Her own way

The drawing-room at the Carleys'. A handsome room in dark wood, with tapestry on the walls and an old portrait built in over the mantle. The furniture is gilt, Louis XVI, covered with old crimson brocade. There is a warmth about the room, a profusion of flowers, some books and magazines. A piano in the upper left-hand corner, a window with a balcony at Left. Doors Right and Left. Louise and Mrs. Carley are replacing the furniture, which has been disarranged. Out on the balcony Moles is seen, with Philip and Christopher, arranging an American flag on the balcony balustrade.

Louise. Thank goodness, the luncheon's over!

Mrs. Carley. Yes, I thought they'd never go, and I've got the Shindle woman coming to do my hair.

Louise. I noticed it was getting a little dark at the wrong end, mother.

Mrs. Carley. What was it Steve said this morning? It was always darkest before blond! Well, it's lucky I'm good-natured so long as I live in this family and don't want to grow old.

Louise. What are they doing on the balcony?

Mrs. Carley. Dick Coleman's regiment marches by here this afternoon.

[She sits by a table Right.

Louise. Do they start for the Philippines to-day?

Mrs. Carley. Yes, and the President is to receive them in front of the Plaza.

Louise. [Coming to her.] Have you noticed Steve?

Mrs. Carley. No,—has he got a new suit?

Louise. No, something's troubling him. [Thoughtfully.] I believe he's been speculating again and has lost.

Mrs. Carley. He couldn't; he hasn't got anything more to lose.

Louise. [Petulantly.] He hasn't played with the children for a week and he hates going out so lately,—wants to refuse every invitation! Even the ones you and I've been patting ourselves on the back for getting! I can't stand it.

Mrs. Carley. Quite right, too—if one doesn't go out, where can one go, and if we don't go anywhere, what are we to do? We can't stay home. [Rising, she crosses to mirror on table Left.] I say, dear, what about having my hair a little redder?

Louise. Let me see! [Mrs. Carley faces her—Louise examines her critically.] I wouldn't much; if you do, people will say you dye it.

Mrs. Carley. I don't care what they say, so long as they don't say it to my face. Have you had yours massaged this morning?

Louise. Yes, why?

[Goes to mirror and, pushing Mrs. Carley out of the way, examines her face in the glass.

Mrs. Carley. Nothing, only I think you must have it done religiously, darling; the crow's feet are beginning to come.

[Sits on sofa and begins to crochet on an afghan.

Louise. Oh, I'm worried to-day and besides, I think our masseuse is getting careless. [Turns, goes up to Mrs. Carley, and sits on the sofa.] I'm going to change her; she never tells you anything about anybody, anyway.

Mrs. Carley. I told you that the first day she came. She was positively rude the way she refused to be pumped by me about the people next door. Do you know I'm worried too. [Rises, gives Louise her work, and again looks in the glass.] I think my hips are getting bigger.

Louise. Well, my dear mother, you must have hips sometime in your life, and you've done pretty well. Look at your friend, Mrs. Brint.

[Footman enters with tray, goes to table Right, and collects the small cups and saucers.

Mrs. Carley. My dear! when Sarah Brint was married she looked like a widow! [Louise laughs.] It made me so mad seeing the people eat everything the way they did.

Louise. Mamma, you're so amusing. Of course we do have good food; we must get people here somehow.

Mrs. Carley. And I not daring to eat a thing! Why is it nice things are all fattening?

[The Footman goes out.

Louise. [Rises and comes to Mrs. Carley.] Does it strike you that this dress of mine makes me look too short-waisted?

Mrs. Carley. Turn round. [Louise does so.] Yes! don't wear it again.

Louise. [Irritated.] Why didn't you tell me before lunch?

Mrs. Carley. I didn't notice it!

Louise. [Angry. Turns to mirror and then to Mrs. Carley.] That's just it! You don't care! You don't think of me ever! You only think of yourself!

Mrs. Carley. [Angry.] That's not true. I've sacrificed my life for you, and for what good?

Louise. What good! Good heavens, haven't Steve and I done everything for you, lugged you into the best position almost in New York?

Mrs. Carley. Yes, that's just it, "almost!" Your husband hates me and you back him up—and keep me in the background!

Louise. I couldn't! You wouldn't stay there.

[With a disagreeable laugh.

Mrs. Carley. [Sits in chair left of the table.] That's it, insult me,—but I've had enough! I've made up my mind, anyway, to leave your house and live by myself.

[Whimpering.

Louise. Oh, stop, mamma. You know I didn't mean anything. I'm sorry!

Mrs. Carley. [Crying.] No, I'm in the way.

Louise. You're not in the way. You know I couldn't live without my darling pretty little mamma. Please stop crying and kiss me.

[Puts her arms around her.

Mrs. Carley. [Still crying.] I haven't anybody in the world but you.

Louise. Don't I know that, don't I know I couldn't get on without you! There! [Kisses her.] Now it's all right. Come on, darling, come up and get your hair dyed.

Mrs. Carley. [Pleasantly.] Sh! don't call it that!

Louise. I am irritable lately, I know it—but I see without our money even Steve couldn't get us a decent position. We might just as well face the truth. Certain people don't appreciate you and me, mamma. We aren't even acquired tastes.

Mrs. Carley. No one ever appreciated me long. I was prettier than you were at your age, and my husbands both fell in love with me at first sight. But I never wore well.

[She takes a magazine from the table and begins to cut the pages.

Louise. I wonder if Georgiana will marry Sammy!

Mrs. Carley. I wish to goodness she would.

Louise. I believe she's in love with Mr. Coleman.

Mrs. Carley. No, they've always known each other.

Louise. Well, some people wear better than we do, that's all! and I believe she's in love with him, whether either of them know it or not.

[Georgiana comes in Left with Bella Shindle. Miss Shindle is a florid, buxom young person, pleased with herself and all the world. She carries several packages.

Georgiana. Here's Bella, mother.

Everybody. How are you, Bella?

Georgiana. All your guests gone?

[She sits left of table. Mrs. Carley goes back of table, and Louise moves to the right.

Mrs. Carley. Yes, thank goodness! You might have been here.

Georgiana. You know I can't stand your would-be smart parties!

Louise. I think they're always angry when they don't see you.

Georgiana. Nonsense! Did you have a good time? Pick everybody else to pieces?

Louise. No, we all said nice things about Mrs. Lothman.

Georgiana. Mercy! What's the matter with her?

Louise. My dear, she's a perfect nonentity; she might just as well not exist.

Georgiana. [Amused.] Well, to tell the truth, I don't care much about her myself. She's one of those boring creatures who when you ask her how she is, really tells you!

Mrs. Carley. You with fancy work! What in the world are you doing?

Georgiana. I am knitting a tie for Dick!

Mrs. Carley. Good gracious. Well, I'll go upstairs and get into something loose. I'll be ready in ten minutes.

[She goes out Right.

Louise. I must see the children; I haven't seen them to-day.

[She follows her mother out.

Bella. Miss Carley.

Georgiana. Yes, Bella.

Bella. Mr. Coleman, Lieutenant Coleman, is going to the Philippines to-day.

Georgiana. [Sighing involuntarily.] Yes, Bella.

Bella. I've got a friend going along.

Georgiana. In the company?

Bella. Yes—well, I don't mind telling you—he's my young man, Miss Carley.

Georgiana. Why, Bella, I didn't know you were engaged?

Bella. Well, I don't know as you'd call it exactly, yes I would say as we was engaged—though I haven't got a ring. But we're going to get married when he comes back, if hugging and kissing is binding, which I guess, with witnesses! He wanted to give me a ring of his mother's, but I said "No," I wouldn't take that, it was sacred and he'd always wore it. You see it was an old-fashioned-looking sort of onyx stone with oyster pearls, and not for me—I'd rather wait.

Georgiana. You have an eye out on the main chance, Bella.

Bella. Well, I wasn't born yesterday. Say, all the girls was crazy about him. I met him to dancing school Tuesday evenings at Adelphi Hall and we started right in, every Sunday night to church and every Saturday to the theatre. He enjoyed Sundays best and I Saturdays, but I felt it was because church was cheapest. He's dreadful economical.

Georgiana. You get more attention than I do from my soldier. You at least have the consolation of knowing you're the girl he's left behind.

Bella. 'Tain't much consolation if I get left for good! Say, will you ask Mr. Coleman to sort o' look after him? Ask him to please put him in the back row when there's fighting—and keep an eye on his health. I'm afraid it's dreadful damp being a soldier; and do you know that man actually catches cold if he forgets his rubbers and it sprinkles?

Georgiana. I don't think he ought to go if he's so delicate; Mr. Coleman will take an interest in your friend, I know, if I ask him. What's his name?

Bella. Mr. Gootch.

Georgiana. Mr. Gootch! Yes, I can remember that. But, you see, if he's a soldier he must do his duty, whatever it is.

Bella. There's no holding him back! He's jus' as likely as not to lose his position at Snipleys, Crabford & Snipleys, too, but he will go! It's surprising to see a man with such a weak chest and delicate feet, so awful brave and persistent.

Louise. [Coming back.] I bore the children to death, so I left them. What are all these bundles, Bella?

Bella. Christmas presents. This is just the time of the year to buy, you know, you can get such bargains! and if there's one thing I think nicer'n anything else to get cheap, it's Christmas presents.

Georgiana. You should do like Mrs. Carley, Bella, save half of the things you get one year to give away the next.

[She sits by the table and goes on with her work.

LOUISE. I always do that. I get so many things I can't bear.

Georgiana. But you must be careful not to send them back to the same place they came from! That has happened.

Louise. Georgiana!

[Bella laughs out loud and sits on the sofa. Louise sits opposite Georgiana.

Georgiana. What have you got? Sit down and tell us.

Bella. Thank you, ma'am. [Delighted with the opportunity. Taking up the different parcels.] Well, I've got an elegant pair of scissors for mother, marked down because of a flaw in the steel, but she's near-sighted, and she don't want to use 'em anyway—it's just to feel she has another pair. Scissors is mother's fad—sort of born in her, I guess, for my mother's mother was a kind of dressmaker. She didn't have robes and mantucks over her door, you know,—she was too swell for that,—she went out by the day! And this is a real bronze Louis ink-stand for my sister's husband, only cost thirty-nine cents and hasn't got a thing the matter with it, so long as you don't see the others—if you see the others, you'll observe that there's a naked lady missing off the top part which I'm glad of anyway as I'm giving it to a gentleman, and he'll never see the others besides. And this is two boxes of writing paper; aren't they huge! awful cheap with a lovely picture of an actress on top—Lillian Russell in Mice and Men, I think, on one, and Jean Duresk the Opera Singer in Lonegrind on the other. The boxes 'av got false bottoms—so there ain't very much writing material, but the rich effect's there all the same.

Georgiana. [Laughing.] Bella, you're a wonderful shopper!

Bella. And this is a copy of Homer's Iliad for my sister. Do you know it? Is it nice? Anything like Hall Caine's works, or Mary Corelli's? She's always been my sister's favorite writeress. You see they've got a whole counter of these beautifully bound in red and gold, and only nineteen cents. But it's so hard to decide which to buy. I've about decided now to take this back and change it for Lucille. Which do you think my sister'd like best, Homer's Iliad or Lucille?

Georgiana. I believe she'd prefer Lucille, and besides half the fun in shopping is in the changing one's mind and taking things back, don't you think so?

Bella. Yes, ma'am, I think so.

[Moles enters Left.

Moles. Mr. Coast to see Miss Georgiana, please.

[Bella rises.

Georgiana. Did you say I was in?

Moles. Yes, miss.

Georgiana. What a bore! Very well, Moles.

[He goes out.

Bella. I'll be going up to Mrs. Carley, now.

[Goes toward the door Right.

Georgiana. Wait a minute, Bella. I want you to do something for me. Entertain Sammy, Louise, till I come back.

[She goes out with Bella.

Louise. I never was able to entertain Sammy, but I'll do my best.

[Coast enters, announced by Moles, who immediately exits.

Coast. Hello, Lou, how goes it?

Louise. Beastly!

Coast. Where's Miss Georgiana?

Louise. She'll be down in a minute. Sam, do you know what's the matter with Steve?

Coast. Probably he's been losing.

Louise. Whose money?

Coast. Everybody's.

Louise. But can't you help him?

Coast. No; it's not my business.

[Sits on the sofa, putting the pillows out of his way.

Louise. But he's my husband, and you're my cousin.

Coast. What's the difference? Twenty years ago, when your father was rich as Crœsus and my guv'ner and I up a stump for—tobacco, anyway, if not for bread, did he lift a finger to help us? not on your life! That lets me out! Every man for himself—and listen, if I wanted to starve I could lose a real good fortune through Steve Carley, without any outside help.

Louise. I told mother you'd be like that.

Coast. We're all pretty much alike; she'd recognize the Coast family.

Louise. If you were married to Georgiana, you couldn't ignore her brother. She isn't like us.

Coast. Well, if I could get Georgiana, [Going to Louise.] I'd be willing to do a good deal. She's the only woman I can see in this world my size.

Louise. So I guessed, but if Dick Coleman proposes before he goes to the Philippines, I wouldn't give much for your chances.

Coast. Listen, Lou; did you ever know me to lose anything I'd set my mind on getting.

Louise. No.

Coast. Well I mean to marry Georgiana, Dick Coleman or no Dick Coleman. No, I'll put it different from that. I mean to make her love me, because, by God, I love that woman so I'd do anything, commit a crime almost, to get her.

[Steven enters Left and Coast goes up to the mantel.

Louise. Steve, aren't you up town early?

Steven. A little.

[Sits Left. Moles enters.

Moles. Beg pardon, sir.

Louise. What is it, Moles?

Moles. [To Louise.] Mr. Carley, m'm. [To Steven.] Could I speak with you a few moments, sir?

Steven. I'm very busy to-day, Moles.

Moles. But have you noticed sir, this morning, United Copper is lower.

Steven. It can't be helped—go about your business.

Moles. But for heaven's sake, Mr. Carley—you said yesterday if it dropped another point and we couldn't give up any more money, Lizzie and me'd both lose everything we had.

Steven. I'm sorrier than I can say, but there are lots of others worse off than you.

[Georgiana reënters Right.

Coast. [Cynically to Steven.] You don't mean to say you've been speculating with Moles's money.

Louise. Moles!

Steven. It was for himself, not me, I put him in.

Moles. And Lizzie, sir. And we'd counted it up, how if we made all you said, we could leave service soon, sir, and we could afford a small house in the country with say four rooms and one baby—Lizzie doing her own work.

Louise. Do you mean to say, Steve, that your own servants have lost their earnings through you?

Moles. Yes, m'm.

Steven. [Doggedly.] Put it that way if you like. I meant to do them a good turn.

Louise. But we can't let that happen; we must pay them back!

Coast. [Amused.] Bully for you, Louise! getting generous in your old age.

Louise. It would ruin us socially if it got out!

Coast. Oh, I see!

Moles. Mr. Carley said it was sure, ma'am.

[Coast laughs a rather coarse laugh.

Steven. For heaven's sake, Coast! Go away, Moles.

[Moles goes out Left.

Coast. [To Steven.] Are they holding on for you?

Steven. They said they'd give me till to-morrow to put up more security.

[Sits Right.

Coast. What do you need?

[No answer.

Louise. How much more security, Steve?

[Goes to Steve.

Steven. Say a hundred and fifty thousand.

[Coast whistles.

Louise. He'd better hold on, Sam, hadn't he; what do you think of the stock?

Coast. Don't ask me.

Louise. We've got to risk it, anyway. Use some of my bonds, Steve.

Steven. Louise!

Louise. Yes, I mean it, we must.

Steven. You don't understand me—we can't use your security.

Louise. Why not?

Steven. [Rising and half turning away.] Not—again.

Louise. How do you mean "again"?

Steven. Your money is all there, all, already buried in it!

Louise. All my money? All of it!

Steven. Yes, I wanted to win back your mother's, I wanted—

[Interrupted.

Louise. [Beside herself.] You wanted! You wanted!! You wanted!!! To ruin us, that is what I should say you wanted to do!—Do you mean to say, behind my back, you've gambled away every cent I have, as well as all my mother's money!?!

Georgiana. No! it's not possible—Steve!

[Comes between Steven and Louise.

Steven. When did you come in, Georgy?

Louise. Georgy! [No answer; she continues hysterically.] He can't deny it; it's true! And it's rank dishonesty, that's what it is! You've robbed me, you've robbed my mother, you've robbed your own children! The papers will call you a—

Steven. [Interrupting.] That's not true! I had control of your money—to do with as I choose, and I did what I thought was for the best.

Louise. You've never done anything for me that wasn't for the worst!

[Walking up and down excitedly.

Georgiana. Louise!

Louise. It's true! If I can save a cent out of this ruin, I'll take it and the children away from you! I'll never live with you again! I'll show you up to all your smart friends who've snubbed me! I'll send you to state prison if I can!

[Sits in the arm-chair down Left.

Coast. Shut up, Lou! You'd better get a little legal advice before you start on that track.

Georgiana. Louise!

[Goes to Louise.

Louise. Well, what have you got to say? My mother brought you up, was a second mother to your brother who ruined us, but you've got your money, I suppose. You've been clever enough to keep your money in your own hands,—you and he will always have enough!

[Crying hysterically.

Georgiana. Will you listen to me and let me say what I'm trying to?

Louise. [Bursting into floods of tears, overwhelmed with sympathy for herself.] He's broken my heart! That's what he's done; broken my heart!

Georgiana. [Going to Louise.] Oh, no, he hasn't, Louise, he's only broken your bank, and you don't know the difference. I want to say to you now,—that all Steve needed was real love, and the guiding hand of a true, sensible woman—

Steven. [Interrupting her, goes to Georgiana. Georgiana turns to Steve.] No, Georgy! You mustn't blame Louise! I love her and always will, just as she is. She doesn't mean all she says now—she's angry, and she has a right to be—I'm one of those men who never succeed—who never have any luck, and it's bad luck for her to have to share mine.

Georgiana. Well, what's done's done? But, as Louise says, my money's left.

Steven. Yes, but—

Georgiana. Mine must do for all of us.

Coast. [Strongly.] Excuse me, but I'll see that Louise and her mother don't suffer; you keep your money.

Georgiana. No, that's not the point, Sam. I asked you once to give my brother advice and you refused. You might have prevented this, and now we can get along without your money. Steve won't have to go out of his own family to make up as far as he can for what he's lost out of yours.

[Sam turns away to the mantel.

Steven. Georgy! O Georgy! You're an angel! [Hugging her and kissing her in a transport of relief.] I'll get out of it, you'll see! I'll cover myself to-morrow. I can do that with your Croton Bonds and your Mutual Life and a couple of mortgages, and we'll win in the end, and Louise get hers back and mother too—! [His arm about his wife.] It's sure in the end, it's got to be, Louise.

[There is no response from LOUISE.

Georgiana. Steven, I have a condition about my money.

Steven. [Crestfallen.] What?

Georgiana. It isn't to be used as you think. If I'm to help you, it must be in my own way.

Steven. How do you mean?

Georgiana. What's lost is lost. I have between five and six hundred thousand dollars, and we must all live on the income of that. And you must give your word of honor never to gamble in stocks again.

[Sam comes back to front of table.

Louise. [To Steven, suddenly realizing it again.] You let all my money go?

Georgiana. [To Louise.] I will share what I have with you.

Steven. [To Georgiana.] But you must let me try to get back—

Georgiana. [Interrupting.] It would only be throwing good money after bad!

Coast. [Sardonically.] How about Moles and Lizzie?

Georgiana. Don't you worry about them! Moles and Lizzie shall have their money back, of course.

Steven. But I can't do it, Georgy. It's losing—why it's like losing a million to us!

Georgiana. Suppose you went on speculating with my money, and it went the same way as Louise's and her mother's?

Coast. And Lizzie's and Moles?

Steven. But it can't—it can't!

[Steven sits on the sofa. Georgiana sits beside Steven. Louise is still in the arm-chair Left.

Georgiana. O Steve! I've heard that so often. [A pause.] You were always a straight boy, Steve, and you always kept your word. Your notion of honor, it seems to me, in little things hasn't been so strong lately, as this fever of speculation grew on you, but still you are the same Steve and you've never lied about your transactions; so I have faith in you. Now let's settle this once and for all and my way!

Steven. It's very hard, Georgiana.

Louise. We can never all of us live on your income—not as we're used to.

Georgiana. That's true. Come, Steve. Give me your word never to go into another speculation and let's throw it off for to-day. Dick's coming to say good-by. Let's give him happy memories of us, at least to take away with him. [A moment's pause.] Come, Steve?

Steven. [Low voice.] All right.

Georgiana. No more speculating; you'll give me your word—[Steven rises, Georgiana rises. Steven nods his head.]—of honor, Steve?

Steven. Yes!

[Nods his head.

Georgiana. Then that's settled.

[Gives Sam a calm, defiant look.

Steven. O Georgy! I don't seem grateful, but I am. I can't tell you! I can't say! But it's wonderful what you're doing! God bless you!

[Puts his arms on Georgiana's shoulders.

Georgiana. [With emotion, almost breaking down.] That's all right, Steve. We'll begin all over again.

[She kisses him.

Louise. [To Georgiana.] I suppose I ought to thank you too.

Georgiana. No, don't bother. Come upstairs and have your hair shampooed. Bella must have painted mother red enough by now; it'll rest you and do you good.

Louise. After all, you're no real relation of ours, and you've done a fine thing.

Georgiana. [Very simply.] Don't talk about it. I wish it were more. I realize fully what it means to your mother and you to have all your money gone. But we'll put our shoulders to the wheel and make the best of it. Come, dear, come.

[She goes out Right. Louise is about to follow, but is stopped by Steven.

Steven. Louise, do you forgive me?

Louise. No, you ought to have asked my advice—let me know.

Steven. But when I used to talk to you about money matters, dear, you always begged me not to bother you.

Louise. I don't care, this is different. Sam!

[Nodding good-by.

Coast. Do you mind my joining you to see the procession go by at five?

Louise. No!

[She goes out Right.

Steven. What procession?

Coast. Coleman's regiment.

[He puts his feet upon small gilt chair beside the table.

Steven. Oh, yes! Well—I've made a pretty big mess of things. I'm not fit to live, that's what's the trouble with me.

Coast. Oh, you must take everything in the day's work; but it's a pity she made you give her that promise.

Steven. Why?