o/ 
 
 Ly 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 By Serial 
 
 10756 
 
 Jackson Prison 
 
 Price 
 
 35 
 
 Cents 
 
 ♦•♦♦■5*4' v*** 
 
 M.S. p. 
 
 Dramatic 
 Club 
 
 
 <■» 
 
 M. S. P. Press, Jackson, Mich. 
 
MAR II 1918 ' @CI.D 49745 
 
 <'Vt-»^ k 
 

 
 S^htmttntt 
 
 DEDICATED TO 
 
 xvho are eager and ATvilling to give their lives, 
 
 if need be, so the folks back home may 
 
 not be forever overshadow^ed with 
 
 the possibilities of a tyran^ 
 
 nical Prussia nism. 
 
 —The Author. 
 
 
 from the sale of this book to 
 be devoted to the establishing 
 of a COMLFORX FUNO for the 
 American Soldiers Over There 
 
ACT three: 
 
 "JoKn Steel, this is to be your lesson. 
 
 may be Ker's!" ( Fage 12 ) 
 
 scene: one: 
 
 Pray God it 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Three 
 
 A Plea to Society at large for 
 The American Soldier 
 
 FROM the innumerable, who through 
 wrong perspectives in the course of 
 human events, have fallen by the 
 wayside, and, after having fallen, been cast 
 into an abiding place of silent meditation and 
 thought, we, lohe DRAMATIC CLUB, 
 of JACKSON PRISON, do, in this little 
 booklet, try to bring to you a glimpse of our 
 true understanding of some of the deeper 
 phases of life, and a revelation of many John 
 Steels in our midst whose hearts of pure gold 
 are now covered by a felon's suit of gray 
 
^ REALIZATION ^ 
 
 (Time: PRESENT. Place: NEW YORK CITY) 
 
 A Living', Breatlning', Social Drama o/ Present Day American Life. Written 
 
 by an Inmate, Stag'ed by Inmates, Directed by Inmates, Acted by 
 
 Inmates of T3/)e Michig'an State Prison, JacKson, Mich. 
 
 CAST: 
 
 JOHN STEEL— A promising young civil engineer, holding 
 the position of Chief Engineer with The Morgan En- 
 gineering Co. , New York City. 
 
 NELL STEEL— Social, ambitious wife of John Steel, who is 
 eagerly trying to break into the New York Four Hundred. 
 
 ROBERT HENSHAW— Wealthy old bachelor uncle of John 
 
 Steel. „ , „ T.- 
 
 JAMES C. MORGAN— President of the Morgan Engmeering 
 
 D. A. RITTMAN— District Attorney, New York County, N.Y. 
 
 MARIE - 
 
 JACK MONTGOMERY— Senior member of the firm, Mont- 
 gomery & Paige, brokers, Wall street. New York City. 
 5 Maid in the Steel home. 
 / Maid in the Henshaw home. 
 "BUB" — Office boy in the offices of the Morgan Engineering 
 
 Company. 
 THOMAS— Cashier of the Morgan Engineering Co. 
 
 OFFICER— Detective from police headquarters, N. Y. City. 
 BELL BOY— Bell boy National Hotel, Akatoon, Iowa. 
 
 Act I. 
 
 Sitting room in the Steel apartment. Riverside Drive, New 
 York City. , . . . 
 
 Upon the arising of the curtain Steel is sittmg at center 
 table looking over a bill from his wife's gown maker. 
 
 After looking over same for few seconds (leans back in chair) 
 and soliloquizes: 
 
 Steel— ' 'Only twenty- four hundred this time 
 —four gowns at six hundred per. What can Nell 
 be thinking of anyway? This society game must 
 be getting her better judgment; since she's gotten 
 this social craze in her head she's lost all concep- 
 tion of the value of a dollar; just goes ahead and 
 spends, never stopping for a moment to consider 
 where I am to get the where-with-all to pay her 
 bills. She must be under the impression that my 
 income is eighty thousand a year instead of eight. 
 Well, there must be a definite understanding. I 
 must try and bring her back to her better self." 
 
 (Enter Nell) just having returned from an afternoon of 
 bridge at the home of Jane Callder, the wife of a pro- 
 minent New York promoter. 
 
 Having lost sixty dollars in the afternoon's play she starts a 
 rapid-fire conversation, not wanting Steel to know of her 
 loss untill she sees the mood displayed. 
 
 Nell— [Walks to Steel and kisses him] , saying: 
 "Hello, dearie; I just came from Jane Callder's" 
 [she walks around table and sits down in chair op- 
 posite Steel, removes hat and gloves, lays them on 
 table, talking all the while.] We had a few hands 
 of bridge, I had the darndest luck imaginable, but 
 I only lost sixty." 
 
 Steel— [Scowling] "Only sixty; mere trifle; 
 you can go out on the Drive and pick sixty dollars 
 from the trees at any hour in the day I suppose?" 
 
 Nell— [Paying no attention to this last re- 
 mark] "Well (unconcerned), I suppose my luck 
 will change one of these days." 
 
 Steel— "Yes, it's going to change pretty 
 damn soon, Nell." 
 
 Nell— "What did you say?" 
 
 Steel— "Nothing, nothing; I was only think- 
 ing aloud. ' ' 
 
 Nell— "Say, John, Bert Ransome bought Bess 
 the duckiest Fiat Roadster last week. She drove 
 me home in it this afternoon. You know he made 
 a great lot of money in that co-operative hardware 
 deal he promoted. He always gives Bess some 
 
 kind of a handsome present whenever he makes 
 one of his 'clean-ups', as he calls them. I do wish, 
 John, you would get in some business like that so 
 perhaps we could have a few of these small pleas- 
 ures our friends enjoy." 
 
 Steel— [Picks up bill from table and studies 
 it] "So you could ride around in Fiat Roadsters 
 bought with money gained on the sorrows and tears 
 of the small dealers whom I had forced to sell out 
 to me as Bert Ransome and his crowd have done in 
 this latest clean -up of theirs?" 
 
 Nell— [Sees him looking at bill] "Oh yes, 
 John, I meant to give you that bill this morning so 
 you could send Madam a check right away. I hate 
 to make her wait even a day, as she is such a dear 
 with me, never disappoints; and, as every one re- 
 marks, fits me so exact." 
 
 Steel— "I'm afraid if you keep this pace up 
 much longer Madam will have to wait a good 
 many days for a check. (Awaiting no comment.) 
 Where is this twenty-four hundred coming from, 
 Nell? (He leans both arms on table, watching her 
 eagerly.) Do you realize that I will be compelled 
 to borrow this money to enable me to pay this bill 
 for the satisfaction of your vanity and foppery? 
 (Awaiting no reply. ) When we gave up our little 
 home on Long Island to come here to live we both 
 agreed to be conservative in money matters and 
 continue as we did when out there to lay something 
 away for a rainy day. Now, if it rains, I'm afraid 
 neither of us will have enough to buy an umbrella. 
 You have not only spent the few thousand we had 
 in the rainy day fund, but have also put me in debt 
 three or four thousand." 
 
 Nell— "What do you expect me to do— live 
 and dress like a pauper?" 
 
 Steel— "No, but I did expect you to at least 
 honor our mutual declaration of conservatism to 
 the extent of living and spending in proportion to 
 our means. But instead, you have rushed madly 
 and blindly into this social game of ghtter and 
 mockery; you have taken unto yourself its tango- 
 ing, cigarette smoking, wine drinking, card play- 
 ing, unwomanly principles, along with creating the 
 one ambition in your heart of becoming one of the 
 New York Four Hundred. (He leans over table, 
 arising from chair, places both hands _ on her 
 shoulders, pleads with her.) You're soaring on a 
 cloud of illusion, Nell, that is bound to burst and 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Five 
 
 drop you into a chasm of utter despair. Give it up, 
 dear. Come back to earth and the true things 
 in life. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to me. ' ' 
 
 Nell— [Shaking his hands from her shoulders 
 and pouting] ' 'There you go again, harping on the 
 same old topic— money. I get beastly tired of it, 
 morning, noon and night. You don't care to see 
 me look half-way decent. I suppose you would like 
 to have me buy my clothes at Binell's or the 15th 
 street store and chase bargain sales and the like? 
 Well, let me tell you, John Steel, I don't intend 
 coming down to the level of a shop girl just for the 
 sake of saving a few paltry dollars that will never 
 be missed." 
 
 Steel— [Walking around table and looking 
 down at her] ' 'You talk like a child, Nell. You 
 know if I could afford it I would buy every style 
 shop in Paris for you. God knows I want you to 
 have the best my income will permit; but come, 
 now, be reasonable, wouldn't a two hundred dol- 
 lar gown have answered the same purpose as a six 
 hundred dollar one? Come, dear, promise me 
 you'll give up these lately acquired false notions of 
 happiness of yours. I can't afford it, girlie. Won't 
 you listen; won't you understand?" 
 
 Nell— [Shrugs her shoulders, takes cigarette 
 from little gold cigarette case at bosom and lights 
 it] "You are always crying 'Can't afford it.' Why 
 don't you divorce yourself from your profession 
 long enough to make a pile in another line the way 
 some of our friends do? You are just as bright, 
 just as talented, just as capable as they are. After 
 you have made it, go back to the only thing you 
 love on earth, your profession." (She blows a 
 cloud of smoke to the ceiling. ) 
 
 Steel - [Walks to end of room, head bent, 
 thinking; he runs his hand through hair; he turns, 
 raises his head and walks back to her, sits down 
 on edge of table, half turned to her] ' 'You speak 
 of making a pile in another line the way some of 
 our friends do. First, I want to state these peo- 
 ple are no friends of mine. A pickpocket won't 
 steal a friend's pocketbook (he casts his eyes to the 
 floor) ; it's against their moral code. But these 
 people, whom you choose to term my friends, have 
 stolen something far more precious to me than 
 mere dollars. They have stolen you (he turns his 
 eyes upon her and leans toward her) ; the you that 
 used to be you, and have left me a you I can't 
 understand in return, and yet you would have me 
 become as they are— men devoid of all principle, 
 men utterly lacking in feeling for their fellow men, 
 men who would trample and kick and tear apart 
 their own brother if he were down and struggling 
 to arise, if the point at issue were the attainment 
 of the mighty God, Mammon." (He arises from 
 table and walks to chair at end of table and sits 
 down.) 
 
 Nell— "All piffle; you always were too honest 
 for your own good and you know it. ' ' 
 
 Steel — [Leans forward in chair] "Honest, 
 eh? If so, I'm proud of the fact. One thing is 
 certain, when I lie down at night no visions arise 
 before my eyes wherein I see mothers and fathers 
 and little children with arms extended, begging me 
 for the bread I took from their mouths by some 
 gold-gleaming, silver-tongued, worthless promotion 
 scheme. This is something these so-called friends 
 of yours cannot truthfully say." 
 
 Nell— [Taking and lighting another cigarette] 
 "You should have been a Socialist, John, they cer- 
 tainly would have nominated you for President." 
 
 Steel — "Socialist, or whatever I should have 
 been, I know whereof I speak when I say it is men 
 of your friends' caliber who are making this 
 country of ours the most corrupt nation on God's 
 earth, with their buying of legislation, their brib- 
 ing of judges and states attornies (he arises from 
 chair, becoming greatly excited) ; I tell you, Nell, 
 it's these men and their kind who are making us 
 the scorn of the world and making it even hard for 
 an honest man to live honest any more. I have 
 had them come to me with their dirty propositions, 
 requesting me to specify their steel or their cement 
 in my plans. Of course I was to be taken care of. 
 I tell you I know how petty and low they are from 
 actual personal experience. ' ' 
 
 Nell -[Arising from chair and starting to 
 leave the room] "I'll not sit here and listen to you 
 speak of my friends that way. ' ' 
 
 Steel — [Intercepting her] ' 'The truth hurts, 
 eh? You're going back there and sit down (he 
 points to chair very commandingly. ) I'm painting 
 these friends of yours as they really and truly are, 
 with no shading or retouching. I have only half 
 finished. I insist upon you staying until I have 
 finished the canvas. ' ' 
 
 Nell — "I'll not stay another minute." (She 
 tries to walk past him; he blocks her way.) 
 
 Steel— "You are going back to that chair (he 
 puts his face close to her's, looks in her eyes) 
 until I have finished what I have to say. Go! (he 
 points to chair she has just left. C A frightened 
 look comes to her eyes, she backs into chair and 
 sits down; he sits down on edge of table facing 
 her.) To resume, it's these men and their kind 
 who are driving poor shop girls to a life of shame 
 and prostitution by their lying promises of much 
 gold in exchange for these poor girls' virtue. They 
 have no respect for marriage vows, their own or 
 anyone else's; they'd just as soon steal another 
 man's wife as they would his money by their 
 watered promotion schemes. It's them and their 
 kind, through their dirty thieving get-rich-quick 
 schemes, who are driving clerks and book-keepers 
 and underpaid employees to steal from their 
 firms so as to enable them to invest in their pro- 
 positions, finally landing the poor fellows in the 
 penitentiary, while they go their unmolested, un- 
 righteous way. These are some of the actions of 
 your so-called friends; these are some of the 
 sources of some of your friends' diamonds and 
 automobiles, and five thousand dollar fur coats and 
 the like; these are some of the principles upon 
 which some of your elite are builded and supported, 
 and for which you are sacrificing your better self 
 to become a part. These are their hnes, Nell; I 
 think I'll stick to mine. The canvas is completed. 
 I trust you will view it, Nell, from all its angles 
 and think, and think deep, before you are a day 
 older. 
 
 Nell— [She arises and starts for the door, say- 
 ing] "John, you certainly are an idealist. I am 
 afraid you never will be a millionaire." (She 
 exits.) (He leaves table and drops in chair in 
 front of grate fire at side of room, gazes in fire, 
 saying) : 
 
 Steel— "Our friends! her friends! Oh, where 
 is my Nell of yesterday whom you have stolen 
 from me? (Looking in fire, stretches out his arms 
 to an imaginary object, saying): Nell! my Nell! 
 oh come, come back to me!" 
 
 [Curtain descends very slowly.] 
 
Page Six 
 
 REALIZATION 
 
 Act II. 
 
 SCENE ONE 
 
 Next Day. Steel's Private Office, Morgan Engineering Co., 
 Broadway, New York City. 
 
 In connection by door with Steel's office is the firm's private 
 vault wherein is deposited plans and specifications of 
 past jobs constructed by the firm. This connection is so 
 as to enable Steel easy access to same, to refer to old 
 plans and specifications in new work. 
 
 At the present time the firm has deposited in the vault 
 seventy-five thousand dollars in negotiable securities, 
 which are to be used as a time guarantee on some bridge 
 job the firm is about to construct. 
 
 [Steel is seated at desk going over some plans.] 
 Telephone on desk rings, he answers. ] 
 
 Steel — "Hello!" __pause_ "Yes; him talking. " 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Oh! Hello Jack, how are you?" 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "I'm fine, thanks." 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Nell? She's well, thanks." 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "You say you want to let me in on 
 something good?" 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "I will need about twenty thousand, 
 you say?" 
 
 Pause 
 
 " [Laughing] "Why, I haven't a thous- 
 and to my name, old man." 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "You'll come over and explain?" 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Sure, come; I don't think it will do 
 much good though. ' ' 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Well, come over anyway. " 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "All right, old man, I'll expect you. 
 Good-by." 
 
 [Hangs up receiver, sits back in chair in deep study] solilo- 
 quizes: 
 
 Steel — "It's mighty good of Jack to think of 
 me, but how the devil am I going into a proposition 
 requiring twenty thousand? It would be nice if I 
 could pick up a few extra thousand now and then. 
 Perhaps this would enable me to let Nell go the 
 limit in this social depravity of hers. Perhaps 
 after she had gone the limit for awhile she would 
 come to realize how false and narrow the game is 
 and, upon realizing, come back to her real self 
 once more." (Knock at door.) 
 
 Steel— "Come!" [Enter Bub, the office boy, 
 with card of Jack Montgomery's.] 
 
 Bub— "Dere's a gentleman out dere to see yer, 
 Mr. Steel." (Hands Steel card.) 
 
 Steel— [Reads card.] "Show the gentleman 
 in, Bub." 
 
 Bub — "Yes, sir." (Bub exits. Returns to 
 door directly and announces) : ' 'Mr. Jack Mont- 
 gomery!" (Enter Montgomery; Bub closes door 
 upon Montgomery's entry.) 
 
 Steel— [Arises from chair, shakes Montgom- 
 ery's extended hand] saying: "How are you. Jack? 
 I'm glad to see you. Have a chair." (He offers 
 chair standing along side of desk. ) 
 
 Mont.— [Sitting down] "I'm tip-top, John; 
 and you and Nell?" 
 
 Steel— "We're both fine, thanks." (Steel 
 opens desk drawer, taking out box of cigars. 
 Hands box to Montgomery. ) 
 
 Steel — "Have a cigar?" (Both take cigars 
 and light them.) 
 
 MoNT.—- [Glancing at desk] upon which a blue- 
 print is spread. — "I see you are still hard at it, old 
 boy. Don't you ever take a day off? You are 
 without a doubt the most devoted man to your pro- 
 fession I ever knew." 
 
 Steel— "I guess I am devoted to it, Jack. 
 Next to Nell I guess it's the dearest thing in life to 
 me. You know, Jack, it's a wonderful thing, this 
 building game— the perfection of your ideas into 
 reality is just like bringing up a child; but of 
 course I can't expect one not of the profession to 
 see it from my viewpoint." 
 
 Mont. — "Of course not." 
 
 Steel — "You see it's this way, Jack: first, 
 along comes some Trust Company or other corpora- 
 tion, whose board of directors have voted a new 
 home. After the plans have been drawn, requests 
 are sent out for bids; your firm receives one of the 
 requests. You being engineer-in-chief, you are 
 notified of the fact, with instructions to go to it. 
 This means your firm is in the running; it's up to 
 you to do the landing. You start at once formu- 
 lating your plans in here (he taps his forehead) 
 until you can see the minutest detail in your mind's 
 eye. After this has been accomplished; after the 
 strength of every necessary bolt, every beam, 
 every girder has been figured, with the cost of each 
 item plus the amount of labor required to carry 
 out the work, your net result is transferred to 
 paper in the form of plans and specifications. 
 These are then submitted to your client with your 
 firm's figures for doing the job. If your figure is 
 lower than the other fellow's, you win; if not, all 
 your brain-racking for nothing. After the con- 
 tract is signed, the time guarantee posted, you are 
 ready for the real fight. First, your survey is run, 
 then comes the excavating of the site. This com- 
 pleted, the foundation is laid, then from this step 
 on your child is raised to full maturity. Then 
 some fine morning you come down to the job and 
 there, where a few months ago stood an old frame 
 structure or vacant lot, now stands a wonderful 
 gigantic building, wherein shortly will be housed 
 the business of thousands of your fellow men. 
 (He becomes greatly excited, gesticulating to an 
 imaginary building.) You stand awe-stricken. 
 Can you imagine or realize the feeling that comes 
 over you?— the gripping of the heart-strings, the 
 exultation and glory when you see standing before 
 you the work of your hand and brain in all its 
 beauty, in all its strength personified. This is 
 what holds me, Jack; this is what I am devoted to. 
 Do you blame me?" 
 
 MoNT. — "God! John, with your intensity of 
 purpose, what a hit you'd make in the Street. The 
 financial world is calling for men like you, and this 
 little proposition of mine is going to be the entering 
 wedge if you'll come." 
 
 Steel— "I wouldn't give up my profession for 
 all the money in Wall Street and the Bank of Eng- 
 land combined. Jack." 
 
 MoNT. — [Lighting his cigar, which has gone 
 out, and handing Steel the lit match] "It won't do 
 no harm to explain?" 
 
 Steel— "No, of course not, old man." (Steel 
 lights cigar. ) 
 
 Mont. — "A crowd of us little fellows in the 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Seven. 
 
 Street have been quietly. buying for the past eight- 
 een months all the Tin Plate Amalgamated stock we 
 could get our hands on. We have just one of the 
 big fellows in with us, he being the pivot upon 
 which the whole little scheme revolves. Some 
 time ago he and the other big chaps had a tiff that 
 day by day became deeper and deeper. One of our 
 crowd heard of it, went to him and explained our 
 proposition, using for his strongest argument, if he 
 would come in with us, the chance it would afford 
 him of putting one over on his enemies. He saw 
 the point and agreed to come in. He holds a big 
 block of Amalgamated preferred. With this block 
 of stock and the Amalgamated president's block, 
 whom he has influenced to come in, and with what 
 stock we fellows have quietly bought up, we now 
 have in our control forty-nine per cent of all the 
 capital and surplus stock of the company. We 
 need forty thousand dollars to obtain the other two 
 per cent that will give us fifty-one per cent and 
 control. We have twenty of the forty thousand 
 promised, so we really only need twenty thousand 
 more. Every one of us have got our all sunk in 
 this proposition; none of us can command another 
 dollar. If we can raise this other twenty thousand 
 and obtain control, the morning after control is 
 secured our brokers on the floor will be instructed 
 to offer ninety for any part or all of ten thousand 
 shares of Amalgamated Tin preferred. This will 
 create the demand; our brokers will keep bidding 
 it up until it reaches 140 or 150. During the excite- 
 ment a set of brokers we will have in reserve will 
 receive instructions to unload. Well, you know the 
 answer, John— the lambs pay us." 
 
 Steel— [Greatly excited] "Yes! yes! Go on. 
 Jack!" 
 
 Mont. — "Well, you know they say it takes a 
 ton of gold to make a million. If we don't have 
 thirty or forty ton when the show is over, I miss 
 my guess. And, John, do you know what that 
 twenty thousand invested will mean?" 
 
 Steel— ' 'Not the least idea. ' ' 
 
 Mont. — [He takes paper and pencil from desk 
 and figures] "About, let me see (pause), $200,000 
 clear. ' ' 
 
 Steel— [In amazement] ' 'More than I will 
 make here in the next twenty years. ' ' 
 
 Mont. — ' 'Yes [he slaps Steel on the knee] , but 
 I want you to get that twenty thousand and come 
 in with us, John." 
 
 Steel— "Me! [surprised] Why, I haven't got 
 two thousand, old man, not alone twenty." 
 
 Mont. — "If I were you I should certainly take 
 advantage of this opportunity, John; a like one 
 may never come again in your lifetime. Certainly 
 your uncle. Bob Henshaw, would loan you the 
 money for a few days. You at least ought to try, 
 old man; you owe it to yourself, you owe it to 
 Nell." 
 
 Steel— ' 'You say it will only take a few days 
 to put everything through?" 
 
 Mont. — ' 'If we could get the needed twenty 
 thousand today, everything will be over by Friday 
 at the very latest. ' ' 
 
 Steel— [Thinking for a moment] "Hold this 
 open until four this afternoon, will you, Jack? By 
 God! I'm going to try to raise that twenty thous- 
 and." 
 
 Mont. — [Arising from chair] "I'll wait at the 
 office until four-thirty this afternoon. Let me 
 know one way or the other by then. Are you and 
 Nell going to the Callder affair tonight?" 
 
 Steel— "I guess so." 
 
 Mont. —"I have to run up to Budd's to get a 
 new evening vest; mine are all soiled, and my man 
 forgot to send them to the laundry. ' ' 
 
 Steel. — "Who are you taking. Jack?" 
 
 Mont. — "Little lonesome, Jack. I'm stagging 
 it. (He walks toward door, Steel arises from 
 chair and follows. At door they stop and shake 
 hands. ) Until four- thirty then, and good luck to 
 your trying." 
 
 Steel— [Opening door] "Probably before, if 
 I am successful; I'll get busy right away." 
 
 Mont. — "All right, old man. Good-by." (He 
 exits. ) 
 
 Steel. — "Good-by. (He walks back to desk 
 and sits down, lays cigar stump in ash receiver on 
 desk, sits back in chair and sohloquizes) : Well, 
 here's the chance to make some money outside of 
 my line as Nell suggested, and the beauty of it is, 
 the way of making it is not Nells friends' way. 
 Anyone who loses in this proposition will be well 
 able to afford it. I guess this Wall street game is 
 all a case of dog eat dog at its best. 
 
 "Let me see; Uncle Bob has often told me if I 
 ever needed any assistance to let him know, as he 
 was greatly indebted to father. I'll give him a 
 try." (Picks up receiver from telephone on desk.) 
 
 Steel. — ' '7765 Riverside, Please. 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Hello; Mr. Henshaw's residence? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Is he in? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Hello, Uncle Bob! 
 
 Pause 
 
 "John talking; how are you? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "That's good; we're just fine. 
 
 Pause 
 
 "I would like to borrow some money 
 for a few days. 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'About twenty thousand. You see, a 
 friend of mine down in Wall 
 street is letting me in on a sure 
 thing he is going to put over in 
 
 a day or so, and (pause) 
 
 ' What's that you say? 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "That settles it ! You can ' t let me have 
 it? 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "You are against any Wall street 
 manipulations? 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Oh, all right; I'll not trouble you 
 further. Good-by sir." 
 
 [Throws receiver to hook with a bang.] 
 
 Steel— "I never thought uncle Bob would 
 turn me down. The end of my dream, I suppose. 
 (He starts to fumble drawings on desk.) Well, 
 this is not getting out these specifications very 
 fast. (He starts going over drawings on desk 
 with tri-square; stops for a second.) Let me see; 
 what kind of a truss can we use here? I'll go look 
 it up. (He arises from chair and walks into vault; 
 he can be seen in vault through open door looking 
 at some bundles of papers. He comes from vault, 
 
Page Eight 
 
 REALIZATION 
 
 goes to push button on wall along side of desk and 
 pushes it. Bub, the office boy enters immediately. ) 
 
 Steel — "Go ask Mr. Thomas what those secu- 
 rities in the vault are to be used for, Bub. 
 
 Bub— [Eyeing cigar stump on Steel's desk.] 
 "Very well, sir. (He tries to take cigar stump 
 from desk on going out, but Steel turns his head 
 too soon. Bub exits. ) 
 
 Steel— [Sitting down at desk] "A chance of 
 a lifetime gone because I lack twenty thousand 
 dollars. [Enter Bub.] 
 
 Bub— "He says dat dose securities are ter be 
 used for de cash guarantee on dat western bridge 
 job and dat dey are due dis coming Monday, and 
 dat dere's $75,000 dere. 
 
 Steel— "All right. Bub, thanks. (He sits 
 staring at desk. ) 
 
 Bub— (Standing at back of Steel, points to 
 cigar stump then to himself) , saying under his 
 breath: "Yer mine, yer mine! (Steel turns his 
 head. Bub starts for door; Steel starts to examine 
 drawing on desk. At door Bub turns, looks at 
 Steel, turns, closes door, sneaks along wall in di- 
 rection of vault; enters vault.) 
 
 Steel— [Arises from chair, walks to vault ; at 
 vault door stops, turns half way to audience, runs 
 hand through hair] saying: "Seventy-five thous- 
 and (pause; stares at floor); returns are bound to 
 come in three days (pause. ) Why, I could take 
 them and put them back by Friday (pause). 
 They're not due until Monday (pause.) By God! 
 I'll (pause), I'll do it! (He starts to enter vault, 
 stopSj turns to front of stage, hisses to himself) : 
 Stealing! Thief! (pause; runs hand through hair, 
 laughs. Why no, it can't be that, just to borrow 
 them for a day or two (he runs to ciuter door and 
 locks it, stands gazing about the office, starts back 
 to vault, at vault stops.) Here I am, day after 
 day, slaving for Morgan, making him rich, while I 
 on the other hand must browbeat my wife about 
 the costly clothes she wears. I'm getting mighty 
 damned tired of it. Here's my chance; by God! 
 I'm going to take it! (He enters vault, comes out 
 immediately, greatly excited, stuffing securities in 
 inside coat pocket. ) 
 
 Bub— (Bub runs from vault, Steel turns quick- 
 ly, reaching for paper-weight on desk, he sees Bub 
 and drops weight. Bub grabs Steel's hands.) "I 
 seen yer, Mr. Steel, but 1 didn't mean ter, honest 
 I didn't. I went in dere ter hide until I got de 
 chance ter take de cigar snipe off yer desk. I 
 seen yer take de securities, Mr. Steel; for Gawd 
 sake go put dem back. Me fader was a tief, Mr. 
 Steel, and dey sent him up de. river fer five years. 
 I tought me mudder would die at foist, but she 
 lived troo it; den my fader came out. De Gover- 
 nor pardoned him because he was goin' ter die. 
 He was a great big guy wen he went away, but 
 wen he came back he was t'in and he coughed all 
 de time. Den one day I came home from selling 
 me poipers and me mudder was crying, and in de 
 front room candles was boining at de feet of me 
 fader who was all covered wid a sheet; and Fader 
 Ryan was dere, and he took me on his knee and 
 told me dat I must always be a good boy and take 
 good care of me mudder because me fader had 
 went ter Gawd. Mudder told me after de funeral 
 dat it was de consurapshun dat killed me fader, 
 dat he got when he was up de river. 
 
 "Put dem back, Mr. Steel; I wouldn't squeal 
 on yer, because yer a sport, and yer give me 
 quarters, but dey'll ketch ya and dey'll send yer 
 
 up de river, and den you'll come out and go ter 
 Gawd. 
 
 Steel— [Patting Bub on the head, pulls half a 
 dollar from pocket and gives it to him.] "You're 
 a brick, son; go buy some ice cream. I'll put them 
 back. You go now ; I have some work to do. 
 
 Bub— "All right, Mr. Steel; t'anks fer de 
 half. I knew yer didn't want ter go ter Gawd 
 yet. (He exits.) 
 
 Steel— "He will think I put them back. 
 [Picks up receiver from telephone on desk] say- 
 ing: "For Nell's sake I must! 
 
 Steel— "Hello! (becoming excited again) 
 Main 426. 
 Pause 
 
 " "Hello! Montgomery & Paige? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Hello! You, Jack? 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "John talking? 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Yes, will come in (he casts eyes 
 
 about office) for the whole 
 
 twenty thousand. 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Yes; will be right over. Wait for 
 me. 
 
 Pause 
 
 " [Walks to coat rack, takes hat from 
 same, puts it on, looks once 
 more about office. Exits. ) 
 Bub- [Bub enters.] "Mr. Steel! Mr. Steel! 
 (looks about office; looks in vault. Spies cigar 
 stump on desk, smiles, walks to desk, takes paper 
 bag from pocket, snatches stump from desk, puts 
 it in bag) saying: "Yer mine (looking in bag), yer 
 mine for keeps!" 
 [Curtain.] 
 
 ACT II.— SCENE TWO 
 
 Dining room in the Steels' apartment. Riverside Drive, New 
 
 York City. 
 The table is laid for dinner. Marie, the maid, has just 
 
 placed the bread on the table. 
 [Steel enters.] 
 
 Steel— "Good evening, "Marie. (Walks to 
 table and stops.) 
 
 Marie— "Good evening, sir. 
 
 Steel— ' 'Is dinner ready? I'm as hungry as a 
 bear. 
 
 Marie— "All ready, sir. 
 
 Steel— [Sitting down in chair at table.] ' 'Tell 
 Mrs. Steel dinner is to be served, Marie. 
 
 Marie— "She is not at home, sir. 
 
 Steel— "Where is she, do you know? 
 
 Marie— "This is the afternoon of her box 
 party, and she has not returned yet, sir. 
 
 Steel— [Glancing at his watch. ] ' 'Her after- 
 noons are awful long here of late. I'll bet she's 
 gadding about at Delmonico's or Sherry's with her 
 guests, pihng more debts on my shoulders I sup- 
 pose. You may serve dinner, Marie; we will not 
 wait for her. 
 
 Marie— "Will you have some consomme, sir? 
 
 Steel— "You had better make it chloroform 
 for all the pleasure I am getting out of life here of 
 late. (Enter Nell. Marie exits.) 
 
 Nell— [Nell walks to Steel, kisses him] saying: 
 "Hello, honey; we just left Martin's, late again 
 for dinner. Now don't scold. (She shakes her 
 
ACT FOUR 
 "You Know, dear heart, it's a long road that has no turningl" 
 
 iraielG) 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 finger at him mockingly, walks to other side of 
 table, pulls up chair to place at table laid for her 
 and sits down, removes hat and gloves, laying them 
 on chair, talking all the while.) You know this 
 was the afternoon of my box party. I gave the 
 affair in honor of Nance Werner, Jane Callder's 
 guest. The Callders are always so nice to us; 
 never give an affair of any importance unless we 
 are invited. Everybody has been entertaining for 
 her. I felt duty bound to Jane to do something, so 
 I finally decided on the box and tea party, as I 
 knew this would be the least expensive. The whole 
 affair— box, candies and tea, only cost a hundred 
 and twenty dollars. I knew you wouldn't care, 
 now do you? 
 
 Steel— "What good would it do if I did? It's 
 over now. (Enter Marie with two plates of con- 
 somme on a tray; serves one to Steel, one to Nell.) 
 
 Nell— "I don't care for a thing, Marie: we 
 had tea not over an hour ago. (Door-bell rings, 
 Marie lays tray on serving table at side of room 
 and goes to answer bell.) 
 
 Steel— "I wonder who that can be? (Enter 
 Marie.) 
 
 Marie— "A boy to see you, sir; says he's Bub 
 from the office. 
 
 Steel— [A look of alarm on his face] "Show 
 him in, Marie. (Marie exits.) 
 
 Steel— [To himself] "The securities! (He 
 looks about room for avenue of escape, seemingly 
 very nervous. ) 
 
 Nell— "What is it, John? Are you ill? 
 
 Steel— [Bracing himself up; puts hand to his 
 head] "No, I have a severe headache, that's all. 
 (Marie enters with Bub, Marie walks to serving 
 table and removes tray, exits with tray. Bub 
 watches her until she passes through door. ) 
 
 Steel— "Hello, son. (Anxious and still ner- 
 vous. ) 
 
 Bub— "Hello, Mr. Steel. (Pulls note from 
 pocket and hands same to Steel.) Here's a kitede 
 boss sent yer. 
 
 Steej.- [Opening note and reading it.] "This 
 is Mrs. Steel, Bub. 
 
 Bub— [Bub bows and shakes Nell's hand] say- 
 ing: "I'm very glad to know yer, Mrs. Steel. 
 
 Nell— "And I'm very glad to know you. Bub. 
 Won't you have some dinner with us? 
 
 Bub— "Why, I had me dinner dis noon, t'anks. 
 
 Steel— [Laughing.] "No, no, son, Mrs. Steel 
 means supper. (Nell laughs. ) 
 
 Bub— "Naw, I can't; yer see I have supper 
 every night wid me best goil. 
 
 Steel — [Laughing.] "And who is your best 
 girl? 
 
 Bub— "Me mudder, of course — de best goil in 
 de woild. 
 
 Steel — "That's right son. You stick to 
 mother. 
 
 Bub— "Say, honest, Mr. Steel, de American 
 Glue Company ain't got notting on me when it 
 comes ter sticking ter mudder. 
 
 Steel — "Have a chair. Bub, and I'll have 
 Marie bring you a piece of pie. I know you like 
 pie. 
 
 Bub — [Pulling up a chair to the table and sit- 
 ting down.] "Pie's me middle name, Mr. Steel. 
 (Steel rings for Marie. Marie enters. Bub eyes 
 Marie intently. ) 
 
 Steel — "Bring this young man a piece of pie, 
 Marie. 
 
 Marie— "Very well, sir. (Marie exits. Bub 
 
 watches her until the door closes. ) 
 
 Bub— "Say, Mr. Steel, who's de dame? 
 
 Steel— "The who? 
 
 Bub — "De dame, de goil (he points his finger 
 over his shoulder in direction taken by Marie in 
 leaving the room. ) 
 
 Steel— Oh! you mean Marie? 
 
 Bub— "Dat's de name; what is she, the chief 
 cook? 
 
 Steel — (Laughing.) "No; she is the maid, 
 son. 
 
 Bub— "Say, yer couldn't interduce a feller, 
 could yer? 
 
 Steel— "Sure thing. (Marie enters with 
 wedge of pie and lays same on table in front of 
 Bub. Bub looks from pie to Marie, from Marie to 
 pie. Marie exits. Bub watches her.) 
 
 Nell — "Don't wait for us. Bub; eat your pie. 
 (Bub takes pie in hand and takes huge bite.) 
 
 Bub— "Say, Mr. Steel, yer smoke de weed, 
 don't yer? 
 
 Steel— "Why, yes. 
 
 Bub— "Well savede snipes for me, will yer? 
 
 Steel and Nell — (In surprise) "You don't 
 smoke them? 
 
 Bub— (Taking another bite of pie) "Naw; yer 
 see I got a couple of kids gaddering dem up f er me 
 in de Cosmerpolitan Building. I pay dem two 
 cents a pound 'fer dem, den when I get twenty- 
 five or fifty pounds I take dem to a chewing ter- 
 baccer f actery over in Brooklyn and get five cents 
 a pound fer dem. I'm going ter form de American 
 Snipe Trust one of dese days, den Sockerf eller and 
 Borgan, and all de rest of de dollar sign guys will 
 want ter associate wid me. 
 
 Steel — ' 'You sure are all right. Bub. You can 
 just bet I'll save them for you. 
 
 Bub— (Taking last bite of pie and arising from 
 table.) "De pie was fine, Mrs. Steel, t'anks. I 
 got to be getting home now, because when I'm late 
 for supper me mudder always t'inks I've been 
 playing billiards wid de boss, and she's dead 
 against me keeping fast company. (Marie enters 
 with tray; Bub watches her. Brushes some imagi- 
 nary dust from his shoulder. ) 
 
 Marie — "Will I serve the roast now, sir? 
 
 Steel— "Show Bub out first, Marie. (Bub 
 walks to Nell. Shakes her hand. ) 
 
 Bub— "I'm glad ter have met yer, Mrs. Steel, 
 and t'anks again fer de pie. 
 
 Nell — "You're welcome. Bub; you must come 
 and see us again. 
 
 Steel— "Good night, son. 
 
 Bub— "Good night, Mr. Steel. Don't ferget 
 ter save dem. 
 
 Steel— (Steel and Nell laughing. ) ' 'All right, 
 I won't. Bub. (Marie and Bub exit.) 
 
 Steel — "That boy will make his mark some 
 day; he's as bright as a new dollar. 
 
 Nell— "Rather crude, but I like to hear him 
 talk. 
 
 Steel — "The poor little chap has had a hard 
 time of it I guess. (Marie enters; removes soup 
 plates. ) 
 
 Steel— "Never mind the roast, Marie, unless 
 Mrs. Steel will have some. I am leaving for the 
 west tonight, and I'll get a bite to eat at the depot. 
 
 Nell— "I'm not a bit hungry. 
 
 Marie— "Very well, sir. (Exits with soup 
 plates. ) 
 
 Steel — "I'm sorry, Nell, but I won't be able 
 to go to the Callder affair tonight. Mr. Morgan 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Elleven 
 
 just sent me word instructing me to leave for the 
 west on the 10:40 tonight. They are having some 
 trouble with the spans on that Akatoon bridge job 
 and I must go out there and straighten things out. 
 
 Nell — "Do you expect me to go without you? 
 
 Steel— "No, I'll call up Jack Montgomery 
 and have him call for you. He is not taking any- 
 one, so he told me this morning. 
 
 Nell — "Business, business, business! I guess 
 you think more of your darn old business than you 
 do of me. I am only a secondary consideration 
 anyway. 
 
 Steel— "It's not for business or for any other 
 purpose that I am working; just for you, Nell. 
 You know business must come before pleasure, 
 girhe. But never mind; maybe in a little while 
 I'll be able to get in the engineering game for my- 
 self; then it will be some other Nell's husband who 
 will have to put business before pleasure. 
 
 Nell — "Well, let us hope so. 
 
 Steel — "I have a little good news for you, 
 girlie. 
 
 Nell — "What is it? A raise in salary? 
 
 Steel— "No, but I made a little investment 
 today. 
 
 Nell — (Elated and surprised.) "You finally 
 took my advice and are going outside your line? 
 
 Steel— "No, not quite that; but a friend of 
 mine, a broker in Wall street, let me in on a good 
 thing he is going to spring in a day or so and, if 
 everything goes right, I had ought to have a bank 
 balance by the end of the week of a couple of hun- 
 dred thousand or so. 
 
 Nell— (Arising from table.) "Two hundred 
 thousand dollars! (pause — smiling.) John! (She 
 goes to him and sits on his knee.) You'll get me an 
 electric, won't you, dear? (Steel shakes his head, 
 yes. She puts her arm about his neck and kisses 
 him.) You are a dear. I know you try. You 
 know I love you, John. You're the best hubby in 
 the world. 
 
 Steel— "Come, dearie (they arise); you go and 
 dress. I want to see you in that new gown of 
 your's before I leave, and I'll call up Jack. 'They 
 start for door, at door they stop, turn half way 
 facing the front of stage, he puts his arm about 
 her and kisses her) saying: 
 
 Steel— ' 'Next week this time you can order 
 all the gowns you want. 
 
 (Curtain. ) 
 
 Act III. 
 
 scene one 
 
 [Two days later.] 
 
 Steel's room, National Hotel. Akatoon, Iowa. Steel is seated 
 at table writing, [Knock at door. Steel sits up in chair. ] 
 
 Steel— "Come! (Enter bell-boy, hands Steel 
 telegram) saying: 
 
 Bell-Boy— "This came after you had went 
 out this morning and the clerk forgot to give it to 
 you when you came in this evening, sir. 
 
 Steel— (Hands boy some change.) "All right, 
 son, thanks; here, buy yourself a Ford. 
 
 Bell-Boy— (Laughing, and taking money.) 
 "Thank you, sir; anything else? 
 
 Steel— "That's all, son. (Boy exits.) 
 
 Steel— (Opens telegram and reads aloud.): 
 
 "John Steel, New York, 8:30 A.M. 
 
 Care of National Hotel, 
 
 Akatoon, Iowa. 
 Open show on floor this A.M., and bound to win. 
 
 (Signed) Jack." 
 
 Steel— (Dropping telegram on table.) "By 
 George, Jack's a brick, to let me know how things 
 are going. (Smiling.) Won't Nell be tickled when 
 I come home Saturday and lay a check on the table 
 for a couple of hundred thousand or so? I'll have 
 to get her that electric and put a few thousand to 
 her credit in the bank; the rest I'll use to get in 
 this game for myself with. I'm getting tired of 
 working my life away for Morgan. (Telephone 
 rings. He arises and answers.) 
 
 Steel— "Hello! 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'Yes, this is John Steel. 
 Pause 
 
 "You say New York wants me? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "All right; you'll call? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Thanks, Central. 
 
 (Hangs receiver to hook, walks back 
 to chair and sits down, picks up telegram and reads 
 it again (to himself), lays telegram back on table, 
 sits back in chair smiling. ) "Well, Nell will sure 
 have some new gowns now. It's a shame, poor 
 girl, the way she has to stint and scrape when all 
 her friends have plenty. I'm sure she'll get over 
 these foolish social aspirations of hers. I guess 
 I'm partly to blame for letting this old work of 
 mine hold me in too tight a grasp and not spend- 
 ing enough time with her. Well, after I once get 
 started in this game for myself things will be dif- 
 ferent. I'll bet that's Morgan on the wire. They're 
 having trouble with that Buffalo job, and he wants 
 me to stop over on my way back east. (Phone 
 rings. He arises and answers.) 
 
 Steel— "Hello! 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Yes, John talking. 
 
 Pause 
 
 " "Oh! Jack! (Elated and smiling.) I 
 just received your wire. Been 
 out all day. Mighty good of you 
 to let me know how things were 
 going, old man. 
 
 Pause 
 
 "You say everything went all right? 
 
 (Smiling.) 
 Pause 
 
 (Sobering.) "You say they didn't go 
 right? 
 Pause 
 
 (Getting excited.) "Talk louder, I 
 
 can't hear you. 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'You were sold out by the big fellows? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "Everything went to smash? 
 
 Pause 
 
 (Becoming greatly excited.) "You're 
 
 broke! Cleaned? 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'You'd advise me to leave the country? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "They have discovered the loss of the 
 
 securities? (He drawls this 
 
 sentence.) 
 (He casts eyes about room, throws receiver to 
 hook with bang, throws hand to head, half walks, 
 
'TPSge Twelve 
 
 REALIZATION 
 
 half staggers to chair at table, stares off into 
 space; drops into chair.) "A thief! an embezzler! 
 (half whisper.) My God! My God! A thief for 
 the sake of high society; so she could have six 
 hundred dollar gowns, and diamonds, and ride 
 around in motor cars with the elite. What a 
 pawn! what a weakling! (He arises from chair, 
 half staggers across room to dresser, takes brandy 
 flask and tumbler from dresser, fills tumbler half 
 full of whiskey, gulps it down, stares at floor, re- 
 turns flask and tumbler to dresser, leans against 
 dresser, runs hand through hair, raises eyes from 
 floor, stares off into space. ) ' 'A pile outside your 
 line, eh? Her friends, our friends! I wonder 
 what her friends, the Jones' and the Callder's, and 
 all the rest will say now, when they find out her 
 husband is a thief. (The liquor starts working on 
 him; he laughs.) I wonder if after I'm up at Sing 
 Sing, with a number instead of a name, wearing 
 my heart out in a prison cell, dressed in a felon's 
 suit of gray instead of evening clothes, if her 
 friends will invite her to their affairs then; if she'll 
 lose only sixty at 'bridge' in an afternoon, and 
 give box and tea parties for their guests costing a 
 hundred and twenty dollars. I'll bet she will 
 (pause) like hell! (He shakes his head.) What a 
 fool, what a fool! Damn her! Damn them all! 
 (Short pause.) Montgomery advises me to leave 
 the country. Mighty good advice. Let her face 
 it; she's to blame, not me. I wonder what's the 
 
 :; next train for Frisco. (He walks to bed, picks up 
 bag from floor. ) I've got a time table here; I'll 
 look it up. (Places bag on bed, opens it, puts 
 hand in bag, fumbles in bag for few seconds, 
 smiles, and pulls revolver from bag, looks down at 
 
 : it in hand, saying) I'll take Jack's advice— I'll 
 leave the country. Sing Sing, eh! (he laughs.) If 
 I'm going to hell I'll go my own route and without 
 irons on my wrists. (He raises gun to temple; di- 
 rectly opposite him is a large dressing mirror; he 
 sees his reflection in mirror, stares at reflection for 
 few seconds, pulls gun away from head, throws it 
 back in the bag, saying) John Steel, you may be 
 adjudged a thief in the eyes of society, but they 
 will never be able to say John Steel was a coward! 
 (He walks to table, sits on edge of table.) Let me 
 see. It wasn't all her fault; she was the weaker, 
 I the stronger. I saw it all coming. I should have 
 insisted instead of begged, and had let her cry a 
 bit; she'll cry worse now I suppose. Oh! how 
 happy we were out on Long Island! (Orchestra 
 starts playing 'Then You'll Remember Me' very 
 softly. Steel sits down in chair, stares out into 
 space.) How she'd meet me every night at the 
 train, and on our way up to the house tell me all 
 about how many eggs the chickens laid that day, 
 and how many apples she had picked; and then 
 after supper how she'd play and sing for me, 
 'You'll Remember Me' and 'Sweet Genevieve.' 
 Oh! those were such happy days. Why did they 
 have to go? (He throws out both hands.) Nell, 
 Nell! I loved you so! (He drops head on arms, 
 rests arms on table for few seconds; raises head.) 
 By God! I'll go back and face it! I'll willingly pay 
 the price if it will only bring my Nell back again. 
 I'll go where they send me; come back and start 
 anew. (He arises, walks to bed, starts packing 
 toilet articles on dresser in bag, saying) John 
 Steel, this is to be your lesson. ((Illasps hands in 
 front of face.) Pray God it may be her's! 
 
 .(Curtain descends very slowly.) 
 
 ACT III.— SCENE TWO 
 
 Private Office of James C. Morgan, Morgan Engineering Co., 
 Broadway, New York City. 
 
 Morgan and Thomas, the firm's cashier, are seated at Mor- 
 gan's desk, talking over the loss of the securities. 
 
 Morgan— ' 'How did you come to miss them, 
 Thomas? 
 
 Thomas— "Well, you see, sir, upon arriving at 
 the office yesterday, the first thing I did was to go 
 to the vault to check them up as they are due to be 
 posted this coming Monday. Upon the completion 
 of the count I found them to be twenty thousand 
 short. I counted them three times, sir, before re- 
 porting the loss to you. 
 
 Morgan— ' 'Yes, but how did you come to sus- 
 pect Steel? 
 
 Thomas— "Thursday morning Montgomery 
 was here to see Steel. Just after Montgomery le ft 
 Steel sent Bub to me to find out what those secu- 
 rities were to be used for. That afternoon Miss 
 Jefferson, the telephone girl, asked me if Mr. 
 Steel was a wealthy man. I asked what were her 
 reasons in wanting to know. She replied by say- 
 ing she had overheard a conversation over the 
 phone between Steel and Montgomery wherein 
 Steel had agreed to come into some proposition 
 that Montgomery was going to put over in the 
 Street, his (Steel's) share to be twenty thousand 
 dollars. I reprimanded her and told her in the fu- 
 ture to repeat no more conversations she hears over 
 the wire. Of course I thought nothing of her remark 
 at the time , but upon missing the securities and 
 then reading in the papers of Montgomery's failure 
 in the Street through that Amalgamated deal, her 
 remarks came back to me like a flash, and upon 
 putting two and two together I came to the con- 
 clusion Steel was the man. 
 
 Morgan— "Very good, Thomas. Steel will be 
 up here any minute. He is due on that 9:30 from 
 the west. At least, he wired me from Chicago last 
 night to this effect. (Bub, who has been clean- 
 ing the windows unnoticed up to this time, jumps 
 down from window ledge and walks over and con- 
 fronts Thomas.) 
 
 Bub— (To Thomas) "Did I hear yer say dat 
 Mr. Steel stole somet'ing? Well, if yer did yer a 
 har, and if Mr. Steel heard yer say it he'd punch 
 yer face. Mr. Steel's a gentleman and yer a great 
 big stiff, do yer get me? 
 
 Morgan— (Aghast.) "You leave this ofl[ice 
 this moment you young scallawag; you are dis- 
 charged ! 
 
 Bub— "Scallerbag, eh? Well, let me tell yer, 
 yer old skinflint, I wouldn't work fer yer anudder 
 minute; but I ought ter pull yer whiskers just once 
 before I go so you'd be sure ter remember me; but 
 being the only support me mudder's got I am afraid 
 ter do it, because if I did, yer so mean and ornery 
 I am afraid I'd get de disease myself and get just 
 as mean and ornery as you are, see! den my mudder 
 would have ter work ter pay de doctor ter cure me. 
 But I'll tell yer dis, I'm soitainly going ter let yer 
 missus know about de dame yer keeping on 72nd 
 street. Good-by! (He exits, slamming the door.) 
 
 Morgan— "The impertinence! I don't know 
 what our younger generation is coming to. 
 
 Thomas— (Smiling behind his hand.) "Don't 
 mind a little thing like that, Mr. Morgan. 
 
 Morgan— "Oh, I don't mind it, but it gets on 
 my nerves. As I was saying. Steel will be back 
 here this morning. District Attorney Rittman has 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Thirteen 
 
 promised to be up here at nine-thirty. I called him 
 up last night after I had received the wire from 
 Steel. There is not a doubt but what our testi- 
 mony before the grand jury yesterday will be 
 weighty enough to indict him. (Telephone on 
 Morgan's desk rings, he answers.) 
 
 Morgan— "Hello! 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'Yes, him talking. 
 
 Pause 
 
 "You say he has arrived? 
 
 Pause 
 
 "His wife met him? 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'See that he comes up here at once. 
 
 Pause 
 
 ' 'All right, officer, good-by. 
 
 (Hangs up receiver.) "That was a 
 detective from headquarters they had watching 
 the trains. He arrived; his wife met him— she al- 
 ways does when he comes back from a trip. I 
 suppose there will be a scene, but it can't be helped. 
 (Knock at door.) 
 
 Morgan— "Come! (Enter Robert Henshaw.) 
 (Morgan, arising) "How are you, Henshaw? (They 
 shake hands.) Have a chair. (Henshaw sits 
 down.) This is Mr. Thomas, our cashier, Mr. Hen- 
 shaw. 
 
 Henshaw— "How are you? 
 
 Thomas— "Glad to know you, sir. 
 
 Henshaw— "Steel's in trouble, Morgan. (Pul- 
 ling out check -book and opening it. ) 
 
 Morgan— "How did you know? 
 
 Henshaw— "Tuesday evening I attended the 
 Callder affair. Young Montgomery was there also. 
 He got pretty well in wine, got confidential with 
 me and told me how he had let John in on a sure 
 thing he was going to put over in the Street in a 
 day or so. Tuesday morning John called me up at 
 my home and asked for the loan of twenty thous- 
 and for a few days. Upon asking him what he 
 wanted to use it for, he told me that a friend of 
 his in the Street was letting him in on something- 
 good. Me being against any Wall street manipu- 
 lations, I refused him the money. Yesterday I 
 saw in the papers the account of the loss of the 
 securities from your vault, and also saw the failure 
 of the Montgomery coup. I thought nothing of it 
 at the time I read it, but upon reading the paper 
 this morning and noticing your statement that one 
 of your most trusted employees was suspected by 
 you, I naturally figured John had his finger in the 
 wrong pie. 
 
 Morgan— "Yes, a bright boy; wonderful capa- 
 bilities, and with such a bright and promising fu- 
 ture. 
 
 Henshaw — (Poises pencil over open check- 
 book.) "I'm here to settle, Morgrn. How much? 
 
 Morgan— (Sitting down.) "It's' not so much 
 the money as it is the principle with me, Henshaw. 
 
 Henshaw— "No, I suppose not; 
 
 Morgan— ' 'You know you read every day of 
 some trusty employee betraying the confidence of 
 his employer. The victim is got to by the relatives 
 or friends of the guilty one, with that idle talk of 
 'What if it were your son or brother?' I he vic- 
 tim's sympathies are played upon to such an extent 
 that in nine cases out of ten off the culprit goes 
 scot free. If I had a son or brother and they were 
 
 to get in like that I would use every power at my 
 command to see that the law was carried out to the 
 letter, and off they would go to the penitentiary or 
 reformatory. 
 
 Henshaw— "Yes, if you had a son or a brother 
 and they were to get in like that, God alone could 
 help them. You are so egotistical in your own pu- 
 rity you never stop for a moment to think of the 
 men who have lost their lives on some of your jobs, 
 and you in return for their life have sent their 
 wives a letter of condolence and a check for a hun- 
 dren or two to appease their sorrow-torn hearts so 
 they wouldn't sue you. This was legitimate busi- 
 ness, I suppose? You never stop to think of the 
 bum bridges you have put up where Steel's speci- 
 fications have called for three sacks of cement to 
 every so many feet, but you, through your own 
 orders to your men, have in reafity only used two, 
 and that of an inferior grade, thereby placing 
 thousands of lives in jeopardy year in and year out. 
 This, also, was legitimate business, I suppose? 
 Why didn't you pay John Steel what he was hon- 
 estly and truthfully worth to you? You know and 
 I know that it has been that boy's brains and tech- 
 nique that have landed the big jobs for you, put- 
 ting hundreds of thousands of dollars in your 
 pockets. If you had paid him what he was honest- 
 ly worth this firm would have been Morgan & Steel 
 since the day he landed the Binger Building con- 
 tract for you. And now you want to send him to 
 the penitentiary, make of him a social outcast, and 
 upon his release brand him as an ex-convict. These 
 sentiments are the teachings of your church in 
 which you are such a pious worker, I suppose. I 
 know you and your kind, James Morgan; you are 
 all on the topmost rung of the ladder of deceit and 
 hypocrisy. Are you going to let me settle this or 
 no? 
 
 Morgan— "John Steel goes to the penitentiary 
 just as sure as my name is James C. Morgan. 
 There is the door (points finger to door) ; I bid you 
 good morning! (Henshaw arises from chair. A 
 knock at door; Morgan arises and walks to door 
 and opens it. Standing at door is Steel, Nell, Dis- 
 trict Attorney Rittman and officer.) 
 
 Morgan— "Come in, gentlemen; bring the 
 prisoner with you. (They enter. Henshaw walks 
 to Steel and shakes his hand.) 
 
 Henshaw— "How are you, my boy? 
 
 Steel — "Not very well. 
 
 Nell— "Hello, Uncle Bob, you here? (They 
 all sit down, upon an invitation from Morgan to be 
 seated. Steel and Nell sit down on couch.) 
 
 Steel— (With half smile.) "I see you are all 
 here at my funeral. 
 
 Nell — "Who did Mr. Morgan mean by the 
 prisoner, dear? 
 
 Morgan— ' 'Sorry to have to tell you, Mrs. Steel, 
 but I meant your husband. He is a common thief! 
 
 Nell— (Laughing uneasily.) "Don't fool me 
 that way, Mr. Morgan, please. 
 
 Morgan— "I'm not fooling, Mrs. Steel; I'm 
 deadly in earnest when I tell you my most trusted 
 employee, your husband, has robbed me of twenty 
 thousand dollars. Ask him! (He points to Steel.) 
 
 Nell— (Becoming alarmed, looking at Steel) 
 "My God! John, what have you done? 
 
 Steel— (Gazing at floor and speaking very 
 softly) "I guess he's right, dear; I'm a thief. 
 (Nell looks from one to another in amazement.) 
 
 Morgan— "You know, Steel, I have often tried 
 to figure out how you could live the way you do. 
 
Page Fourteen 
 
 REALIZATION 
 
 and travel in the set you do, and your wife w^ar 
 the most expensive gowns she can buy — I know of 
 this through having found this bill in your desk 
 yesterday when we searched it (he takes bill 
 from desk and waves it at Steel.) —and your wife 
 entertain the way she does, all on eight thousand a 
 year. 
 
 Nell— (Sobbing.) "My God! it's me! I see, 
 I understand; it's my fault. My God! 
 
 Nell — (To Morgan.) "This is all my fault, 
 Mr. Morgan. If John did anything wrong, he did 
 it for my sake. I drove him to it with my crazy 
 notion of a social career. I see it all now. (She 
 drops her face in her hands, shaking with sobs. ) 
 
 Steel— (Arising, places his hand on Nell's 
 shoulder. ) ' 'My wife had nothing to do with this 
 matter. It is me who is guilty, and me alone, and 
 I don't intend to have her name brought into it by 
 you, James Morgan, if I have to pull your tongue 
 out with my naked hands! (Points finger at Mor- 
 gan.) 
 
 RiTTMAN— "Admit nothing, Mr. Steel. I am 
 D. A. Rittman, the district attorney. 
 
 Steel— "I have nothing to withhold, sir. I 
 soared to too high a level and lost, that is all. I 
 took these securities and converted them into cash 
 to use as my share in the Montgomery coup. I 
 intended to put them back today, but you all know 
 too well the results of my investment, as thousands 
 of men before and thousands after me, I suppose. 
 Wall street gold called me, I answered the call 
 (heaving a long sigh and looking down at Nell) 
 to my sorrow. I am ready for the sequel, gentle- 
 men. (He sits down and tries to comfort Nell.) 
 
 Morgan— "I think about five years up the 
 river will be the thing, Rittman. 
 
 Nell— (Arising and falling on her knees in 
 front of Morgan.) "My God! Mr. Morgan, not 
 that, not prison! I tell you it's my fault, not his; 
 not that! Oh, don't send him to prison! (Her 
 head drops in her hands, sobbing.) 
 
 Steel — (Arises, assists her back to the 
 couch.) "Come, dear, you are excited; calm your- 
 self. (He tries to soothe her. ) 
 
 Rittman — "Since your appearance before the 
 grand jury yesterday, Mr. Morgan, I have done 
 considerable investigating relative to Mr. Steel, 
 and through the same I think you could well afford 
 to show some clemency to Mr. Steel after all he 
 has done for you in a business way. Of course I 
 am the people's lawyer, placed in my office by the 
 people for the purpose of serving them. This I 
 have faithfully striven to do since the incumbency 
 was placed upon me. But Mr. Steel is also one of 
 those wholhave sworn to serve. Of course he, 
 through his own admission, has committed an act 
 that the laws which govern society have emphati- 
 cally stated is a felonious act, thereby leaving him- 
 self liable to the penalty as prescribed by law. 
 
 "So many people are under the impression 
 that the present day district attorney should be a 
 Victor Hugo's Javert alone; but I want to say that 
 a portion of the Bishop and the candle-sticks 
 should be in his make-up also. When a case 
 proves meritorious, the parole or suspended sen- 
 tence law should be exercised, and in this case I 
 would recommend it freely. Of course if you in- 
 sist upon penal servitude my hands are tied; but 
 this I want understood, that you or no other man, 
 Morgan, can dictate as to the length of the sen- 
 tence to be imposed upon a man at the justice bar. 
 
 I want further to state if it were entirely in my 
 hands, the sentence to be imposed in this case 
 would not be a day. 
 
 Morgan — ' 'He goes up the river if it costs me 
 twenty thousand more. (He bangs his fist on his 
 desk.) 
 
 Henshaw— (Shaking his finger at Morgan.) 
 "You're a heartless cur, Morgan! Let me tell you, 
 I'll have some of your dealings investigated in the 
 near future, then possibly you may get a taste of 
 the same medicine you are about to have admini- 
 stered to that boy. (He points to Steel.) 
 
 Rittman — (Arises and walks to Steel. Steel 
 gazes at floor. Rittman lays his hand on Steel's 
 shoulder, looking down at him.) "Mr. Steel, I 
 really feel sorry for you. (Nell starts to sob 
 again.) Many a sad case comes before me in my 
 official capacity. If it were not for those involved 
 in one side of the case, as in this one, I could make 
 of my office what every other district attorney's 
 office ought to be throughout our land— not a med- 
 ium for the people to use for the satisfying of their 
 vengeance, but an emissary for good, of doing 
 good where it ought to be done. But this I can 
 offer you— I am sorry to say the grand jury indicted 
 you yesterday— if you will accept a plea of guilt I 
 personally will see that the sentence imposed will 
 not exceed a year. (There is a short pause. ) 
 
 Morgan — "A year for twenty thousand? 
 
 Rittman — "No; a promising young man's 
 career blighted by the stigma of penal servitude; 
 a young wife's heart broken; a fine young married 
 couple's happiness shattered — all for the sake of 
 mere dollars, Morgan. (Steel slowly raises his eyes 
 to Rittman, arises, looks down at Nell. ) 
 
 Steel — "I accept your offer, sir, and thank 
 you. 
 
 Rittman — "I am only sorry I am unable to 
 give you your Hberty, my boy. (Rittman walks to 
 Morgan; they stand talking. Henshaw arises; 
 Steel walks to him, takes his hand.) 
 
 Steel— "Good-by Uncle Bob; take care of Nell 
 while I'm gone, will you? For my father's sake. 
 
 Henshaw— "You bet I will, my boy, and I'll 
 also take care of that thing! (He points to Morgan, 
 he wipes his eyes with handkerchief.) Good-by, 
 my boy, and God bless you! (Steel turns and walks 
 to Nell who has risen from couch; he takes her in 
 his arms. ) 
 
 Steel — "Dear heart, a year is only a short 
 time. You have been wrong and I have been 
 wrong with you; this is to be our lesson. Be 
 brave, little girl, and live and hope, and thank God 
 for the future. Kiss me. (She raises her tear- 
 stained fade, he kisses her.) Good-by, my Nell, 
 good-by. (He leaves her and walks to officer and 
 Rittman who aie talking. Nell stands staring 
 after him, in a daze.) 
 
 Steel — "I'm ready, gentlemen. (They start 
 for door.) 
 
 Nell— (Sobbing.) "John! Oh John! come 
 back, John! Don't go, John; it's my place to go. 
 I made you do it. (At door Steel hesitates for 
 second, squares his shoulders, walks through door, 
 officer and Rittman following.) 
 
 Nell — (Throwing out arms.) "John! Oh, 
 come back, John! John, oh John! (She turns to 
 Henshaw, falls in his arms, sobbing) Uncle Bob! 
 Uncle Bob!" 
 
 (Curtain descends very slowly.) 
 
REALIZATION 
 
 Page Fifteen 
 
 Act IV. 
 
 [Time, ten months later.] Sitting room in the Henshaw 
 home, 158th street. New York City. Ten months has 
 elapsed since Steel went to prison. With the two months 
 allowed for good conduct on a one year sentence Steel's 
 term expires today. Nell and Marie, the maid, are ar- 
 ranging flowers about the room in preparation for his 
 homecoming. Henshaw, true to his promise to Steel, 
 has had Nell living at his home since Steel went away. 
 
 Nell — "I should have liked to have gone to 
 the depot to meet him, but Uncle Bob said he 
 would go, and that I had better stay home and get 
 the house in readiness for his homecoming. Say, 
 won't I have a lot to tell him though, Marie? All 
 about how Uncle Bob had that detective investi- 
 gate that bridge Morgan was putting up out in 
 Ohio, and how the detective found out that he was 
 using old steel instead of new, as called for in the 
 contract; and how, when Uncle Bob went out to 
 Cleveland and met Morgan at his hotel, and told 
 him of his findings, how old Morgan stormed and 
 raged and cursed. But then Uncle Bob told him he 
 had made a solemn vow at the time he sent John to 
 the penitentiary to either put him out of business 
 or in the same place he had put John, and that now 
 that he had the necessary evidence he, Morgan, 
 could do one or the other — give up business or 
 stand trial for misrepresentation. Then when 
 Uncle Bob went to the telephone to call an officer, 
 Morgan realized there was no bluff to it; he fell on 
 his knees and begged Uncle Bob not to call the 
 officer; that he would willingly give up business or 
 do anything Uncle Bob said if he would just pro- 
 mise not to expose him. Well, he gave up business 
 and Uncle Bob was satisfied. We have never let 
 John know a thing about the whole affair, because 
 we knew if he should find out he would have stop- 
 ped Uncle Bob from doing what he did, and Uncle 
 Bob was determined that Morgan should get a 
 taste of his own medicine. 
 
 Marie— "Yes, but it's too bad, Mrs. Steel, 
 that Mr. Henshaw didn't send him to prison the 
 way he did Mr. Steel. 
 
 Nell — "No, Marie; I wouldn't wish anyone 
 that. (Glancing at mantle clock.) Good Lord! it's 
 eleven o'clock, Marie, and they are liable to be here 
 any moment. Go get the table set for lunch right 
 away. 
 
 Marie— "I forgot all about it. I'll go at once. 
 (She exits. Nell arranges some flowers in vase on 
 the center table, humming 'Then You'll Remember 
 Me.' The portierres at the door move apart; in 
 the doorway is Steel and Henshaw. Nell looks up 
 and sees them; she runs to Steel, saying) 
 
 Nell — "John! (They embrace and kiss.) 
 
 Steel— "Nell! 
 
 Henshaw— (Smiling.) "I'll leave you two 
 kids now; I must go and clean up. (He exits, say- 
 ing) All is well that ends well. (Nell and Steel, 
 arm in arm, walk to chairs in front of grate fire 
 and sit down.) 
 
 Nell— "How have you been, John? (with a 
 catch in her voice. ) You look so white. 
 
 Steel— "All right; and you, Nell? 
 
 Nell— "Fine; and Uncle Bob has been so 
 good. He never will forgive himself for refusing 
 you the money. 
 
 Steel— "Yes, I know; he's a brick, but he 
 don't want to feel that way. He has done nothing 
 to forgive. 
 
 Nell — "God! John, it must have been terrible 
 at first? 
 
 Steel— "Let us think of the past ten months 
 as a bad dream and forget it, Nell. 
 
 Nell— "Yes, if I only could; but I can never 
 forget that it was me at fault, and not you, and 
 through my false notions of life what I drove you 
 to. Why, John, when you first went away I 
 thought I would die. At night in my dreams I 
 thought I could see you in your cell looking out of 
 the bars, pointing your finger at me, and crying 
 'See what you have done!' I tell you, I thought I 
 would go mad. I felt I could never look you in the 
 face again without a knife thrusting me in the 
 breast. How you pleaded, how you reasoned, how 
 you begged, all to no end. Oh, if I could only 
 stand on the housetops and proclaim myself to all 
 wives, to heed, to beware of the social longings 
 and aspirations, so the sequel to their wrong per- 
 spectives may not be as mine has been. Oh! if I 
 only could. 
 
 Steel— "Yes, Nell, if more husbands through- 
 out the world would see that their incomes were 
 not abused and lived outside of by their wives and 
 children; if they would not heed the term 'tight- 
 fist' and 'tight-wad' so readily, there would be far 
 fewer men in the prisons for embezzlement and 
 larceny; there wonld be far fewer aged couples 
 stinting and scraping to live in their last days 
 throughout the world. Lots and lots of suffering 
 would be avoided if they only knew what I know 
 now. 
 
 Nell — "Yes, you are right, John, but I'll not 
 have you blame yourself. 
 
 Steel — "Never mind, it's all over now, that 
 terrible nightmare. All we have to think of now 
 is the future. Uncle Bob and I are going in the 
 engineering game. He has made all the necessary 
 arrangements to this end, even down to the renting 
 of the office; and listen, girlie, we are going back 
 to Long Island; back to our little home; back to 
 the chickens and the grapes and apples; back to 
 nature and the good and true things of life; back 
 to God, Nell, where he intended us to be; back 
 where, at every step you take, at every breath you 
 breathe, you are not reminded of the kick and tear 
 and claw of humanity in their mad and eager 
 struggles to possess the mighty god. Mammon. 
 
 Nell— "I wish to God I had listened to you 
 and stayed when we were there four years ago, 
 John. 
 
 STEEL--"What became of Bub, Nell? 
 
 Nell — "He's working for a brokerage firm 
 down town. He's been to see me every week since 
 you were gone; always came, so he said, to find 
 out when you would be home. He's going to night 
 school now; says he's studying so he can be an 
 engineer like Mr. Steel some day. 
 
 Steel— (Smiling.) "He's a fine little chap. 
 I must get in touch with him. I would no more 
 think of opening an office without having him in it 
 than I would fly. Some day I hope to be able to 
 send him to college. He has a wonderful mind; it 
 certainly should have the chance to develop. (Marie 
 enters.) 
 
 Steel— (Upon seeing Marie, arises and walks 
 to her and shakes hands. ) ' 'Glad to see you, Marie. 
 
 Marie— "I'm glad to see you, Mr. Steel. Wel- 
 come home, sir! Lunch is ready. 
 
 Nell — "All right; we'll be in in a minute. 
 (Marie exits. Nell arises; walks to Steel.) 
 
Page Sixteen REALIZATION 
 
 Steel — (Putting his arm about her.) "Girhe, After lunch I want you to sing 'Then You'll Re- 
 
 that past ten months is forgotten from this moment member Me. ' (The orchestra starts to play very 
 
 on. It's the new life now, the real life— life as it softly, 'Then You'll Remember Me.' Steel kisses 
 
 should be lived. As I told you the day I left you, her, saying) You know, dear heart, it's a long 
 
 you were wrong, but I was wrong with you. From road that has no turning!" (He has one arm about 
 
 now on it's a life for one another--your pains to be her, her head is resting on his breast, with his 
 
 my pains, your sorrows my sorrows. We both have other hand he is smoothing her hair.) 
 realized our deficiencies and mistakes; let us mould 
 the future upon the lesson our realization taught. (Curtain descends very slowly. ) 
 
 i Finis I 
 
 I ^ 
 
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 'P 
 
017 400 069 4