — zat is ze truth — ze sad truth. You have no art in America — and what you have is French. (A laugh of tolerance from the others.)

Lione — I suppose you'll be swelling it, Frank, now that you don't have to make any sacrifices for the sake of your work.

Frank — I never have made any for it.

Lione — I'd be ashamed to confess it.

Frank — Neither have you — none of you have. We're all working for money. We'd be fools if we didn't.

Lione — Well — really — I tho't you had a few ideals.

Frank — Never mind ideals. I've got a little talent and I'm trying to sell it. So are we all — because we haven't got anything else to sell. It's only genius that forgets money. Only the glory of creating that compensates for being hungry. No — no — talent wants three meals a day — genius can live in spite of none.

Wells — Well, by God — I guess you're right,

Frank. I want to sell — and I'm going to hang on. I think I've got a chance — not because my plays are any good — but because other people's are so damned bad. (All laugh and there is a general movement.)

Frank — (Rising.) Come, Kiddie, say good night.

Kiddie — Aw —

Frank — Not another minute. Past time now.

Fritz — Gute nacht — mine kint.

Kiddie — Gute nacht.

Kiddie — Good night.

Emile — Comment? Que dis tu? Ah! Mon Dieu! I will never make you a Frenchman if you do not speak ze language.

Fritz — Don't speak den, Kiddie.

Wells — Good night old man — I'll have to practice an uppercut for you.

Kiddie — I'll do you up again.

Clara — (Catching Kiddie as he passes her.) Good night, angel sweetheart. (Kissing him on both cheeks.)

Kiddie — (Rubbing his cheek). Night.

Frank — Excuse me two minutes, good people. (She follows Kiddie out closing the door.)

Clara — (After pause.) Dear Frank is so devoted to Kiddie.

ACT I 29

Lione — Yes, isn't she — as devoted — as a mother.

Clara — Oh, I didn't mean that. That is — I — I — you — know what I mean. (She looks from one to the other much embarrassed. A conscious pause.) Oh, dear, I'm always saying the wrong thing. You know I just love Frank. I wouldn't criticize her for the world. Of course I do think you have to be very broad minded when you come into this atmosphere. Cousin Mabel says I am getting entirely too liberal — but then she —