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

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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

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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 -

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the floor and runs over to her father. She then seats herself on a stool at her f ather's feet. Alice- Father, have you heard any news from the lawyer? Mr. Lathe- Nothing, my child, nothing. Things are still the same. . Alice- Does Mr. Crossely still think that there are hopes of proving your innocence? Mr. Lathe- Qwearilyj VVhere there is life there is hope, daughter, but the hopes that materialize in this world are few and far between. Alice-Cdreamilyj Do you remember years ago when I was a very little girl, how you would say 'never lose hope, for when you do, you are as dead?' I used to wonder what you meant and it was years before I really understood. Well, that saying would apply here very well. We must not lose hope, but trust to a higher power who always does things for the best. QA knock is heard. J Mr. Lathe- Come in. fThe door opens and the lawyer, Mr. Crossely e11ters.J Alice and her father together- Is there any news ? Mr. Crossely-fbreathlessj Plenty, plenty, and encouraging news at that. Alice- Sit down, Mr. Crossely, and tell us. Mr. Crossely- fslowly and deliberatelyj I think that I have spotted your man. The man who signed your name to that checkf' fBoth Alice and her father jump to their feet.J Keep cool, keep cool, both of you, until I have finished. I want you to think hard for a moment, Mr. Lathe, and then tell me if you have an enemy among the town officials. Did you ever have any trouble with any of them ? Mr. Lathe- fslowly, as though thinking hard.J Yes, fpausej with a Mr. John Adams. He was put out of office and I was put in to take his place. Crossely- Good, good. The mystery is solved, I have your man. That man Adams has acted suspicious ever since the finding of that check. And I have been on his trail ever since, although I have never said anything about it. Tonight I have shadowed his doors and I overheard a conversa- tion between him and his wife, which pretty nearly convinced me that he was the man that we want. Now that you say he is an enemy of yours, I am sure of my eonvictionsf' Alice- fexcitedlyj I just knew that things would have to Illfll out right. Right will always triumph in the end. I knew that they would prove your innocence. Crossely- Hold on there Miss Lathe, the big job is yet ahead of us. Bv far the biggest problem is yet to be solved. The big thing is to catch the goods on this fellow, and that is mighty hard to do at any time. I need your help, Miss Lathe, in this situation. fTakes out watch.J We have a little less than a half hour in which to capture this culprit. It is now half past eleven. At twelve o'clock it will be too late. At this moment Adams is on his way to catch the twelve o'elock for California. We must get him