ench's International Copyrighted (in England, her Colonies, and he United States) Edition of the Works of the Best Authors BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE Hn Entertainment (n ®ne Bet BT G. S. SHEPHARD Copyright, 1913, by Samuel French NOTIGE.-The Professional acting rights of this play are re- ser-ved by the publisher, and permission for such perform- ances must be obtained before performances are ^i-ren. This notice does not apply to amateurs, ^vho may perform the play without permission. All unauthorized professional pro- ductions will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law^. PRICE 25 CENTS New York SAMUEL FRENCH PUBLISHER 28-30 WEST 38th STREET London SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 26 Southampton Street STRAND BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE an Entertainment in One Bet BY G. S. SHEPHARD Copyright, 1913, by Samuel Feexch NoTiCB.— The Professional acting rights of this play are reserved by the publisher, and permission for such performances must be ob- . tained before performances are given. This notice does not appij- to amateurs, who may perform the play without permission. All unauthorized professional productions will be protsecuted to the full extent of the law. Ne^v York | Lovdon SAMUEL FRENCH SAMUEL FRENXH. Ltd. PUBLISHER 26 Southampton Street 28^30 WEST 35th Street i STRAND V ^9"^^ i,-00o nhii^ ©olD 339 5 5 Before the Rummage Sale Mrs. Cordelia Davenport. . .President Women's Alliance Mrs. Emily Ci'i ask. .Treasurer Women's Alliance Mrs. Caroline Glenn 1 Mrs. Alice Hill > .Members of Committee Mrs. Mildred Bailey J Miss Ellen Mills Organist of the Church Miss Dorothy Davenport Miss Betty Glenn Miss Lottie Brewster Miss Clara Chase Miss Minnie Thayer Miss Nellie Hill Miss Evelyn Sims Miss Kate McNeil Members of Young People's League Nora Mrs. Davenport's maid Meg Deheny Girl from the slums Mrs. Johnson Wife of janitor Nellie Reed School girl Scene : — Lecture Room of the Cyprian Avenue Church, town of Ladonia, California. Time : — The afternoon previous to the Rummage Sale to be held by the Women's Alliance of the Church. The full stage is required. Double doors 3 4 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE (practical) r. i e. and l. i e. Side walls are set in a little to give the effect of small lobby at these entrances. A window (practical) r. 2 E. Frame for candy booth up R. c. Same for Gypsy Fortune- teller's booth up L. c. Doors, (practical up c. and R. 3 E. Plain deal tables arranged as counters along walls R. and L., one l. c, with spaces between for workers to get in and out. On tables and on floor near them, bundles of clothing, hats, etc. One bundle well down front on floor. (// this arrangement of tables is not practicable, they may be arranged according to the exigencies of the stage, only so as not to interfere with the action as it proceeds.) COSTUMES. Ordfnary street dress for ladies and girls. Meg, shabby dress and shoes and long coat, also very shabby. No hat. Mrs. Johnson. Plain working dress and long kitchen apron, rather shabby hat and either shawl or jacket when leaving. Costumes for dance according to whatever dance is chosen. Before the Rummage Sale As curtain goes up, girls discovered decorating booth up R. c. and singing The Old Oaken Bucket. Mrs. Davenport discovered at table r., looking over things eagerly. Meg peers in at door l. i e. and enters cautiously, crossing steathily to table down L. where she stands listening eagerly to music. Dorothy, (at conclusion of song, while girls proceed with decorating, calling from up c.) Did you tell Mr. Johnson to get here early, Mamma? We can't have the well and the *' Old Oaken Bucket " and all that sort of thing for the lemonade booth if he doesn't get here to help us out. Mrs. Davenport. I told him to come early, but you knovv^ his failing, my dear. {Girls go on decorating, passing in and out r. 3 e. Mrs. Davenport takes dress from bundle on table R. and examines it carefidly.) Meg. (apart, jerking pair of red stockings from table down l. and dangling them) Gee! Get onto de hosiery! (glances furtively about, rolls them up swiftly and puts them into her coat pocket) Mrs. Davenport, (apart, throzving down dress and coming doitm zvith light evening coat and ex- amining it, zahile Meg moves hastily from table and stands l. c.) Why on earth doesn't Nora come? (she glances toward l. i e. and sees Meg) 6 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE Mrs. Davenport, (sharply) What are you doing here, girl? Meg. Nuttin'. Mrs. Davenport. Nothing! Well, go away then. This is no place for stragglers. Meg. Ain't yer got a sale on ? . Mrs. Davenport. Not until to-morrow. We're just getting things ready to-day. You can come back to-morrow if you want to buy anything. Run along, now. I've no time to be interrupted, (dur- ing this Mrs. Johnson enters from church r. i e. with dust pan and broom) Mrs. Johnson, (crossing c.) Go along, Meg. Don't you hear the lady talking? (exit Meg slozvly L. I E.) Mrs. Johnson, (brushing dozvn c.) She heard the singin', I guess, and sneaked in on account o' that. She seems just crazy for music. Lots o' times when I've been takin' Mr. Johnson's place, I've found her curled up in the back seat listenin' to the choir practice ; and sometimes when Miss Mills is just there practicing alone, I've come across her hunched down at the foot of the choir steps, listenin' like she was just bewitched. Mrs. Davenport, (still sorting things at table r.) Who is she? Where does she live? Mrs. Johnson. Her name's Meg. That's all I could ever get out of her. Oncet I asked her if she didn't want to join the Sunday School and she stuck out her tongue at me and made up the awfullest face you ever saw. And then she run off, laughin' fit to kill. She ain't got no sign of manners, but there's something about her that you kind of feel as if she might amount to something, mebbe, if she had a show. Dorothy, (calling from up c.) Oh, Mrs. John- son, isn't Mr. Johnson going to be here to help us this afternoon? BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 7 Mrs. Johnson, {apologetically) Why, no, Miss Dor'thy, he was took real bad with the rheumatism this mornins:. I tell him it looks like he always does get taken extry bad when there's any hard work on hand ; but I don't know as he's any worse than the rest of the men sex. They'll all slide out of work if they can. And I daresn't to say too much to him when he gets kind of cranky with rheumatism that way. He was rantin' round this mornin' about the church not bein' intended for vaudeville shows and a clearin' house for old clothes; but as I sez to him, sez I, ** Where'd you have been, Ezry Johnson, these last two years, if it hadn't been for Rummage Sales?" Why, I got him a perfectly elegant overcoat last year at the Baptist sale for five dollars. Dorothy, (coming down) Well, it's a perfect nuisance having this sale just the day before our own entertainment comes off. We can't half decorate this room, and we've got to poke our main booths off into that side room that isn't half big enough. Mrs. Davenport, (sanctimoniously, zuhile she tags things at table R.) Nothing is a nuisance that is done in the cause of Charity and Christianity, my dear. Didn't you just hear Mrs. Johnson telling what a boon rummage sales had been to her? Of course the conflict fn dates was unfortunate, but Dorothy. But how are we going to have our final minuet rehearsal with things cluttered up like this ? Mrs. Davenport. We can move the tables back as soon as everything is properly tagged. I told the ladies to be here by two o'clock sharp. I suppose some of them will show up. Mrs. Johnson, (gathering dust into pan) Well, there's one that will show up if she's promised to come, you can depend on that, and that's Miss Mills. 8 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE I often sez to Ezra, sez I, " Ellen Mills," sez I, " is what I call a real Christian. Somehow, you just feel as if she couldn't do anything that wa'n't right, even if she tried to, she's that firm in her principles. Mrs. Davenport, (still marking things at table R.) She comes of a family of ministers. Mrs. Johnson. Yes, I know, her father was a minister and her grandfather, too. But land ! That don't always cut sech a figure. I've known minister's children that 'ud jest beat the band for meanness. Dorothy, (who has been carelessly turning over things on table down r.) But Mrs. Johnson, we must have a step-ladder. And how are we going to rig up a well-sv/eep and an old oaken bucket and all that sort of thing if Mr. Johnson isn't going to be here to help? Mrs. Johnson. Oh, land o' goodness, Miss Dor'thy ! I've been splittin' the kindlin' ever since we was married ; and if I ain't a better carpenter than Ezra Johnson ever hoped to be, I will give up. You just come along and show me what you want, and I'll manage it somehow. (She gathers up dust pan and broom hastily and they go up and out r. 3 e. The rest of the girls go out after them. Mrs. Davenport is still absorbed in examining and tag- ging things on table up r.) • (Meg peers in door l. i e., slips cautiously across to table down l. Begins to turn over things, keeping furtive eye on Mrs. Davenport, Sound of footsteps outside L. i e. Meg glances toward door in fright and then slips under table- Is hidden by clothing hanging over it.) (Enter Nora l. i e. with bundle of clothing in her arms. She crosses c. Meg slips out from BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 9 under table and crouches behind it, hidden from any one in hall but seen by audience.) Mrs. Davenport, (coming down) Oh, Nora, you've got here at last. Just drop that bundle on the floor or anywhere. I want you to see these things, (she picks up dress from table down r.) Just look at this dress, (showing) Mrs. Allendale's. She's gone into mourning, you know, and she has sent down some beautiful things. I happened to be here when her coachman brought them, so I knew they were hers. I've marked this ten dollars; that's as little as I dared make it. And see this coat, (shows coat) It will dye perfectly, and it's exactly what Dorothy needs. I've put it at five dollars. And now I'll tell you what I want you to do, Nora. I want you to come here very early to- morrow morning. Never mind about the work at home ; just leave everything and come. And couldn't you get some friend to come with you? There are a number of things I want, and of course, I shouldn't care to buy them myself Nora. Oh, shure, ma'am, I think Katie Callahan would come. (Sound of footsteps outside l. i e.) Mrs. Davenport, (hurriedly tossing things to table and crossing l., Nora following) Some of the ladies are coming. I'll post you about the other things I want to-night. Nora. You may go now. Nora. Yes'm. Thank you, ma'am, (e.rit l. i e.) (Mrs. Davenport goes back to bundle Nora has dropped down c.) Meg. (peering out stealthily) Gee ! Wot a graft ! TO BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE (Enter Mrs. Glenn, Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Hill L. I E. Meg slips under table again.) Mrs. Davenport, (carrying bundle to table down I7^) Good afternoon, ladies. You see we have plenty of work before us. Mrs. Burnett has just sent this bundle, (she opens it and they all look at things. Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Hill stroll across to table down r.) Mrs. Chase, (picking up Allendale dress) Oh, what a beautiful gown. We ought to get a good price for that. Why, it's only marked ten dollars. Mrs. Davenport, (hurrying across, follozued by Mrs. Glenn) Now, my dear, v/e mustn't think of '' good prices " in a case like this. These things cost us nothing, and Vv^e must remember the class of people who are to be benefited by a Rummage Sale. Mrs. Cpiase. It must have cost eighty, at least. If it wasn't just for the looks of things, being a Rummage Sale, you know, I would give fifteen for it myself, and think I was getting a tremendous bargain. Mrs. Glenn, (picking up Allendale cloak) Here's a handsome thing. You're not going to mark it down to ten dollars too, are you? Mrs. Davenport, (loftily) Five dollars will pay us. That's the price I've marked it. Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Glenn, (in chorus) Oh, Mrs. Davenport ! Mrs. Chase, (taking cloak and examining it) But we ni'Ust make something for the Alliance, Mrs. Davenport. We're down to bedrock. I'm Treasurer, and I know. Mrs. Davenport, The Alliance must not enrich itself at the expense of the Poor, Mrs. Chase. Be- sides, we have the Young People's entertainment and the candy and other booths to make money for the Alliance. It's a matter of principle with me that BEFOI^E THE RUMMAGE SALE ii in a sale of this kind, things should be within reach of the poorest. Betty, (appearing r. 3 e. and calling) Oh, Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Hill, all of you. We want you all to .come in here and give us the benefit of your advice. (exlty (Mrs. Glenn and Mrs. Hill go up and out r. 3 e.) Mrs. Chase, (tossing coat to table) Well, that is certainly cheap enough for any one. (goes up) Mrs. Davenport. None too cheap. The Poor have many mouths to feed, and a dollar more or less m_eans a great deal to them, (goes up. Exeunt both r. 3 E.) • Meg. (crawling furtively out from under table dozvn L. and crossing r. steathily) Gee! But ain't she de slick one at de graft, dough! (examines things on table. Sound of footsteps outside l. i e.) Here's some more o' de bunch, (crouches back of :table) ;(Miss Mills appears in doorway l. i e., a music roll under her arm. SJie pauses, looking back.) Meg. (peering forward) De organ lady! She's all right. (Enter Miss Mills and Mrs. Bailey l. i e.) Mrs. Bailey, {as they cross c) Yes, indeed, if times keep up the way they are, I shall simply have to take to patronizing rummage sa^.es myself. Why. you absolutely can not get a hat — anything you'd wear, you know^for less than twenty-five dollars. I just hated to pay it, but I simply had to, because I'm going to Mrs. Seller's Bridge Wednesday, and I simply had to have something to wear. 12 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE Dorothy, {re-appearing R. 3 e., calling) Oh, Mrs. Bailey, you're just the woman we want. Do come here and help us out, won't you? And you, too. Miss Mills. (Mrs. Bailey goes up and she and Dorothy go ont R. 3 E.) Miss Mills, (laying music roll on table down l.) Twenty-five dollars! How can she do it on Harry's salary? And I wonder if she dreams I could pay twenty- five dollars for a hat. (goes up and out) (Meg slips up to table above, examines things on it and attempts to hide waist or some small article under her coat. Sound of voices and laughter R. 3 E. She drops article and comes swiftly dozvn. Mrs. Daveport appears r. 3 e. Meg darts out r. i E.) Mrs. Davenport, (coming dozvn) Ladies, these things must all be tagged ready for sale before we leave, and the afternoon is very short. We must get to work, (ladies come in r. 3 e. and down. Meg peers in r. i e., then steps forward steathily) Mrs. Davenport, (snatching up tablets of paper from table up r. and holding them up) There's paper here, and I hope each of you brought a lead pencil, as I requested. Mrs. Hill, (taking tablet) We ought to have some sort of schedule to go by. Mrs. Davenport. There's no time for schedules, Mrs. Hill. We must simply use our own judgment. Only I beg that you will remember that it is the Poor who are to benefit by this sale, and mark things accordingly. A dollar's difference, of course, means BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 13 very little to you or to me, but to some poor widow with a family of children, it means a great deal. Meg. (apart, at r.) Aw! She gives me a pain, dat one. {she stands ready to dart out again as the ladies scatter to different tables) Mrs. Hill, (crossing to table l. with Mrs. Glenn) You understand, ladies, the tariff's to be revised downward. (They all set to work sorting and tagging the various articles, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Glenn at table l. Mrs. Chase at table l. c. Mrs. Davenport at r., Miss Mills at table down l. Mrs. Bailey remains up c. helping girls who resume decorating of booth up r. c. Table dozvn R. is unattended, and Meg crouches be- hind it, hidden from those in hall, but seen by audience, and surreptitiously examines things that she can reach, zvith a viezv to sticking them in her pocket or hiding them under her coat. Ladies hang overcoats and other clothing on hooks in wall back of tables.) Mrs. Chase, (at table l. c.) Oh, what a darling old bonnet! (holds up old-fashioned gray silk bonnet) Where do you suppose it came from? Dorothy, (coming dozvn) Oh, girls! Look! (takes bonnet from Mrs. Chase) Betty, (up c.) Put it on. Dot. (Dorothy puts it on) (Girls up c. in chorus — ''Put on Your Old Gray Bonnet.'') (As the song begins, Dorothy dances up c, the ladies all stare after her, Meg stops^ her pilfer- ing and listens intently. At conclusion of song, ladies resume their work.) 14 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE Mrs. Davenport, (bustling across to Miss Mills, and beginning to overhaul things on table) Ah, here you are, Miss Mills, working away so quietly and accomplishing twice as much as the rest of us. I always quote you, my dear, as an example of duty. Duty ! Where Duty calls, there you will find Miss Mills, " steadfast, unmovable," isn't that the way the verse runs? But anyway, I always do say that you're an example to the whole church. (snatches up white lace zvaist) Oh, my dear! Two dollars and a half for this? Why, I wouldn't think of putting it over a dollar. Miss Mills, (abashed) It's really beautiful lace, Mrs. Davenport, and it could be cleaned, you know. It must have cost ten or twelve dollars. Mrs. Davenport. Ah, there you go, talking about the cost. How often m^ust I remind you that these things cost us nothing, and that our main purpose in holding this sale is its benefit to the poor. Think how much suffering can be mitigated through the winter by a sale like this, furnishing people good warm clothing for almost nothing — (catches herself) Of course, not that a lace waist is very warm, but, er, the principle's the same. The principle is just the same. Miss Mills. Perhaps I've marked these other things too high, (she goes up to end of table searching for things) Mrs. Davenport, (apart, eagerly examining the waist in her hands) I must post Nora about this. Miss Mills, (coming dozvn zuith tzvo waists) There, you see, one I marked a dollar and a half, and this one seemed so very good, I put it at two dollars. Mrs. Davenport, (examining them carelessly) Ah, yes, quite right. Those are substantial. But a waist like this (indicating lace one) seems, er, a bit BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 15 of frivolity for a poor person! and yet they like their Httle frivolities, the same as we do. We mustn't make them too dear for them, (she makes a szvift, cursory examination of things on table) Miss Mills.' {picking up shabby garments) If you think these are marked too high? Mrs. Davenport, {waving her aside and starting up) Not at all. Not at all. Excellent judgment, my dear, excellent judgment. But these little frivolities {zvaving her hand toward lace waist) even the Poor must be indulged in them occasionally. (bustles up to Mrs. Chase's table) Miss Mills, {coming down front to bundle on floor) The Poor! If she knew how I had to skimp and pinch ! And Rose's wedding coming off next week ! And I cunt disgrace her with that old blue silk; I can't. (She opens bundle and gathers up some of the things and carries them to table down l. As she tosses them to table a vest drops to floor zvith thud. Meg peers curiously out from hid- ing place. Miss Mills picks up vest and feels in pocket. Draws out ten dollar gold piece. She starts, looks guiltily about, and slips it swiftly into chatelaine bag hanging from her belt. 'Then snatches up the rest of the clothing and tosses it all to table down l.) Meg. {in shocked voice) De organ lady!! I tought she was on de level. Oh, wot's de use? (begins to overturn things on the table szmftly and furtively, stuffing what she can under her coat. All must be done with swift glances in all directions to see that no one is watching her) Betty, (calling from up c.) Hurry up with your tagging, good people. Some of the girls have to i6 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE leave early, and we want these tables out of the way to rehearse our minuet. Mrs. Chase, (at table up l. c.) Say, look in the pockets of these things, everybody. A nickel just dropped out of this coat. Mrs. Glenn, (at table up l.) Ten cents ! (holds it up) What shall we do with it? Mrs. Bailey, (in candy booth up r. c.) Give it to the cause. Here, put it in this candy box. (comes dozvn with box) Mrs. Hill, (at table up l.) Nickel to the cause. Mrs. Glenn. Twenty-five cents to the cause. Oh, what a careless man ! Mrs. Chase. How careless his wife was, you mean. (Meg, behind table down r., searches frantically in pocket of coat hanging over the edge, drops it finally, clutching something in her hand, slips out from under table and makes her way cautiously tozvard r. i e.) Meg. (pausing and drawing forth coin) A copper! Say, wouldn't dat jar yer? (she slips back again and hides in overcoat hanging dozvn r.) (Miss Mills stands as if thinking deeply and guiltily. Betty, coming down, throws her arm around her suddenly. Miss Mills starts violently with little shriek.) Betty, (laughing) Why, I had no idea you were such a nervous person, Miss Mills. We want you to play for our dance, please. (Calling from up c.) Betty! Betty! Betty! BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 17 Betty. Only a few minutes more grace, ladies, and then these tables must be gotten out of the way. {The ladies work rapidly. Meg peers out cautiously and catches sight of Miss Mills, who fumbles desperately with her hag, pausing every instant to look guiltily about. Finally extracts the ten dollars. Meg ivatches her in amazement. She fumbles for vest, finds it and tries nervously to replace money in pocket.) Meg. {stepping half out of hiding place) Gee! Gee! {she has one hand in folds of overcoat, as she leans forward staring. The silk waist stuffed carelessly under her coat shows somewhat. Mrs. Davenport at table up r. turns suddenly and sees her) Mrs. Davenport, Stop thief, {starts down. Miss Mills drops money and vest to table with shriek. Meg runs l. i e.) Mrs. Davenport, {running after her) Stop her, Miss Mills. That girl — She should be searched. {ladies and girls come running dozvn. Miss Mills stands helpless) Meg. {turning defiantly at l. i e.) Search nuttin'. Get onto your own graft, youse. {rushes out L. I e.) (Mrs. Davenport runs out after her.) Mrs. Chase. Did you ever? " Get onto your own graft ! " Ha, ha, ha ! What could she have meant ? Mrs. Bailey. She must have heard us talking of giving this money to the cause, {shakes candy box with change in it) But what else would we do i8 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE with it? We don't know where any of these things came from. Mrs. Chase. Of course not. Just advertising in the newspaper as we did for any one who had any old clothes to donate to leave word at the Star office, and then sending a man around to collect them, how could we tell tother from which? Mrs. Johnson, (making her way through to front with large feather duster in her hand) '' Finders keepers, losers weepers ; " that's what we used to say when we was young ones. Mrs. Bailey. Well, I don't think any one would weep much over the loss of a nickel. Besides, every cent of it will go to Charity, {shakes box again) {Re-enter Mrs. Davenport, l. i e.) Mrs. Davenport. {breathlessly, coming back to c.) That girl runs like the wind. You should have seized her. Miss Mills. There's no telling how much she has stolen. Miss Mills. I was too startled, I — I Mrs. Johnson. Did you see her stealin' any- thing, Mrs. Davenport? Mrs. Davenport. I saw a silk waist stuffed under her coat, and there's no telling what else she had made way with. I really feel that we should report her to the police. Miss Mills, {in great distress) Oh, no, Mrs. Davenport. She is so young, and, and, the tempta- tion Mrs. Davenport. Temptation is to be overcome, Miss Mills. Miss Mills. Ah, but she hasn't been taught that, probably. Mrs. Davenport. Nor would she be. Mrs. BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 19 Johnson was telling me to-day that she invited her to join the Sunday School, and she simply made up a face at her. Kate, {entering r. 3 e. and coming down) The girls are getting dressed for the minuet, Mrs. Daven- port, and Dorothy said to ask you to please hurry up vv^ith the tagging, {goes up and out r. 3 e.) Mrs. Glenn. I think we are about through, as it is. {she and Mrs. Hill go hack to table up l., Mrs. Chase and Mrs. Bailey to table up l. c. Mrs. Johnson strolls over to table down r. and ex- amines things. Miss Mills lingers near table doivn L.) Mrs. Davenport, {going up to table up r.) I still maintain that the authorities are the only ones to cope with that class of people. (Miss Mills picks up vest furtively from table dozun L. and is trying to replace money.) Kate, {appearing at r. 3 e.) Oh, Miss Mills, will you come and play for us, please? (Miss Mills drops money and vest to table unseen and goes up and out r. 3 e.) (Mrs. Johnson strolls l. while other ladies are intent on work at tables and unnoticing. She examines things on table down l. ; finds money; starts, snatches it up, looks furtively in all directions, comes down a little to examine it more closely, pulls out old-fashioned purse from her pocket, hesitates, thrusts it back into pocket.) Mrs. Johnson, {apart, dramatically) " Get thee behind me, Satan." {she must say this as if she really did not want to, but was compelled by con- 20 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE science. She backs to table with hand holding money behind her, and tosses gold piece backward amongst things on table without looking. Then goes out L. I E. swishing dust brush fiercely against im- aginary dust on floor) ( The ladies continue to work busily at tables. Mrs. Bailey, apparently finishing at her end, comes down to table down l. Begins to turn over things. Suddenly catches sight of money. Bends forward incredulously. Looks swiftly about, then, with her head turned up stage over her shoulder, reaches steathily for the money.) {Re-enter Mrs. Johnson l. i e. She catches sight of Mrs. Bailey.) Mrs. Johnson, {bursting suddenly into loud singing) Come, ye sinners, poor and needy, Weak and wounded, sick and sore; {At the same time, she brandishes dust brush absurdly over wall next to table. At the first word, Mrs. Bailey whirls and clutches up handiest article and pretends to examine tag, then another and another. The other ladies start and look toward Mrs. Johnson smiling. She dusts woodwork of lobby vigorously.) Mrs. Glenn, {as song ends) I haven't heard that song for forty years, Mrs. Johnson. Where on earth did you resurrect it ? Mrs. Johnson. I dunno. It just come to me. Mrs. Glenn. It used to be sung a great deal when I was a girl, at revivals and such places. BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 21 Mrs. Johnson. I reckon it's as good now as it was then. Mrs. Bailey. These things seem to be all tagged. (strolls up) Mrs. Johnson, (aside, bending over table and lifting clothing off of money). It done the work. (She crosses r. and dusts woodwork and doors) Dorothy, (re-entering r. 3 e. m costume and coming down) Tables back, please. If you're not through, you'll have to finish afterward. Mrs. Glenn. Everything seems to be finished here. Mrs. Chase. And here, too. (ladies move tables back against walls l.) Dorothy, (coming to table down l.) Will some- body help me move this table, please? (glances over table, catches sight of money, starts, bends for- ward intently, casts a swift glance around) Mrs. Johnson. I'll help you, Miss Dorothy. (starts L., drops brush, stoops to pick it up) (Dorothy; with swift glance at her, drops her handkerchief over the money. Mrs. Johnson regains her brush, crosses l. and they move table back.) Dorothy. Oh! My handkerchief, (picks up money with handkerchief and starts up) Mrs. Johnson, (apart, bending over table) It's gone! (stares incredulously after Dorothy) Dorothy, (at r. 4 e., waving her hand, with handkerchief in it) Way for the dancers! Way for the dancers! (exit) (Ladies come down and group themselves down R. Piano sounds, dancers come in through door- way up c. if practicable, it not, through r. 3 e. 22 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE Dance, of course, takes place well down front. Any dance may be substituted for the minuet, according to choice of players. While the dance is in progress, Meg appears at window R. 2 e. and watches it, unobserved by ladies or dancers. At conclusion of dance, ladies applaud and start up. Meg dodges back from window. Ladies replace tables. Meg peers in again cautiously at window.) Mrs. Chase, {picking up candy box from her table and shaking it) What are we going to do with this *' graft money of ours? " {opens box and counts money) Eighty-five cents. What shall I do with it? Mrs. Hill. Oh, put it up there with those empty candy boxes for to-night. Nobody would think of any money's being there, and to-morrow we can use it to make change. Mrs. Chase, {going up to candy booth r. c.) It's the third box on the lower row here. See? (Meg twists at window to see and then disappears) Mrs. Davenport, {coming down and looking about with satisfied air) Well, ladies, I believe everything is finished at last and ready for the sale. {Enter Nellie Reed l. i e. Crosses c.) Nellie, {breathlessly) Oh, Mrs. Davenport, Mother says will you please look in the brown suit she sent — Mr. Andrews, that boards with us, he told her she could give it to the rummage sale, so she did, and now he's just got home and he says he just remembers that there was a ten dollar gold piece in the vest pocket that he slipped in there one day when we was in a hurry, and so mother says will you please look and find it and give it to me. I BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 23 Mrs. Davenport, {excitedly, overhauling things on table down r.) Did you hear, ladies? Ten dollars in a brown vest. Would you know the vest if you saw it, child? Nellie. Oh, yes'm, I'd know it. Mrs. Chase, {at table down r., holding up vest) Is this it? . Nellie. Yes'm, that's it. (Mrs. Chase goes through pockets, ladies looking on. Mrs. Johnson remains a little apart down L.) " Mrs. Chase, {turning pockets inside out) Well, there's no ten dollar gold piece here. Mrs. Davenport. That girl! She's stolen it. I said she should have been searched. {Re-enter Miss Mills r. 3 e. She comes dozvn.) Mrs. Davenport. You should have stopped her, Miss Mills, when I called to you. Miss Mills, {dazedly) What is it? Mrs. Davenport. That girl has stolen ten dol- lars. I shall telephone the police at once, {starts up) Miss Mills, {seizing her arm) Oh, no, Mrs. Davenport. It, it's a mistake. It, it must be. Nellie. Oh, no, ma'am. That's Mr. Andrew's vest, and it was right in the pocket, he said. Mrs. Davenport. I shall notify the police at once. Miss Mills, {growing more agitated) It, it might have fallen out. We'll find it; oh, we'll surely find it. Mrs. Bailey, {nervously turning over things on table) Yes, it's fallen out, Mrs. Davenport. It's 24 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE probably right here. Wait till we've looked thoroughly. Mrs. Davenport. And meantime, she will have spent the money. It's useless to argue, ladies, that girl was a thief, {both Miss Mills and Mrs. Bailey start violently and redouble their exertions in shaking out things, etc.) She had all the ear- marks of a thief. Hadn't I driven her out before? And still she comes sneaking back to see what she could lay her hands on. It needs the police to cope with such a creature as that, {she starts up) (Re-enter Dorothy and Betty r. 3 e. They come down.) Betty. What is it? What's the matter? Mrs. Davenport. That girl. She has stolen ten dollars. Betty. Ten dollars! How? Where? (she hurries Dorothy down front) Mrs. Johnson, (down l. c, looking significantly at Dorothy) Somebody's stole ten dollars, Dorothy, and your mother thinks it was that girl. She's goin' to telephone to the police. Dorothy, (starting violently) The police! Oh, no! (Betty presses closer to table. Mrs. Davenport's voice is heard from adjoining room. During following, Dorothy must show agitation and uncertainty.) Mrs. Davenport. I want the Police Depart- ment. The Police Department, yes. Hello. Is that the Police Department? Well, I want to re- port a theft at the Caprician Avenue Church. What? Theft. Th&ii, theft. Thief. (Dorothy I BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 25 starts and moves tozvards table) Can you under- stand that? A thief has been in here stealing things, and— What's that? You'll call the cap- tain ? Yes, I'll hold the line, but please hurry. Mrs. Johnson. You take a look through the things, Miss Dor'thy. You've got keen eyes. (Dorothy sends her a suspicious glance, hesitates, moves nearer to table.) Miss Mills, {at lozver end of table, laying dress hack onto table after shaking it) Strange. It must be here somewhere, (steps back and looks about on floor) Mrs. Johnson. You give it a shake, Dor'thy. It's one o' them kind of shirred-up things that the money might get caught in. Give it a good shake. Maybe Miss Mills didn't shake hard enough. (Dorothy looks at her still m^ore suspiciously and lifts the dress reluctantly.) Mrs. Davenport, {at 'phone hi next room) Hello! Is that the Captain of Police? Well, I want to report a girl who's been stealing Mrs. Johnson, {urgently) Shake it hard, Dor'thy. Give it a Jiard shake. (Dorothy turns aside, snatches her handkerchief steathily from her bosom, shakes dress nerv- ously and money falls to floor.) Mrs. Johnson. Hooray! Hooray! {picks up money. Ladies all exclaim) Mr's. Chase. Why, I shook that dress out, not five minutes ago. Miss Mills. So did I, just a moment ago. It 2^ BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE must have caught in the shirring. Oh, I'm so glad it's found. Dorothy, {nervously) Ye-es, it must have caught in the shirring. Tell mamma it's found. Mrs. Chase, {going up, calling) The money is found, Mrs. Davenport, {exit r. 3 e.) Mrs. Hill, {going up, calling) We've found the money, Mrs. Davenport, {exit r. 3 e.) {They re-enter with Mrs. Davenport.) Mrs. Davenport, {as they come down) I still maintain that the police should have been asked to keep an eye on that girl. The mere fact that she was frightened into dropping that money signifies nothing. She had her clothes crammed with other things. Mrs. Hill, {hesitatingly) Perhaps if we knew how to get at a girl like that — to, er, sympathize Mrs. Davenport. Sympathize! My dear Mrs. Hill ! No one has more sympathy for the deserving Poor than I. Don't I belong to every charitable organization in the city? Haven't I worked my finger nails off for this rummage sale? But a thief! Mrs. Johnson. Well, as fer as that goes, I don't think it's so terrible easy to tell who's thieves and who ain't in these days. Pd want to be real dead sure before I took to sicin' the police onto any- body. Mrs. Chase, {looking at watch) Good gracious! It's half-past five. I must leave this very minute. Clara, {goes up, calling Clara. Exit r. 3 e.) Mrs. Bailey. I ought to have been home an hour ago. Anybody ready? {starts l.) Mrs. Hill. I'm not. I left my bag in the other room, {exit r. 3 e.) BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 27 Mrs. Bailey. Well, I must go immediately. Good-night, everybody. Tke others. Good-night. (Re-enter Mrs. Chase, r. 3 e. followed by girls with hats and coats on. They all come down, exchanging " Good-nights " and exeunt l. i e. Mrs. Glenn, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Davenport going slowly l. last.) Mrs. Hill, (turning) Aren't you coming, Miss Mills? Miss Mills, (starting up) My gloves. I've laid them down somewhere, in the other room, I think. Mrs. Hill. Well, we'll walk on slowly, (exit Miss Mills r. 3 e.) Mrs. Davenport, (as they reach door l. i e.) Be sure you lock up securely, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, (going up) Oh, you kin depend on me lockin' up all right. Mrs. Davenport, Mrs. Glenn and Mrs. Hill. Good-night, (exeunt L. i E.) Mrs. Johnson. Good-night, (exit up c.) (Lights lower.) (Re-enter Miss Mills r. 3 e. Comes down slowly. Mrs. Johnson re-enters d. c. crosses r. and goes out r. 3 e. Miss Mills stops at table down L. and stands as if thinking deeply.) Mrs. Johnson, (re-entering r. 3 e. and coming dozvn) Well, Miss Mills, you kinda gettin' your breath after all this excitement? I was real glad you stuck up for that girl the way you did. Thieves or no thieves, 'tain't everybody that can say '' Get thee behind me, Satan," when there's a ten dollar 28 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE gold piece just, as you might say, throwin' itself right in your face. Miss Mills. Indeed it is not, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson. No, sir. And I'll tell you. Miss Mills, what I wouldn't tell anybody else, {looks about apprehensively and then proceeds impres- sively) There's folks right in this church, a-teachin' in the Sunday Shool, that 'ud a-scooped in that ten dollars quicker'n a wink if I hadn't busted out a-singin' " Come ye Sinners " like all possessed and scared her out of it. Yes, sir. I seen that with my own eyes. And another thing, {she pauses again to glance apprehensively about and then proceeds still more impressively) Do you knov/ why that money didn't drop out o' that dress when you and Mis. Chase shook it? {bends forward, emphasizing each word dramatically) It wasn't there. Miss Mills, {starting) Dorothy! Mrs. Johnson, {nodding impressively, then com- ing down, rattling her keys with entire change of manner) I dunno as that Shylock Holmes was such a great feller, after all. I used to think he was the wonderfullest person I ever heard tell of ; but I dunno as it takes such a great one to be a detective, after all. {fingers her keys complacently) (Miss Mills comes down slowly.) Mrs. Johnson, {growing serious again) But what I was going to say was, that there ain't any use of sockin' everything onto that girl, seein' there's others that ain't as you might say perfect. She may be bad enough, but there's something about her that makes a body think she might amount to something if she was went at right. To-night's choir practice night, and I bet she'll be huddled BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 29 down on the choir steps same as usual. You try and speak to her, Miss Mills. Everybody knows that you're a real Christian, and Miss Mills, (turning away with deprecating gesture) Oh, hush, Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson. Oh, I know folks don't like to be praised to their face, but it's true, and everybody knows that you're an example to the whole church. (Miss Mills covers her face with her hands) and as I sez to Ezra, sez I, " Ellen Mills couldn't do anything wrong Miss Mills, {facing about, speaking rapidly and passionately) Hush, Mrs. Johnson. / stale that ten dollars in th^ very first place. I took it out of that vest pocket. I, I seemed to need money so. It, it seemed almost a providence. But — I couldn't keep it. Instantly I knew I was a thief — and — I tried to put it back — and then Mrs. Davenport cried out " Stop Thief — and — I dropped it, like the guilty thing I was, and left it there to tempt those other two. / an example! {rushes out l. i e.) Mrs. Johnson, {who has stood as if stricken dumb during this, and now stares after her aghast) Her! {takes a step or two l. still staring at door l. I E.) And her father was a minister, and her grandfather was a minister! My land o' Goshen! (comes back to c. and stands thinking dazedly) There's her, and me, and Mis. Bailey and Dorothy. Talk about that girl! We'd have no call to open our mouth if she'd a-stole the hull shx)otin' match (exit R. I E.) (Lights lower.) Mrs. Johnson, (re-entering r. i e., with hat and shawl or jacket on, crossing l.) Land! I feel dreadful tired and used up. I do hope Ezry's had 30 BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE spunk enough to get the tea-kettle goin'. (exit l. i e., locking door after her) (Lights out.) (Two hours is supposed to elapse. Very faint light shows through window r. Window is pushed up from outside. Meg can he faintly seen climbing in. She first tosses in basket then springs to floor and closes window softly. Moonlight grows stronger through window. Meg fumbles over tables, getting various articles, carrying them to streak of moonlight to examine them and then stuffing them into basket. Lights up just a little.) Meg. (dragging basket toward window R.) Now for dat eighty-five cents fer de cause. Bottom row, t'ird box to de right, (she goes stealthily up c. and into candy booth) One, two, t'ree, (feeling boxes) (Sound of book falling or some one moving in church down r. Meg darts dozvn, drags basket toward window r. and crouches behind table down R.) (Enter Miss Mills, letting in dim gaslight as door opens R. IE. Meg watches her as she crosses to table down L. and searches for music roll. As she lifts it, the brown vest beside it slips to floor. She picks it up, holds it an instant, and then lays it back on table with a little shudder. ) Miss Mills. God be merciful to all thieves. To me, and to that other child of thine, scourged as a thief, while I stood here unscathed. God, thou BEFORE THE RUMMAGE SALE 31 canst do all things. Keep me ever in remembrance that she is my sister, my younger sister, to be loved and taught, and on her part to love and teach me also, by our common mistakes and weaknesses. So, hand in hand, grant us to look more and more to Thee, and in Thy mercy save us both, Thy children, equally, {crosses slozvly R. Exit r. i e.) (Meg remains crouching, looking after her as if fascinated. Soft organ music is heard in church. (Something on the order of Schu- mann's Traumeri) Meg moves slozvly down, overturning basket carelessly, as if forgetting its existence. Stands listening intently to music.) Meg. (brokenly, with much feeling, clasping her hands) Say, God— I can't give it to you like she could,— but if you is runnin' t'ings, like she says, why— gimme a show, won't yer, God, just gimme a show. SLOW CURTAIN. JUL 31 }913 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 016 103 954 8