Oakland Technical High School - Talisman Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

Page 31 text:

E....-...............-..........,............... ..M. ..............-..-.......,.,...,...............,.......-...........,,.....i i IHS Decision gg 5 5 By ELSIE BOARDMAN N - -IO O'll b O''O'10 l'HOG'l'll l IUIOHINI'IINl O C O O l l l INONU''UNO'lNI'0O'0lb0O0lC0l4-OnOIUOHOIOINOIIO'll O'llWl i l O0lNCNO'1l'OO0'l'll i Characters: Jack Sherman .......... ..................... E ditor of The Teller Bertram Graham ......,, .............. B est friend of Sherman Alice Lathe ............... ,......... S herman's Fiancee Mr. Lathe ....... ................. A lice's Father Jim ...................... ........,........................ T he Printer's Devil Mr. Crossely ...................................,............ Lathe's Lawyer ACT I-SCENE 1 .I ack Sherman sits in a chair with his head on the desk when the curtain rises. After a few seconds have passed enter from right Bert. Graham. Bert- Well, old top-thesitates upon sceing J ack in such a positioni- Wliy, what's the matter? Uack raises head.J You seem to be in trouble. I tell you what, you are working too hard. Take a trip to the country some- whereg it would do you a world of good. Jack-fGets up and starts to walk floor with hands in pocketsj - It isn't that Bert, I am in a very serious kind of trouble. In fact I'm sort of between the Devil and the deep blue sea CBert laughsj It isn't funny or a joke this time. You are the best friend that I have ever had, Bert, and you have always listened with interest to my troubles. Well, fdraws up another chairj sit down and listen once again. But remember this is serious. ' . Bert- ls it really as bad as all that? Well here I am, tell it out. fBoth sit down.J V Jack-- Well it's this way: I suppose that you heard about thc scrape that Alice's father has gotten into? Committing embezzlement against thc town? Well, fBert nods headj no one has the proof against him but- circumstantial evidence and all that. a Bert-- Yes, the whole town is up about it. I heard that there was a mob after him last night. .lack- You understand that part of the situation then. So far I haven't printed one line in 'The Teller' about it. According to the policy of the paper I must denounce him in my columns. I have built up the policy of that paper out of my ideals, and out of what I consider stands for right. If I do not live up to it-well, I am a f ailure, that's all l Bert- Come, don't take it so seriously, forget- Jack-tcontinuing as if uninterruptedj- On the other hand there is Alice. Her name will be brought into this mess, and you know her dispo4 sition. Why, she would no more marry me than fly. Women don't under- stand such things as this and she probably would think I put it in because I wanted something for my paper. In other words, I must either shatter my ideal or lose Alice's love. To me both are equally important. tbows head.J -

Page 30 text:

Once I imagined 1ny creator, as a divinity of the Gospel, and I led the most virtuous and holy life in the world. But I got tired of this, and I pictured him as a pagan hero, and I crowned myself with grapes and oak leaves, and I sang the Hymns of Bacchus, and I danced with graceful nymphs in the green fields and in the lonely woods. I also imagined him as a revered scientist, who lived in the upper regions of the soul, and I spent whole nights in measuring the stars, in talking to spirits of other planets, and in finding an elixir of youth. I was literally intoxicated with eiphers. And I eve11 decided once, to try to analyze the souls of human beings. Finally tired and humbled, thinking that I was only the object of a joke, I saw that this life is not worthy ot' any sacrifices, coward acts, or adulations. Then I desired with all my internal self what before I had so tried to avert+his awakening. I tried to till my life with weird and gruesome acts which would un- doubtedly awaken him. Not a crime was not committed by me. There was not an ignominious action which I did not do. No terror made me re- treat. I killed with refined cruelty, I poisoned wells of prosperous cities. I started afire hundreds of towns where innocent girls dwelled. At nights I looked for the company of gigantic monsters, unknown to men. I took part in innumerable adventures of ghouls, of demons, and of kobolds., l saw everything. I did everything. I said everything. I thought every- thing. But in vain. He did not awake. He has not awakened! VVho will save me from this? For a long time have I waited for the day which would end it all. In this moment I am making the supreme effort. I am telling my 'dreamer' that I am nothing but a dream. That I wish him to dream that he is dreaming. That is why I have come to you to tell you all this. Do you think that I will be successful? Do you really ? And when the queer man finished his queer speech, he seemed to have intense internal convulsions, he I1'Cl11lJlCfl. He ungloved and gloved his hands again. He looked at me with such a wild expression that I was obliged to close my eyes. Wlieii I opened theln again, he was carressing his forehead. He looked at his feet and hands, as if expecting them to vanish suddenly. He began it all over again. Do you believe thisg don't you? Oh, please! try to calm me, suggest some way by which I can disappear! Or better still, awaken him. Once I tried to shoot myself, but in' vain. The bullet passed through my brain and I still live. You pity me, don't you? A poor hopeless, helpless, living corpse! And as I remained silent, astonished, he suddenly looked at me, and got up from the chair. He semed taller than ever, and I was attracted by the singular transparent paleness of his skin. He seemed to be suffering intensely. He resembled an animal trying to free itself from the hunter's net. , For the last time I felt upon my brow the soft caress of his gloved hand. . . . Murmuring something unintelligible in a hoarse voice, he went out of the room, and nobody has ever seen him since.

Page 32 text:

Bert- Look here, hang the policy, marry the girl, take her west, and start anew. No one will know the difference twenty years from now. Jack- You have always been a mighty good friend, Bert, I have acknowledged your advice to be good at all times, but here it fails. I can- not do as you say here. It would mean the ruin of my self-respect. From evidence, I am forced to believe him guilty, therefore, I must denounce him to others. Bert- But Alice? Think of her love for you. Why that girl worships the very ground that you walk on. Think of what it will 11162111 to her to have you denounce her father openly. .Tack- There is where the trouble lies. You know what Alice means to me. It would almost kill me to do such a thing as this.', Bert- But you say that there is nothing to prove that Mr. Lathe com- mitted this crime. Are you sure he did it ? Jack- Everything points that way.. The check was found, with his name signed to it, for S150,000. tEnter man from press rooms.j Mix Sherman, KJ ack turns toward doorj Mr. Audey says that they have held the paper up for over an hour for that story on Mr.-Mr.-Lathe, and he wants to know if they should keep on holding it up. It's getting near on to eleven o'clock, and the paper should have gone to press at ten. J ack- I know it Jim. Well--tell them to hold it until twelve and then come back here and I will tell you. .lim- All right sir, I'll tell them, but Andey,-well, he's all wrought up,-hc says-excuse me, he says, he says that your paper should come first and that you ought'nt to think about 'any woman. I though you ought to know how the pressmen are talking. fAnd then sympatheticallyj Excuse me, sir. Jack- Cwith a gesture of despairj There you are, Bert. The sentiment of my press rooms. They understand what the ruining of a paper's policy means. That sentiment is going to spread to the townspeople before many more hours. They will be calling me a 'weaklingf a 'cowardf They will think that I am afraid to do right. That sort of thing ruins a paper more quickly than anything. Bert- Well, let the paper go hang. Get out, go west, and do as I say. Jack-- A reputation can follow you to tl1e end of the world, and no doubt mine would follow me to the west, were I to do as you say. Bert- Oh nonsense. I would have credited you with more sense. Jack- Suppose I were to start anew. I would never be a success. Once a 1nan's self respect is shattered that man is shattered. fTakes out watch.J I have a little less than an hour in which to decide this question. At the end of that time I must give my decision. May my conscience lead me straight. fcurtainj ACT II-SCENE I Mr. Lathe is seated before the fireplace, gazing into the fire. Room is dark except for firelight. Enter Alice Lathe with coat and hat on. As she enters she puts on light and then throws her hat and coat on