CoEpghtN?. ^ t I. -f V CQEllfRIGHT DEPOSIT. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/det6urplay02davi THE DETOUR THE DETOUR A PLAY BY OWEN DAVIS 1S[6M»referYI BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1922 Copyright, 1921, 1922^ By Owek Davis All rights reserved Published, May, 1923 Application for the right of performing "The Detour" must be made to Owen Davis, 987 Madison Avenue, New York City. No performance of this play, professional or amateur, — or public reading of it — may be given without the written permission of the author and the payment of royalty. Printed in the United States of America JUN «1 72 ©Cf.O 6 Of) 4 I FOREWORD " The Detour " needs no justification for its appear- ance in print. It is one of those studies in realism which — whether seen or read — impresses by reason of its tremendous sincerity. As such, it should be regarded as an encouraging, an all too rare sign of the deepening of native dramaturgic art in the Ameri- can theatre. The dramatic critic was right who declared that, had " The Detour " been produced as the work of an unknown author, it would have been hailed as the putting forth, the flowering of a rare native plant, from which much might be expected in the future. I see no reason why this should not apply just as well to a dramatist who, like Mr. Owen Davis, has been brought up, dramatically, in the glare of melodrama, and who has — after learning the tricks of his trade — ' broken from the type of play expected of him, only to give us something bigger, something more profound, more nearly what might be designated as an Ameri- can genre drama. All the more reason, it seems, for us to rejoice that gold has turned up as precursor, we hope, of a rich vein to follow. Sincerity is at the basis of any worthy play, whether of realism or of the imagination. Otherwise, painting things as they are degenerates into mere photography and usually attracts by reason of two cardinal excel- V vi FOREWORD lences or faults, according to your point of view: curi- osity and vulgar attractiveness. Naturalism is a can- ># cerous growth on the face of art; realism is the ar- rangement of life as we know it, rising out of human relationship. The one is bald fact, the other truth artistically clad because of a burning faith in life's continuity. This burning faith enriches the whole story of " The Detour " ; and continuity marks the merit of its struc- ture. Mr. Davis has seen clearly, has sensed fully — noting the myriad facets shaped from the materials of the humblest life shades of character and various motives inherent in locality and tradition. His play has the tang of the soil about it ; it exudes a flavor born of struggle against environment. It does not strain after contrast of fitness with unfitness, with a certain cruel formlessness which marks Eugene O'Neill's " Beyond the Horizon." It does not attempt to compress folk-legend with reality as Alice Brown does in her passionless " Children of Earth." It does not strive for miniature interest, so strikingly concen- trated in Susan Glaspell's " Trifles." " The Detour " — if there is anything conscious at all about its struc- ture — systematically discards the machinery of the- atricalism and is starkly simple. But, like all simple things in life, it is able to carry with it, rising out of character and situation, real racy humor and prob- lems common to all — not alone to those whose vision is closed in by the boundaries of farm life. The burning glass of drama has persistently nar- rowed the canvas of the theatre these many years. Yet dramatists in America have been loath to give up manipulation of action for the sake of genre work and FOREWORD vii genuine creativeness. James A. Heme, our early realist in the modern American theatre, rose far above the rural drama with which he is mistakenly identified ; he possessed a profound sympathy with character and could draw from narrow, yet rich circumstance, homely truth — in its fundamentals not so unlike universal truth. Amidst the melodrama of " Shore Acres " he wrote such palpitant scenes as that of Nathaniel Berry and his brother discussing the sale of the farm. He wrote an entire play, " Margaret Fleming," daring for its day, an intensive domestic tragedy. " The Detour," in its treatment, is of the same caliber — with the tech- nique of life itself. I recall once — in the olden days when an eighteen- hour flier-train service between New York and Chicago was a novelty — riding in the cab of an engine thus destined to eat up space on a cold February afternoon, just as the shadows of twilight were beginning to turn the Hudson River into a sheet of cold white steel. There were streaks of color in the wintry sky and a streak of red glow from the intense furnace of our cab, as the train sped on at sixty miles an hour. At a curve, the fireman crept to the cab door of the engine and swung out on the step, clinging to a side rail. Against the cold swish of wind he let fly a bundle of papers in the direction of a shanty, far down a bank- side and into a hollow. I leaned out of the window in time to see a bent old woman open the door of her shack and make for those papers. The fireman yelled to me an explanation — above the roar of the steam, the shrill blast of the whistle, the rumble of wheels over the ribbons of rail — "I bring her the news from New York once a week." Tiii FOREWORD Here, in this action, was material for melodrama and realism. Mr. Davis, by evidence of " The Detour," could handle both treatments. In art, the difference in the technique would be the difference between a poster that arrests the eye, and Rembrandt's " Old Woman Paring Her Nails " that challenges the creative instinct in us. In one mood, the thrill of the ride, the danger of the fireman's precarious position would have appealed to Mr. Davis, as an unconscious act of daily heroism ; in another mood he would have wondered at the life of the woman in the shack — tried to square with her bowed figure the forces shaping her destiny, as Maeterlinck said of the old man seated silent in his armchair. There is no question as to which is the profounder drama. One day, at Northport, Long Island, Mr. Davis sat in his car, overlooking a farm, with its lonely house in the distance. There were evidences aound it, even in its typical isolation, of a woman's hand. The creative mind is always eager for such sign posts of life on which to fasten its tentacles. Mayhap a detour made his chauffeur skirt around the farm, thus denying it con- tact with the life of the open road. From such sim- ple beginnings, " The Detour " was evolved. Mr. Davis has always claimed and asked that a critic judge each separate work of his on its own merits. He is justified in this request. We do judge the present play as a supreme picture of farm life, of mother love and wifely rebellion, where the tragedy is twofold — in the woman's yearning and stirring for self-expression through her daughter; and in the daughter's inade- quacy through the inheritance of her father's stodgi- ness and the confining claim of the soil upon her. In FOREWORD ix most of its dimensions the play holds measure. I do not claim flawlessness for it; I do claim for it bigness of intent. Mr. Davis's previous inroads into the realm of melo- drama do not have to be known for any appreciation of " The Detour." There is no special reason for re- calling those days when he wrote from ten to twelve such pieces a year — their names are as bloodcurdling as those which came from the pen of David Belasco when he was writing for mining towns out in California — except to state that he must have perfected his tech- nical expertness in such a hard school. It is a glow- ing tribute to Mr. Da^as's essential worth that he can now give us " The Detour " — so calm, so progressively fatalistic, so quiet in its outbursts — after association with a method that often deadens sensitiveness to char- acter. But we are all conscious — we who go continually to the theatre or read many plays — that there is an- other step to take beyond realism'. I find Mr. Davis ready to take it. In the atmosphere of realism, with which our stage has been drenched, there has been felt the need of a more palpitant spirit, akin to mysticism, yet more attached to earthly attainment. The mother, in " The Detour," shows glints of this spirit — the un- quenchable determination to outwit environment, rise higher than circumstance. It is a step thoroughly in consonance with the American character. Given the ability to write such reaHstic scenes as are here de- picted, and the desire to infuse into the materials of character an aspiration which overcomes adversity, and a play greater and wider in its stage appeal than " The Detour " could be written. But one must have evidences X FOREWORD of such a play as the present one before one can hope for the other. I am confident that " The Detour " represents thus far one of our highest attainments in American reahsm for the stage. It is worthy to be read widely; as a representative of native genre work it is worthy of con- sideration abroad. It is a play that any repertory theatre should welcome. Such sheer realism requires sheer acting, and invites and challenges the best in players. It is rarely that an American playwright pen- etrates so deeply into American life. That is why I greet " The Detour " heartily as " the real thing " in the theatre. Montrose J. Moses. THE DETOUR "The Detour'* was originally produced in New York August 23, 1921, with the following cast: Stephen Hardy Augustin Duncan Helen, his wife Efpe Shannon Kate, their daughter Angela McCahill Tom Lane, Willard Robertson Dana Lamont Harry Andrews Dora Lamont Eva Condon Ben Glenny Claude Cooper Weinstein James R. Waters Jake Chester Herman ACT L Mrs. Hardy's Kitchen. ACT II. The Veranda, That afternoon. ACT III. The Kitchen, A little later. Time: The Present. The Place: Near Northport, L. I. THE DETOUR ACT I Scene: Kitchen of Stephen Hardy^s farmhouse on the road to Northport (Long Island), a simple, home- like room quite without any of the conveniences of mod- ern vnvention, and equally without any studied air of grimness. The room should be as unpretentious as the play and as far away from symbolism, — just the plain home of plain people. Door back left to yard; a rather wide window back right looks out upon side veranda. Door to hall at left. Cook stove right. Sink above stove. This kitchen, out of respect for the " parlor ", is used as the family living room, and the small dinvng table at right is now covered with a dull red cloth. Door to a " pantry " at right below stove; when this door is open it is possible to see the usual flour barrel, sugar bucket, etc. Near the window at back is a cheap easel on which is a conventional water color; on a stand by the easel are a few odds and ends of an artistes paraphernalia. There is a shelf above the stove, and among the articles on this shelf is a rather hideous old jug in which is a bunch of artificial flowers. It is early afternoon of a July day. At right center, seated by the table, is Kate Hardy, a girl of eighteen; THE DETOUR [act Helen Hardy, her mother, is in the doorway looking out. HELElSr All right! [She crosses down to shelf above the stove and tak- ing the jug in which are the artificial flowers, she crosses to the table at right center, KATE Somehow it always frightens me ! HELEN It needn't ! What 's here is ours. [She removes the artificial flowers and turns the jug upside down. The jug was about one third full of money, old bills, one or two gold pieces, and silver. Kate takes five dollar bills from her little pocket- book and adds them to the pUe. KATE It 's the last of my school-teaching money until Sep- tember. HELEN You '11 get your pay for clerking in the drug store in another week. (She sits by table) How much did you put in just now? KATE Five dollars. HELEN Where 's the rest of it ? KATE (hesitates) I — I -vvas going to buy some goods for a dress ; we could make it ourselves, of course. Just a Httle or- gandy or something. HELEN You can get along, I guess, without it. ACT i] THE DETOUR KATE (wistfully/) I 'm ashamed to go to the pictures Saturday nights ; I haven't a thing ! HELEN (^firmly) Your blue dress will do well enough, put it all in. KATE (^reluctant) Yes, mother. [She takes a few more bills from her pocJcethook and adds them to the pile, HELEN I 'ni going to count it. KATE You '11 wear it all out before it 's any good to us ! HELEN (almost gaily. Starting to count money) I 'm like a miser I saw once in an opera, — I think it was "The Chimes of Normandy." He took me to the theatre in New York three or four times the first year we were married. You count the silver. KATE (piling up the coins) Some of the summer people from here, and even as far down as Shoreham, drive their automobiles up to New York almost every day! HELEN (cou/nting bills) I know. KATE And I 've never been there ! HELEN You will! KATE I never used to believe it, but we 've saved a lot. HELEN (looking over at her) How much? THE DETOUR [act i KATE Sixty dollars and fifty cents, counting the gold pieces. HELEN I Ve got six hundred and forty ; let 's see — that 's six hundred and forty and sixty dollars and fifty cents ? KATE {promptly) Seven hundred dollars and fifty cents. HELEN You 're quick at figures ! KATE {laughs) You 're not ! HELEN I get it mixed with receipts for gingerbread and when to give the calf that medicine your father left for it. {She starts to put the money hack into the jar) Seven hundred dollars and fifty cents ! Just my chicken and Qgg money and little odds and ends, and your pay for school teaching and for clerking at Nepper's, summers ! It 's almost like the loaves and fishes in the Bible ! KATE If you 'd only let me go with that ! HELEN No, not till we get a thousand. KATE {sadly) Three hundred dollars more! HELEN All but fifty cents. KATE {impatiently) What's fifty cents? ACT i] THE DETOUR HELEN If you 'd remember how we Ve had to scrimp for every penny, you wouldn't ask that. KATE How could I help remembering! Sometimes I hate that money ! It 's all the good times I 've never had, and all the things I Ve done without 1 HELEN You '11 thank me for it some time. KATE Oh, yes! Only couldn't I just take this seven hun- dred and make it do ? HELEN No, I always said a thousand. It would be so awful if you had to come back 1 Two years it might take you, and he won't want you to go ; he would n't send you anything; good teachers cost money, and paint- ing things, and a studio ! We 've got to get a thou- sand ; we can save it in another year. KATE We never have saved that much. HELEN All the more reason why we should this time. KATE A year {She sighs) It 's so long to wait. HELEN I been here twenty. KATE But not knowing that pretty soon you were going! It was your home; you knew you were going to live here always. 8 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN I 've told you times enough about that, how hard it was for me to settle down, KATE But, mother ! 7 ^m young ! HELEN So was I, once, and as far as that goes, I 've still got my teeth! I guess you can stand it another year. KATE You wouldn't go away from here if you could ! HELEN Yes, I would — quick ! Lookin' back, it seems like I was crazy I didn't go ! KATE {shocked) From father? HELEN {bitterly) From this ! {She looks about the room bitterly) It ain't enough ! Life ought to be bigger than — than this kitchen! It ought to be brighter than I been able to keep those old pots and pans ! I knew that, when I was your age, but somehow I forgot it for a while. I 'd always meant to get away and go to New York, or somewhere's where bein' bom an' bein' dead was n't the only things that ever happened. I 'd made my mind up to go, I 'd saved for it harder even than we 've been savin' ; one more term of winter school teachin' an' I figured I 'd have enough. KATE But you didn't go ! HELEN No, I took my money and bought my weddin' things. It was awful lonesome around here winters, and your father 's got a way of gettin' what he wants. ACT i] THE DETOUR KATE Mother ! You 're not sorry? HELEN I tell you it ain't enough. {She looks out the win- dow at the msta of truck gardens then half-turns toward Kate) At first, when we were married, I thought it was. Then it got to be just drudgery, just work, nothing else; every other part of me just shriveled up. (She walks slowly down to table) When I was a girl I used to watch married folks and I thought it was like that, but somehow I got to loving him before I knew it. I didn't have any talent like you have; I just had the hunger to do things. KATE But if we're wrong? If I haven't really a talent.'' HELEN No, there 's more justice than that in the world. You 've got what I didn't have. KATE We can 't be sure. HELEN You '11 be a great artist ! KATE Mother ! HELEN You will ! I 've known it ever since I got you that first box of water colors when you were a little girl. You 're more like his people in looks, but the rest of you is me I The thing I wanted to do you 're going to do! KATE Yes, mother! 10 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN As soon as I saw you favored me in spirit, only you had the talent I didn't have, I knew just what we had to do, and I started over again saving for it. Your life isn't going to be like this, not even with a good man like your father! KATE He is good, but he 's hard, HELEN He 's had to be, to live ! KATE But he never thinks of anything but land, then more and more! HELEN There's no money in garden truck unless you have a lot of land. KATE But he keeps us so poor, buying it, and he 's always so worried about the taxes and the mortgages — and before he 's paid for the last piece he 's always buy- ing another. HELEN He loves it ! Just land ! KATE It 's merciless, the way he makes you work, and the way he works himself! HELEN It 's being a slave just to things, just cooking and cleaning and digging and planting I You sha'n't be that ! [She picks up the jug and puts the artificial flowers hack in it. ACT i] THE DETOUR 11 KATE I 'm always worried about that money ; supposing something happened to it? HELEN Nobody 'd look in here. l^She crosses to shelf and puts the jug away, KATE They might! HELEN No, it 's safe ; it 's been over ten years I 've been sav- ing up and no one but us two knows about it. Your father don't notice things much. KATE Only if it 's good growing weather, or if it is n't ! Or if it's an acre of land he could buy ! Mother ! Was he always like that ? HELEN I guess so, only I didn't know it ! {She sighs and crosses and stands in the open door) I guess folks don't change much. (She stands for a moment look- ing out) He's comin', they've finished pickin' the string beans; weren't many of 'em, I guess. (She sighs again) No, folks don't change much ; he 's heavier than he was, and he don't hardly ever smile. He used to, he had a real nice smile. (She crosses slowly hack to Kate) Farmin's pretty hard on a man. KATE And on a woman too. HELEN Yes. [Sterne Hardy enters, a tall, strong farmer of forty- five, dressed for his work in the fields. 12 THE DETOUR [act i STEVE We got the beans all picked. \^He crosses and draws a dipper of water from the sink. I 'm goin' to make up the truck load with the summer cabbages — what there is of them. (He drinks heartily) It 's hot out there? KATE I picked beans for an hour; then mother made me stop. STEVE Your mother 's spoiled you, but that 's all right. I don't want you working in the fields. HELEN I won't have it — you both know that ; that 's why I called her in ! I don't want her to neglect her painting. STEVE (pleasantly enough) I guess the world would get along without her paint- ing, all right. You're going to work at Nepper's to-morrow, ain't you? KATE Yes. I promised to go down this afternoon to learn the stock! It doesn't seem as though I could begin that all over again! STEVE How much is he giving you this year? KATE Fourteen dollars a week. STEVE That 's a lot for just standing behind a counter and waiting on folks, and it 's cash every Saturday night. I 'd feel rich if I had it after I pay my help and put aside for my taxes and interest. ACT i] THE DETOUR 13 HELEN That 's because we 're land poor, the same as we Ve always been. STEVE {angrily) It 's because I haven't land enough to make truck farming a business like it ought to be, so as I could have help and teams and tools and do things right, and make money ! I need twice the land I 've got, and I'm going to have it. [He turns on the water at the smk and holds his hand under it; for the first time it is seen that he has hurt his hajid slightly and that there is blood on it, HELEN Your hand 's cut ! STEVE That 's what I came in for, to tie it up. I sprayed the cabbages only Tuesday and I don't want to get the poison in it. HELEN Let 's see. l^She takes his hand and looks at It, STEVE Knife slipped. I wouldn't notice it only for the poison. HELEN I '11 fix it before you touch the cabbages ; clean it good, I '11 get a rag. [He holds it under the water as she selects a hit of cloth from the table drawer, STEVE Tom Lane 's opening his garage to-day. KATE I know. 14 THE DETOUR [act i STEVE No fool like a young fool! HELEN (crosses with her improvised bandage) Here! (He holds out his hand and she deftly hinds it up) I never saw so many cars as there are this year, and the summer business has hardly started. I shouldn't wonder if Tom made money. STEVE A man *s a farmer or he ain't ! HELEN There 's money in other things besides truck farm- ing. STEVE The twenty acres this side of his house is the best truck land on the north shore, if a man had it that knew how to lay it out. HELEN (finishes bandage) There! STEVE I must get them started at the cabbages. (He turns and stops vn front of the easel. Tlie picture on the easel is facing the window and he sees ordy the back of it) What's that? HELEN Kate 's painting. I made her bring it down ; I wanted you to look at it. KATE (nervously) No, mother! STEVE What do you want me to look at it for? HELEN She 's your daughter, too ; it don't seem right your not knowing what she 's doing. ACT i] THE DETOUR 15 STEVE She paints good enough. I always thought. What of it.? HELEN She 's an artist ! I mean a real artist ! Two or three years' teachin' in New York will make her as good as any of 'em. l^He laughs a rather coarse and jarring lawgh. KATE (hurt) You see, mother! HELEN It 's your father that don't see, but he 's got to ; everybody has 1 I want you to look at this painting right now! \_She faces him angrily. STEVE What do I know about pictures ? HELEN You've got eyes! (She crosses to painting) It ^s just a painting she's made sitting in her window. It 's just what you see every day of your life. Look ! [She turns the painting to face him and the audience. A sinnple water color of a rural landscape, STEVE I see! KATE (fearful) 1 don't think father cares about \_Steve bends forward and takes the painting from Helen. Kate stops. HELEN (greatly pleased) He does ! He likes it ! KATE (proudly) Father! 16 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN You see something in it, don't you, Stephen? STEVE I see Tom Jones' twenty-acre field in it. Look how it lies to the sun there, sloping just enough! I'm going to have that land. I 've got to ! HELEN {anxiously) But the picture! STEVE Here! Take it! {He drops it on table) All Tom can think of is his new garage. He 'd sell, I know he would! {He crosses to door, stops and turns) Kate! KATE {quite crushed) Yes, father. STEVE I 've got to ask you to help me out with the money you earn from Nepper this summer ! HELEN {alarmed) Stephen ! STEVE She had her school money, I never touched it. It ain't a thing I want to do, but I 've got to! {He turns to Kate) You give your mother ten dollars every Saturday. I '11 be expectin' it. {^He exits. KATE {takes up picture) He didn't care about my painting — all he could see was the land ! HELEN {sadly) He '11 take your money ! Now we can't do it in a year! ACT i] THE DETOUR 17 KATE {angrily) It is n't fair. What right has he to make me HELEN (interrupts her) Hush, dear ! I 'm going to find a way ! KATE You can't! HELEN I don't know. ... [^Tom Lane, a young fellow of about twenty-five, comes to the open door. Tom is in working clothes, a healthy, sturdy young animal, TOM Gan I come in, Mrs. Hardy? HELEN Of course you can, Tom. \^As he enters. KATE (smiles at him) How's the new garage? TOM Great ! My stock 's in — more 'n a thousand dol- lars' worth, and five hundred gallons of gas. KATE So you 've really started ! TOM (proudly) My sign 's out ; looks good if I did paint it myself. (He grins cheerfully at Kate) I don't pretend to be an artist. HELEN (proudly) Artists don't paint signs ! TOM I got my first job, too, fixing a car for a man named Lamont, Dana Lamont. (Kate looks up at the men- 18 THE DETOUR [act i tion of the nam^y then looks closely at her paint- ing) He 's taken the Curtis bungalow for the sum- mer. HEI.EN (busy about kitchen) His wife 's been here twice for egg's and butter, — she 's a nice woman ; she made me show her all over the house yesterday. I never saw anybody make such a fuss as she did over mother's old curly maple bed and dresser. TOM Why.? HELEN She liked it, but she don't know a thing about fur- niture. When I took the covers off the red plush set in the parlor she hardly so much as looked at it ! TOM Well, they Ve got money, and they 're going to be good customers of mine. His car's in my place now. KATE I think it 's better than farming.^ TOM I know it is. I 'm worried about the roads being so bad just below ; that 's going to hurt. Some folks will go up the Middle Island Road, and I'll lose them, but I'm bound to make good money. HELEN That Mrs. Lamont is coming for a dozen more eggs to-day. She 's expecting company. {She takes a basket from shelf) I'll get them for her. KATE I'll do it. ACT i] THE DETOUR 19 HELEN No, show Tom your painting. You 've been out enough in the hot sun. \^She eocits. TOM She 's good to you ! KATE Mother's wonderful! TOM She takes care of you just like you were some — some sort of a treasure! KATE (laughmgly) I Tinow ! TOM Too good for rough things — too good for rough people — and she thinks I 'm one of 'em — and I guess I am. KATE My painting 's finished. TOM Is it ? Let 's look. [Crosses and looks. KATE {anxiously) I tried so hard, and now I don't know. TOM Don't know what? KATE If it 's really good. TOM {after a long look) It 's great ! KATE Don't say so if you don't mean it ! 20 THE DETOUR [act i TOM It 's great ! {He points with his linger) That 's the fence between your place and mine, and that 's my twenty-acre lot ! Any fool knows that 's a good picture ! KATE I think it 's good. I 'm almost sure of it ! I Ve worked so hard, Tom, without anybody much to help me — sometimes I ^m not sure, and that 's awful — it would break mother's heart, and mine, of course ! TOM It 's a nice way to spend your time, when you ain't workin*. Doing anything to-night? I might come over. KATE The movie theater *s opening to-night for the sum- mer. I sort of thought I might walk down there with — with one of the girls. [Helen reenters at hack with a dozen eggs m her basket. TOM {very reluctant) I — I '11 take you, if you want to go. KATE Don't you? TOM They bother me, movin' pictures, all about other folks' wives and murders and poor girls gettin' mar- ried to rich men, an' young fellers makin' a million dollars in a couple of days, when everybody knows they can't. It wastes your time, and I don't know as it *s right, puttin' ideas into peoples' heads. ACT i] THE DETOUR 21 HELEN What would you put there? TOM It ^s hard enough to keep on your job without think- ing about things. KATB But you can't just work! TOM Why? KATE I think the pictures are fun, and they 're a change from reading. TOM Book reading? Books are just as bad! Seems like every liar took to writin' books ! I gave 'em all up but one. KATE What one? HELEN {drily) His account book. TOM {grins at her) That's right. HELEN Maybe it ain't right, but it 's true, TOM Laugh, all you please, and of course I know you 're laugliing. I ain't mean, anyhow, I ain't dog mean — but what I want is money. When I get enough of that I guess folks will forgive me if I don't know Charlie Chaplin from Douglas Fairbanks, an' even if I ain't a fancy dancer. [He steps toward door. 22 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN There 's more folks know how to save money than there is that know how to spend it. TOM By the time a feller learns enough to save it he 's got too much sense to spend it. I 'm going back to the garage and sit and wait for trade. That 's got the pictures beat, I guess ! \^He crosses stage, Kate looks after Mm a little wistfully, KATE Good-by, Tom. TOM See you later. [He exits, KATE It 's funny — in some ways he is so like father, and living right next door to us. HELEN Maybe it 's cat chin'. {She crosses to Kate and put- ting her hand on Kate's shoulder she looks down at her gravely) Kate.'^ KATE Yes, mother. HELEN He 's been around a lot lately! KATE Yes. HELEN You 're not thinkin' of him? {Kate drops her eyes, Helen looks frightened) Kate! If you was to do that, what 's the good of all we 've done "^ ACT i] THE DETOUR 23 KATE Oh, I wouldn't. Not — not the way you mean — only — only I think he likes me — and — and [SJi^ stops, HELEN And he 's the best you know. KATE Yes, he 's that. HELEN But not the best you Ve going to know ! We think that thousand dollars it will take us most ten years to save is a lot of money? KATE I should say so ! HELEN In New York it is n't anything ! KATE (worried) But . HELEN Don't be silly ! You 've got a talent ! They '11 make room for you! KATE I hope so. HELEN They will — if you work hard — and you must ! If you was to fail, I 'd feel somehow as if all my life had been just wasted 1 KATE {earnestly) I '11 work. HELEN (tenderly) I know you will. KATE (touched) You 're the one who ought to go, mother! 24 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN I 'm going, the very best way — the part of me that 's in you is going — what I was once — what I wanted to be — I gave all that to you. Wlien they all come crowding around you some day, saying you 're a great artist, men and women, different from the kind we know, you '11 be proud, but you won't be so proud as I '11 be ! [Dana Lamont, a New York artist, comes to the door, Lamont, although an artist, is not at all of the " artistic type "; he is just a cultivated, well- mannered man of middle age, DANA I beg your pardon, but I was to meet my wife here, Mrs. Lamont. HELEN She was coming for some eggs, but I haven't seen her. Come in and wait, won't you.'* DANA {enters) Thank you. She asked me to meet her here, HELEN This is my daughter, Mr. Lamont. DANA Good morning. Miss — Hardy — is n't it.'* KATE Yes, sir. HELEN Won't you sit down.'* [Offers chair, DANA Thanks — no — I am going to leave a message for my wife, if you don't mind. Please say that I have walked on to the new garage to see what is being ACT i] THE DETOUR 25 done about my car. If the man here can't fix it, I shall have to arrange to have it towed to Hunting- ton. HELEN Tom Lane will fix it! DANA Really — is he a good mechanic ? HELEN He 's a good business man. KATE He 's a good mechanic, too, mother ! HELEN I guess so ; anyhow he won't let it go to Hunting- ton. DANA Would you mind asking Mrs. Lamont to walk along and meet me on the road.'' HELEN I '11 tell her if she comes. DANA r She '11 come! Thank you very much. {Ke turns to doorway) I envy you the view from your front windows, Mrs. Hardy ; it 's quite unusual. HELEN That depends on how long you 've been looking at it. DANA I think I could enjoy looking at it forever. HELEN I haven't tried that yet, but I was born right on the other side of the road. DANA And you are tired of it, of course. Just as my eyes have grown tired of bricks and mortar, of curb- 26 THE DETOUR [act i stones and asphalt! Beauty, after all, is in con- trasts. HELEN We don't raise 'em around here. DANA You have managed to keep a twinkle in your eyes, in spite of monotony — so you 're all right ! Good afternoon ! Good afternoon, Miss Hardy. [Kate hows shyly and he exits, HELEN (looking after him) That 's what I meant, a gentleman I That ^s the* kind of men you 're going to know ! KATE Dana Lamont I Don't you know who he is ? Wait ! (She selects a magazine from the small table and turns the pages until she finds the page, then crosses to Helen) Look! I knew as soon as Tom spoke his name. HELEN {awed) He painted that! (She looks at the reproduction in the magazine with something almost like rever- ence) Dana Lamont! Kate! Why didn't you show him the picture! \_She points to Kate^s picture, KATE Mother ! I wouldn't have dared ! HELEN {firmly) I wish I 'd known ! KATE Mother ! HELEN That 's the way to learn, from the real big ones ; from folks that know! ACT i] THE DETOUR 27 KATE But I wouldn't have any right to bother a man like Dana Lamont ! HELEN Why! I showed his wife how to bake com bread yesterday. KATE That 's different. HELEN It ain't! I know how to bake and he knows how to paint. Folks that know ain't mean ; it 's only fools. \_Dora Lamont comes to door. Dora is a pretty and beautifully dressed woman with a frank, jolly nature, quite unaffected and kimdly. DORA Was that my husband I saw disappearing down the road? HELEN Yes, it was. Come in, Mrs. Lamont. (Dora enters) This is my daughter. DORA How do you do! KATE (shyly) I 'm pleased to meet you. HELEN (shows magazine) We were just looking at this. DORA (looks) " The Harvest." Is n't it lovely ! HELEN (gravely) Yes — lovely ! (She puts maga^vne on table) She paints too! \^She looks proudly at Kate. 28 THE DETOUR [act i DORA Really — that 's splendid ! KATE Please, mother! HELEN (gets basket) Here 's your eggs — Mr. Lamont said he was going to the garage and you was to meet him on the road. DORA Thank you, but these are only eggs — where is my butter.? HELEN You got a pound yesterday! DORA But I want it every day! HELEN Oh — well, butter won't hurt you ! Get a pound of butter from the spring house, Kate. KATE Yes, mother. (She crosses and gets a plate) I won't be a minute. \_She exits, DORA She 's pretty ! HELEN She 's more than that — I want to show you some- thing — that 's why I sent her. (She crosses and turns Kate^s painting) Look i [Dora looks, DORA Why, it 's really very nice ! HELEN Yes, ACT i] THE DETOUR 29 DORA You must be proud of her ! HELEN Yes. DORA (looking at picture) What a lovely country it is about here. The slope of that liill side is exquisite! HELEN That 's what my husband says, but he was thinking of the drainage. DORA (laughs) That 's like a husband ; not mine, of course, but ar- tists are different. HELEN Yes — you think it 's good, that picture ; I mean, really good? DORA I am sure it is! HELEN (anocioudy) Not for a girl. I don't mean — I mean for any- body — for an artist ? DORA (hesitates) Why HELEN She 's going to New York to study, we Ve been plan- ning it all her life. All the help she ^s had was a Miss Crosby at Northport. You think she 's got talent — I mean real talent ? DORA My husband says no one has a right to say that un- less it 's really so, and of course I 'm not a judge. HELEN He is. 30 THE DETOUR [act i DORA Yes. HELEN Would he look at it if you was to ask him? DORA Of course he would. HELEN And tell her where to go when she gets to New York, — who the best teachers are? DORA I am sure he would ; I '11 bring him here myself. HELEN It 's awful to ask favors, but you do sometimes, for people you love enough! DORA Of course you do, and it is n't a favor. My hus- band says one proof of a real artist is his willing- ness to help another. HELEN I knew that. DORA (laughs) You know a lot, don't you? HELEN Yes and no — mostly no. [Kate enters with Ben Glenny, a tall, lank, serious- lookmg fellow who is in his shirt sleeves. In one hand he has a hammer and m the other a pine hoard on which ^ in black letter s, is painted the word DE- TOUR. [Kate comes forward with the plate of butter in her hand, Ben Glenny stops in the doorway. KATE Here 's Mr. Glenny, he wants to borrow a nail. ACT i] THE DETOUR 31 BEN Got to put this up. (Holds up the sign) Going to close the road and send folks around Smithtown way. I thought I had nails with me, but I ain't. KATE (at drawer of table) This big enough? \_She holds up nail, BEN About right. KATE Here. (She brings him four or five nails) Sure they 're enough .'' BEN Plenty, thanks ; the men are closing the road now and I ought to get this up quick. \_He exits. Helen rolls the butter up in a clean cloth and puts it in the basket with the eggs, HELEN The road 's pretty bad ; it *s a good thing they 're fixing it. Detour, that 's a new word ; seems we 're borrowing lots of things from France. It ain't a bad word — Detour — only I don't know as I get the meaning of it exactly. KATE It means a turning. DORA Another way around, to get to the same place. HELEN Oh, well, so long as a person gets where they want to go, I guess a detour don't matter much. DORA (lightly) Unless it takes you where you don^t want to go. 32 THE DETOUR [act i (Sh^ takes out her pocketbook) How much do I owe you? HELEN Sixty cents for the butter, and eighty-five for the eggs, a dollar and — and — KATE Forty-five. HELEN (to Kate) When you go I '11 get a slate. [Dora puts the money on the table, DORA And thank you very much ! Oh ! I knew I was for- getting something. I was in Huntington yesterday and I spoke to a dealer there — a rather dreadful person named Weinstein — about that wonderful old curly maple of yours. HELEN What about it? DORA All about it. He is going to drive over here very soon. HELEN What for? DORA To buy it, of course. HELEN Buy it ? It 's a real good bed, and the bureau 's all right if you 're patient when the drawers stick. I wouldn't be able to get along without 'em. DORA Oh — I thought you would be glad of the chance of disposing of them. ACT i] THE DETOUR 33 HELEN No, I goiess not. They were mother's, you see. I don't think I 'd like other folks having them. DORA Just tell him so then. I thought you cared more for your parlor furniture. HELEN 'I do ; nobody can help liking fine things like my par- lor set better than old truck, but being mother's makes a difference. DORA Of course it does. \^She crosses to door, HELEN And you won't forget about bringing your husband to look at the painting? KATE (afraid) Oh, no! DORA I '11 bring him in the very first time we pass this way. [^Slie exits HELEN (follows her to door) I 'U be a lot obliged. DORA (outside) Not a bit, good afternoon. HELEN (in doorway) Good afternoon. [She goes to shelf and drops the money in the old jar^ then crosses to where Kate stands looking down at her painting. Helen puts her arm about her and they stand together looking at it. KATE It frightens me to have him see it! 34 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN Because he knows? KATE Yes. HELEN" That 's why I want him to. KATE He may just see the faults, not all it 's meant to us ! HELEN It 's all there ! Sometimes it seems like a part of it was mine. KATE Of course it is i HELEN The hope that was in me, the wanting to see some- thing different to do something bigger ! KATE {aTixiously) How can he see all that.f^ HELEN It 's there ! I see it ! [Tom Lane enters at hack, h/j is angry and shocked. He shuts door hehmd hirni, TOM It 's a joke on me, at least if you can call it a joke! They 've closed the road ! HELEN So Ben Glenny was sayin*. TOM A detour out toward Smithtown. HELEN Yes. TOM And blocked at the other end five miles up! ACT i] THE DETOUR 35 HELEN The road needed it bad enough ; it 's sort of a bother, but why should you KATE (breaks m) Tom! Your garage! [She is dismayed, TOM Yes — they got me shut up like I had the smallpox ! HELEN (shocked) I 'm stupid ! I didn't think ! TOM I guess I 'm the stupid one ! Anybody that buys gas of me now would have to come for it in an air- ship. HELEN I 'm sorry. KATE It 's a shame ? TOM (bitterly) I didn't plant much more than half a crop, countin' on this garage! Thought I was too smart to be a farmer! KATE It wasn't your fault ! It was a good idea ! TOM That 's it — damn ideas ! [^He crosses iip and looks out mndom, HELEN Swearin' won*t help! KATE Don't, mother. HELEN It 's hard ; nobody can deny that, Tom, especially 36 THE DETOUR [act i when you was countin' on it so much. (She crosses toward hall door at left) Don't go down to the Port without seeing me, Kate ; I 've got a couple of errands. [She exits. Kate crosses up to Tom mho stands with back toward her. KATE You 'd put more money into it than you could af- ford? TOM (without turning) Yes. KATE What will you do? TOM Wliat can I do? (He turns on her) All the cash I had, and I owe most a thousand that 's past due. I tried to save money by doin' the concrete work myself, and I lost a month; my stock's been here five weeks and I had it on tliirty-day notes. They 've been waitin' for me to open ; nobody 's going to wait now! KATE You '11 find a way out of it ! TOM No, I 'm licked ! KATE I know better f TOM Oh, I 'm no milksop, but I can be licked. I was half licked even before tliis, by you ! KATE How silly! ACT i] THE DETOUR 37 TOM I was — I wasn't gettin' anywhere with you, you and your mother planning something together all the time — figuring on something that I didn't know about, that I don't suppose I 'd have known about if you 'd told me ! KATE ^ust what we 've always been planning — that I should go. away ! TOM I wasn't going to let you go ! Now I can't help my- self! KATE I hate to say it, but you couldn't have helped it, anyway. \_There is a knock on the outside door, TOM You don't mean that. [The knock is repeated, KATE There's some one at the door! '^ TOM You don't mean that. [Kate turns and crosses and opens door. Wevnstein, a Jew, a trader in furniture, is in the doorway. He is an elderly, benevolent fellow, not at all grotesque hut with much of the inherited instinct of the buyer. He is bland and smiling and extremely gentle in his manner; he speaks with a trace of dialect. WEINSTEIN Mrs. Hardy, she lif here.'^ KATE Yes. 38 THE DETOUR [act i WEINSTEIN I am Weinstein. I liaf ^ store by Huntington. There is some curly maple furniture ; I come to see it. KATE Grandmother's curly maple ! Mrs. Lamont sent you ! WEINSTEIN She said you haf some old furniture; maybe it ain't SO good but I buy effery thing. KATE I am almost sure mother won't sell it. WEINSTEIN Maybe I gif j^ou something pretty good ! KATE Oh, I '11 ask her, but I don't think it 's any use. Come in. [Weinstein enters, smUing and friendly, h owing po- litely to Tom, who is still i/n a bad temper. WEINSTEIN Thank you. Good day, sir. KATE (who has crossed to door at left and calls) Mother! Mother! HELEN (out left) Yes. KATE Come here a minute. HELEN (outside) All right. [Weinstein has been looking at tJie furniture with the quick eye of an expert. He puts his hand on the back of a small mahogany rocking chair. WEINSTEIN That 's nice. ACT i] THE DETOUR 39 KATE That was Grandma's too. WEINSTEIN I buy effery thing. [Helen enters. HELEN What is it? WEiNSTEiN (bowi/ng) Good day, lady! KATE It 's the man Mrs. Lamont spoke about ; he wants to look at Grandma's furniture. WEINSTEIN Curly maple bed it was, and a dresser. HELEN It 's all a mistake. I 'm sorry you came so far. I don't want to sell it. KATE I told him that. WEINSTEIN I might look at it.*^ HELEN I don't see what good that would do, but I don't mind if you want to. WEINSTEIN If it 's good curly maple I like to buy it ; if I can't buy it, I like to look at it anyhow. HELEN Well, you can't buy it, and I don't know how good it is, I sort of value it for the sentiment. WEINSTEIN I buy effery thing ! Maybe we look at it now ? 40 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN Lookin' at it won't hurt it ; it 's right upstairs. \_Exit to hall, Helen and Weinstein, Tom crosses down to Kate. TOM You said I couldn't have helped your going away, even if I 'd made good money, like I thought I would ? KATE No. I am going to New York. TOM ' When? KATE When I can. Not for a long time, but I 'm going ! TOM This summer? KATE Not till we can get the money. I don't know when, but it doesn't matter how long it is — I'm going ! TOM Do you want to go? KATE Of course I do. TOM I don't know — you don't tell me much — but if it wasn't for her you wouldn't go. KATE If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here at all ! TOM She wants you to go! KATE Because she knows what living in a place like this all your life is like! ACT i] THE DETOUR 41 TOM How does she? She knows what it was like for her; she don't know what it will be like for you ! KATE It 's the same thing. TOM She 's stronger than you, she likes fighting better ! You 'd be happy here, or anywhere ; if you 'd let yourself care about some one — about me ! KATE I can't, Tom! No! \_She steps away from him nervously^ he follows. TOM You could! KATE {desperately) No — No I don't even want to ! TOM I 'm in trouble, I 'm going to lose a lot of money — maybe all I 've got — if it wasn't for that I wouldn't let you go — I 'd keep you — in spite of her! KATE Don't, Tom ! Mother '11 hear you ! \^She steps away from him as Helen and Wemstein enter. HELEN {as she enters) I don't care ! Somehow it wouldn't seem right ! WEINSTEIN It 's a good offer ! HELEN Oh, yes, but I couldn't! That set was mother's wedding present ! It 's fifty years old ! It seems as if it was one of the first things I can remember! 42 THE DETOUR [act i Mostly when I think of her, it 's the way she looked lying there so long. WEINSTEIN Veil, I gif you a new bed for it that nobody effer died on. HELEN No. WEINSTEIN And maybe a hundred dollars! HELEN I couldn't. WEIN STEIN Even a hundred and fifty! HELEN No, I won't. I don't care what you offer! I wouldn't sell it for- — (She stops and turns on him suddenly) You wouldn't give me three hundred dol- lars for it, would you! WEiNSTEiN (steps httch m alarm) Three hundred dollars ! HELEN I 'm glad of it ! I 'd been sorry, I know. WEINSTEIN A hundred and seventy-fife. HELEN No. WEINSTEIN Veil, it 's too bad. (He crosses hut stops in the door and turns) EfFen two hundred.'' HELEN No. WEINSTEIN Veil (He hesitates) Good-by! ACT i] THE DETOUR 43 HELEN Good-by. {He exits, shutting the outside door) That shows you what a person will do for money! I 'd have been ashamed always ! TOM (faces her angrily) Kate was tellin' me that she 's going to New York as soon as she can. HELEN Yes, she is. TOM {bitterly) And I was tellin' her that if it wasn't for you she wouldn't ever go. HELEN Maybe, but you see there is me ! TOM And there 's me! She can't go till she gets the money, and money 's scarce around here ! HELEN Yes. TOM Maybe I '11 have something to say before that time comes ! HELEN Say it now? TOM I can't ! You know that ! HELEN Now 's the time! You want to go, don't you, Kate.'* KATE I told him I did. TOM I got a year anyhow! I won't let her go! [There is a knock on door. 44. THE DETOUR [act i HELEN Wait a minute. {She crosses and opens door, Wein- stein is in doorway with Jake, his helper, who has several old quilts in his arms, Helen looks at him coldly. What do you want now? WEINSTEIN The curly maple. HELEN I thought you didn't want to pay me three hundred dollars for it? WEINSTEIN I don't, but I got to. Come in, Jake. [He enters, JAKE All right, popper. [Jake enters — a Jemsh boy with a comic likeness to Weinstein, HELEN (looking at Tom) You 've got a year anyway, you said, Tom ! WEINSTEIN (counting money from pocketbook on table) Three hundred dollars ! KATE You 're not going to sell it ! HELEN Yes I am ! I '11 move your bed into my room. There 's that old cot you can sleep on to-night You 're going to New York to-morrow ! KATE To-morrow ! [Helen turns to Weinstein, HELEN Where's the money! (She takes it from Weinstein ACT i] THE DETOUR 45 and counts) Yes. i^She turns to Kate) Take him upstairs. KATE Without father's knowing? HELEN The bed and the dresser! Go along! KATE Yes, mother. \_She crosses to door at left, Weinstein follows. WEINSTEIN Come along, Jakie. JAKE Yes, Popper ! [Jake, Kate, Weinstem exit door left TOM (to Helen) You know I was right! You knew I could stop her if I only had a chance ! That 's why you took that money! HELEN No, I didn't know it. I don't think you could. TOM But you weren't sure. HELEN No! TOM How do you know she '11 be happier there than she 'd be here with me.'* HELEN I don't know much about there, Tom. But I know a lot about here, so she's going! TOM Nobody 's got a right to spoil another person's life ! 46 THE DETOUR [act i HELEN That 's why I ain't going to let anybod}^ spoil hers ! You say you could stop her going if you had another year. Perhaps you could — you live next door, you see her every day and there ^s hardly any- body else — and you're young, and she's young! Don't I know ! Haven't I been through it all ! Youth 's all she 's got that 's fine, and you want to take it for yourself ! You want to make her stay here and do ugly things, dirty things with her hands, all day long — and I want her to go where she can be big, and free — and use her hands just to make tilings that 's beautiful. [Stephen Hardy enters from outside. STEVE Hardly enough cabbages to pay for pulling. I scarcely made up a truck load between 'em and the beans. TOM You saw what they 've done to the road, didn't you? STEVE Yes — I guess it won't help you much with your new garage business. I never did believe in it; a man 's a farmer or he ain't ! TOM It 's deeper than that. A man 's a fool or he ain't. I guess it 's easy enough to tell about me ! [Weinstein^s voice is heard out left, WEiNSTEiN (outside) Easy now! Hold your end vay up! (At the sound Steve turns and looks at door in amazement. Wein- stein's voice goes on) Hold your end vay up, Jakey ! ACT i] THE DETOUR 47 JAKEY (outside) All right, Popper. STEVE Who's that? HELEN It 's the man from Huntington ; he buys furniture. I sold him a couple of things. [Kate enters and holds the door open. She is fol- lowed by Weinstein and Jake, who carry the head- board of a xi)ooden bed covered by one of their old quilts, KATE Be careful of the door! WEINSTEIN Careful, Jakie! JAKE All right. Popper. [As they start to cross the stage, Stephen steps for- ward and speaks. STEVE What you got there? WEINSTEIN Vot? [He is carrying his end of the bed in such a way as to practically place himself behind the bed so that he canH see Stephen. STEVE {repeats sternly) What you got there? WEINSTEIN Vot? [He lowers his end suddenly, JAKE Look out, Popper! 48 THE DETOUR [act i \^He catches it. WEiNSTEiN (sees Stephen) Excuse me. I didn't see you ! STEVE (to Helen) What 'd you sell this man? HELEN The bed and the dresser from our room. STEVE Have you gone crazy! HELEN No. STEVE (to Weinstein) Take it upstairs again. WEINSTEIN I bought them of the lady ! STEVE You '11 get your money back ; do as I tell you. WEINSTEIN But ■ HELEN I sold 'em to him, Stephen! STEVE Put it back! This is my house! HELEN 'T was mother's and she gave it to me, and I 've sold it ! STEVE (to Weinstein) I wouldn't advise you to make any trouble here, not with me ! I tell you to take that thing upstairs ! WEINSTEIN It was a fair bargain. STEVE (bitterly) Fair! What does your kind know about fairness? ACT i] THE DETOUR 49 You come here when you see there 's no man around and start to strip my house, leave me without a bed to sleep in! We've had talk enough. {He steps forward angrily) You'd better put it back! HELEN I 'm going to move Kate's bed in our room ; and he 's a fool if he puts it back, because it 's his and I 'm going to keep what I got. STEVE I suppose you want to be robbed ! That set 's worth money ! Nevin's wife sold an old bed and dresser no better n' that a while ago for almost a hundred dollars. HELEN I know, she was always flighty. (She holds up her roll of bills) I sold mine for three hundred. STEVE (in awe) Three — hundred ! HELEN Dollars ! STEVE Three hundred! WEiNSTEiN (looking at him anxiousl'if) Veil? HELEN Go on. [She nods toward the door. Jake and Weinstein eocit with the bed, CURTAIN ACT II The Hardifs side porch a few hours later. The porch, which is not raised above the stage level, taJces up the greater part of the stage. Over this porch is a pagoda-like roof above which the second-story win- dows of the house are shown. A door and a window at right of the door open onto the kitchen. On the porch are two chairs, a small table, and a bench. At left of porch a fence makes a turning, as though here was a sharp curve in the highway; a tree is near by, and just inside of this fence and on this tree the detour sign, A gate just above this opens into the back yard. In this scene everything must be sacrificed to the acting space which is the porch itself. At rise of curtain, Stephen Hardy, a pipe in his mouth, sits alone on the porch, he is thoughtful and silent, he just sits slowly puffing at his pipe. In a mo- ment Tom Lane enters in the road at back, walking slowly. He enters the yard through the gate and steps onto porch. Steve glances at him without moving. STEVE Oh. [Tom sits, takes out his pipe and fills it but makes no answer and hunts in his pocket for a match. TOM Light? [Steve throws him a box of matches, Tom lights his pipe and tosses them back; both smoke in silence. ACT ii] THE DETOUR 51 STEVE Ought to cut that field of yours down by this fence — it '11 spoil on you. TOM Yes. (For a moment they puff away) Steve — I'm in a hell of a mess! STEVE Yes.? TOM Yes! STEVE Talkin' won't help it. (There is a pause) You don't half farm your place lately ; seems like you had something better to do. Maybe you got too much land. I don't know but I 'd like to own that twenty acres of yours — joinin' onto mine. TOM You can. STEVE You mean that.f^ TOM Yes, you 've always thought you could do more 'n I could with it. STEVE I 'd lay it out different. I 've had my eye on it ever since I was a boy. TOM I always thought you had. Well ... if I 've got to sell, I 'd rather it would be yours than any- body's. STEVE All that bothers me is cash. 52 THE DETOUR [act n TOM (^alarmed) I need cash bad. STEVE What 's the twenty acres worth? TOM Six thousand. STEVE Five 's enough, two-fifty an acre. TOM It 's time more 'n it 's price with me. You want that land? STEVE (^earnestly) Yes — I do! TOM You can have it for five thousand. STEVE It 's the cash bothers me ! TOM I telephoned the jobber to New York just now an' I asked him for an extension on my note; he wouldn't do anything. I offered him his stock back and he laughed at me ! He 's going to get out an attachment, if he ain't alreadv. STEVE That's bad! TOM What *s the most cash you could raise for me to- day? STEVE Five hundred. TOM It wouldn't help! {He sits back and draws on his pipe) My pipe 's out ! ACT ii] THE DETOUR 53 STEVE {tosses him box of matches) Here! (Tom relights pipe) I '^d pay another five hundred in four weeks ; my potatoes will fetch that. TOM It 's to-day I want it. I '11 sell you my twenty acres for five thousand — that 's fifteen hundred cash above what it 's mortgaged for, and you can let the mortgage stand. STEVE Five hundred is every cent I 've got in the bank, an' I was figuring that for something else. TOM Then we can't trade. \_For a moment they both smohe in silence, STEVE Gimme back my matches ! (Tom tosses them to him and he puts them in his pocket) Gimme two days to raise this money? TOM Two hours. STEVE I '11 try ! (He rises from his chair) I only got one chance ; wait till I telephone. \_He exits into kitchen^ Tom sits in thought, Helenas face is seen for a moment as she glances out of mn^ dow from the kitchen. A moment later she comes to the open doorway; she has evidently been baking, as her arms are covered with flour, and as she speaks to Tom, she wipes them on her apron. HELEN What 's he calling Ben Glenny for on the telephone? TOM He didn't say. 64 THE DETOUR [act ii l^Helen opens the screen door and steps out on porch, HELEN Nothin 's upsets me more *n his law business with Ben Glemiy ! Ben 's all right as a man, but a body can't seem to think of him like he was human. To me he always seems sort of a walking calamity ! TOM Ben ain't got no law business 1 He never was ad- mitted to the bar ! HELEN He 's County Clerk. Notary Public and most every- thing, especially Tax Collector. Last thne he was here I told him as long as he was Tax Collector I didn't know but what it would be more convenient if I was to arrange to board him. TOM That 's like the sort of things you Ve always sayin' ! Things you don't mean, and you know folks know you don't mean. You say 'em just because they seem kind of funny to you. HELEN I s'pose so TOM It 's sort of an aggravatin' habit. HELEN So he *s told me, often ! TOM Excuse me for speakin' of it. HELEN Oh, I don't mind! It 's just my way of being im- polite, like you smokin' your pipe on my porch with- out askin' me if you could. ACT ii] THE DETOUR 55 TOM Oh! {^He knocks the ashes out of his pipe hastHy and drops it in his pocket, HELEN You didn't have to stop. I ain't goin' to. TOM I guess you couldn't. HELEN I guess not — I get so tired of sayin' nothin' but just exactly what 's so, and listen to folks that don't ever mean the least mite more 'n they say, or the least mite less ! What 's the use of your imagina- tion! TOM Mine? I ain't got any, have I? HELEN Oh, I guess so — but it 's like a muscle ; it gets awful puny if you don't use it. TOM I 'd rather have one real dollar than dream I was a millionaire! HELEN I s'pose so — I 'd rather have one real dream than he a millionaire ! TOM Well, it 's all right so long as we 're both satisfied. Where's Kate? HELEN At the Port, buying some things. TOM Did you mean what you said a while ago that she was goin' to New York to-morrow. 56 THE DETOUR [act n HELEN No. TOM Just another dream? HELEN She ^s goin' to-night. TOM To-night ! When did you settle on that ? HELEN Just a minute ago — (She looks at him) I hap- pened to tliink of something that frightened me. TOM If I was her father I wouldn't let her go. HELEN I believe you ; you Ve a lot like Steve TOM I hope so, Steve Hardy 's a sensible man, and an honest man! HELEN And a good man. Never was wild in his life, an' he 's truthful, and he never drank or gambled. TOM I know. HELEN And you never did. TOM Never wanted to. HELEN That 's a comfort. TOM A lot of good it does me! You don't want her to marry me. ACT n] THE DETOUR 57 HELEN No. TOM Why? HELEN Oh, I guess it 's because she 's got too much of what I used to be in her. TOM If I 'm like him, and she 's like you, why can't we be married same as you was ? HELEN I said she was like what I iised to be. TOM If you ask me I 'd say it 's Mm she takes after. {Helen laughs) She does! She's slower thinkin', like him, and more set, more contented. She 's ouieter than you, and she ain't so smart. HELEN You flatter me! TOM (^seriously) That ain't how I meant it. She 's just what I like; that 's why I don't want her to go. I want to marry her ; I been figurin' on it two years. HELEN That 's longer than you 've been planning your ga- rage! TOM Yes, I been so busy buildin' the garage I ain't seen much of her. HELEN But it wouldn't have done to neglect the garage. TOM No. 58 THE DETOUR [act n HELEN There 's something in the Bible about trying to serve two masters. (Steve enters from kitchen and sits) What did you want of Ben Glenny? STEVE Money ! HELEN You 've got more imagination than I gave you credit for. STEVE He 's goin' to drive around pretty soon. HELEN (alarmed) You ain't tryin' to raise more money on this place? STEVE I 'm tryin' to. [^She looks at him and sighs at the hopelessness of it as Kate comes rapidly along the road and enters gaily through the gate. She has with her a long cardboard box, a hat box amd several small pack- ages. As she turns a corner of the house and sees them, she stops for a moment, startled, KATE Oh! STEVE Been down to the Port? KATE Yes. STEVE To Neppers ? KATE (^evasively) I was there for a minute — yes. STEVE It didn't take you long to learn the stock. ACT ii] THE DETOUR 59 KATE I — I STEVE (rises, sternly) TVTiat is it? You 're hidin* somethin'! KATE {desperately) Mother! Doesn't he know? HELEN It 's all right, dear! {She puts her hand on Kate's shoulder and turns to Steve) She ain't going to work for Nepper this year, Stephen ; she 's going to New York. STEVE No. HELEN She 's going to study art. STEVE That 's nonsense ! HELEN We don't think so! STEVE Think ! That 's the trouble with yer, both of yer ; you don't think! HELEN Maybe not, but we feel a lot. STEVE Study art! HELEN Yes. STEVE I won't have it? HELEN I made my mind up to' it, whether I think or I don't, over ten years ago. It 's just as much a part of 60 THE DETOUR [act n my life — what I 've planned she 's goin' to do and be — as the work I do is, or this old dress that I 've worn and worn and worn until I wouldn't know my- self in any other. I couldn't any more live without the hope of what 's coming to her than I could live without drink or food. STEVE She 's my child as much as she 's yours ! HELEN No, not quite so much. She 's your daughter, but I guess I did a little more for her than you did. STEVE When was you plannin' for her to go.'^ HELEN To-night ! KATE (startled) To-night, mother? HELEN Yes. Mary Barton 's going up on the six o'clock train. She was here just after you left. She is going visitin' her sister way up town in New York, an' she said she could keep you over night just as well as not. STEVE What would she do to-morrow? HELEN That Mr. Lamont, an artist, that 's taken the bun- galow for the summer, is goin' to tell us the names of the best teachers — his wife promised — and the Y. W. C. A. folks in New York will help her find a place to board. STEVE How long before she comes back? ACT ii] THE DETOUR 61 HELEN {bitterly) Here! STEVE Yes. HELEN That *s for her to say — I been workin' a long time ; she 's got to do the rest. STEVE What 's the sense of it, I can*t see. Can you, Tom? TOM There ain't any. STEVE There! You heard that. '^ HELEN {wearily) I wasn't listenin' ! TOM I guess she heard me right enough, only I guess she thinks it ain't any of my business. STEVE It could be easy enough ; I always thought 't would be! I thought, seein' you two together so much, that sooner or later you 'd ask her to marry you. TOM I did. HELEN And she said no. STEVE (angrily) She did. TOM (spitefully) She didn't — she wouldn't say yes, but she never really said no, so as a fellar would know she meant it ! The no come from somewhere's else I 62 THE DETOUR [act ii STEVE What do you mean? TOM From her! l^He looks at Helen bitterly, STEVE Hold on. Let 's get the rights of this ! HELEN That 's easy. Do you s'pose I 'd try to make her do anything she didn't want to do. TOM Yes, I do. STEVE She can't! I guess I figure in this! HELEN I wouldn't! Kate! KATE Yes, mother! HELEN You 've heard them — I want you to tell your father the truth! TOM One way or the other. You know what I want you to say. I may be in hard luck now, but I won't be always. I 'm a man that means to get ahead ! STEVE And he will ! I know Tom. I want you to an- swer him, Kate! HELEN And so do I ! He offers you one thing — I guess you know what it is — all 's you 've got to do is to open your eyes and look around you. ACT ii] THE DETOUR 63 STEVE What are you offerin' her that 's so much better? Just what is it? HELEN It's hard to say — just in words, but I think she knows. STEVE Well, I don't know ! HELEN Tom here said a while ago I was always dreaming — that 's so I guess — {She turns to Kate with a sud- den overflow of great tenderness) And that 's what I 'm ofFerin' you, my dear ! One of my dreams — come true. KATE And I 'm going to take it, mother, and make it true. HELEN I knew you was. {She puts one hand on Kate^s shoul- der and faces them) There are times when I Ve got courage enough to laugh even at a man! {She turns to Kate) Now you run upstairs. There 's lots for you to do if you 're goin' to-night. KATE But father? HELEN I 've tried hard to be a good wife to him, I guess he knows that. I hope he doesn't think that be- cause I never made a real fight before that I ain't got the spirit to make one now. You run along — • I '11 tend to everything. KATE Yes, mother. [She exits. 64s THE DETOUR [act ii STEVE You talk big. Where 's the money comin' from ? Three hundred dollars won't last forever ! HELEN We got a little more. STEVE How much? HEXEN Just a little we saved up. STEVE Seems like I was the only one around this place that couldn't save nothin'. Seems like what hap- pened to a girl like that was more important than what happened to me ! We '11 talk about this again after I see Ben Glenny, but I don't want you to think I 'm going to stand for any nonsense, \^He exits at left around tlie Jiouse. TOM (with rather malicious pleasure) He 's mad ! HELEN He '11 get over it. TOM {doubtfully) I don't know! HELEN You 've never been married. If you had you 'd know there ain't anything else for married folks to do. TOM I don't blame him none for bein' mad! HELEN It 's natural. He thinks he ought to be let to say what Kate does with her life. TOM Of course. ACT ii] THE DETOUR 65 HELEN Because it 's right that every man should be the mas- ter, and decide things that really matter. Women ought to just cook, and clean, and sew, and maybe chop a little wood, and have the babies. TOM That 's how God meant it to be. HELEN And if a woman sometimes gets to thinkin' it ain't quite fair, if she sets herself to sort of change things a little, she 's flyin' in the face of Providence ! TOM I look at it like this — a fellar ought not to be hard on a woman if she kinder fusses once in a while. HELEN So long as she ain't let to do anything? TOM That's it! HELEN That idea ain't original, is it? TOM (suspicioudy) Whatter you mean? HELEN You borrowed it! TOM Who from? HELEN Adam! \_SJie exits to house and through the window she is seen for a moment at her kitchen work. Tom turns sulkily and crosses left as Dora Lamont crosses In from left on the road. 66 THE DETOUR [act n DORA Oh, Mr. Tom ! I was on my way to see you ! \_Tom crosses to her and the2/ stand with the fence between them, TOM There ain't much use my hangin' around my place with the road blocked. {He 'points angrily at the detour sign on the tree) This is as far as anybody can go. DORA That 's what I wanted to talk to you about. They have put this barricade up, but the workmen aren't here yet. TOM They 've been here and gone. Nobody 's goin' to do any hurryin' about this job, you know; it 's the tax- payers' money. DORA My husband wants you to let our car out of your garage and bring it up to the bungalow right away. TOM Oh! DORA You could lift that barricade away, couldn't you.'' TOM Yes, I could. DORA Well.? What is it.? TOM Nothing only you see your car was all I had, the only one — I sort of hate to part with it. DORA (smiling) That 's about the way we feel about it. ACT n] THE DETOUR 67 TOM I know. I '11 bring it up. DORA I 'm sorry, but after all you have that great big farm ! TOM Oh, I 'm all right. DORA That 's good. We '11 expect the car some time to- day. TOM You '11 get it. l^Dora exits at left the same way she came. Tom stands for a moment in gloomy thought as Kate enters to the porch from the kitchen. Kate has put on her pretty new dress — quite modern in cut — and with it she has put on a new air of coquetry as though she had suddenly blossomed i/nto woman- hood and rejoiced in its power, KATE Hello, Tom! TOM Kate! (He steps toward her quite overwhelmed) Kate! What you been doin' to yourself? KATE Oh, just trying on my new dress. TOM Yes — yes — I see ! [^He turns away as if to go, KATE Tom? ( He takes another step and she speaks louder) Tom ! 68 THE DETOUR [act n TOM Well? \_He stops but he doesn't turn. KATE Turn around here, Tom Lane! (He turns slowly and faces her) Aren't j^ou going to tell me how you like it? TOM About as much as the fellar likes to hear the Judge say, "And may God have mercy on your soul." KATE (hurt) You 're spoiling everything ! TOM (sadly) Something is, right enough. KATE The only decent dress I ever had. TOM I didn't say it was pretty — I didn't say how I thought you looked in it — I didn't dare to. KATE Wliy not.? TOM I ain't an artist — artists like things that are pretty just because they are pretty — I don't care nothin' about 'em unless they 're mine! KATE (archly) Meaning the dress? TOM You know well enough what I mean ! KATE Yes, I know. I 'm sorry, Tom ! I don't want to go away — with you hating me ! You 're mad with me now, and I know how hard it is for you to for- ACT ii] THE DETOUR 69 give anybody that makes you mad — but, Tom — you Ve not going to be angry with me always. TOM A lot you 'd care ! How much will you think about this place, or anj^body here, once you get out of it ! KATE (shocked) Why ! There 's father — and mother ! TOM {darhly) I know, plenty of girls get to be ashamed of their folks! KATE I wouldn't, and of course 1 couldn't help thinking about 3^ou sometimes. Tom, remembering tilings — we 've been such good friends. TOM It don't take long to lose a friend. KATE You 're blaming me because I 'm going ! TOM {bitterly) No ! I 'm blaming her! KATE You mustn't ! All that 's good I 've ever had she gave me. TOM Maybe it won't be so good as you two think it will. KATE {frightened) You think I 'm going to fail. TOM All I 'm thinkin' about is if you 'd stayed here we 'd have been happy. KATE Not unless — unless I 'd — I 'd cared. 70 THE DETOUR [act ii TOM She wouldn't let you care ! KATE You just won't try to understand! This is some- thing mother 's planned for me all my life. I can't help doing it. TOM Your mother gets ideas ! XATE She used to sit by my bed, in the dark, and talk about it when I was a little girl. Daytimes she 'd take me walking with her and point out the pretty places in the woods, and the colors in the sky, and show me how different they were, and how wonderful. How could I help getting so I wanted to paint them? How can I help wanting to go where some one can teach me to be what she 's so hungry for me to be? TOM I guess you couldn't, not unless it was like you said. Unless vou cared about somebody else more 'n vou do about her. KATE And I don't ! If I did, I 'd hate myself ! TOM It 's all right ! I ain't goin' to take no advantage, I ain't goin' to try to keep you — but I could ! KATE No! TOM Oh, yes, I could ! Your father M stop your goin', quick enough, if I was to tell him a few things. KATE I don't know what you 're talking about ! ACT ii] THE DETOUR 71 TOM I guess he 'd say if you was in love with me you couldn't go, and if you weren't in love with me — and he knew about your lettin' me kiss you four or five times, like I did last winter, and your puttin' your arms around my neck — then I guess he 'd say he wouldn't trust you out of his sight. KATE You 'd tell him that — when you begged me so — when I was so lonesome! TOM I don't say I '11 tell him, but it 's a satisfaction knowin' I could stop this thing if I wasn't so sort of sentimental. KATE (angrily) I 'd go now, no matter what you told him ! If he said I couldn't go, I 'd run away ! TOM (tliouglit fully) You 've got spirit in you once in a while like your mother's. I wonder if maybe you don't favor her more 'n I figured you did ! [Ben Glenny is seen to enter at left on the road. He looks off right, hack of house, as if he saw Stephen there, and calls. BEN Hello, Steve! \_Stephen answers from right, hack of house. STEVE I been waitin' for you ! KATE They '11 be here in a minute. Come in with me, Tom ; I want to talk to you. 72 THE DETOUR [act ii TOM You needn't worry, I ain't going to tell on you ! KATE It is n't that, but I won't see you again, and I don't want to have to remember you like this ! TOM No, you '11 give me one kiss, I suppose, and you '11 think it 's damned funny if I don't think anything you want to do is right. KATE I 'm going in, you can suit yourself ! l^She exits, to kitchen; after a second's sulky hesi- tation he follows, Steve has joined Ben Glenny at gate and they cross dozvnstage together, STEVE » Well? BEN I saw both of them. STEVE Sit down. [They sit, BEN It 's hot walkin'. [He wipes the perspiration from his face with a cotton handkerchief, STEVE Saw both of 'em? BEN Yes. STEVE Already ? That looks bad ; funny how much quicker a man says no than he '11 say yes ! ACT ii] THE DETOUR 73 BEN Both of 'em says your farm won't stand any more borrowin' on. Billings said you had so many mort- gages on it now he didn't see where you found any room to raise crops. He was sort of jokin'. STEVE He's a fool! BEN Allers was. STEVE But he 's got the money and I haven't ! BEN And he keeps what he 's got, and you don't. STEVE I ain't throwed away a dollar in twenty years, not so much as fifteen cents for a movin' picture 1 BEN You 're land hungry ! STEVE I've got to get more land! I'm bound to do it! I 've got to get fifteen hundred dollars. BEN I wish you 'd get the three hundred and seven you owe for taxes. I 'm way back in my collectin'. STEVE I got it in the bank. But I was figurin' to use it to buy Tom Lane's twenty acres, if I could raise the balance. BEN And you need a thousand? STEVE Yes. It 's a chance I won't get again. If Tom 's sold up for what he owes, the land 's gone for good, 74 THE DETOUR [act n an' if he pulls through an' makes money with his garage, he wouldn't want to sell. BEN They was some talk about Tom Lane an' your girl Kate's runnin' around together. That 'd be one way of gettin' that land in your family. STEVE I stopped dependin' on a woman the day I was weaned. BEN Well, I can't do nothin' fer yer. (He rises) I tried. STEVE You ain't got money enough to lend it to me your- self.? BEN No, I ain't ! Bein' a tax collector, an' process server an' county clerk has sort of made me lose con- fidence in home folks. I don't pretend to know more 'n anybody else, but I 'm savin' up all my money an' buyin' oil stocks. (He starts left) Sorry I couldn't do nothin' for you, Steve. STEVE I didn't have much faith in your gettin' it, but 't was my only chance. BEN Well if you 'd got it I s'pose 'twould have been all the harder for me to get your taxes out of yer. STEVE Maybe — but I 'd of had the land. BEN Well — good day. It 's some hot. STEVE An' we need rain — good day, Ben. ACT n] THE DETOUR 75 \_Ben exits out gate and along the road at left. Steve sits in deep thought. Helen comes to wmdow and looks out, then crosses to door and standing back of the screen door, she speaks, HELEN I heard Ben Glenny's voice. STEVE Yes. HELEN You didn't get the money you wanted out of him? STEVE No. HELEN I am sorry if you 're disappointed. STEVE Come out a minute, I want to talk to yer. [^Helen opens the screen door and steps out on porch. HELEN Kate an' Tom Lane are in the parlor. She ought to be packin' her trunk ; 3^ou '11 have to take it to the station. STEVE You get three hundred dollars for that old truck of your mother's? HELEN Yes. STEVE And I 've got five hundred in the bank. I 'm going to ask Tom if he '11 take eight hundred and my note for the balance. HELEN You 're goin' to give Tom Lane my three hundred dollars ? 76 THE DETOUR [act ii STEVE If he '11 take it. HELEN No. STEVE He 's got to take it ! He would, I know, if we was to get Kate to ask him. HELEN You don't mean that! STEVE Yes. HELEN You 'd do a thing like that just for more land? STEVE For that land! HELEN I 've been a slave to land ever since I married you ; I 'm tired of it ! STEVE You ain't been any more of a slave than I 've been ! You 're a good worker, but you ain't worked like I do I There ain't a foot of this land here I ain't watered with my sweat ! HELEN And you want more, and it 's all you do want I More work for you and for me, more taxes and mort- gages hangin' over us. STEVE I want a farm! I 'm bound to get it ! I 'm no damned Japanese I I tell you this is my chance ! HELEN It 's Kate's chance too, Steve. You 're forgettin' ACT II] THE DETOUR 77 that! You wouldn't take her chance away from her? STEVE Yes — I would. I 'm goin' to ! HELEN I won't let you — that 's all — I just won't ! {He rises without a word and crosses into the house. She looks distressed and anxious. In a moment he returns, in his hand the jug in which is the money and the dusty hunch of artificial flowers. As she sees this in his hand, she steps hack almost in terror) Stephen ! STEVE There 's money here. I always knew you kept some- thin' in here, but it was no business of mine! That three hundred dollars is here.'' HELEN {nervously) Yes. STEVE There 's more, too ; it *s heavy ! [He shakes the jar and the sound of the sUver is heard. HELEN All that 's there is mine and Kate's. STEVE How much? HELEN You said just now that what I kept in there wasn't any business of yours, and it ain't! STEVE How much? HELEN If I 've got any rights at all ! If you 've got any 78 THE DETOUR [act ii bit of feelin' left for me, or for what I ask of you, I want you to put that down ! \_B7/ may of answer, he throws the artificial flowers contemptuously aside, and turning the jug up he pours the contents out on the table. STEVE {as he sees) By God! HELEN It 's just like you struck me in the face. [She drops into chair, hiding her eyes with her fim- gers. He counts the money eagerly and with grow- ing joy and excitement, STEVE Over a thousand dollars ! HELEN More 'n ten years I done without — I made her do without ! Many a time I took her teachin' money when she wanted a pretty dress, an' I cried myself to sleep that night — but I took it ! STEVE With my five hundred it '11 be enough ! Tom 's ini the parlor, you say? {He crosses to door of kitchen and calls ) Tom ! Tom ! I want you \ [As he turns hack, Helen springs between himi and the table. HELEN Don't shame me before them, Steve, don't. STEVE {sternly) I want you not to make a fuss now, Helen. HELEN I tried to be a good wife to you all these hard, hard years. Once before I had money — I 'd saved it, just like I saved this — 't was like a key — a key to the door that was shuttin' me out from life — ACT ii] THE DETOUR 79 and I gave it up, for you — because you made me love you — when I didn't want to. Now, when I ain't got anything but that, too — don't make me hate you! [Tom and Kate enter from the kitchen. Kate looks at her father and mother with dismay, KATE What is it? STEVE I '11 take that offer of yours, Tom. We '11 get Ben Glenny to draw up a bill of sale. Fifteen hundred cash and a mortgage for the balance ! HELEN {to Kate) It 's your money ! He 's takin' it. KATE Father ! HELEN You '11 waste your time beggin' him ! He 's a hard man! TOM {to Steve) You 're goin' to buy my land.'' STEVE Yes. HELEN {turns desperately to Tom) Tom! You won't take it; tell him you won^t take it, knowin' what it means to me an' Kate ! KATE Of course he won't take it, mother! STEVE Why won^t he? He needs it, don't he? Course he '11 take it, won't you, Tom? KATE {proudly) He won't! 80 THE DETOUR [act ii TOM I want the money and he wants the land. I don't see no reason why I shouldn't take it. KATE {scornfully) After the way you were just talking to me in there? [She points to house, TOM Buyin' land, or sellin' it is a matter of business. HELEN {to Kate) We might have known he would ! STEVE I '11 telephone fer Ben Glenny ! [He steps towards table, putting out his hand for the money. HELEN {steps in front of hi/m) You 're a thief, Steve Hardy ! STEVE Helen! [He draws back, horrified. HELEN Just a thief ! A common thief ! Ain't you robbed me always — of my youth — of my life — of my looks — I ain't forty — and look at me — look what you 've done to me ! You thief — and now it 's her ! STEVE Nobody ever called me a name like that! Nobody ever dared! HELEN Why should I be afraid? What more could you do to me! STEVE You can't call me a thief ! This is my house ; what 's in it is mine, all of it! ACT ii] THE DETOUR 81 HELEN My mother's furniture wasn't yours ! STEVE It 's been part of the fumishin' of my house for twent}'^ years. Of course it's mine! So 's the rest of this money ! HELEN The savings out of her salary, teachin' school and tendin' store! STEVE She 's my daughter, and she ain't of age ! HELEN And ten years of savin' dime by dime out of my egg and chicken money ! STEVE That 's the thanks I get fer lettin' you call 'em yours — the hens was mine ! HELEN Everything is yours! STEVE Of course it is! HELEN And I get my keep! I haven't had a dress in two years, and then one I made myself. I get my food, but I have to cook it first. Where else would you get a cook who 'd work like I work and only get her keep ! They ain't but one way to get a girl as cheap as that, and that 's to marry her ! KATE Like Tom Lane wanted to marry me! HELEN The summer folks here pay a cook seventy-five dol- lars a month who 'd be too proud to do the work I 82 THE DETOUR [act n do! That Mrs. Lamont paid an agent ten dollars just for gettin' her a cook ! That shows how smart jou are, Steve Hardy; alls you paid was one dollar for a weddin' license ! STEVE {putting money hack into jar) You 're callin' pretty hard names, wife, and I ain't a patient man! HELEN I 've been a patient woman, but I can't be any more ! Kate! {She throws her arms about her) I don't seem like I could stand it ! KATE {clinging to her) Don't, mother ! Don't ! You break my heart 1 STEVE What 's all the fuss about ! Why not let her stay here, same as all the other g'irls, an' marry a decent man like Tom? HELEN Another wife — to another man like you ! STEVE Better maybe than sendin' a young girl like she is out alone to mix with strangers in a place like New York City. HELEN Why is it? Why? How could it be? STEVE How do you know what woifld become of her? HELEN How could I know? I only know what would become of her here! STEVE You never thought about the other thing, did you! ACT ii] THE DETOUR 83 About who she might meet, alone there — about what she might get to be. HELEN She miglit get to be a great artist, like I Ve prayed she would. STEVE And she might get to be a woman of the streets I HELEN* And if she did would she sell herself as cheap as I did! Would she fall any lower than I am? She'd have had her chance ; win or lose, she 'd have had it, she 'd have had some hours, anyway, somethin* to remember! STEVE {shocked) You mean then that like that she 'd be better off than you Ve been here with me 1 HELEN Yes! STEVE All right ! My house is no place for you, not if you feel like that. {He holds the jug out to her) You claim this money. HELEN I do ! I 'U keep on claimin' it ! STEVE Take it, then, but remember this — if you do take it, and if she goes against my will — you go with her! KATE Father ! STEVE (to Helen) You go, and you don't come back. 84. THE DETOUR [act n HELEN Wait — we got to understand each other ! You Ve tumin' me out ! STEVE You always claimed to be smarter than I was. I guess you got my meanin' ! HELEN Oh, yes, I got that long ago — that everything must be for you, an' nothin' for me ! The only thing you ever gave me was your name, I bought that from you when I was young. I paid you for it with all I had — now I ain't young, any more, an' you 're sick of your bargain — you want to call it off. I wish to God you could — I 'd give you back your name if you 'd give me back what I paid for it ! STEVE Just words ! That 's all ! You heard mine ! If she goes — you go ! KATE You don't mean it, father! You can^t! STEVE (to Helen) I 'm going to let you choose ! HELEN All right ! There 's a train at seven ! [She puts her arm about Kate and they turn and exit to the Icitchen, CURTAIN ACT ni Scene: Hardy^s kitchen (same as Act I) about ani hour later, Stephen, his pipe in his mouth, sits moodily hy stove. Tom Lane, also with a pipe, stands in open doorway to the hall, shamelessly listening. TOM Wait a minute! (He bends eagerly out into haU, Stephen rises from his chair and stands looking at door. In a nwment Tom turns back into room) No, they 're movin' around all right, but they ain't comin' down. STEPHEN Oh! [He drops back into chair, TOM (contemptuously) And you 're going to let 'em go ! STEPHEN I ain't goin' to stop 'em. TOM You could — if you was to show a little spirit ! STEPHEN It 's for them to say ; only if they go they can't come back — not ever ! TOM As far as that goes, maybe they 'd never want to. (He hears a sound) Wait! They 're movin' again! (He puts his head out into hall. Steve looks at him 86 THE DETOUR [act m but does not again get up. In a moment Tom turns bach) What do you s'pose I heard 'em doin'? STEVE Crjin'? TOM Singin'! STEVE No! TOM Yes ! And not hymns — tunes! I guess you can take a rest from feelin' Kke you was Simon Legree beatin' Uncle Tom to death ! Looks to me like they was glad they was goin' ! STEVE {sternly) Then it 's best they went \ TOM It 's a serious thing when a man'^s wife leaves him ! STEVE Yes. TOM It 's awful when she takes a thousand dollars with her! STEVE Yes. [He smokes in silence. Tom sits moodily iri' chair. TOM If they was mine they wouldn't go ! STEVE (coldly) Well — they ain't. TOM (a little resentful) I got to give you credit for one thing; everything you say is always true, even if it ain't very in- terestin'. ACT III] THE DETOUR 87 STEVE ( tliough t fully ) It takes a lot of patience to get along Anth any woman. TOM Seems so. STEVE She had her faults. TOM I know it. STEVE In most ways she 's been a good wife to me. TOM She 'd ought to be. STEVE I ain't defendin' her. TOM She was the kind I couldn't 'a got along with. STEVE Why couldn't you? You wanted to marry Kate! TOM She ain't like her mother, she 's the "spit and im- age" of you. STEVE Kate? TOM (losing confidence) Leastways I always thought so. STEVE If you don't know no more about an automobile than you do about a woman, I guess it 's just as well they closed the road. [He turns disgusted. TOM Hark! {He rises suddenly) Some one's on the 88 THE DETOUR [act in stairs ! {He crosses and looks out to hall, then turns in great excitement ) Yes ! Now we '11 know ! STEVE What will we know? TOM If they 're really goin' ! I bet they ain't. STEVE Humph ! [Tom sits; im a moment Kate and Helen enter. Be- tween them they carry a trunk, and Helen has an old cardboard box under one arm. They pay not the slightest attention to the men hut put the trunk down left of center two or three feet away from where Steve is sittmg, HELEN Now we '11 get the trays. KATE (without glancing at Tom or Steve, mho sit stolidly smoking their pipes) It ^s too bad they 're no men in the house to help us. HELEN (sniffs scornfully) You don't smell anything peculiar, do you? KATE (doubtfully) I don't know! HELEN I s'pose it was that awful imagination of mine; of course nobody would smoke in my kitchen! \_Helen and Kate exit to hall, TOM They are goin' ! STEVE After this I ain't never comin' in here without I smoke ! ACT III] THE DETOUR 89 TOM Yes, sir ! They 're goin' ! STEVE What time is it? TOM You asked me that twice already ! What do you care ; you never do nothin' ! STEVE ( wis tfidly ) We used to eat at six. TOM Well, it 's about that now. Who 's going to get your meals for you? STEVE It don't take no brains to cook ! I can run a house as good as a woman. I ain't going to have no hired girl ; I '11 do for myself ! TOM Anybody can; it 's nothin' to make a fuss about. STEVE ( anxiously ) I don't s'pose she '11 take her cook book.'' TOM What if she does? All you need is a little common sense and a good appetite. STEVE You said 't was six, didn't yer? TOM There 's a clock right in front of yer ! [They sit back puffing at pipes. Helen and Kate enter; vn their hands they carry the two trays of the trunk, HELEN Wait, I '11 open it. [She puts the tray on the floor and opens trunk. 90 THE DETOUR [act m Kate puts her tray in. Helen sniffs at the tobacco smoke and crosses and opens the window directly back of Tom^s chair, then goes and opens door; a strong wind outside blows the window curtains and the draft annoys both Tom and Steve, KATE (takes a deep breath) Ah! That's better! HELEN (pleasantly) It '11 air the room. KATE {with a cold look at Tom) I noticed something disagreeable in here. [Thisy and the cold air blowing on their backs, is too much for Tom and Steve, who rise sheepishly and exit to the porch and out of sight, Helen looks after them and laughs, HELEN I do declare it 's funny. I guess I 'm feelin' sort of flighty or I wouldn't act so silly. I ought to be ashamed, makin' 'em uncomfortable on purpose! KATE I guess they deserve to be more uncomfortable than! anything we say could make them. HELEN We 'd better hurry ; we 've got lots to do. KATE I left that other new dress of mine on a chair in your room ; you 'd better try it on. HELEN I wouldn't dare to wear it ! It 's cut so young ! KATE You can't go to New York in that old thing ! After this, I 'm going to see that you have everything I have, and I 'm going to have all I can get. ACT m] THE DETOUR 91 HELEN" We '11 have to be awful careful ! I don't know as a thousand will be enough! KATE Your going makes all the difference. I am not afraid any more. HELEN Why should we be? KATE I *11 be making plenty of money long before we need it. HELEN I 'm as sure of it as I am of livin' ! KATE Mother ! Just tliink ! We 're really going ! HELEN I don't dare think. I just keep on doin' things! KATE Who 's afraid now.'* 4 HELEN It don't seem real at all! I guess thinkin' about it so m,any years kinder makes it all seem like a story in a book — like it was about somebody else. KATE Well, it is n't. HELEN I know it, because every once in a while I get a kind of a sinking here. (She puts her hand for a moTnent on her stontach) Like a person does when they go down fas.t in an elevator! KATE You don't think I am going to fail.f^ 92 THE DETOUR [act m HELEN I know you 've got the talent ; that 's all that mat- ters. God gave it to you ; He '11 help us. KATE And you 're not worrying about — about father.'' HELEN Why should I? He ain't worryin' much about me. KATE No, neither 's Tom Lane worrying ! They don't know how! HELEN Some day, when I get settled down to think again, it 's goin' to hurt — your father's tumin' me out like he did, forgettin' in a minute all I 'd been to him for half a lifetime — but right now about all I 've got room for in my head is we 're goin'! KATE And you 're going to wear that new red dress ! HELEN I don't know but I 'd about as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb! {She takes a bulky roll of hills from her apron pocket) Here, dear, the silver 's in a bag in the top tray of the trunk ; here 's the rest of it. KATE Why should I take it.'' HELEN It 's your money. I 'm just going with you. KATE But HELEN That 's the way I want it ! ACT ml THE DETOUR 93 KATE (takes money) I don't see what difference it makes ; what 's mine is jours. HELEN Two people so much alike as we are, just living to- gether, can't help being happy. [^She puts the cardboard box she has been holding oit her arm on table and opens it. Kate looks up from pacliing the top tray of her trunk and sees her mother sorting over the contents of the box, KATE What's that? HELEN Just rubbish, things I 've had ever since I was a girl. I s'pose I 'd better burn it. {She is looking through old letters, a few dance cards, a photograph or two) Goodness! What truck folks keep! {She comes across a faded old photograph and after glancing at it, stands looking at it intently) KATE Let 's see what you 're looking at. {She crosses and looks at the photograph at first with simple curi- osity, then with amazed recognition) Oh, mother ! [She laughs. HELEN {indignant) I don't see anything to laugh at! KATE But to think of father — young ! HELEN Well, he was! KATE Of course, he must have been! I should think he would have hated it ! 94 THE DETOUR [act m HELEN He was young as anybody once! KATE (looking at photo) He was about Tom^s age, wasn't he? HELEN He was better lookin*. KATE (doubtfully) Do you think so? HELEN I know it! (She puts the photograph aside) I won't burn it! I ought to, but I won't! \^She starts to sort over the other thmgs, KATE It 's no use ! I can't think of him as young ! Did he — (She giggles) — Did he used to make love to you? HELEN It might be a good thing if you minded your own business. KATE Wrote you love letters and everything? HELEN Of course he did! KATE I '11 bet they 're all there ! HELEN He didn't write many. KATE I '11 bet he didn't. HELEN They 're here somewhere — ah ! \_As she finds a pitifully thin package hound up with a faded ribbon. ACT ml THE DETOUR 95 KATE Is that all? HELEN {defencelessly) He wasn't any much ! KATE (puts out her hand) I want to read them ! HELEN (draws away) Well, you can't! (She opens one of the letters and looks at it) " January tenth, nineteen hundred." That 's a long time ago ! KATE You can't make me believe it 's a love letter ! HELEN Well, it is! ^'My dear Helen!" (She reads) I can remember how happy I was the day I got this. Just as if it was yesterday! (She reads) "I got to New York all right, about six o'clock and went to the Bartholdi Hotel and got a room. It was most eight before I got through supper, so I went right to bed." KATE Go on! HELEN That's all ; he didn't write long letters. KATE Let 's see how he ended it ! HELEN (reads) " Yours truly, Stephen Hardy." KATE (laughs) He woidd. HELEN That was just before we was married! (She opens another one) Oh, yes ! (As she looks at it) This 96 THE DETOUR [act iii was the year you was born — I was waitin' for you, an' he went to New York to raise the first mortgage we ever had on the farm. KATE Regular pleasure trip for him! HELEN (lookmg at letter) It 's funny, my f orgettin' so much ! I was happy sometimes ! Look where I cried right on that let- ter! {She points to stain on the old paper) "My dear Wife." (She reads) "1 don't like it here, and I wish I was back with you!" (She sighs) *' The food here don't agree with me, and eating costs so much you 've either got to starve, or eat and suf- fer ! I 've been thinking about you a lot, and about the hard time that 's coming to you ^You 're a brave girl and a good wife — I know you 're going to be a good mother ! — if the calf won't eat, you '11 have to give him a little warm milk morning and night. Remember you 've got to take good care of yourself until the baby comes. The rubbage from the garden will do for the pigs 'til I get home. Your loving husband — Steve ! " \_She sits in the chair and for a moment hides her face in her hands, KATE Don't, mother! l^She puts her hamd tenderly on Helen* s^ shoulders. HELEN If he wanted me, I 'd stay, just so long as he 'd let you go I KATE He didn't want you, and he wouldn't let me go, not if he could help it! ACT III] THE DETOUR 97 HELEN I wonder, while God was doin' it, he didn't fix it so 's we 'd be always young ! KATE Maybe because he meant for us to take all the hap- piness we could while we could get it, and if we let it slip away from us, nobody but ourselves would be to blame. HELEN Maybe — that 's why I don't know as I deserve an- other chance. [Tom Lane looks slyly m at the window. Kate sees Mm out of the corner of her eye and stoops close to her mother's ear and speaks low. KATE They 're looking at us through the window ! [Helen straightens up with dignity and puts the let- ters hack into the box and crosses and drops the box into the top tray of the trunk; then, her head thrown proudly back, she exits to the hall, followed by Kate. Tom looks in window again' and speaks over his shoulder. TOM They 're goin' ! (He and Steve pass the window and enter) I couldn't hear what they was sayin' ! STEVE 'T was none of your business. TOM I wouldn't listen! Anyhow, they talked awful low. [Steve crosses to the kitchen clock and after looking at it earnestly, he takes it down from the shelf and shakes it. 98 THE DETOUR [act m STEVE Seems later than 't is ! I 'm goin' to get supper. l^He crosses to cupboard, TOM I suppose you 've got to get used to doin' it. STEVE Any fool can do it! (He looks over the shelves of the cupboard) There 's plenty here, wasteful plenty ! TOM Wliatter you goin' to get.'' STEVE W-w-e-1-1? (He takes down a package of prepared buckwheat flour) I don^t know but what I '11 make a flapjack. TOM (doubtfully) If I was you I 'd boil an Qgg ! STEVE (reading directions) Simple enough! Anybody can make a flapjack. [He gets frying pan and puts it on the stove, TOM I guess so, I never tried. STEVE There 's directions. (He reads what is on package) I see ! (He pours some flour directly into the fryi/ng pan) I '11 make plenty and you can stay an' eat. [^He draws a dipper of water and pours it into the flour in the pan and stirs it with a spoon. Tom looks at the resulting mess doubtfully, TOM No ! No ! I guess I '11 eat at home ! STEVE (angrily) Wl^at 's the matter with it? ACT III] THE DETOUR 99 TOM I don't know. (He hends over it curioudy) It looks indecent. STEVE It'U be all right! TOM I was n't hungry even before I looked at that ! (He crosses toward door) I '11 see if they Ve started workin' on the road. STEVE I '11 be out after a while. TOM Not if you eat them flapjacks! [He exits. Steve hends anxiously over his cooking as Kate enters with some clothes on her arm and stops in surprise, KATE Father! STEVE WeU! [Kate crosses over and looks into the frying pan, KATE (m horror) What's that? STEVE A flapjack. It ain't quite boiled. KATE If you eat anything like that while we 're away, mother will have to hurry right home and nurse you ! STEVE If she goes she can't come back ; I told her that. KATE But you didn't really mean it ? 100 THE DETOUR [act m STEVE Yes — she knows I meant it, and she '11 go for good ; she was always proud ! I got some pride myself and I ain't likely to forget what she said — about bein' unhappy here always. I ain't likely to forget. KATE She 'd have been happy if you 'd been a little kinder to her. If you 'd showed her a little plainer that you loved her. STEVE It was her business to know it, KATE I don't see how she could. STEVE A man can't be talkin' about love all the time ! It 's just like religion — every day ain't Sunday! (He looks at the mess in the fryimg pan desperately) How long has this damned thing to boil! KATE Father ! Ha ! ha ! ha ! I never saw anything so funny in all my life ! Ha ! ha ! ha ! \^She runs out, laughmg wildly. Steve considers his mess gravely then picks up the package and adds more flour, finally emptying the whole package into it. As he bends over the stove, Helen enters. She has on a smart dark red dress and has arranged her hair to give a new look almost of girlishness. She sees him at the stove and crosses firmly and pushes him away and looks at the mess, STEVE (defensively) It would have been all right in another minute. HELEN I fed the pigs once to-day ! ACT III] THE DETOUR 101 STEVE I was going to eat it. HELEN Go away! (She picks up the frymg pan and throws the contents in a garbage pail) I '11 fix you some- thing! STEVE {stiffly) I won't trouble you. HELEN Some eggs ; that 's quick. {She starts to prepare some scrambled eggs. He looks at her furiously) What is it ? What are you lookin' at me for ? STEVE ^ You look — different — sort of ! HELEN Oh, this dress ; it 's Kate's. She made me put it on. STEVE It 's — sort of — er — red ! HELEN Yes. I think it 's nice. STEVE I don't know as I like it so well as the red one you had. HELEN I haven't had a red one for twenty years. STEVE That 's the one I meant. [He crosses and sits at table, HELEN (at Sterne) You '11 die if you was to try to look after yourself ! I guess you can get a girl to come in for about seven dollars a week. 102 THE DETOUK [act m STEVE (m horror) Seven dollars a week! HELEN! About. \_She cuts him some bread, STEVE A man would have a right to divorce a woman that 's actin' like you 're doin' ! HELEN Then you could marry a girl and save money ! That Mrs. Lament will be around for her eggs. I put *em in this basket. {She shows basket on table) Eighty-five cents is a fair price. {She crosses and puts food on his table) There! Eat! STEVE (loolcs up at her) Was it twenty years since you had that red dress? HELEN I made it before we was married. How 'd you come to remember it.? STEVE I don't know — seems like you 'd always had it. HELEN Before it wore out that 's how it seemed to me. STEVE Somehow I sort of see you in it — I mean when you ain't really around — and I 'm sort of seein' you, in my mind like. You were a good-lookin' girl, a mighty good-lookin' girl. (He looks up at her; slie is quite softened) You ain't changed much. {She half turns away, confused by his compliment) I mean you ain't changed so much as I thought you had! ACT in] THE DETOUK 103 HELEN {angrily) Eat your supper! STEVE Yes. {He draws his place to him and starts to but- ter his bread) It 's past my time ; I hate my vittals late ! Twenty years — I remember the first time ever I saw that red dress. HELEN Huh! STEVE You was in the kitchen at your house, an' I came to take yer to a dance down to the Port. HELEN It was New Year's night. It had been snowin', and it was so lovely in the moonlight. You pulled me all the way on your sled, down to the Port! {She drops into the chair opposite him, and bends eagerly across the table) It was a big party, the only big one I ever went to, before or since. It was the first time I 'd ever waltzed, I mean before folks, with a man. I remember how it scared me, it seemed so bold ! STEVE There 's dances now that 's worse than waltzing ! You '11 see 'em in New York. HELEN My goodness! {She rises hastily) I almost forgot New York. STEVE {slowly) Helen ! I want you not to go ! HELEN Talkin' about — about that old red dress of mine has made us sort of sentimental. I guess you don't mean that, Steve! 104 THE DETOUR [act in STEVE I do. You didn't act right, Helen, but I '11 try and forget it. HELEN And you '11 let Kate take the money and go, like I always planned she should! STEVE She 'U be all right here. HELEN She 's going, Steve ! That 's settled ! As for me, it 's for you to say. STEVE {angrUy) I say she ain't goin' ! HELEN (^coldly) Yes, she is, and so am I. You 'd better eat your supper. STEVE I won't! {He pushes his chair away and rises an- grily) I can't! To hell with it! \_He exits to the outside, slamming the door. Helen looks after him for a moment tearfully; then her pride asserts itself and she crosses grimly to the trunk. Takimg her box of treasured letters and pho- tographs, she goes to the stove, and lifting up one of the lids she dumps the whole mass into the fire. Then, thinking of his photograph, she crosses and gets it from the table and returns firmly and throws it into the flames, and crosses out to hall. Ben Glenny comes to outside door and knocks. There is no answer and he knocks agaim. Kate enters front hall and crosses to trunk with a bunch of keys im her hand. She hears the knock. ACT III] THE DETOUR 105 KATE Come in! {Tlie door opens and Ben enters) Oh! It 's you, Mr. Glenny ! [She puts things in trunk and clears away the dishes on the table, putting the bread away and throwing the egg out. BEN I was lookin' for Tom Lane. KATE {coldly) He doesn't live here ! BEN He 's here a lot, and I 've got to find him. KATE He 's probably at his garage. BEN No, he ain't. {Kate crosses to the easel and takes her painting and puts it on table. Ben sees it) What's that? KATE My painting. BEN {looks at it) It 's nice. KATE Thank you. BEN It ^s as good as some photographs. [Kate starts to cover the paimting with stout paper. KATE You flatter me. I am going to take this to New York with me. Mother and I are going in about half an hour. BEN What are you going to take it to New York for? 106 THE DETOUR [act ni KATE To sell it ! {He grins) Don't you believe I can? BEN Yes, I do ! Ain't they the damdest fools ! (He crosses to door) If Tom comes, tell him I 've got to see him. [^He exits to outdoors. Kate, who is covering her painting with paper, stops and looks about for some- thing to fasten it with. She crosses to hall door, and raising her voice, calls to her mother. KATE Mo+her! Mother! Where's some string? HELEN (upstairs) Up here! KATE I 'm coming ! She runs out. Steve wanders in from outdoors and stops in front of the clock and scowls at it, thenji crosses to the cupboard and butters the end of the half loaf of bread, and cuts a slice. And he is about to bite into it, there is a knock on the door. He pauses, with his mouth open, and looks angrily toward door as the knock is repeated. He puts his bread down with a patient sigh and crosses and opens door. Dana and Dora Lamont are discovered, a^ they stand vn the doorway. DOEA We want to speak to Mrs. Hardy. I am Mrs. La- mont. STEVE She left the eggs, they 're in this basket. {He crosses and gets basket from table) She said you 'd be over for 'em in the mornin'; it will be ninety cents. ACT III] THE DETOUR 107 DORA Ninety? Why I have only been paying your wife eighty-five ! STEVE Eggs is up. DORA Give him ninety cents, please, Dana. J^She takes the basket from Steve as Dana hunts in his pocket, then draws out a roll of hills, DANA I 've nothing less than a dollar. {He holds out a dollar hill) You can collect next time or you may owe me ten cents. STEVE {takes the dollar) Looks like it would be fairer if I was to owe you ten; cents. DORA No. {She hAints in her hag and finds the change) Give him back the dollar; here is the right change. STEVE Just as you say. {He returns the dollar to Dana and takes the change; counting it carefully, he drops it inn his pocket) My wif e ^s upstairs if you want to see her, but she an' my daughter are going to New York in just a few minutes. DORA They wanted Mr. Lamont to look at a painting. STEVE Oh? {He turns to Dana) You're an artist.'* DANA Yes. STEVE I 'm glad you 're here. I got a reason for wantin' 108 THE DETOUR [act hi you to look at Kate's picture! I guess this is it. {He crosses to table and removes the wrapping- paper and turns the picture over) Yes — there it is. DANA Yes. \_He crosses and stands looking down at the paint- ing, DORA (with him) The mother is so ambitious for her, Dana. I want you to like it, if you can! [There is a pause, during which Dana looJcs at the painting. Kate enters behind them, unnoticed, and stands in the door, looking on anxiously, STEVE Well? DANA {gravely, to Steve) You said you had a reason for wanting me to see this. What was your reason? STEVE I guess no man knows less about art, and such as that, than me; but it happens to be a bit of land around here she painted, and I know land. DANA Your opinion should be of as much value, then, as my own — what do you think of this yourself ? STEVE {slowly) Somehow, it seems to me it don't look like it ought — not just like — I don't know — it's Tom Lane's twenty acres all right — but it don't look just like it was alive, somehow, does it? DANA {gravely) No. ACT III] THE DETOUR 109 STEVE It 's grass, but it ain't growing grass ; there 's the spring wheat, but you can't somehow think of its ever ripening — like wheat does. DANA No. STEVE Do you mean she can't paint .^^ DANA I am afraid — — [Kate gives a moan of angmshy and Dora turns and sees her, DORA {sharply) Dana! [The two men look around^ amd see her; there is a pause, Kate comes forward, trembling, looking from one to another. They all are distressed and u/neasy, STEVE I — I was speakin' to this gentleman here about your picture. He was sayin' it was pretty good, real good he seemed to think it was, for — for a girl that hadn't had much teachin' — I — I got to see if my stock 's all fixed for the night. {He crosses toward door) He liked that picture real well ; he '11 tell you so himself, if you ask him. [He exits. Kate comes slowly down and looks at her painting. DORA My husband will tell you how very nice KATE Please! {She puts out her hand sharply, and Dora stops, Kate bends over picture) It doesn't look — ^ alive — he said — that's grass, but it doesn't 110 THE DETOUR [act m seem to grow! I wonder! — {She looks at Dana) Was he right? I want to know the truth. Can't I paint? DANA That might mean so many things. KATE No, there 's only one thing it can mean ! Have I a talent, a real talent, like my mother 's always told me? DANA I am sorry, I am afraid you haven't. KATE If I worked hard — and I would — if I had good teachers, couldn't they teach me to be an artist? DANA * That is something that can't be taught; one is or is n't. KATE And I 'm — I 'm — not ? DANA I see nothing here but the conventional schoolgirl water color. Your color and drawing you could improve, but there is nothing here to justify the effort. KATE No talent? Nothing? DANA I am sorry I KATE You have been honest — you are a man who knows. DANA It hasn't been an easy thing to say. ACT lit] THE DETOUR 111 KATE I — I don't just seem to know what to do. DORA My poor child! l^She comes forward with ready sympathy, KATE No! {She draws away) I had to know! You see, it means so much to us, to mother and me, we 've planned so long ! I [She breaks down and turns and almost runs out- doors. DORA (to Dana) You brute! You could have lied to her. DANA About anything else. DORA There 're other things in the world besides your paints and brushes ! DANA For girls like her. 1 11 take the eggs. (He takes the basket) Poor kid! DORA You are absolutely heartless ! DANA New York is full of them, breaking their hearts, — painters, musicians, writers, men and women who want to create something and who can't. Wanting to do it doesn't help much ; even trying doesn't — when it is n't there ! We '11 get the butter in the morning. \_They exit together to the outside. In a moment Steve, Tom and Ben Glenny pass the window and en- ter through the same door. 112 THE DETOUR [act m BEN I know it 's hard, Tom, an' it 's a thing I ain't even got used to really relish doin', but it 's part of my job! STEVE Seems like they might have given the boy a chance. BEN Eight hundred dollars is a lot of money ! TOM I can't pay it, not now ; mebby I could if they 'd give me time. BEN The writ of attachment don't say nothin' about givin' any time ! I '11 have to ask you f er the keys to your garage, Tom. I take formal possession ac- cordin' to the law. Here 's ther writ. {^He shows paper. TOM It' s the damned detour that done it'! If they hadn't known about that, they 'd have waited till cash was comin' in! BEN An' the aggravatin' part of it is they ain't goin' to be no detour! TOM What.? BEN I just got word the road's open again; they decided not to fix it till next fall. Seems the summer folks have been objectin'! TOM The road 's open ! ACT III] THE DETOUR 113 BEN Yes. TOM And you 're attachin' my garage ! BEN Less you can pay me eight hundred dollars. TOM Damned if I ain't disgusted! Talk about luck! Lost my garage! Lost everything! Just by a day ! \^Helen enters with her hat on and a small old-fash- ioned traveling bag in her hand. HELEN Where is Kate I It 's time we started ! STEVE I ain^t seen her ! HELEN Somebody 's got to get that trunk to the station. Is your car here, Mr. Glenny.'' BEN Sure, I '11 fetch it down. STEVE (coldlt/ to Helen) So you 're goin' ? HELEN Yes — you an' Tom carry the trunk out, an' put it in Mr. Glenny's car. Hurry up. STEVE I don't know as HELEN (locks trunk) Well, I do ! It 's the last favor I 'm ever goin' to ask of either one of you, an' I guess it won't hurt you none ! 114 THE DETOUR [act m STEVE No, I don^t know as it would hurt us none. Come on. Tom! [Steve and Tom pick up trunk, HELEN Put it right in the car. I '11 get a check for it at the station. {Kate enters from outside) Oh! There you are, Kate, Mr. Glenn j 's goin' to take us down. Hurry and get your hat. BEN Wait a minute, Tom. I got to ask you for them keys. TOM Oh, yes. \_He and Steve set the trunk down and Tom takes out a bunch of keys and starts to take one key off. STEVE It 's pretty hard on Tom ! HELEN What is? STEVE Ben Glenny 's got an attachment on his place ; he 's takin' possession. HELEN Oh, I *m sorry ! TOM An' ther road 's open ! I 'd 'a' made big money ; now I 'm done for.'^ HELEN Can't somethin' be done about it? BEN Not without I 'm paid eight hundred dollars. ACT ml THE DETOUR 115 KATE I '11 pay it. HELEN What are you talkin' about? KATE You said it was my money ! {She shows the roll of bills) I'm going to pay it. HELEN You can't ! KATE I 'm going to ! That 's all ! \^She starts to count money. HELEN But that only leaves us two hundred dollars ! KATE You can have that \ I don't want it ! Here 's the eight hundred, Mr. Glenny ! [Ben takes the money and starts to count it, HELEN But how can we live till you get so 's you can sell your paintings ! KATE Sell my paintings ! Ha ! ha ! ha ! Sell my grass that doesn't grow, and my wheat that will never ripen! Mr. Glenny here said they were all fools in New York. They 'd have to be to buy any picture I ever painted t HELEN Do you know what you Ve sayin'? KATE Mr. Lamont was here! Father made him look at that! {She points to the 'painting on table) At that awful, awful thing! 116 THE DETOUR [act m HELEN He saw it? KATE And he said it was had! He said it was hopeless. No talent ! Nothing ! Never — never in all my life will I paint again ! Never ! Never ! TOM {sincerely touched) He told you that! The damned brute! He hurt you like that ! Oh, my poor little girl — I 'm sorry ! [^He holds out his arms to her, and she nms into them, clinging to him. KATE Be good to me, Tom! Comfort me! Help me! TOM (pets her) There — there — don't you cry ! HELEN Said you couldn't paint ! It ain't so ! It ain't ! It can't be ! We won't give up ! STEVE (turns on her sternly) Hush ! Can't you see she 's feelin' bad ! TOM (arms about Kate) You 'd ought to be ashamed ! Makin' more trouble at a time like this? KATE You mustn't speak like that, Tom. (She turns se- verely to Helen) But he 's right, m.other! It 's all your fault ! I never would have thought of painting if it hadn't been for you ! TOM I guess the less we say about it the better, so long as it turned out all right. STEVE That 's what I say ! Let bygones be bygones ! ACT III] THE DETOUR 117 HELEX I won't believe it ! I can't. You ain^t going to give that money to Tom Lane ; the money I 've slaved for all these 3^ears ! I won't let you do it ! We won't give up, we '11 keep on tryin' ! KATE I won't. I couldn't. HELEN I say he can't have it. TOM All right. I won^t be under any favors to yer, if you feel that way about it ! Give her back the money, Ben ! BEN Just as you say. (He hands the moneif to Kate) Settle it among yers elves. TOM Now she 's got it, an' I tell yer somethin' yer can^t stop, Mrs. Hardy? Supposin' she was to give all that money to her own father, an' supposin' he was to give it to me as a payment on my twenty acres ! STEVE Now 3^ou 're talkin' ! KATE {giving him money) That 's just what 1 11 do. HELEN And he '11 have more land to pay taxes and interest on all our lives, and you '11 have your garage — and you '11 have her, my daughter ! TOM Everybody will have what they 've allers wanted ; no- 118 THE DETOUR [act m body will lose nothin' at all, unless maybe it 's you, and all you '11 lose is just a dream. HELEN That 's all. [SJie sits heavily hy table. STEVE {to Ben) Here 's yer eight hundred. You can fix that bill of sale the first thing in the mornin*. BEN (writes receipt) Just so long as everybody 's satisfied. Here ! [He hands receipt to Tom, TOM All right. Have them papers ready early. [^He and Kate walk to door with Ben. BEN About ten. TOM Kate an' her father '11 bring 'em down, I figgur on bein' busy with my garage. [Katey Tom and Ben exit. STEVE I hope this '11 be a warnin' to yer, Helen. Yoii might have made a lot of trouble, if it hadn't been for me and Tom ! [Ben comes to door, in his hand the board on which is painted Detour. BEN (holds up board) Here 's the end of tb*s. I pulled it do\\ni. HELEN And everything is just the same as it was be- fore.^ BEN That 's right. ACT III] THE DETOUR 119 HEI.EN Just the same as it always will bel BEN You bet ; good evenin*. \^He exits. HELEN (^very low) God — help — me ! STEVE (looks at clock) I bet that clock 's slow ! HELEN Slow? (She looks up at the clock) I guess not; mebby you 're hungry. ^ STEVE It 's later 'n I like waiting. HELEN (rises) I '11 fix you a good hot supper. l[As she crosses, he steps in front of her, holding out the ninety cents he takes from his pocket. STEVE Here. HELEN Wliat.? STEVE That Mrs. Lamont left it ; it *s your ^gg money. HELEN I thought the hens was yours. STEVE After this, I want you should have ther Qgg money for yourself. HELEN The trouble is that after this I won't have no use for money, Steve. 120 THE DETOUR [act m 6TEVE I '11 put it here. {He puts it on table) I 'd feel better if you took it ; it ^s only ninety cents ! HELEN Ninety cents for a dozen eggs ! I told you to say eighty-five ! STEVE I know, an' I tried to say it, only somehow it came out ninety. HELEN Mebby yow was the one that should have gone to New York. (aS'^^ crosses to Steve and starts to work) Ham and eggs is best, I guess. I suppose she '11 want Tom to stay. STEVE That looks like it, don't it.? {He points out window to where Tom and Kate stand in the alow of the sum- mer sunset. TorrCs arm is about Kate, her head is on his shoulders) See how happy they are! HELEN Yes — I know — right now. STEVE They look nice, don't they.? And in a year or so maybe there '11 be a baby. {She turns at this, startled) Yes — of course there '11 be a baby, — a girl, I hope ; girls are easier managed. Yes, I hope it 's a girl ; girls stay at home. HELEN Yes, girls stay at home! STEVE I sort to like to think about it, don't you? [He drops into chair. ACT III] THE DETOUR 121 HELEN (thought full I/) A girl! STEVE You 're a good woman, Helen. I sort of hope she favors you. HELEN Another girl! Life sort of keeps goin' on forever, don't it.f* (She crosses to table) Steve .^^ STEVE Yes.? HELEN I guess I might as well keep the egg money. \^She draws the empty jug m which she had so long kept her treasure to her and slowly picks up the coins. STEVE (amused) Goin' to start savin' up again.'* HELEN I might. [^She drops the first coin into the empty jug. It falls with a clatter against the china bottom, STEVE What for? HELEN Oh — it might come in handy — some day. [She drops the others. STEVE What for.? HELEN Oh — I don't know. STEVE I do ! (He looks at her with a hroad gri/n) I bet 122 THE DETOUR [act m I do ! For her ! For the baby that ain't even born yet. Ha ! Ha, ha, ha, ah ha ! [^But Ms lowd, coarse laughter does not hurt her. She is standing, her face glorified, looking out into the future, her heart swelling with eternal hope. THE END