L675 iP6 1918 !Copy 1 baker:s ^^ :ting PL^YS i 5:7^<'/fe«««^v.^-av oUce Matron ^rice,25 Gents Slq)raltj;^5.90 ^WALTER H BAKER 8 CO •^, fe^i • BOSTON ' Jffl B* yj* Pinero's Play$ Prlccp SO eetits Eacb THF AMA7n]y^ Farce in Three Acts. Seven males, fiye fe- 1111:1 rlirLnXj\yiivJ males. Costumes, modern; scenery, not difficult. Plays a full evening. THE CABINET MINISTER J^r,. 'S,„fT.1f^l; ?^? tumes, modern society; scenery, three interiors. Plays a full evening. riAlSinV nirir ^^^c© ^» Three Acts. Seven males, four fe- l//\ill71 L/IVIV males. Costumes, modern ; scenery, two inte- riors. Plays two hours and a half. THF HAY f nPn fllTFY Comedy in Four Acts. Four males, inEi UAl LiVIVU VfUIIiA ten females. Cos-tuines, modern; ioenery, two interiors and an exterior. Plays a full evening. HIS HOII^F IN ORDFR comedy in Four Acta. Nine males, mo nUUOE. in V/I\1/E.IV four females. Costumes, modern; scenery, three interiors. Plays a full evening. THP HORRY HHRQF Comedy in Three Acts. Ten males, in£i nUDDl nUIVOEi tlve females. Costumes, modern; scenery easy. Plays two hours and a half. IPf C Drama in Five Acts. Seven males, seven femalos. Costumes, IlVliJ modem; scenery, three interiors. Plays a full evening. I AHY RniTMTICTTf Play in Four Acts. Eight males, seven IjAUI DULlllirULi females. Costumes, modern; scen- ery, four interiors, not easy. Plays a full evening. I FTTY ^^'^"^* ^^ Four Acts and an Epilogue. Ten males, five l^Lil 1 1 females. Costumes, modern; scenery complicated. Plays a full «.veniug. THF MAnSTRATF Farce in Three Acts. Twelve males, gnis ITLAUlOlIV/llEi four females. Costumes, modern; Boenory, all interior. Plays two hours and a half. Sent prepaid on receipt of price by Walttx 1^. ?Safetr & Company No. 5 Hamilton Place, Boston, Massachusetts The Police Matron A Melodrama in One Act By CARL CLICK and MARY HIGHT PLEASE NOTICE The professional slage-ri^^Hits in tliis play are strictly reserved. Amateurs may obtain permission to produce it privately upon payment of a fee of five dollars (^5.00) for each iierformance, in advance. All payments and correspondence should be addressed to Norman Lee Swartout, 24 Blackburn Road, Summit New Jersey. BOSTON WALTER H. BAKER & CO. 1918 "PS 3S\3 The Police Matron CHARACTERS [As originally produced by I'he M'aloloo {Iowa) Community Drama League, October 12, igiy, at the Waterloo Community Theatre.) Frank Clemens, states-attorney. A nianaboui forty -five, smooth, clever, and crafty. A man who barely conceals beneath the coolness of his manner the coarseness of his ancestry. Dr. Bruce Galloway. James Gordon, police captain. A heavy-set, poiuerful man ; a great believer in the power of brutal strength. He is a coarse, common bully "" - Sol Harrison. An Attendant Samuel Rubin. Mary Casey, the police matron. An elderly woman, plainly dressed, quiet, gentle, and sympathetic. There is, however, a certain determination of will and strength about her that makes her loved as well as feared - - Afrs. C. D. Bootnhower. A VVell-Dressed Woman. A woman about thirty-five, dressed in a smart tailored suit, .'^br ;\ handsome and rather self poised, and gives us the impression of a woman, weak, yet crafty, and sure of herself and her poioer in other circumstances than the one we discover her in - - - - - Donna I oorhees. Scene. — Office of police matron in a Chicago police station. Time. — About ten o'clock in the morning. Copyright, 191 5, by Carl Cannon Click and Mary Hight [As an unpublished dramatic composition.) Copyright, 191 8, by Carl Cannon Click and Mary Hight As authors and proprietors. Professional stage and moving picture rights reserved, '.••• MAR I 1918 ©cvD -J-'"'^ s. Woman (shuddering). The man at the desk, he Mary. I know. He is brutal. What did you do? Woman. It was what he said. (Proudly.) I am not a thief. Mary. Of course not. What did you do ? Woman (as to a friend, won by the sympathetic tone in Mary's voice). I took a small piece of lace. (Then she realizes what she has said.) Mary (.quickly and kindlyys Why did you do it? ^ou look as if you could afford to buy it. Woman. I can. I offered tO> pay for it. Why did they bring me here? Mary. Did you tell them your name ? Woman (rising, and crossing R., agitatedly) . Oh, no, no ! If I did that ! I can't ! I can't ! I won't tell them. I won't. (Turns.) Won't yon nflp me? THE POLICE MATRON II Mary. TU try. But why did you do it ? Woman {weakly). I don't know. I never thought they would see me. {Pleading.) Will you help me? Mary. I'll try. Tell me all about it. Woman {hesitating a moment, then opening her purse, takes out a roll of hills. She crosses l. to Mary). Here is one hundred dollars. Let me go, and I'll give you this and more. (Gordon, unseen by Mary and the Woman, appears in the door at the back. ) Mary. Do you realize what you are doing ? {Quietly, but very emphatically. ) Oh, no ! You carry that much with you, and yet take a small bit of lace ? Woman {proudly, and almost haughtily). If I should tell you who I am, it would be to your advantage to let me go. (Gordon steps out of sight.) Mary. No! All that we can do is to try to keep it quiet. Hadn't we better call your husband? Woman {frantically crossing r.). He would kill me. He occupies a prominent position. This would ruin him. Mary. Your attorney? Woman {desperately). You won't let me go? Mary {with a tone in her voice of complete finality). No ! I can't. Woman. But I'll pay you anything — anything. {She crosses c.) Mary. I can't. The best we can do is to get you out of this with a fine. I'll do all that I can for you. It's a pity. You are like a child. But you had better give me your husband's telephone number, in case we want him. {Crosses c. to desk.) Woman. I can't ! I can't ! Mary. It is your only chance. Woman {after a moment's pause). Randolph 4872. That is his private wire. Mary {writing it down on a slip of paper) . Randolph 4872. {She crosses to door at l. up stage.) Now you had better go in there. 12 THE POLICE MATRON {The Woman, zvhen Mary's hack is turned, takes out the bills from her purse. She goes to the desk, and quickly lays them down, then exits l. Mary closes the door, and comes down. She sees the bills. She picks them up, and stands holding them in her hand as Gordon enters c. He comes down slowly, R. A pause.) Gordon. Where is she? Mary. In there. {She lays the bills upon the desk by the telephone, and crosses down stage l.) Gordon {slowly). Well — your bill is paid, I see. {He goes quickly to the desk.) Mary {thinking he is going to pick up the money). What are you going to do ? Gordon. Call Clemens. I want a witness. We have the goods on you this time. {He picks up the telephone.) Central .... give me Randolph 4872. Mary {looking at the slip of paper she has in her hand, upon which she wrote the number given her by the woman, says slowly). What number was that? Gordon. Randolph 4872. Mary {the realization dawning upon her of what this means, faces front slowly). Oh! Gordon. Hello, Clemens?. . . .Come down. I got the goods on her this time. . . .Yes, right away. {He hangs up the receiver.) Well, caught. {He crosses l. to Mary, and says slowly and with great emphasis.) And I don't think that we'll have a new police captain, nor are we going to have a new police matron. You'll stay right where you are — and I'll stay here, too. But from now on, believe me, you'll keep your mouth shut. {He crosses c.) Mkry {standing motionless). Yes? Gordon {turning quickly). And when that letter comes from headquarters this morning, you'll hand it over to me, and nothing more will be said about it. , And I'll keep still about this affair. {He crosses R.) - THE POLICE MATRON 1 3 Mary. Yes? (Clemens enters hurriedly. He stands up stage l. of table.) Clemens. What's on ? Gordon (r.). Some swell society dame caught shop- lifting. They bring her here for her to search. She talks with her. I happen in — and there she stands with that roll of bills in her hand. {Laughs.) And we thought her clever. Clemens {crossing to Gordon). I congratulate you, {Crosses slowly l. to Mary, and says insinuatingly.) Well? Mary {calmly and quietly). Yes, gentlemen, appear- ances seem against me, don't they ? Clemens. They certainly do. Gordon. Correct, Mary. I appeal to you, Mr. Clemens. This woman — this woman is the kind of {Pauses.) For all I know she may be a friend of yours. Her husband, I un- derstand, is very influential. It was only a bit of lace. I am not defending her, but Clemens. We don't care for facts. Let the court attend to that. I am more interested in that roll. {Crosses oz'cr r., saying to Gordon.) That's where I come in. Mary. Doubtless. Clemens {turning angrily). Perhaps you can ex- plain it. Mary. Perhaps. ■ Clemens. Where's the woman? Mary. In there. She left this Gordon. Huh ! Tell us she left it on the table, and you found it. Call her in here. (Clemens goes up stage hack of desk.) Mary {quickly). That is against orders. Clemens {zvith a glance at Gordon). Between friends, you know. {He starts for the door.) Let's have a look at her. 14 THE POLICE MATRON Mary (stopping him). No. She can tell you noth- ing. And I have here all the money she has with her. Clemens (insinuating that it would be possible to ob- tain more). AVell ! (Comes down l. of desk.) But I want to know, what are you going to do ? Gordon. I told her about that letter. Clemens. You did? We want that letter. Mary (szveetly). I know. Clemens. And we'll say nothing, and you can keep the money. Mary. And the woman? Would you use your in- fluence to get her free? No scandal, you understand, and the matter dropped? Clemens (quickly). Yes, for the letter. Mary (with a meaning that he does not get). I read you right. I knew you would do it. Clemens (believing himself flattered). With friends, you know. Gordon. Do we get the letter ? (Attendant enters c. with mail. Comes down to desk. ) Attendant. The morning's mail. (Mary crosses to desk, and takes the mail. Clemens crosses down l.) Mary. Thank you. (The Attendant goes.) Clemens (l.). The one from headquarters. Mary (back of desk). Yes. * (Taking her time, she looks through the mail. Find- ing the letter from headquarters, she drops all the others upon the desk. She stands holding the letter in question in her hand.) Clemens. Nothing said. You keep the money. And the woman gets off. Mary (giving us the impression that her course of action is not decided upon). I understand the conditions. Gordon (crossing to desk, and holding out his hand). Give it to me. THE POLICE MATRON 1 5 Mary. Just a moment. {She opens the letter and reads.) I don't blame you. It would be to your ad- vantage to have the matter hushed up. Gordon ( crossing r. ) . Do you reaUze what you have done? Mary. Perfectly. My duty. Clemens {angrily). We'll get you for this. Gordon. We can deny the charges. But you, with that money in your hands — you've a lot to talk about. Why, you are as rotten as you say we are. And if we go — we all go together. Clemens. And that woman gets hers. This affair won't be hushed up. I want her for a witness. {He starts for the door l.) Mary {stopping him by the desk). I advise you not to go in. Clemens. You do? {He goes to the door l., and opens it, and without looking in says.) Come here. {He comes back into the center of the room, and stands with his back to the door, c, behind the table.) We want a talk with you. (Mary crosses l. The Woman enters timidly, and stands l. c, back of desk.) Woman {frightened). Yes? Clemens {giving a start when he hears her voice). Huh ! {He turns slowly, hoping that he did not hear right. But zvhen he sees that it is his wife, all his strength leaves him and he says weakly, his face blank.) What are you doing here ? Gordon. What's this? Mary. She is his wife. Clemens {regaining his composure, says angrily). What do you mean ? Mrs. Clemens. I couldn't help it. What will they do with me? Mary. Let you go probably. Your husband can attend to it. And I imagine that Mr. Gordon will say nothing. Gordon. It is the only solution. l6 THE POLICE MATRON Mrs. Clemens. Then nothing will be done? Mary (wearily). No, I guess not. Clemens (to Mary). But we have you silent for good, and that means something. Mary. Perhaps. Mrs. Clemens (in complete possession of herself). Then I can go ? Mary. Yes. Mrs. Clemens (to Mary). May I take the things you took from me when you searched me? (Mary makes a gesture of assent. ) Thanks. I offered her this money to let me go, but she refused it. (She picks up the roll of bills from the desk, and puts them into her purse.) The city should well be proud of having an honest police matron. (She sees the blank look on Gor- don's face, and mistaking it, says.) Don't stare so, Mr. Gordon. I don't believe from what I hear about you that you are above taking hush money. (Quickly ■ to Clemens.) Come home with me, Frank. Clemens. Yes. (They exeunt quickly, c. Gordon starts to follow them. ) Mary (coming to desk, and stopping him). Oh, Cap- tain. About that letter? Gordon (coming back). Ye Mary (by desk). There must be other opportunities for you. And I am rather fond of my position as police matron. I am going to forget your family and think of my own. I am going to the bottom of this Bennett case as the chief requests me to. And if I were you, I'd see that the chief has a resignation on his desk, some time to-morrow. Good-morning, Captain. (She takes up the telephone.) Headquarters. .. .Hello, is this you, chief?. . . .Yes, I received your letter. . . . (She stands at the telephone talking, as) THE CURTAIN FALLS Jl. m. Pinero's Plays PricCt SO 0etite Eacb Min rHANNFI ^^^y ^» ^^'^^ -^<5*s. six males, five females. iUll/-\^tir&lli^LiLi Costumes, modern; scenery, three interiors. Plays two and a half hours. THE NOTORIOUS MRS. EBBSMITH Ssr Ei^°h"J males, five females. Costumes, modern; scenery, all interiors. Plays a full evening. THF PRflFf inATF Play in Pour Acts. Seven males, fire I nCi r IWl LilU/\ I £• females. Scenery, three interiors, rather •laborate ; costumes, modern. Plays a full evening. THF ^mnni n/IKTPFQQ Farce in Three Acts. Nine males, inCi Oy^nXJyjLimiOlRCADD seven females. Costumes, mod- em; scenery, three interiors. Plays a full evening. THE SECOND MRS. TANQUERAY Ife'-I^S.^St', females. Costumes, modern; scenery, three interiors. Plays a full evening. QWFFT I AVFWHFP Comedyin Three Acts. Seven males, iJTT £11:11 Lii\ T Cilll/EilV four females. Scene, a single interior, costumes, modern. Plays a full evening. Till? TUITMnrDQAI T Comedy in Four Acts. Ten males, inEi inUilU£iaDULjl nine females. Scenery, three interi- ors; costumes, modern. Plays a full evening. THF TIMF^ Comedy in Four Acts. Six males, seven females. 1 Hd I ilfltiO Scene, a single interior ; costumes, modern. Plays a full evening. THI7 WFAinrP QI7Y Comedyin Three Acts. Eight males, IflEi TT iJillVEiIV OCsA, eight females. Costumes, modern; BOenery, two interiors. Plays a full evening. A WIFE WITHOUT A SMILE F?ve*males, four female'! Costumes, modern ; scene, a single interior. Plays a full evening. Sent prepaid on receipt of price by Walttx H. pafeer Sc Company No. 5 Hamilton Place, Boston, Massachusetts LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS ^l ^ 015 897 305 4 ^tittf 15 €tntt Ci AQ TAH I IFF IT Comedj in FtT» Aeta. Tbirt«en malM, foar Ma IVU MAI4 II females. Oottnmes, ploturMque ; scenery, t». fled. Plays a full erenlug. I* AUn f p Drama in Fire Acts. Nine males, fire females. Cos- VAalU4l4l4 tomes, modern ; scenery, varied. Plays a full erening. INfiAMAD ^^7 ^° ^^® -^^*"* Thirteen males, three females. muvillius Scenery varied ; costumes, Greek. Plays a lull eveniug. MADIT ^TIIADT Tragedy in nve Acts. Thirteen males, four f»> OlAIll iJlUABt males, and supernumeraries. Costumes, of the period ; scenery, raried and elaborate. Plays a full evening. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Sr'?hfef.;m1.?J:: ^JSS^ picturesque ; scenery varied. Plays a full evening. filCHFIJEU P^7'^^^'^<^<'^*' Fifteen males, two females. Boen- •venlng. ery elaborate ; costumes of the period. Plays a full THP DIVAf C Comedy In Five Acts. Nine males, five females. IIII4 IUTAI4J Scenery varied; costumes of the period. Plays a full evening. SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER S3'.S*IoS«fJ:.;i°*SiJS?r ried ; costumes of the period. Plays a full evening. TWELFTH NHfflT; OK, WHAT TOD WILL SS^iU^JSi*. three females. Costumes, picturesque ; scenery, varied. Plays a fall evening. Sent prepaid on receipt of price by W<tv ^. l&aliet: & Compant Ho. 5 Hamilton Place, Boston, liassachuaetta S. J, PARKKIUL a CO.. PRINTIRS. aOSTON, U.S.*. ° 015 897 305 ■' LJ^ii: r^.