Class T^S^54S Rnnlf -l33rK4 CcpightW !72-2_ COPmiGHT DEPOSIT. V THE PLAYS OF PERCIVAL WILDE The Reckoning M Price 3S cents •'^°'0«SO'?SO<^.o-s«j5r..o' WALTER H. BAKER COMPANY 9 HAMILTON PLACE, BOSTON, MASS. EIGHT COMEDIES /or LITTLE THEATRES Including: ^ The Sequel, The Previous Engagement, The Dyspeptic Ogre, In the Net, A Wonderful Woman, Catesby, Embryo. Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net "Here is Mr. Wilde in lighter vein with eight comedies, and each one sa whimsically or charmingly something real about life. His stuff has fiber; his handling distinction. His plays all reveal the peculiar and essential quality of the playwright." — ^Algernon Tassin in The New York Herald. THE UNSEEN HOST and Other War Plays Including : The Unseen Host, Mothers of Men, In the Ravine, Valkyrie. Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net "No American dramatist handles clever dialogue and tense action more effectively than he does. His insight into character is incomparably keener than that of the writers of our Broadway successes. Taken together, these are the finest dramas the war has inspired in America." — Williams Haynes in The Dial. A QUESTION OF MORALITY and Other Plays Including: A Question of Morality, Confessional, The Villain in the Piece, According to Darwin, The Beautiful Story. Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net "Powerful, rapid in action, dramatic in construction and dialogue." — Hartford C our ant. "The subjects are those of most interest to-day, the treatment is fresh and sincere, and the author shows a keen sense of dramatic values." — The Independent. ■ "His dramatic aptitude and his command of his material are so pronounced that he may be classed among those few writers who have achieved distinction in this medium." — Hartford Times. " Percival Wilde is the most prolific and successful author in this kind of dramatic literature. He has established a distinguished reputation for himself in the history of the Little Theatre in this country." — Reedy' s Mirror. The Reckoning A Play in One Act l^3b By PERCIVAL WILDE NOTE The acting rights of this play are strictly reserved. Per- formances may be given by amateurs upon payment to the author of a royahy of five dollars (;?5.oo) for each perform- ance. Production by professional actors, without the written consent of the author, is forbidden. Persons who may wish to produce this play should apply to Mr. Percival Wilde, in care of Walter H. Baker Company, 9 Hamilton Place, Boston, Massachusetts. BOSTON WALTER H. BAKER COMPANY 1922 The Reckoning v^^^ CHARACTERS The Barber. The Customer. Copyright, 191 3, by Percival Wilde. New material added and Copyright, 1922. by Percival Wilde. A// rights reserved. *G1.D 62620 OCT 31 1922 The Reckoning The first Little Theatre production of ' ' The Reckoning" was made by the Players^ Detroit ^ Michigan ^ February iSth, ig22. The Barber . , . Michael W. Todd The Customer . . George, P. McMahon PLEASE NOTICE The acting rights in this play are strictly reserved by the author. Applications for its use should be addressed to Mr. Percival Wilde, in care of Walter H. Baker Company, Hamilton Place, Boston, Mass. Attention is called to the penalties provided by the Copy- right Law of the United States of America in force July i, 1909, for any infringement of his rights, as follows : Sec. 28. That any person who wilfully and for profit shall in- fringe any Copyright secured by this Act, or who shall knowingly and wilfully aid or abet such infringement, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment for not exceeding one year or by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, or both, at the discretion of the court. Sec. ag. That any person who, with fraudulent intent, shall insert or impress any notice of Copyright required by this Act, or words of the same purport, in or upon any uncopyrighted article, or with fraudulent intent shall remove or alter the copyright notice upon any article duly copyrighted shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars and not more than one thousand dollars. THE RECKONING The scene is a barber shop. At the center is the chair y facing a mirror and washstand at the right. The tiled walls are sprinkled with the usual advertisements. At the rear, a door leads up to the street by a -flight of two or three steps, A clock on the left wall indicates three. At the rise of curtain. The Barber, a man of fifty, is discovered sharpening a razor, and whis- tling softly to himself. He finishes with the razor; seats himself in the chair, takes up a paper, and reads. The door opens, and The Customer, a flashily- dressed individual of forty-five, enters the shop. The Barber (Rising at once) Good afternoon, sir. The Customer (Pulling out his watch) That clock right? 5 6 THE RECKONING The Barber Yes, sir ; Western Union time. Corrected every hour. The Customer My watch has run down. (He sets it.) Now, I've got just five minutes to spare. Can you shave me in that time.f^ The Barber Five minutes, sir. ^ Easy! Easy! The Customer All right. Go ahead. (He takes off his hat and coat, and moves toivards the chair.) The Barber Your collar also, sir. The Customer (Smiling) Fussy, aren't 3^ou? The Bx\rber Well, sir, I try to do my work well. The Customer (Takes off tie and collar , putting his expensive scarf-pin in the edge of his vest, which he does not remove) Satisfied now.^ THE RECKONING t The Barber Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. {He gets out sheet, towels, etc.) In a hurry, sir.? The Customer Yes. Got to attend a meeting at three-ten. The Barber Oh! The auction up-stairs.? The Customer Yes. (He glances at the clock.) You'll have to cut it pretty fine. The Barber Don't worry, sir. There's lots of time. . . • From the country, sir.^* The Customer (Lighting a cigar) Yes. Southerner. The Barber (Fastening the sheet) I thought so. I'm from the country myself. The Customer What part.? The Barber Oh, that would be difficult to say. You see, I've moved around so much that I'm neither a 8 THE RECKONING Southerner nor a Northerner. I'm just an Amer- ican. {He mixes the lather.) I Hved in a Httle town near Savannah for a year. The Customer Did jou.? Why, so did I. The Barber Yes, indeed. I used to see you — quite frequently • — though you never came into my shop. Then I went to Philadelphia. The Customer What year ? The Barber Let me think. It was April, twelve years ago. The Customer April, twelve years ago.? / went to Philadelphia the same month! The Barber I saw you there, too, sir. {He lets doim the chair suddenly.) The Customer {Startled) What are you doing? The Barbee I'm hurrying, sir. THE RECKONING 9 The Customer Well, you needn't break my neck about it. The Baiiber No, sir. (Lathering.) From Philadelphia I went to Newark. The Customer To Newark? The Barber And from Newark to Indianapolis. The Customer {Much surprised) What? The Barber And then Muscatine— for a few months — and Chicago — and Louisville. The Customer Why, one would think you had been following me about ! I've lived in every one of those places. The Barber Have you, sir? It's a little world, isn't it? The Customer You've been a barber right along .J* 10 THE RECKONING The Barber I couldn't do anything else, sir. It's my trade. The Customer {Smiling) Well, this is the first time you ever shaved me. The Barber Curious, isn't it.^* But it may be the last. The Customer That's so. I'm going to leave town right after the auction. The Barber If I may ask, sir, where are you going .f^ The Customer I don't know yet. (Jocularly.) Are you go- ing to follow me.'' The Barber Sooner or later, sir. It's going to be a long journey, isn't it.? The Customer What makes you think so.'' The Barber There's a long journey we all take — sooner or later. Eh.? THE RECKONING 11 The Customer A long journey? But you're wasting time, man! The Barber Am I, sir? {He strolls to the clock; looks at it; returns.) Fine weather we're having. The Customer (Impatiently) Yes. The Barber Though a little more rain would be good for the crops. The Customer Um. The Barber (Very leisurely) You know, sir, the young man who keeps the shoe store at the corner was saying as I trimmed his hair this morning The Customer (Interrupting) I don't care what he said! I want to get shaved ! 12 THE RECKONING The Barber Yes, sir! Yes, sir! And — and the young lady who runs the news stand up-stairs — right next to the elevator, sir — she was saying that she had never The Customer (Interrupting more violently) I told you once I don't care what your friends were saying! I've got to be at that meeting at three-ten. The Barber Yes, sir. The Customer My time is almost up. You'll have to hurry. The Barber (Slapping on more lather) Don't worry, sir. I always keep my promises. Why, I remember, sir, back in Savannah, when my poor daughter was alive, I promised The Customer (Interrupting angrily) I don't give a damn for your daughter ! The Barber (Mildly) No, sir. I didn't think you did. THE RECKONING 13 The Customer And jour time is up. The Barber (Beginning to shave) Oh, no, sir ! It hasn't begun. The Customer (Starting) What do you mean? The Barber Don't do that again, sir! You don't know how near you came to cutting yourself! The Customer You promised to finish with me in five minutes! The Barber No, sir, if you will allow me to contradict you, I did not. The Customer You said you would shave me in five minutes. The Barber Yes, sir. That is correct. The Customer And it's 14 THE RECKONING The Barber Easy, sir, easy! The razor is sharp! (Shath ing.) When I promised to shave you in five min- utes, I didn't say anything about lathering. That takes several minutes by itself. The Customer What? The Barber Now you've done it! {He applies styptic to a cut on The Customer's face.) Smarts, doesn't it? The Customer {Furious) You clumsy, awkward, conceited galoot ! The Barber {With sudden and overwhelming rage) Don't talk to a gentleman like that ! You cur ! ( With a sudden resumption of his obsequious man- ner.) I did it on purpose. The Customer {Gasping) Wh-what do you mean? The Barber {BespectfuUy) You really mustn't accuse me of being clumsy, THE RECKONING 15 sir. I'm not clumsy. If I cut jou, it was quite ■ intentional — like this ! {Cutting him a second time.) The Customer Damnation! Are you crazy? The Barber (Applying the styptic) No, sir, I'm quite sane. (The Customer tries to sit up.) Oh, don't do that, sir! Don't do that ! My razor is frightfully sharp ! The Customer (Panic-stricken) I want to sit up ! The Barber Don't try it while the razor is at your throat, sir. It is sure to be fatal. The Customer Then take it away ! The Barber Oh, no, no, no! When I am through shaving you — not before. Now take it easy, sir. Lie back quietly! Quietly! That's it. 16 THE RECKONING The Customer (Controlling himself with an effort, and putting his cigar in his mouth) What are you going to do with me? What's this? A hold-up? The Barber What am I (With a sudden access of rage.) Take that filthy thing out of your mouth! (He snatches the cigar, and throws it to the floor; continues obsequiously.) What am I going to do with you, sir? Why, really, I haven't the slight- est idea. Er — can't you suggest something? The Customer (Quickly and earnestly) Listen to me. I must be at that meeting at once! I can't spare another minute. If I am not there before three-fifteen I will be ruined — do you understand me ? — ruined ! The Barber You needn't raise your voice, sir. My hearing is excellent. (He lathers again, keeping the razor near The Customer's throat.) The Customer (Piteously) Can*t 1 convince you? I THE RECKONING 17 The Bakbee Oh, I believe you. Don't let that trouble you. In fact, I know all about the meeting. There's going to be an auction, and unless you bid, it will be all up with you. The Customer Then you'll let me go there .'^ The Barbee I'm afraid I won't, sir. The Customer But The Barbee If I may use your own words, sir, I don't give a damn about your meeting. The Customee {Angrily) Who the devil do you think The Barber (Interrupting him hy running the lather brush into his mouth) Oh, shut up! (There is a pause.) The Customer I'll — I'll give you ten dollars to let me go. 18 THE RECKONING The Barber (Acting as if he did not hear) Beg pardon, sir? The Customer {Taking the scarf-pin from the edge of his vest.) This scarf-pin — ^it's worth five hundred dol- lars — I'll give The Barber {Raises his hand to his ear, knocking the pin out of The Customer's hand) I don't hear well on this side. Try the other. The Customer A thousand dollars! I'll give you a thousand dollars ! The Barber I'm afraid it won't do, sir. You see, the young lady who runs the news stand up-stairs says — 3^ou won't interrupt me this time, will you.^^ — she sa3^s it's important to keep customers in sight. There's nothing so bad for trade as an empty shop. The Customer Oh, have you no heart? It's almost too late now ! Every second is worth a dollar to me ! THE RECKONING 19 The Bauber Well, sir, it will console you to know that my time is worth very little. The Customer Flease let me up 1 If I wait two minutes longer, I might as well shoot myself. The Barber I shan't object, sir. The Customer Oh! Oh! Oh! The Barber So you are beginning to feel some regrets? I'm glad to see it. I always thought you'd regret sooner or later. (Shaving.) By the way, sir, haven't you recognized me yet? The Customer Recognized you? The Barber Oh, I see. You thought I was just a lunatic. Well, I'm not. Look at me. Look at me closely. The Customer I don't know you I 20 THE RECKONING The Barber No? Well, just say to yourself, " Twelve years ago this man's hair was not so gray. Twelve years ago this man's face didn't show so many lines of care. Twelve years ago this man lived — ^well, in a little town near Savannah, and " The Customer {Beginning to recognize him) You — you can't be The Barber Say it. The Customer Kilburn! The Barber Yes, Kilburn! The Customer {Hoarsely) And you followed me about ! The Barber For twelve years ! The Customer From town to town ! The Barber I was never more than a week behind you. THE RECKONING 21 The Customer {With unutterable horror) Good God ! The Barber Yes, God. I used to think of Him a great deal, John. I used to ask Him why He never brought you into my shop. The Customer Oh! Oh! The Barber But He brought you here at last, John! He brought you here at last! (He pauses.) For twelve mortal years I've been hoping for this day ! Once, in Muscatine, you came in, but there was another man in the chair, and you wouldn't wait. Once, in Louisville, you crossed my threshold, looked at your watch, and walked out again. But sooner or later, John, I knew you'd walk into my shop, and sit down in my chair! That day has come ! {He looks into his eyes.) You and I, John, the two of us, have a long account to settle, haven't we.'' Fve been one of your creditors, too! And this is the reckoning, John! You're going to pay me — pay me in full — and you're going to pay me now! 22 THE RECKONING The Customer What are you going to do? The Barbee That's a hard question, John. I'd be justified in cutting your throat, wouldn't I? The Customer It would be murder ! The Barber Ugly word, isn't it? The Customer Murder in the first degree ! The Barber Oh, of course! The Customer They'd get you as sure as fate ! The Barber I wouldn't run away. The Customer But, Kilburn, think what you are doing! The Barber I've been thinking about it for twelve years, John, THE RECKONING 23 The Customer I'm on my back, helpless ! The Baeber You'd run if I let you up. The Customer But give me a chance ! Kilburn, give me The Barber {Interrwpting) No, John, you get no chance. You gave Jennie none. {He pauses.) She was just eighteen when you came to our town. She was only a child, John, only a child. Her mother was dead. I was all she had — and she was all I had. And I was trying to bring her up right — to make her the same kind of a woman her mother had been, if you know what that means. The Customer I didn't The Barber Don't tell me what you did and what you didn't ! She loved you — and — and I trusted you. You were going to get married. You took her away with you — and you didn't marry her! Marriage? Why, you never thought of it ! You couldn't get her any other way — you wanted her — and you got 24 THE RECKONING her! You didn't care about me, and you didn't care about her. She was a toy. She amused you, and when you were through with her, you flung her into the gutter! It makes me sick to think of it! {He goes on more quietly.) She came home six months later. How she got back all the way from where you'd taken her, I don't know — and I don't like to guess. And then — then The Customee I'll marry her now, Kilburn. The Barber You'll have to ask her about that. The Customer {Eagerly) Well? The Barber In two minutes you'll be able to ask her. The Customer What do you mean? The Barber She's dead, John — dead. (The Customer groans. Then, sud- denly, he tries to rise. The Barber places his hand over his forehead and eyes, and forces him hack into the chair.) THE RECKONING 25 The Barber Thirty seconds for your prayers, John ! The Customer Don't kill me, man ! Don't kill me ! I'm not fit to die! I'm not ready! A minute! Two min- utes ! I'm too young ! Don't kill (The Barber, still zvith his hand upon the other man's eyes, suddenly seizes a wet towel and strikes him across the throat with it. The Customer faints. The Barber looks at him contemptu- ously; abruptly raises the chair to a sit- ting position; puts aivay the razor.) The Barber So your nerve gave way, John? Your nerve gave way? {He spreads the towel over The Cus- tomer's face and roughly zmpes away the lather.) The Customer (Beginning to come to; faintly) Where am I? The Barber You ought to be in hell, but I guess you're still on God's good earth. 26 THE RECKONING The Customeu (Putting his hand to his throat) You — 3^ou didn't kill me? The Barber No. I didn't. The Customer {Standing up) And jou could have! The Barber John, when you're just about to cross the river, when your e3^es are beginning to glaze and your heart's about to stop beating, 3 ou won't be nearer death than you were a minute ago! The Customer Why didn't you kill me.? The Barber It wouldn't bring back Jennie, would it? The Customer {With a sneer) Were you afraid? The Barber After I had been looking forward to it for twelve years? No. THE RECKONING 27 The Customer Then why The Barber (Grimly) You'll remember why! (He helps him on with his coat.) John, tell me: are fellows who are so brave with women always so cowardly when they deal with men? Or, (breaking off, speaking slowly) , or, perhaps, was it on account of that meeting? The Customer That meeting? Good Lord! The Barber Yes, the meeting. The Customer (Looking af the clock) Twenty-five minutes past! I'm ruined! I'm ruined ! The Barber (Half to himself) I didn't kill you, no ! I left you your life, but I made it worthless ! I broke you ! I broke you ! The Customer (Has crossed stealthily to the door) Kilburn ! 28 THE RECKONING The Barber (Startled at the sudden change in his voice) Yes? The Customer {Hysterically) Thought I was a fool, did jou? Thought I'd tell you the real time of the meeting? The Barber What do you mean? The Customer {Shrieking) You ass ! You idiot ! The meeting doesn't be- gin till three-thirty! The Barber {Calmly) Is that all? Well, the clock {pointing to ijt) is half an hour slow. CURTAIN PERCIVAL WILDE'S PLAYS ^ partial list of Theatres in which Mr. Wilde's plays ha've been produced Arts and Crafts Theatre, Detroit, Mich. Arts League of Service, London, England. Art Drama Players, New York City, Arts Club, Washington, D. C. Ahmy Players, Louisville, Ky. Amateur Comedy Club, New York City. Associated University Players, Seattle, Wash. Brooklyn Repertory Theatre, Brooklyn, N. Y. Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, Brooklyn, N. Y. Bramhall Theatre, New York City. Chautauqua Players, Chautauqua, N. Y. Community Players, Boston, Mass. Community Players, Chatham, N. J. Community Players, Jefferson, N. Y. Community Theatre, Grinnell, Iowa. Community Theatre, Hollywood, Cal. Community Theatre, Richmond Hill, N, Y. Country Players, Harmon, N. Y. The Cues of Kew, N. Y. East-West Players, New York City. Gardens Players. Forest Hills, N. Y. Great Northern Players, Chicago, 111. Harris Theatre. New York City. Lanai Theatre, Honolulu, Hawaii. Lenox Little Theatre, New York City. Lincoln Heights Community Theatre, Los Angeles, Cal. Little Theatre, Alva, Okla. Little Theatre, Brookville, Pa. Little Theatre, Erie, Pa. Little Theatre, Houston, Tex. Little Theatre, Oakland, Cal. Little Theatre, Rochester, N. Y. Little Country Theatre, Agricultural College, No. Dak. Little Theatre Society, Milwaukee, Wis. Little Theatre Society of Indiana, Indianapolis, Ind. McCallum's Theatre, Northampton, Mass. The Mummers, New York City. Municipal Theatre, Northampton, Mass. Mutual Welfare League, Sing Sing Prison, Ossining, N. Y. Neighborhood Players, Newark, N. J. Palace Theatre, Buenos Aires, Argentine, S. A. Peoples Players, Evanston, Ind. Peabody Playhouse, Boston, Mass. The Players, Detroit, Mich. Plays and Players, Philadelphia, Pa. The Playhouse on the Moors, Gloucester, Mass. Prairie Playhouse, Galesburg, III. Playhouse Association of Summit, N. J. Prince Street Players, Rochester, N. Y. Princess Theatre, New York City. St. Francis Little Theatre, San Francisco, Cal. Sinai Center Players, Chicago, 111. vStuyvesant Players, New York City. Temple Players, Newark, N. J. University Players, Cincinnati, Ohio. Village Players, La JoUa, Cal. Vincintian Players, Schenectady, N. Y. Wisconsin Players, Milwaukee, Wis. Wise Center Players, Cincinnati, Ohio. Ypsilanti Players, Ypsilanti, Mich. -'ALTER H. BAKER CO., PUBLISHERS BOSTON, MASS. THE PLAYS OF PERCIVAL WILDE The following plays are now obtainable in separate volumes: DAWN. Drama in One Act. 2 men, i woman and a child. Scene, an interior. THE NOBLE LORD. Comedy in One Act. 2 men, i woman. Scene, an exterior. THE TRAITOR. Play in One Act. 7 men. Scene, an interior. Costumes, modem and military. A HOUSE OP CARDS. Play in One Act. I man, i woman. Scene, an interior. PLAYING WITH FIRE. Comedy in One Act. 1 man, 2 women. Scene, an interior. THE FINGER OF GOD. Play in One Act. 2 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. CONFESSIONAL. Play in One Act. 3 men, 3 women. . Scene, an interior. THE VILLAIN IN THE PIECE. An Unromantic Comedy. 2 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. THE BEAUTIFUL STORY. Play in One Act. 1 man, i woman and a child. Scene, an interior. A QUESTION OF MORALITY. Play in One Act. 3 men, i woman. Scene, an interior. THE RECKONING. Drama in One Act. 2 men. Scene, an interior. THE LINE OF NO RESISTANCE. Comedy in One Act. I man, 2 women. Scene, an interior. Price, 35 cents each. DAWN and Other One-Act Plays of Life Today Including: Dawn, The Noble Lord, The Traitor, A House of Cards, Playing with Fire, The Finger of God Price, cloth binding, $1.50 net "A striking talent ... An emphatic technical dexterity . . . Obviously written to be acted." — Clayton Hamilton in The Bookman, "I read it through at one sitting and got real thrills from it." — Augustus Thomas. "What O. Henry has done in his stories, Mr. Wilde has done in these little plays." — G. W. Stark in Detroit News. 181932 I