Central High School - Cog N Pen Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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Ee SIN So S ét The И отап—1 never thought of that, what shall we do in case he comes back and finds us here? Jim (throwing out his chest)—-Oh never mind about that, I'll take care of him if he comes. You just leave that to me. The Woman—But after all Ben isn’t such a bad sort of chap. I believe that if he had as much time to spare and as much money to spend as you have he wouldn’t neglect me the way he does now. Jim (with a laugh) —Come now, stop teasing me, you know that you are perfectly welcome to anything I have, but I won’t stand for you comparing me to him in any way and I fine you one kiss for making such a remark. (He takes her into his arms and is about to kiss her when the bell rings.) Jim—What's that?—the telephone. The Woman—No, the door-bell. Jim—It must be Ben coming back for his gloves. The Woman—yYes, it must be he. You answer the door, I'll go change my dress. If he asks you what you are doing here just tell him you dropped in to pay him a social call and I am doing the honors in his absence. Jim (timidly)—But I think it would be better if you answered the door. You see in the meantime | can get out the back way. (He takes his hat and coat and starts to leave the room through a rear door.) The Woman—Where are you going? Jim—Out the back way. The Woman—Nothing doing, I'll answer the door, but you stay here until I come back. (She leaves the room to answer the door.) (A voice is heard, not very plainly, however, foot- steps are-heard, Jim hides under the table.) (The woman enters, followed by a chauffeur.) The Woman—Oh, Jim! (She glances about but Jim is nowhere to be seen.) The Woman—Jim, Jim. (She looks behind the chairs, etc., at last discov- ering him under the table.) The Woman—A nice place for you to be, get out from under there, here is someone to see you. (Jim, fearing the person who wishes to see him is Ben, gets up rather sheepishly, but when he discovers it to be his own chauffeur, his manner changes.) Jim—What в it, Harris? Harris—Someone has punctured the oil-tank with a screw driver and although it is fixed now, we are out of gas. Shall I get some? Jim—How long will it take you? Harris—About twenty minutes, sir. Jim—All right, but hurry up. Harris—Very well, sir. (Exit Harris.) Jim (to the woman) — Well, that was some scare. The Woman (rather suspiciously) — What were you doing under the table? Jim—Oh, just fooling; you know I kind of thought you'd think I had gone out the back way, so I hid under the table to fool you. The Woman (not quite satisfied with his explana- tion) —Why did you want to go out the back way when the bell rang? I thought you said you would protect me! Jim—l mean it, my dear, I would protect you from harm no matter what my own danger might be, but I figured that if I went out the back way no one would suspect I had been here and you would not have gotten into trouble. Can't you see that every- thing I do is for your benefit? The Woman—All right, but I thought you hid because you were afraid of Ben. Jim—What’s that? Do you want to be fined another kiss? Ву the way, you haven't given me that kiss I was about to take when that fool Harris happened along. The Woman— don't think you deserve it now after wanting to run away from me. Jim—Does this look as though I want to run away? (Puts his arms around her and is about to kiss her when a robber enters the room. He is wearing an automobile duster, black mask, blue cap, and has a mustache. ) Robber—Hands up. Jim (attempting to put on a bold affront) —What’s the meaning of this? Robber—None of yer talk, keep dem hands up or you'll wish you had. What kinda love stuff was ya pulling off when I came on? Just married, eh! Jim—Why—ah—no-o. Robber—Just some relatives what ain’t seen each other in a long time, eh? Jim—Why—ah—no, no relation either. Robber—But she’s sporting a wedding What's the idea? Jim—Well you see her husband's one of my best friends and I came to pay him a social Robber— That's enough, I may be ignorant where it comes to book learning, but believe me it don't take much to dope out da kinda guy you are. Опе of those who don't know what a hard day's work is, a lounge lizard, da kind that get a rep according to the number of homes they breakin' ир. I'm a thief n I don't deny it, but there i; honor among thieves and we don't rob our own pals. I wonder if your best friend knows you put your arms around his wife? Га be doing the world a favor if I killed you. (Presses the revolver against Jim's ribs.) Jim—Oh please don't, I’m not wholly to blame, vou know without the woman's consent 1 never would have been here tonight. Please put that revolver away. Robber—Just what I thought—trying to put the blame on the woman. Yes, ГП put the revolver awav. with such as you I don't need such a revolver. (Throws the revolver down and smashes it—i! was of elass.) (Walks over to the Woman and looks her over good.) Robber—Rather pretty, wouldn't mind putting my arms around you and stealing a kiss; in fact, 1 ring.

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UM. HONOR AMONG THIEVES (One Act Play) By MARKHAM G. SMITH (This play was awarded first prize in the recent One- Act Play Contest) Cast of Characters Ben—the husband. Jim—the parasite. The Иотап—Веп 5 wife. The Robber Тте—А night during the winter Scene—Living room of a house in the suburbs. A man, dressed in ordinary business clothes, is read- ing a letter. Не is but half facing the audience. He continues reading the letter for a moment and then slowly turns and faces the audience. Ben— So she is going away with Jim; says I can't afford to give her the luxuries a woman ought to have. Well, perhaps she is right—lIt’s true I haven't taken her out very much and spent a lot of money but un- known to her, I've spent those nights at the office work- ing like a slave and I've invested every cent of money I could lay my hands on in my invention, which if I am successful, will make me a rich man and then ГП do my best to make her the happiest woman оп this earth. (Takes out his watch, glances at the time.) Quarter after eight, and according to this letter she is to meet him here in fifteen minutes. I’ve a good mind to wait here until he comes and then shake that yellow specimen of humanity until he turns blue— but no, that will only turn her against me. Anybody who pretends to be your friend, then steals your wife is a coward and it’s bound to show up in him sooner or later. I'll let her have her fun, in the end she'll come back or else I’m greatly mistaken. Well, I must be hustling, my appointment with board of direc- tors is for eight-thirty sharp. (Walks over to the clothes-tree near the door and puts on his hat and coat. As he is putting on his coat a pair of gloves fall from his pocket unnoticed. He leaves the room.) (Silence for a moment—The Woman enters the room dressed as if to go on a journey—she is carry- ing a suitcase which she puts behind a chair as if concealing it—takes a look to and fro across the room. ) The Woman—Oh! I do wis h Jim would hurry, I wonder what Ben would say if he knew I was leav- ing!! Perhaps Га better not go. Perhaps Jim won't come! Oh! I do wish something would happen. (She continues to walk around the room when for the first time she discovers the gloves on the floor. She picks them up.) The Woman—Ben's gloves. Perhaps he will come back for them and find me in this travelling suit and ask for explanations or else find Jim here and and kill us both. I’m sorry I ever agreed to Jim's proposition. (The bell rings.) The Woman (nervously)—I'll bet that's Ben back now (she looks at the clock). It’s half past eight, perhaps it's Jim—what in the world shall I do? (The woman leaves the room to answer the bell.) (The Woman re-enters with a tall, good-looking young man who is dressed in evening clothes. Не appears to be rather nervous, glancing about him every few seconds. He puts his hat and coat over the back of a chair.) Jim— But you're sure they are his gloves. The Woman—Oh, yes, I'm sure about that. Jim—NWell is he in the habit of forgetting things? The Woman—Why—no. Jim—Hmmm-—sounds rather strange, perhaps he knows of our plan and left the gloves as a warn- ing.

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think I will just as soon аз I take a little bracer. (Goes to the liquor closet and pours out a glass of whiskey.) The Woman—Oh Jim! Don't let that man touch me, don't let him, you promised me you would pro- tect me. Jim—T'll telephone for the police. (Starts for the telephone.) Robber—Y ou'd better not. I can make my ве!- away without any trouble, but you will have to ex- plain your presence here at this time of the night and other embarrassing things. Га advise you not to call the police. (Raises his glass and drinks a toast to the woman.) Robber—Are you ready, my dear? (Advances slowly towards the woman.) The Woman—Jim, please help me! Robber—So that’s his name, eh? Jim. Well, Jim, I'll give you two minutes to clear out of dis place and if you try to pull any hero stuff about protecting da woman ГП punch your face into such a shape that the women won't want ta know you any more. (Continues to advance slowly towards the woman.) The Woman—Jim, please help me! going to do anything? Jim— There is nothing for me to do, my dear. I'm sure I don't want to be disfigured for life as the rob- ber says; in fact, I regret that I came here tonight. There are others, why should I waste my time here? Mr. Robber, I have decided to accept your two min- ute offer. Robber—Very well, it stands good now, but men like you don't decide matters of that kind; they are too much of cowards to debate the question; they ac- cept whatever terms they are offered and leave the women to shoulder the blame. That's about all, beat it. (Exit Jim.) Robber—Well, lady, I guess you've learned a Aren’t you lesson tonight, ГП be going now in order to see that your friend Jim keeps moving. (Exit Robber.) (The Woman sits down and begins to think.) (The bell rings and a moment later Ben rushes in the room.) Ben—What do you know, wifey dear, the Board of Directors have accepted my invention and I re- ceive one million dollars for selling it to them. Just think—no more staying at home, no more of the old style living. From now on wifey shall have every- thing her heart desires—and her hubby will be with her all the time. The Woman—Oh, Ben, that’s wonderful, but I must tell you something before we go any farther, to-night—. (The bell rings.) (Ben gets up to answer the bell. The woman re- membering about the gloves suddenly decides to put them in his coat pocket so that he will not forget them again. She puts her hand in the pocket of the coat and draws out an old blue cap inside of which is a corkscrew, black mask and an old mustache. At this moment Ben comes in—she has her back to him and he does not see that she has the cap and other articles in her hand.) Ben—It was Jim’s chauffeur with some gasoline. My! but you look better to-night than I ever saw you before. Can't your millionaire hubby have one little kiss? (Starts towards her. She turns around, holding out the articles in front of her.) The Woman—Then you know all? Ben—Yes. The Woman—Can you forgive? —Will you for- give? Ben—If you'll forgive me for almost letting you run away with that scoundrel Jim. The Woman—Let’s both start Ше anew. you little robber, steal that kiss you asked for. CURTAIN. Now, THE POWER OF SUGGESTION Merely suggesting to a person to do a certain thing, often “The power of suggestion is wonderful. brings about the desired result. Markham Mith pricked up his ears at these words. Не had been aware that Mr. Wurth, the psychology teacher, had been speaking for half an hour, but this was the first thought that had filtered through Markham's black mop of hair. Especially is this true when the person whom you wish the suggestion to act on, is asleep, went on Mr. Wurth in the same dry monotonous tone. Markham heard that, and immediately it crowded every other thought out of his mind. He appeared as if he were in a stupor while the instructor continued his talk. Now Mr. Wurth, you should know, is a man of extraordinary attainments. Besides being able to con- verse fluently in Latin and French he can recite Ham- let word for word. In appearance, Mr. Wurth has one characteristic feature; that is a lack of shortness. When talking, this learned man looks either out of the window or at the girl in the front seat. In this respect he differs from Markham Mith, his pupil. Markham always looks at the girl in the front seat. School is dismissed. The students are on their way home most of them walked along with down cast heads, sorry that they will not have another opportu- nity to recite today. Not so with Markham Mith. АП the way home Markham thinks over Mr. Wurth's word “Suggestion acts very readily on a person who is asleep.” While still tossing this about in his mind, Markham walks into his house. Seeing father asleep оп a couch, this young man determines to try the power of suggestion. Walking softly over to his father's side, he said,