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Read Ebook: Theft: A Play In Four Acts by London Jack
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Ebook has 1296 lines and 25698 words, and 26 pages
Matsu Sakari. Secretary of Japanese Embassy. He is the perfection of politeness and talks classical book-English. He bows a great deal.
Dolores Ortega. Wife of Peruvian Minister; bright and vivacious, and uses her hands a great deal as she talks, in the Latin-American fashion.
Senator Dowsett. Fifty years of age; well preserved.
Mrs. Dowsett. Stout and middle-aged.
ACT I
A ROOM IN THE HOUSE OF SENATOR CHALMERS
I can't understand why an old wheel-horse like Elsworth should kick over the traces that way.
Disgruntled. Thinks he didn't get his fair share of plums out of the Tariff Committee. Besides, it's his last term. He's announced that he's going to retire.
It's already handled.
Yes?
Turned it over to the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses of the Senate.
And you're chairman. Poor old Elsworth. This way to the lethal chamber, and the bill's on its way.
Elsworth will be retired before it's ever reported. In the meantime, say after a decent interval, Senator Hodge will introduce another resolution to investigate the high cost of living. It will be like Elsworth's, only it won't.
And it will go to the Committee on Finance and come back for action inside of twenty-four hours.
Yes, it deftly concealed its reactionary tendencies.
And from now on the concealment will be still more deft. I've gone into it myself. I have a majority of the stock right now.
I thought I had noticed a subtle change in the last two numbers.
We're still going on muck-raking. We have a splendid series on Aged Paupers, demanding better treatment and more sanitary conditions. Also we are going to run "Barbarous Venezuela" and show up thoroughly the rotten political management of that benighted country.
And now concerning Knox. That's what I sent for you about. His speech comes off tomorrow per schedule. At last we've got him where we want him.
I have the ins and outs of it pretty well. Everything's arranged. The boys have their cue, though they don't know just what's going to be pulled off; and this time to-morrow afternoon their dispatches will be singing along the wires.
This man Knox must be covered with ridicule, swamped with ridicule, annihilated with ridicule.
It is to laugh. Trust the great American people for that. We'll make those little Western editors sit up. They've been swearing by Knox, like a little tin god. Roars of laughter for them.
Do you do anything yourself?
Well?
Wasn't it a risky thing to give him his chance with that speech?
It was the only feasible thing. He never has given us an opening. Our service men have camped on his trail night and day. Private life as unimpeachable as his public life. But now is our chance. The gods have given him into our hands. That speech will do more to break his influence--
Than a Fairbanks cocktail.
But don't forget that this Knox is a live wire. Somebody might get stung. Are you sure, when he gets up to make that speech, that he won't be able to back it up?
No danger at all.
But there are hooks and crooks by which facts are sometimes obtained.
Knox has nothing to go on but suspicions and hints, and unfounded assertions from the yellow press.
He will make himself a laughing stock. His charges will turn into boomerangs. His speech will be like a sheet from a Sunday supplement, with not a fact to back it up. We'd better be getting out of here. They're going to have tea.
Come to the library and have a high-ball.
And to-morrow Ali Baba gets his.
Ali Baba?
That's what your wife calls him--Knox.
Oh, yes, I believe I've heard it before. It's about time he hanged himself, and now we've given him the rope.
Oh, by the way, just a little friendly warning, Senator Chalmers. Not so fast and loose up New York way. That certain lady, not to be mentioned--there's gossip about it in the New York newspaper offices. Of course, all such stories are killed. But be discreet, be discreet If Gherst gets hold of it, he'll play it up against the Administration in all his papers.
Oh, brother-in-law! Such excitement! That's what's the matter with mother. We ran into a go-cart. Our chauffeur was not to blame. It was the woman's fault. She tried to cross just as we were turning the corner. But we hardly grazed it. Fortunately the baby was not hurt--only spilled. It was ridiculous. Oh, there you are, Mr. Hubbard. How de do.
Oh, it was terrible! The little child might have been killed. And such persons love their babies, I know.
Has father come? We were to pick him up here. Where's Madge?
Oh, there is Mr. Hubbard.
I am sure Mr. Starkweather never lost his head in his life.
Unless when he was courting you, mother.
I'm not so sure about that.
Father probably conferred first with his associates, then turned the affair over for consideration by his corporation lawyers, and, when they reported no flaws, checked the first spare half hour in his notebook to ask mother if she would have him.
And looked at his watch at least twice while he was proposing.
Anthony was not so busy then as all that.
He hadn't yet taken up the job of running the United States.
I'm sure I don't know what he is running, but he is a very busy man--business, politics, and madness; madness, politics, and business.
Tea. I should like a cup of tea. Connie, I shall stay for a cup of tea, and then, if your father hasn't come, we'll go home. Where is Tommy?
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