xt7zpc2t545h https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dipstest/xt7zpc2t545h/data/mets.xml Fitch, Clyde, 1865-1909. 1907.  books b92-203-30752371 English Macmillan, : New York : This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Her own way  : a play in four acts / by Clyde Fitch. text Her own way  : a play in four acts / by Clyde Fitch. 1907 1907. 2002 true xt7zpc2t545h section xt7zpc2t545h 














HER OWN WAY

 



























Aw

 
Her Own Way
A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS



      By
CLYDE FITCH



THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
   NEW rORK MCMvII
LONDON: MACMILLAN  CO., LTD.



I

 











                         COPYRIGHT, 1907,

              By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

                      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


          Set up and electrotyped. Published April, Igo.



 All acting rights, both professional and amateur, are reserved by Clyde
 Fitch.  Performances forbidden and right of representation reserved.
Application for the right of performing this piece must be made to The
Macmillan Company. Any piracy or infringement will be prosecuted
in accordance with the penalties provided by the United States Stat-
utes: -
  " SEC. 4966.-Any person publicly performing or representing any
dramatic or musical composition, for which copyright has been obtained,
without the consent of the proprietor of the said dramatic or musical
composition, or his heirs or assigns, shall be liable for damages therefor,
such damages in all cases to be assessed at such sum, not less than one
hundred dollars for the first and fifty dollars for every subsequent per-
formance, as to the Court shall appear to be just. If the unlawful per-
formance and representation be wilful and for profit, such person or
persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction be im-
prisoned for a period not exceeding one year." - U. S. REVISED
STATUTES, Tide 6o, Chap. 3.











                          'NOraob bTedu
            J. S. Cushing  Co. - Berwick  Smith Co.
                      Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

 



















          TO

   MAXINE ELLIOTT

AND EVERYTHING IS SAID!

       C. F. 1907

 This page in the original text is blank.


 

      HER OWN WA Y




ACT I. THE PLAYROOM.

                   Ten days elapse.



ACT II. THE



DRAWING-ROOM.
       Eight months elapse.



ACT III. GEORGIANA'S ROOM.
                     Four weeks elapse.


ACT IV. THE DRAWING-ROOM.




         PLACE - NEW YORK.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 


THE PEOPLE IN THE PLAY



GEORGIANA CARLEY.
MRS. CARLEY  . . . Her step-mother.
MRS. STEVEN CARLEY . Her sister-in-law, born "Coast,"

                       and daughter of Mrs. Carley by

                       a former marriage.
PHILIP      I
CHRISTOPHER   . . . Children of Mr. and Mrs. Steven

TOOTS                  Carley.
ELAINE .    .rom next door.
LIZZIE . . . . . . Mrs. Carley's maid.
MISS BELLA SHINDLE   "The Lady Hair-dresser."
LIEUTENANT RICHARD COLEMAN.
SAM COAST . . . . Louise Carley's own cousin.
STEVEN CARLEY . . Georgiana's brother.
MOLES . . . . . . Butler to the Carleys.
A FOOTMAN . . . . At the Carleys.

 This page in the original text is blank.

 

  Produced at the Star Theatre, Buffalo, Septem-
ber 24, 1903, and on September 28, 1903, at the
Garrick Theatre, New York, with the following
cast: -



Georgiana Carley   .
Mrs. Carley
Mrs. Steven Carley .
Philip.
Christopher.
Toots
Elaine.
Lizzie.
Miss Bella Shindle .
Lieutenant Richard Coleman
Sam Coast .
Steven Carley.
Moles.
Footman  . . . .



     . Miss Maxine Elliott
 . . . Miss Eva Vincent
     .  Miss Nellie Thorne
  . Master Donald Gallaher
       .  Miss Beryl Morse
       .  Miss Mollie King
 . .   Miss Marie Hirsch
 . . Miss Susanne Perry
  . Miss Georgie Lawrence
     .  Mr. Charles Cherry
 . . . Mr. Arthur Byron
...   .             .Mr. R. C. Herz
  . Mr. Francklyn Hurleigh
 . . Mr. B. M. Parmenter

 This page in the original text is blank.

 

  Produced at the Lyric Theatre, London, in
May, 1905, and afterward at the Savoy Theatre,
London, with the following cast: -



Georgiana Carley  .
Mrs. Carley
Mrs. Steven Carley .
Philip.
Christopher
Toots
Elaine.
Lizzie.
Miss Bella Shindle .
Lieutenant Richard Coleman
Sam Coast .
Steven Carley .
Moles
Footman



       Miss Maxine Elliott
   Mrs. Fanny Addison Pitt
 . .   Miss Nellie Thorne
   Master Donald Gallaher
 . . . Miss Beryl Morse
 . . . Miss Mollie King
 . .   Miss Marie Hirsch
       Miss Susanne Perry
  . Miss Georgie Lawrence
   .  Mr. Charles Cherry
      . Mr. James Carew
. .  .  . Mr. R. C. Herz
  . Mr. Francklyn Hurleigh
     .  Mr. B. M. Parmenter



xiii

 This page in the original text is blank.


 

ACT I



The nursery. Hall-past two in the afternoon. A

  cool, delightful white room, with a frieze of chil-

  dren playing in the ocean spray; shelves of

  bright-colored books on the walls, and the months

  of a large calendar by Elizabeth Shippen Green

  framed underneath. There is a deep bow-window

  at the back; the principal door is at the Left, and a

  smaller one on the Right. Toys of all sizes, for

  all ages, are scattered about with a holiday air.

  There is a sofa on the Right and a hobby horse

  on the Left.

There are four charming though somewhat spoiled

  children, with intermittent manners, with napkins

  tied up under their chins, sitting around the table,



B



X

 

2HER OWN WA Y



  which is a little to the right of the centre of the

  room.

The FOOTMAN is busy removing the plates; the

  butler, MOLES, who stands behind PHILIP,

  always takes PHILIP'S plate. It is PHILIP'S

  birthday. LIZZIE stands behind ELAINE. In

  the centre of the table is a large cake with seven

  candles burning on it.


  PHILIP. What comes next

  CHRISTOPHER. SOUP!

  (LIZZIE and MOLES suppress smiles, exchanging

    looks of delighted appreciation 0o CHRISTO-

    PHER'S humor.

  TOOTS. Ice cream!

  ELAINE. Don't be absurd, Christopher, we've

had soup.

  CHRISTOPHER. I like it!



2

 

HER OWN WA Y



  TOOTS. I like ice cream !

  ELAINE. [To TOOTS.] Sh!

  PHILIP. What comes next, Moles

  MOLES. I don't know, sir.

                                 [He goes out.

  ELAINE. T'ain't manners to ask, anyway,

Phil.

  PHILIP. Who cares! It's my birthday!

  CHRISTOPHER. When will it be my birthday

  [The FOOTMAN reenters with plates, followed by

    MOLES, with silver dish of croquettes.

  PHILIP. Here it comes; what is it 

  MOLES. Chicken croquettes, sir.

  PHILIP. Left overs! Had chicken yesterday!

Bring 'em here first!

MOLES. No, ladies first, sir.

                              [Serves ELAINE.

 LIZZIE. And besides, Miss Elaine is company.



3

 

HER O WN WA Y



                   [MOLES serves CHRISTOPHER.

  PHILIP. That's all right. S'long it's Elaine,

everything goes!

  ELAINE. Phil!

  [Sliding down from her chair, she runs to him

    and kisses him.

  PHILIP. [Hopelessly embarrassed.] Don't ! not

in front of everybody!

  ELAINE. But I do love you, Phil, and you're

my beau, and I'm so glad it's your birthday.

  [Goes back to her place unashamed and contented.

                          [MOLES serves PHILIP.

  LIzZIE. You oughtn't to talk about beaux at

your age, Miss -ought Miss Elaine

              [To MOLES with a knowing glance.

  MOLES. I ain't discussing the sex with you,

Lizzie, but I will say all the girls I've known, began

talking about beaux early and ended late.



4

 

HEar C WN WA Y



  CHRISTOPHER. I heard Lizzie and Moles talking

about Aunt Georgiana's beau!

  LIZZIE. Sh!

       [FOOTMAN goes out with the croquette dish.

  ELAINE. Mr. Dick Coleman's Miss Carley's

beau!

  PHILIP. No, he isn't! Mr. Dick's known Aunt

Georgiana always, they're just little boy and girl

friends. Lizzie says she's Cousin Sammy Coast's

sweetheart.

  LIzzIE. [Indignant, though convulsed.] I never

did!

  PHILIP. Yes, you did! To Maggie when you

thought I wasn't paying attention.

    [LIZZIE and MOLES exchange amused glances.

  ELAINE. But Mr. Coast's your auntie's cousin;

and your cousin can't be your beau.

  PHILIP. He ain't any relation to Auntie Geor-



5

 

HER OWN WA Y



giana. Mamma said so. Mr. Coast's mamma's

cousin, and grandma's nephew, but grandma isn't

any real relation to auntie.

  CHRISTOPHER. How

  PHILIP. I don't know how, only Aunt Georgiana

had a different mamma, she didn't have grandma.

  ELAINE. And the same papa!

  PHILIP. Not all the time, mamma had another

papa first.

  CHRISTOPHER. It's sort of mixy, isn't it

  PHILIP. Yes, I guess mamma and Aunt Georgy

are sort of divorced sisters!

  ELAINE. Oh!

                       [As i/ that explained it.

 TOOTS. [Beating the table.] Lemmlelade ! lemm-

lelade !

  [MOLES crosses to pitcher and serves TOOTS first,

  then the other.



6

 

HER OWN WA Y



  PHILIP. Toots, you're getting tipsy!

                           [The children laugh.

  CHRISTOPHER. Cousin Sammy comes to see

Aunt Georgiana nearly every day.

  PHI.IP. Yes -he's begun to bring toys just

like some of the others did.

  CHRISTOPHER. [With his mouth lull.] Hobby

horse! Hobby horse!

                    [Pointing to the hobby horse.

  LIZZIE. Don't talk with your mouth full,

Mr. Christopher.

  PHILIP. [Shouting.] He'll choke! He'll choke I

                [All laugh, tremendously amused.

  MOLES. Mr. Coast is a very fine gentleman.

  PHUTIP. Oh, I know! I saw him give you a

dollar the other day, when he came to see auntie,

and you advised his waiting and said auntie'd be

in by five.



7

 

HER OWN WAY



  LIzzIE. Isn't he a case!

  MOLES. He certainly is.

             [Returns pitcher to table on the Left.

  CHRISTOPHER. I like Mr. Dick best. He's al-

ways taking us places and things.

  TOOTS. [Who has finished his croquette and is

now ready for conversation.] Um ! Circus!

  PHILIP. And not just 'cause he's stuck on auntie.

  MOLES. You oughtn't to use that expression,

Mr. Philip.

  PHILIP. Why not! you do. I heard you tell

Lizzie you were stuck on her last Sunday.

  LiZZIE. [Blushing.] Oh, my!

  CHRISTOPHER. Mr. Dick's a soldier!

  PHILIP. Yes, siree! He helped stop a strike of

street cars in Brooklyn. His name was in the

papers!

  CHRISTOPHER. He was hurted bad, and if he



8

 

HER 0 WA' WA Y



was dead, he'd have a monnyment with "Hero"

embroidered on it. Aunt Georgiana said so!

  ELAINE. I should think Miss Georgiana was too

old, anyway, to have beaux.

  CHRISTOPHER. Oh, awful old!

  LIZZIE. Oh! Miss Carley isn't so old!

  PHILIP. Yes, she is, too! She's our old maid

aunt.

  ELAINE. If she wasn't old, she'd be married.

It must be awful to be so old.
  PHILIP. She's nearly thirty, I guess.

  ALL THE CHILDREN. Oh!

                              [Loud and long.

  CHRISTOPHER. You'll be deader soon after

thirty, won't you 

TOOTS. [Crying.] I don't want Auntie Geor-

giana to be a deader!

  PHILIP. [Bored.] Shut up!



9

 

0HER 0 WN WAY



  LIZZIE. [Comes to TOOTS and comforts him.]

Toots, dear!

  PHILIP. I'm glad Aunt Georgiana's an old

maid, 'cause I don't want her to leave us.

       [FOOTMAN enters and stands at the Right.]

She gave me my birthday party.

  MOLES. Yes, and this whole house'd missyour

aunt, I can tell you that, Mr. Philip. [Takes

away the plates.] She just keeps things going

smooth with everybody.

  PHILIP. I told her I saw you kiss Lizzie on the

back stairs, Saturday.

  MOLES. What!

                  [Gives dishes to the FOOTMAN.

  LIZZIE. He didn't! He didn't!

  PHILIP. Yes, that's what Aunt Georgiana said,

but I know better, and so does she, I guess!

  LIZZIE. Isn't he a case,!



10

 

HER OWN WAY



            [MOLES goes out with the FOOTMAN.

  PHILIP. Now what

  CHRISTOPHER. SOUP I

  PHILIP. Ice cream! I want ice cream!

  LIZZIE. Sh!

  ELAINE. My mamma don't let my brothers

behave so at the table.

  PHILIP. Neither don't we, 'cept our birth-

days.



         [MOLES reenters with a tray ai

  CHRISTOPHER. What is it

  PHILIP. [Screams.] Eeh! Ice cream !

cream!

  LIZZIE. Sh!

  PHILIP. Go ahead, dish it out!



nd plates.



It's ice



                                  [Laughs.

[MOLES serves ice cream to ELAINE, then to

  PHILIP, TOOTS, and CHRISTOPHER.



I1I

 

2HER O WN WA Y



  CHRISTOPHER. Mr. Dick Coleman is gooder as

Cousin Sammy Coast.

  ELAINE. Aunt Georgiana is goodest as him!

  CHRISTOPHER. Aunt Georgiana is gooder as

mamma!

TOOTS. And most goodest as grandma.

  [LIZZIE exchanges a glance with MOLES and goes

  out Right.

  PHILIP. Grandma! Rats!

  MOLES. [To PHILIP.] ShI

  PHILIP. [Shouts.] Stop, Chris! He's taking

too much ice cream!

ALL THE CHILDREN. Chris! Chris!

[They keep up the clamor, laughing and shouting,

   till LIZZIE comes back.

   LIZZIE. Children! here comes grandma.

   PHILIP. [Disgusted.] Oh, pshaw!

   CHRISTOPHER. Don't want grandma.



I2

 

HER OWN WA Y



  LIZZIE. Sh!

  [MRS. CARLEY comes in from the Right. She is a

    middle-aged woman, of jaded prettiness and

    frivolous manner. Every line and bit of

    character has been massaged out of her lace.

    There is a sudden, embarrassed, and gloomy

    silence on the part of the children.

  MRS. CARLEY. Well, children, having a lovely

party 

  PHILIP. [Grudgingly.] Yes, ma'am I

  ELAINE. [Politely.] Yes, ma'am.

  CHRISTOPHER. Aunt Georgiana's party !

  MRS. CARLEY. Yes, dear, it's too bad mamma is

ill in bed. She says when you are all through, you

may come up and say how do you do, while she

kisses Phil. [Silence.] That will be nice, won't it

  PHILIP. [Grudgingly.] Yes, ma'am.

  ELAINE. Yes, ma'am.



13

 

X4HER OWN WA Y



  CHRISTOPHER. Yes, ma'am.

  TOOTS. No!

  MRS. CARLEY. We are glad you could come in,

Elaine, and help celebrate Philip's birthday.

  ELAINE. Thank you, ma'am!

  [TOOTS is masking his ice cream strenuously with

    a spoon.

  MRS. CARLEY. Toots! don't be naughty and

don't mash your ice cream up like that.

TOOTS. I like it.

  CHRISTOPHER. Me too - it makes soup!



MRS. CARLEY.



             [Copying TOOTS.

Your collar's crooked, Chris.

               [Arranging it.



CHRISTOPHER. Ouch!



  MRS. CARLEY.

cake for you



                [Squirming.

Phil, shall grandma cut your



14

 

HER OWN WA Y



PHILIP. No, ma'am, Auntie Georgiana's going

to cut it.

MRS. CARLEY. Oh, very well. How's your

mamma, Elaine Is she going to the big ball

to-morrow 

  ELAINE. Yes, ma'am.

  MRS. CARLEY. We feel dreadfully. Philip's

mamma's illness prevents our going.

  ELAINE. Mamma said you weren't invited.

  MRS. CARLEY. [Pats PHILIP on the head, to

his great disgust and discomfort.] Your mamma

had better mind! Your mamma is mistaken!

Good-by, children, grandma is sorry she can't

stay and have a good time with you. I am going

to call, Elaine, on the Countess of Worling, Mrs.

Tom Cooley's daughter. I don't think your mother

knows them. Good-by, dears, enjoy yourselves.

                            [She goes out Left.



1s

 

HER OWN WA Y



  [Silence till the door is well shut behind grandma,

    and then the children break out with shouts,

    all of them, of "Good-by, Grandma. Good-by,"

    repeated ad lab. Then they calm down.

  PHILIP. Bully! Grandma's gone!

  CHRISTOPHER. Ice cream!

  ALL THE CHILDREN. More ice cream! Ice

cream!

  PHILIP. Let's see.

           [MOLES hands him the ice cream dish.

  CHRISTOPHER. [To PHILIP.] Can I have some

more, or will it make me sick

  PHILIP. [Serves the children.] No, there's plenty.

When there isn't enough, mamma always says it

will make us sick.

  CHRISTOPHER. And papa - when we have

company unexpected, and there isn't enough of

anything, papa always says F.H.B.

 

HER OWN WA Y



PHILIP. F.H.B.

  ELAINE. Why

  CHRISTOPHER. He says it means Family Hold

Back, and we all have to say "No, thank you,"

when it comes around! Do you like grandma,

Phil

  PHILIP. Naw! Grandma's no good.

  [MOLES goes out with the empty ice cream dish.

  TOOTS. No good, grandma!

                 [A knock outside the door Left.

  GEORGIANA. [Outside.] Hello! Hello!

  PHILIP. [Delighted.] Aunt Georgiana!

  ALL THE CHILDREN. Aunt Georgiana!

  GEORGIANA. [Outside.] Is this a private room

at Sherry's, or may an old maid aunt come

in

  ALL. No! Yes! Come in - come on in!

  [They clatter on the table with their spoons, and

        C



17

 

HER OWN WA Y



    shout "Hurrah I Aunt Georgiana I" as GEOR-

    GIANA enters. She is a beautiful creature,

    about thirty, and in the very height of health

    and spirits-an American Beauty rose the

    moment before it opens. She is flushed

    after her quick walk in the bracing, sunshiny

    winter's day. No wonder the children - and

    others - adore her!

  GEORGIANA. W"'hat a good time!

  CHRISTOPHER. Oh, we're having the beautiful-

est time, Auntie!

  PHILIP. Great!

  ELAINE. Perfectly lovely!

  TOOTS. UMr! Ice cream! Lots!

  GEORGIANA. That's good! Stuff all you can,

Toots! Are you ready to cut the cake

  ALL THE CHILDREN. Yes! Yes!

  PHILIP. We waited for you.



i8

 

HER OWN WA Y



  CHRISTOPHER. We wouldn't let grandma.

  [GEORGIANA drops her furs on the so/a and

    then comes to the table.

  GEORGIANA. There's a ring in it. Whoever

gets it will be married in a year.

                         [Starts to cut the cake.

  TOOTS. I want the ring!

  PHILIP. Hush up, you're only a baby!

                 [A loud knock on the door Left.

  GEORGIANA. Oh, yes, I forgot. Cousin Sam

wants to wish you many happy returns, Philip.

May he come in

  PHILIP. Pshaw! Another man!

  CHRISTOPHER. [In a "stagewhisper"to ELAINE.]

He's the one - auntie's sweetheart!

  GEORGIANA. [Amused.] Nonsense, Christopher,

that's silly talk. Stop that for good! [Loud

knocks repeated. To PHILIP.] May Cousin Sam



19

 

HER OWN WA Y



come in [PRILIP nods.] All right, he's got some

presents! Come in, Mr. Coast.

  [COAST comes in and goes straight to PHILIP.

    SAM COAST is a tall, slender, but strong-looking

    man, rather " raw-boned."  He is dressed most

    fashionably and most expensively, - over-

    dressed, in fact, and yet not too vulgarly.

    A man of muscle and nerve, who makes his

    own code and keeps his own counsel.

  COAST. Shake, Phil.
                              [Shakes his hand.

  PHILIP. [His hand hurt.]   Golly!   He can

squeeze, can't he, Aunt Georgiana

  GEORGIANA. Well, really! Miss Elaine Jack-

son - Mr. Coast.

  ELAINE. [Embarrassed, rises, and curtseys.]

How do you do

  COAST. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

Hello, rest of you.



20

 

HER OWN WA Y



CHRISTOPHER and TOOTS. Hello!

CHRISTOPHER. Are you Auntie Georgiana's

beau 

COAST. Yes!

  GEORGIANA. Chris!

  CHRISTOPHER. Lizzie says so!

  LIZZIE. I never!

  TOOTS, CHRISTOPHER, and PHILIP. Yes, you

did! You did tco! You did too!

  LIZZIE. [To GEORGIANA.] I never did, miss!

  PHILIP. Yes you did, you did too!

  GEORGIANA. I hope you didn't, Lizzie. You

may leave the children with me now.

  LIZZIE. Yes, ma'am.

  [LIZZIE, MOLES, and FOOTMAN go out at Right,

    each taking some plates, etc.

  GEORGIANA. [To COAST.] I hope you don't

mind.



21

 

2HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. Of course I don't. It's true as far as

I'm concerned.

  GEORGIANA. [Laughing.] It's not!

  COAST. Listen, will you bet

  GEORGIANA. [Laughing.] Not before the chil-

dren !

  PHILIP. Come on, let's cut the cake!

  GEORGIANA. Blow out the candles!

  [All the children blow out the candles and then

    get down from the table.

  COAST. And here's my contribution to the party.

  [Brings out six big German mottoes from his

    pocket, and goes to table with them.

  GEORGIANA. [In pretended excitement.] What

Mottoes!

  ALL THE CHILDREN. [In delighted chorus.] Oh,

mottoes!

  PHILIP. Are those the silver mines



22

 

HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. No! Why

  [Laughing and handing the mottoes around,

    while GEORGIANA cuts the cake.

  PHILIP. I heard grandma say the other day,

you had pockets full of silver mines.

  GEORGIANA. The cake's ready!

  [All take a piece of cake. The children line up

    and down Centre from Right to Left: ELAINE,

    TOOTS, PHILIP, CHRISTOPHER.

  COAST. Your motto!

                  [Handing one to GEORGIANA.

  GEORGIANA. One for me too ! Oh, thank you!

  COAST. Certainly, because I want a bit of cake.

I'm after that ring.

                 [Goes up back of table for cake.

  GEORGIANA. Don't anybody swallow the ring.

  [All eat the cake and now speak with their mouths

    full.



23

 

HER OWN WA Y



CHRISTOPHER. I haven't got it yet, Auntie.

ELAINE. Nor I.

GEORGIANA. Don't talk. Everybody eat

some one gets it!

TOOTS. [Crying.] I can't eat my cake! I ca

eat my cake!

  GEORGIANA. Why not, dear

  TOOTS. 'Cause I haven't got no place!

haven't got no place to put it!



PHILIP. He's full up!

GEORGIANA. Never mind, Toots,

shall have a piece for supper.

TOOTS. Will I have room then



dear,



In't



you



CHRISTOPHER. [A sudden loud and jrightened

cry.] Oh! Oh!

  ALL. What's the matter

              [All gather around CHRISTOPHER.



till



[Crying.



24

 

HER OWN WA Y



  GEORGIANA. [Frightened.] What is it, Chris

  CHRISTOPHER. [Screaming.] Oh!

  GEORGIANA. What is it, dear

  CHRISTOPHER. I've swallowed it!

  ALL. What

  CHRISTOPHER. I've swallowed the ring!

  ELAINE. That isn't fair!

  PHILIP. Just like Chris, 'fraid some one else'd

get it.

  GEORGIANA. No, Chris, dear! [To COAST.]

What will we do

  COAST. Chris has made a mistake, here is the

ring! [Finding it in his own piece of cake.] There

weren't two, were there

  GEORGIANA. No, that's the one !

  CHRISTOPHER. [Smiling and greatly relieved.]

Oh! I guess I 'magined it, then.

  GEORGIANA. [Aflectionately pretending to shake



25

 

HER O WN WA Y



him.] Well, young man, you can imagine yourself

spanked for giving us all a fright. Now, come

along, the mottoes. [To COAST.] Of course the

ring wasn't meant for you. What are you going

to do with it

  COAST. Keep it.

  GEORGIANA. No, you mustn't; it's the children's!

  COAST. Philip, may I keep the ring

  PHILIP. [On the hobby horse.] Yes, sir.

  COAST. And I'll give each one of you a ring in

place of it. What kind will you have, Elaine

  [He makes movement towards each child as he

    asks the question.

  ELAINE. One big pearl with two great big rubies.

  GEORGIANA. Mercy! Small order!

  COAST. Very well. And you, Phil

  PHILIP. I don't want any ring. I want a watch

and chain.



26

 

HER OWN TVA Y



  COAST. Good! And you, Chris, do you want a

ring 

  CHRISTOPHER. I want a gun!

  COAST. All right. [Writing.] And Toots

  TOOTS. Nanny goat!

  [They all laugh. MOLES and FOOTMAN enter,

    answering the bell which GEORGIANA has rung.

  GEORGIANA. The table, Moles.

  MOLES. Yes, ma'am.

  [Takes away small plates, etc.; he then goes out

    Right, followed by FOOTMAN, who takes every-

    thing else from the table, leaving only the cover

    and a false nose left from the mottoes.

  PHILIP. [Crosses to GEORGIANA at table.] Grand-

ma's been up and said we were all to go and see

mamma.

  GEORGIANA. Go in your mottoes; that will be

great fun !



27

 

8HER OWN WAY



  ALL THE CHILDREN. Oh, yes! Hurrah!

                              [Running off Left.

  GEORGIANA. Ssh! Don't shout so; remember

poor mamma's headache!

  [A 11 repeat, " Remember poor mamma 's headache"

    and take hands as they tip-toe out, PHILIP first,

    ELAINE second, CHRIS third, TOOTS fourth,

    repeating " Poor mamma's headache " in a whis-

    per till they are all out.

  COAST. I can't get this damned thing on. Too

bad Cousin Loo's ill.

  GEORGIANA. Oh, she isn't really. Louise is

never perfectly well and happy unless she has

something the matter with her, especially if she

has nothing else to do; she's bored to-day, so

she's got a headache! To-night, when there's a

big ball to which she is not invited, she'll be fright-

fully alarmed about herself for fear of appendicitis,



28

 

HER OWN WAY



but to-morrow, when we have smart company at

luncheon, she'll recover like a shot! It's all right

for Louise, but it's hard on my brother, who really

adores her.

                       [She sits beside the table.

  COAST. Adores! Say! That's the    word   I

want to use about you!

  [Follows GEORGIANA to table, moves chair to

    front, and sits.

  GEORGIANA. Nonsense, Sam! Do you know

anything about some stocks called United Copper

  COAST. Rotten! Don't touch it!

  GEORGIANA. My brother had a tip this morning

on United Copper and wanted me to give him some

money to put in it.

  COAST. Listen! don't you do it.

  GEORGIANA. I wish you'd use your influence

with Steven to help him.



29

 

HER 0 WAr WA Y



  COAST. How 

  GEORGIANA. You must know how mad he is

over speculation  But perhaps you don't know that

he has gone through all his own money, and, if

she'll let him, he'll go through his wife's next.

[Smiling.] Then I suppose it would be my turn!

  COAST. Why doesn't he keep out of it

  GEORGIANA. He can't, we must keep it out of

him! Out of his blood!

  COAST. There's only one way.

  GEORGIANA. What

  COAST. Ruin him!

  GEORGIANA. That's too anarchistic! You spec-

ulate.

  COAST. But I always win!

  GEORGIANA. Can't you teach him

  COAST. Listen, if I could do that, I'd be the

richest man in the world before I got through.



30

 

HER OWN WAY Y



  GEORGIANA. Can't you give Steve a tip on some

sure things

  COAST. There ain't any sure things.

  GEORGIANA. Why, other friends of Steve are

always "putting him on to something good."

  COAST. And what happens

  GEORGIANA. [Smiling distressfully.] Well, he

does lose, usually.

  COAST. I guess so!

  GEORGIANA. But you must often have inside

information.

  COAST. And how much is that worth

             [Takes up the false nose from table.

  GEORGIANA. Well, it usually costs Steve all he

has ! But I thought you -

  COAST. [Interrupting.] Miss Georgiana, you

see this false nose

  GEORGIANA. Yes



31

 

HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. [Putting it on.] Well, now what do I

look like

  GEORGIANA. [Laughing.] I shouldn't like to

say!

  COAST. Exactly! Well, see That's what I'd

be if I believed in tips and "inside information."

If a man gives your brother a good tip, let him

drop it like hot lead. People with a real good tip

ain't giving it away. There's never enough to

divide up and go around, - not in this world, -

and inside information that gets told to a lamb

like your brother is too damned outside informa-

tion for me!

  [He rises and moves away, hall in irritation, hall

    in humor.

  GEORGIANA. Oh! Oh!

  COAST. Pardon.

  GEORGIANA. Are you as rich as people say



32

 

HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. Richer !

  GEORGIANA. How did you get it

  COAST. I started my dough with a mine.

  GEORGIANA. Why can't you put Steve into a

mine

  COAST. [Laughing.] What's the use he'll lose

everything just as quick in Wall Street.

  GEORGIANA. But I mean a good mine.

  COAST. [Coming back to her.] Listen! I worked

right in our mine with my father when I was only

eight years old! That's why I ain't better edu-

cated - I worked for ten years there down in the

dirt and muck!

  GEORGIANA. [Interrupting.] And silver I

  COAST. [Leaning on the back of the chair.] Yes,

and silver. [Laughs.] Father's out there working

yet - don't have to now, but he likes it; he ain't

comfortable on top of the earth - says there's too
         D



33

 

HER OWN WA Y



much room. If father'd been a man like Mackay,

I guess he'd been just as rich as him to-day.

  GEORGIANA. And still you won't help Steve

  COAST. T'ain't business.  [He puts back his

chair and leans toward GEORGIANA, hand on table.]

If helping him, mind you, would get you, I might

take it on. [Humorously.] I'd pay even the price

of Steve to buy you.

  GEORGIANA. [Taking the false nose and putting

it on.] Well, I'm not for sale. [Rises.] But I

would like to dispose of Steven.

  COAST. Go on, please take that blame thing off.

  [Follows GEORGIANA across the room to the Left.

  GEORGIANA. No, I like it ! You must under-

stand this about my brother. [Taking off the nose.]

He is the dearest, best fellow in the world! kind-

hearted and wouldn't do a thing that wasn't straight-

forward in business.



34

 

               HER OWN     WA Y              35

  COAST. But you've got to be tricky if you want

to succeed in our business. I don't mind telling you

right out between us, I'm tricky!

  GEORGIANA. I'm sorry to hear it.

  COAST. Louise was a pretty good liar when she

was a kid. She ought to help her husband along

a little.

  GEORGIANA. That's just it! if Steve had the

right sort of wife,- but all Louise wants is social

position and more money.

           [She sits on the hobby horse, amusedly.]

  COAST. If Louise was like you!

  [GEORGIANA puts the nose on quickly and rocks.

  GEORGIANA. Heaven forbid! The only trouble

with Steve is he's weak. He'd have been all right

if he'd been a girl -or married to a president

of Sorosis, or a daughter of the Present Revo-

lution I

 

HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. Miss Georgiana, take off that nose and

let me ask you something.

  GEORGIANA. Not at all, my dear Sammy. I

know what it is you want to ask me! I'm much

obliged and I won't.

  COAST. You won't marry me I

  GEORGIANA. No!

  COAST. Why not

  GEORGIANA. Because I don't love you.

  COAST. Who do you love

  GEORGIANA. That's not your business!

  COAST. Do you love any one

  GEORGIANA. [After a moment's hesitation, lies.]

No !

  COAST. [With insinuation.] Why don't you get

Dick Coleman to help Steven

  GEORGIANA. [Taking off the nose.] Why do you

ask me that now in that way



36

 

HER OWN WA Y



  COAST. Information!

  GEORGIANA. Dick's a lawyer. What could he

do for Steven

  COAST. That's not the information I wanted.

  GEORGIANA. But it's all the information you'll

get !

  [Gets ofi the hobby horse and comes down a

    little.

  COAST. [Follows her.] Georgiana, marry me,

and I'll look after Steven all the rest of his

life.

  GEORGIANA. Sammy, you don't want me to

marry you if I don't love you.

  COAST. Yes, I do. Listen! I'd risk your not

loving me; there's nothing on God's earth I

wouldn't do to make you love me.

  GEORGIANA. That's the trouble with you men,

you think you can make a woman love you whether



37t

 

HER OWN WA Y



she wants to or not, but you can't! - neither can

you keep her from loving you if she does, whether

she wants to or not.

  [Throws nose away; crossing to the Leit, sits in

    the rocking chair there.

  COAST. I'd give you everything I

  GIEORGIANA. That you can buy I

  COAST. Do you mean that you'd rather be dead

poor than marry me

  GEORGIANA. No, I don't say that! When I've

lost everything and Steven and Louise are bank-

rupt, and we haven't a penny -

  COAST. Yes I

  GEORGIANA. I might - I say I might -

  COAST. Honest!

  GEORGLNA. [Laughing.] Oh, dear, no!

  COAST. I take you at your word, anyhow.

                [The children's voices are heard.



38

 

HER OWN WA Y



  CHILDREN. [Off Left.] Come on back to our

room and have some more fun.

  GEORGIANA. ShI Here come the children.

                                      [Rises.

  COAST. Damn the children!

  GEORGIANA. Sam!

            [She puts finger up, COAST kisses it.

  COAST. Pardon! But I don't give up ! Under-

stand -I'm going to marry you!

  GEORGIANA. [Teasing him.] When When

                [The children rush in screaming.

  THE CHILDREN. Aunt Georgiana!        Here's

papa! Here's papa!

  [And STEVEN CARLEY enters Left. He is a

    slender, smooth-shaven, young-old looking

    man, his voice and body almost vibrating

    with nerve; a personality that so often ap-

    peals to the tenderness in women, while it



39

 

H0ElI OWN WA Y



    irritates men. He brings his hat and coat

    with him.

  STEVEN. Hello, Sam!

  COAST. Morning!

  STEVEN. Many happy returns, Georgy.

  GEORGIANA. Oh, no, thank You! It's not for

me yet, thank goodness!

  PHILIP. Now let's