The Americans

Yes, you don't care.

Harry Egerton.

Father, you love this land.
There's never been a day in all your life,
If there'd been war, you wouldn't have closed the mill
And gone and died upon the field of battle
If the country had called to you in her need.
And I can see you how you'd scorn the man,
If he were serving as a General,
Who'd keep his rank and file as poorly fed
And ragged as he could.

(The telephone bell rings)

Gladys Egerton.

They're calling up
To know about it!

George Egerton.

(Starts for the room, then stops)

What shall I tell them, father?

Gladys Egerton.

O have them come back, papa, have them come back!

Egerton.

(Keeping his eye on Harry)

Tell them what you please.

(George goes out)

Harry Egerton.

Father, buy Jergens out.

Gladys Egerton.

(Calling into the room)

Tell them it's all right, brother, that it's nothing.

Harry Egerton.

Give him his price and let him go his way——

Egerton.

(Calling toward the room)

A misunderstanding.

Harry Egerton.

And let me run the mill.
And let us see, my father, you and I,
If we can't make that place of work down there
As famous for its harmony as this house.
A land is not its timber but its people,
And not its Art, my father, but its men.
Let's try to make this town a place of peace
And helpfulness. What do you say, my father?

Egerton.

And that's your life work!

(Gladys goes into the room)

Mrs. Egerton.

(Approaching him)

Donald——

Egerton.

Go away.

Mrs. Egerton.

You've asked me why it is I cannot sleep.
It's that, Donald, it's that! Give him the mill.
They're human beings, Donald, like ourselves.

Egerton.

And you've been planning this!

Harry Egerton.

I had hoped, my father,
That things would so arrange themselves that I—
That you would make me manager of the mill.

Mrs. Egerton.

Donald, it's your nobler self you hear.

Egerton.

(Looks at him a long time)

What a fool——

(Turns away)

what a fool I've been!

(Walks about)

Voices of George and Gladys.

The mine! Father!

(They come running in)

The mine! A rumor that the mine's been found!

Egerton.

Who is it?

George Egerton.

I don't know. They're on the wire.

(Egerton goes out)

George Egerton.

All over town, they say.

(Brother and sister wait near the door, tense, listening)

Mrs. Egerton.

(With a sigh)

Everything!

Gladys Egerton.

(Under her breath)

George,
Think of the things we'll have!

George Egerton.

Be still!

Mrs. Egerton.

(Turns and looks at Harry, whose face shows the sadness he feels at his father's refusal)

Harry.
Harry, are you well?

Harry Egerton.

Yes, mother.

(A pause)

Mother——

(Distant cannon are heard)

George Egerton.

Hark!

Gladys Egerton.

(Starting back through the house)

The mine! the mine!

(The servants appear)

Father has found the mine!

(Further booming is heard)

George Egerton.

There go the guns! They're celebrating, father!

(He starts for the stairs and goes bounding up three steps at a time)

Gladys Egerton.

(Calling after him)

We'll have them back and announce it! We'll have them back!

Harry Egerton.

Mother, I've found the mine.

Gladys Egerton.

(Whirling round on her toe)

Now, now you see!

Harry Egerton.

This morning on the mountains.

Mrs. Egerton.

Can it be!

Gladys Egerton.

(Comes running forward)

I'll have my car now, won't I, daddy, daddy?

(She disappears into the room, forward left)

Mrs. Egerton.

(Strangely)

I knew it! O I knew that He would come!

(Turns upon her son a look of awe)

Harry! Harry!

Harry Egerton.

Father must do what's right.

Mrs. Egerton.

You'll build a mill.

Harry Egerton.

The ground is white with snow.

(Egerton appears in the doorway and stands looking at his son)

Gladys Egerton.

(Clinging to his hand)

What is it, papa? What's the matter, daddy?

George Egerton.

(Appearing upon the stairs)

They've run the flag up on the Court House, father!

Egerton.

That's what it means!

Harry Egerton.

Father, I'll buy the mill.

Egerton.

That's what it means!

Gladys Egerton.

What, daddy?

Egerton.

You'll hold my men!

Harry Egerton.

I'll mortgage the mine and pay you, father.

Gladys Egerton.

Oh!

Egerton.

And if I don't you'll back the men, eh?

Gladys Egerton.

Oh!

(She backs toward George, who has come down the stairs)

Harry Egerton.

I'll pay you twice its value, father.

George Egerton.

(At a word from Gladys)

What!

(Egerton drops his eyes for a moment and stands as though in deep thought)

Mrs. Egerton.

Be careful, Donald!

Gladys Egerton.

(To Harry)

I hate you!

George Egerton.

(With a sneer)

Big man!

Egerton.

George,
Get Jergens.

George Egerton.

(To Harry)

Mill-hand!

(Goes out left)

Egerton.

Tell him to lock the mill
And have this notice tacked up on the gate,
'Closed for a year.'

Voice of George.

Good!

Gladys Egerton.

Good!

Egerton.

I'll let her rot.

Harry Egerton.

And winter coming on!

Gladys Egerton.

I'm glad! I'm glad!

Egerton.

War or submission, eh?

Harry Egerton.

(Goes to his mother)

Mother.

(Kisses her)

Egerton.

I'll show you——

Harry Egerton.

(Starting for the door)

Father, you'll remember in the years to be
How I came to you one November day
And asked your help to give this country peace.

Egerton.

Go to your rabble!

Gladys Egerton.

(Breaks out crying)

Think of it!

Egerton.

I'll show you
How you can buy me and my property!

Harry Egerton.

(From back in the hall)

Property was made for men.

Egerton.

And don't you ever
Darken that door!

Harry Egerton.

And you can't keep it idle
While men depend upon it for their bread.

(He goes out)

Egerton.

(Roaring after him)

You dare to lay your hands upon that mill!

(He stands staring at the door)

Mrs. Egerton.

(Wonderingly)

It wasn't our son! It wasn't our son!

(The cannon are heard in volley upon volley as of a town giving itself up to celebration)

Egerton.

(Calls into the room, left)

Tell him to go right down, that probably
There'll be an attack upon it.

Gladys Egerton.

(Shaken with sobs)

Think of it!

Mrs. Egerton.

(As before)

That gleam about his brow! And now he's gone!

(She wanders back in the hall as in a dream)

Egerton.

And to see Chadbourne——Are you listening?

Voice of George.

Yes.

Egerton.

To Chadbourne that he has authority from me—
From Egerton, to treat them all alike.

Mrs. Egerton.

(Vacantly, to her husband)

What have you done, Donald!

Egerton.

That I expect
The mill defended, let it cost what may.

Gladys Egerton.

I hate him, O I hate him!

Mrs. Egerton.

(Who has come forward and stands facing him)

What have you done!

ACT IV

THE LIVING MILL

Scene: Inside the mill, showing in front a sort of half storeroom, half office shut in from the main body of the mill by a railing in the centre of which is a gate that swings in and out. Far back in this main body of the mill one sees a number of great gang saws from which off-carriers, with freshly sawed slabs and lumber upon their rollers, branch right from the main line that runs the full length of the mill. Through an opening in the far end, whence the logs are drawn up an incline to the saws, one sees as through a telescope a portion of the river and of the mountains on the opposite bank. Up toward the front, left, in this main body of the mill is a wide door that opens outside. In the foreground, within the space partitioned off by the railing, a pair of stairs, evidently connecting with the outdoors on the ground floor, comes up rear left. Centre, against this left wall, a pole six or eight inches in diameter, and to all appearances only recently set, goes up through a hole in the roof. Upon the floor at the foot of the pole, from which two long ropes hang down, lies a large American flag partially strung upon the rope. Forward from the pole is a door which apparently is no longer in use, a strip being nailed across it. About this end of the enclosure are piles of window sash and kegs of nails. Centre rear, at right angles to the side walls, so that one sitting upon a stool may look back into the mill, is a long checkers' desk with two or three stools before it and with the usual litter of papers, books, and a telephone upon it. In the right wall, rear, where one coming up the stairs may walk straight on and enter, is a door connecting with the main office.

As the Scene opens, something very important seems to be going on in this main office. A crowd of men, workmen and militiamen together, are packed about the door, intent upon whatever it is that is transpiring inside. Forward, away from the crowd, a small group, mostly of militiamen, is gathered about two guards with rifles in their hands, who have evidently just come in. Back, beyond the railing and close to the crowd, a group of workmen about Wes Dicey is engaged in a heated argument. And farther back in the mill, especially about the large door, left, are bodies of men talking together. As the Scene opens, and for a few minutes afterwards, some one up the pole is heard singing.

Time: Saturday afternoon the week following the preceding Act.

A Workman.

(Comes from the crowd to the militiamen)

Servin' the papers on the mine, you think?

Militiaman.

He's too damn proud to play the constable.

Second Militiaman.

Maybe it's terms from Egerton.

Third Militiaman.

(To Fourth Militiaman, who has just come up the stairs with his shoulders hung with knapsacks)

Chadbourne's here.

Second Workman.

Egerton makes no terms till he's on top.

Fifth Militiaman.

He'll have his hands full. Seen the evening papers?

(He unfolds a paper and a group gathers about him)

Cries.

(Near the door)

That's right! that's right!

Third Workman.

(From the edge of the crowd)

What are they sayin', Mike?

Fourth Workman.

(On the edge of the crowd, looking toward the group about Dicey)

We can't hear nothin' with that racket there.

First Militiaman.

It's his lost sheep he's after.

Second Militiaman.

Let him bark.

Fourth Workman.

You've stood by us, boys, and we'll stand by you.

Voice.

(From back in the mill)

Tell him we won't, no matter what he says!

(The Sixth Militiaman comes up the stairs, with four or five bugles, and shows surprise to see the crowd gathered)

Third Militiaman.

(In the group about the paper)

And Smith and Balding Brothers!

Fourth Workman.

Lemme see it.

Fifth Militiaman.

Give him a rouse. What say you. One, two, three.

Several.

Hurrah for Harry Egerton! Hurrah!

Voice.

(Rear)

Hurrah for the Living Mill!

A General Shout.

(Back in the mill)

The Living Mill!

Fifth Militiaman.

I guess, by God, he knows where we stand now.

(They join the crowd about the door. Jim King comes through the gate in the railing, followed by Rome Masters, who is considerably intoxicated)

Jim King.

And hug 'em round the neck, if I was you.
That's what I'd do.

Rome Masters.

Now you just stop that, Jim.

Jim King.

Why did you tell Aug. Jergens that you would?

Rome Masters.

I ain't said nothin' about backin' down.
But I ain't nothin' agin him.

Jim King.

There you go!
It does beat hell. You just keep saying that,
That you ain't nothin' agin him, and you'll see.

Voice.

(Near the door)

Who's to be judge what's for the Public Good?

Rome Masters.

I ain't said that I wouldn't do the job.

Jim King.

(Stands on tip-toe and looks over the crowd, then turns back to Masters)

Didn't you think and didn't I think and Wes
That when they cut the pie we'd get our share,
One big long table with no head and tail
But all the boys the same, and everything
Piled on it and divided?

(The group about Dicey become more noisy)

Voice.

(From the crowd)

Put him out!

(Dicey comes from the centre of the group and catches sight of King, who beckons to him)

First Workman.

(From the group)

If you don't like it, Wes, why don't you leave?

Second Workman.

(Following Dicey)

Why in the hell don't you leave? We're free men.

(Dicey, King and Masters walk over to the pile of sash, left)

Third Workman.

(Of the Dicey faction)

Offer 'em coppers for their Union cards.

Fourth Workman.

And where's the mine that you was goin' to share?

Fifth Workman.

You want old Egerton to have it, eh?

Voice.

(Back in the mill)

Bring on the Constitution and let's vote!

Chris Knudson.

(Comes out of the crowd)

Don't use that name.

(To the Dicey faction)

Let's have no trouble, men.
This ain't no time to quarrel among ourselves.

(To the other party)

Try to remember, boys, it's his name, too.

(Suddenly there is a tremendous cheering by those about the door. A militiaman hurries from the crowd, grabs a bugle from the Sixth Militiaman and, darting out centre, starts to blow it)

Sixth Militiaman.

(Excitedly)

Don't do that! Here!

Militiaman.

(With the knapsacks)

Don't do that!

(The crowd begins to break up, many of the men climbing back over the railing into the mill proper)

Militiaman.

(Comes sliding down the pole)

What's the trouble?

Jim King.

(Returning with Dicey and Masters)

They're out for their selves, damn 'em; we'll be too.

Seventh Militiaman.

(Coming away with two or three others)

Young Egerton's pure gold if ever was.

Wes Dicey.

Don't make no move, though, Jim, till we see first.

(He separates himself from the other two, and they mingle with the men)

Eighth Militiaman.

That's just the way they did the old man's farm.
We had a place and didn't want to sell.
That made no difference. Eminent Domain.
'Out of the way there, home!'

Voice.

(From back in the mill)

What did he say?

Voice.

(Near the door)

Then if the Company can take men's lands
To build their railroads through——

Second Voice.

That's a good point!

First Voice.

And if you say the Law's the same for all,
Then why can't we take theirs when we need bread?

Fifth Militiaman.

(Getting a group together)

Be smoking when he comes out.

First Militiaman.

Stamper! Kids!

Third Voice.

(Rear)

What Egerton wants, that's for the Public Good!

Chris Knudson.

There, there you're not remembering it again!

(General Chadbourne comes from the office, followed by Captain Haskell, and after these Harry Egerton, Sam Williams, Harvey Anderson, Buck Bentley, and others. The militiamen make a big smoke)

General Chadbourne.

About This Book

ACT IV

THE LIVING MILL