xt7dfn10ph13 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7dfn10ph13/data/mets.xml Fitch, Clyde, 1865-1909. 1905  books b92-203-30752320 English S. French, : New York : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Climbers  : a play in four acts / by Clyde Fitch. text Climbers  : a play in four acts / by Clyde Fitch. 1905 2002 true xt7dfn10ph13 section xt7dfn10ph13 



















THE CLIMBERS

A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS

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The Climbers


A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS



         By


CLYDE FITCH



   NEW YORK    I     LONDON
SAMUEL FRENCH   SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD.
   PUBLISHER     26 SOUTHAMPTON ST.
25 WEST 45th STREETI    STRAND
  Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown 6' Co.

 




















                        COPYRIGHT, 1905,

           BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY.

                      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


 This play is fully protected by the copyright law, all requirements of
which have been complied with. In its present printed form it is dedi-
cated to the reading public only, and no performance of it, either pro-
fessional or amateur, may be given without she vritten permission of
the owner of the acaing rights, wh-o m.ay be add'e-re1d in care of the
publishers, Little, Brawi,, and Cumpan-.

 


















               TO

    CHARLES T. MATHEWS

    IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HIS
TRUE FRIENDSHIP AND LOYAL ENTHUSIASM
        FROM THE BEGINNING
                           C. F.

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             THE CLIMBERS



ACT I.      IN LATE WINTER.
                At the Hunters'.

ACT 11.     THE FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS EVE.
                A" the Sterlings'.

ACT III.    CHRISTM.AS DAY.
                At the Hermitage, by the Bronx RPvei

ACT IV.     THE DAY AFrER CHRISTMAS.
                At s'e Sterling'.


              NEw YORK: TO-DAY

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       THE PEOPLE IN THE PLAY



RICHARD STERLING.
EDWARD WARDEN.
FREDERICK MASON.
JOHNNY TROTTER
GODESBY.
DR. STEINART.
RYDER.
SERVANT at the Hermitage.
JORDAN. Butler at the Sterlins'.
LEONARD. Footman at Z4e Sterlings'.
MASTER STERLING.
SERVANTS.

MRS. STERLING (nie BSanche Hunter).
MISS HUNTER.
MRS. HUNTER.
JESSICA H1UNTER.
CLARA HUNTER.
MISS GODESBY.
MISS SILLERTON.
TompsoN. Afrs. hn/er',s Maid.
MARIE. Clara H/unter's Alaid.

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  Originally produced at the Bijou Theatre, New
York, January 21, igoi, with the following cast: -



Richard Sterling .
Edward Warden .
Frederick Mason.. ...
Johnny Trotter . . .
Dr. Steinart. . ..    . .
Godesby .
Ryder
Servant at the Hermitage .
Jordan       .    Servants
Leonard     . .   at the
A Footman   . . Hunters'
Richard Sterling, Jr.

Mrs. Hunter ......



  .  Mr. Frank Worthing
,. . . Mr. Robert Edeson
          Mr. John Flood
 Mr. Ferdinand Gottschalk
   Mr. George C. Boniface
     . . Mr. J. B. Sturges
...    ..   . Mr. Kinard
      Mr. Henry Warwick
    Mr. Edward Moreland
    Mr. Henry Stokes
    Mr. Frederick Wallace
    Master Harry Wright

    Mrs. Madge Carr Cook



Mrs. Sterling (ne Blanche Hunter) Miss Amelia Bingham
Jessica Hunter . . . . . ..     . Miss Maud Monroe
Clara hunter. . . . . . . . . Miss Minnie Dupreet
Miss Hunter . . . . . . . . . . Miss Annie Irish
Miss Godesby . . . . . . . . Miss Clara Bloodgood
Miss Sillerton.. . . . . . .     Miss Ysobel Haskins
Tompson   . .   Maids at       5 Miss Lillian Eldredge
Marie   I . . the Hunters' .   i Miss Florence Uoyd

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  Produced at the Comedy Theatre, London,
September 5, 1903, with the following cast:-



Richard Sterling
Edward Warden
Frederick Mason
Johnny Trotter
Godesby
Dr. Steinart. .
Master Sterling
Ryder
Jordan
Leonard .
Footman
Servant .

Mrs. Sterling
Miss Hunter
Mrs. Hunter
Jessica Hunter
Clara Hunter
Miss Sillerton
Tompson
Marie .
Miss Godesby.



            .Mr. Sydney Valentine
. . . . . . .    Mr. Reeves-Smith
... . .  .  . Mr. J. L. Mackay
... .  . .  . Mr. G. M. Graham
.... .  . .  .M r.H o ra c eP o llo c k
... . .   .       .Mr. Howard Sturges
              Miss Maidie Andrews
. . . . ..     Mr. Henry Howard
. . ......... Mr. Elgar B. Payne
               Mr. Littledale Power
... .  .   .       .Mr. Rivers Bertram
... .  .   .       .Mr. George Aubrey

...   . . .        .Miss Lily Hanbury
                 Miss Kate Tyndall
...... . .  ..... Miss Lottie Venne
                   Miss Alma Mara
....     . . . .. Mrs. Mouillot
  . . . . . Miss Florence Sinclair
. . . . . .          . Miss L. Crauford
. . . . . . .     Miss Armstrong
  .. . . . . .  Miss Fannie Ward

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                    ACT I

A drawing-room at the Hunters', handsomely and

  artistically  furnished.  The  woodwork    and

  furniture are in the period of Louis XVI.

  The walls and furniture are covered with

  yellow  brocade, and  the curtains are of the
  same golden   material.  At ILc, back cue two

  large windows which give out on Fifth Avenue,

  opposite the Park, the freer of vhicd  ate seet

  across the way. At Le/t is a double doorway,

  leading into the hall. At Right, opposite, is a

  door which leads to other rooms, and thence to

  other parts of the house. In the centre, at back,

  between the two windows, is the fireplace; on the

  mantel are two vases and a clock in dark blue

                      471

 

THE CL-IMBERS



  ormolu. There is a white and gold piano on

  the Right side of the room. The room suggests

  much wealth, and that it has been done by a

  professional decorator; the personal note ol taste

  is lacking.

It is jour o'clock in the a/ternoon. The shades of

  the windows are drawn down. There are rows

  and rows of camp-chairs filling the entire room.

The  curtain  rises  slowly.  Alter  a  moment,

  JORDAN, .he ouler, ard l EONARD, a loof-

  man, enter from the Left and begin to gather

  together and carry out the camp-chairs.  They

  do this wiih very serious laces, and take great

  pains to step softly and to make no noise. They

  enter a second time lor more chairs.



  JORDAN. [Whispers to LEONARD.] When are

they coming for the chairs



47 2

 

THE CLIMBERS



  LEONARD. [Whispers back.] To-night. Say, it

was fine, wasn't it!

  JORDAN. Grand!

  [They go out with the chairs and immediately

    reenter bor more. They are followed in this

    time by a lady's maid, TOMPSON; she is not a

    young woman. As she crosses the room she

    stoops and picks tip a jaded flower which has

    jallen Irom  some emblem.   She goes to the

    window at Right, and peeps out. She turns

    around and looks at the others. They all

    speak in subdued voices.

  TOmPSON. Jordan, what do you think -can

we raise the shades now

  JORDAN. Yes, of course - after they've left

the house it's all over as far as we here are con-

cerned.



[She raises both shades.



473

 

THE CLIMBERS



  TOMPSON. Phew! what an odor of flowers!

         [She opens one o1 the windows a little.

  [MARIE, a young, pretty, French woman, enters

    from the Right.

  MARIE. Will I help you

  TOMPSON. Just with this table, thank you,

Marie. [They begin to rearrange the room, put-

ting it in its normal condition. They replace the

table and put back the ornaments upon it.]  Poor

Mr. Hunter, and him so fond of mince pie. I

shall never forget how that man ate mince pie.

  [She sighs lugubriously and continues her labor

    with the room.

  LEONARD. I hope as how it's not going to make

any difference with us.

  JORDAN. [Pompously.] Of course not; wasn't

Mr. Hunter a millionnaire

  TomPSON. Some millionnaires I've known



474

 

THE CLIMBERS



turned out poor as Job's turkey in their

coffins !

  MARIE. What you say You tink we shall

'ave some of madame's or ze young ladies' dresses

  TOMPSON. [Ho pefully.] Perhaps.

  MARIE. I 'ave already made my choice. I

like ze pale pink of Mees Jessie.

  LEONARD. Sh! I heard a carridge.

  TOmPSON. Then they're coming back.

                [MARIE quickly goes out Right.

  JORDAN. [To LEONARD, hurriedly, as he quickly

goes out Left.] Take them last two chairs!

  [LEONARD, with the chairs, follows JORDAN Out

    Left. TOmPSON hastily puts back a last arm-

    chair to its usual position in the room and goes

    out Right. MRS. HUNTER enters Left, followed

    by her three daughters, BLANCHE, JESSICA,

    and CLARA, and MASTER STERLING, who is



475

 

THE CLIMBERS



a small, attractive child, five years of age

All are in the deepest conventional mourning,

MRS. HUNTER in widow's weeds and CLARA

with a heavy, black chiflon veil; the BoY is

also dressed in conventional mourning. A s soon

as they enter, all four women lift their veils.

MRS. HUNTER is a well-preserved woman, with

a pretty, rather foolish, and somewhat querulous

face. Her figure is the latest mode. BLANCHE

STERLING, her oldest daughter, is her antithesis,

-a handsome, dignified woman, young, sincere,

and showing, in her attitude to the others and

in her own point of view, the warmth of a

true, evenly-balanced nature.  JESSICA is a

typical second child, - nice, good, self-effacing,

sympathetic, unspoiled.  CLARA is her oppo-

site, - spoiled, petulant, pretty, pert, and

selfish.



476

 

THE CLIMBERS



  MRS. HUNTER. [With a long sigh.] Oh, I am so

glad to be back home and the whole thing over

without a hitch!

  [She sinks with a great sigh of relief into a big

    chair.

  BLANCHE. [Takes her son to MRS. HUNTER.]

Kiss grandmother good-by, and then Leonard

will take you home.

  MRS. HUNTER. Good-by, dear. Be a good boy.

Don't eat too much candy.

                        [Kisses him carelessly.

  MASTER STERLING. Good-by. [Runs towards

the door Left, shouting happily.] Leonard ! Leonard !

  MRS. HUNTER. [Tearfully.] My dears, it was

a great success! Everybody was there!

  [The three younger women stand and look about

    the room, as if it were strange to them - as i)

    it were empty. There is a moment's silence.



477

 

THE CLIMBERS



  BLANCHE. [Tenderly.] Mother, why don't you

take off your bonnet

  MRS. HUNTER. Take it off for me; it will be a

great relief.

  BLANCHE. Help me, Jess.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Irritably.] Yes, do something,

Jessie. You've mortified me terribly to-day!

That child hasn't shed a tear. People'll think

you didn't love your father. [The two are taking

0o  MRS. HUNTER'S bonnet.     MRS. HUNTER

waits for an answer from JESSICA; none comes.]

I never saw any one so heartless! [Tearful

again.]  And  her father adored   her.  She

was one of the things we quarrelled most

about !

  [Over MRS. HUNTER'S head BLANCHE exchanges

    a sympathetic look with JESSICA to show she

    understands.



478

 

THE CLIMBERS



CLARA. I'm sure I've cried enough. I've cried

buckets.

  [She goes to MRS. HUNTER as BLANCHE and

    JESSICA take away the bonnet and veil and

    put them on the piano.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Kissing Clara.] Yes, dear,

you are your mother's own child. And you lose

the most by it, too.

  [Leaning against the side of her mother's chair,

    with one arm about her mother.

 CLARA. Yes, indeed, instead of coming out next

 month, and having a perfectly lovely winter,

 I'll have to mope the whole season, and, if I don't

 look out, be a wallflower without ever having

been a bud I

  MRS. HUNTER. [Hall amused but feeling CLARA'S

remark is perhaps not quite the right thing.] Sh-

  [During CLAUR'S speech above, BtANcHE has



479

 

7481,E CLIMBERS



    taken JESSICA in her arms a moment and

    kissed her tenderly, slowly. They rejoin

    MRS. HUNTER, BLANCHE wiping her eyes,

    JESSICA still tearless.

  CxLAs. And think of all the clothes we brought

home from Paris last month!

  MRS. HUNTER. My dear, don't think of clothes

-think of your poor father! That street dress

of mine will dye very well, and we'll give the

rest to your aunt and cousins.

  BLANCHE. Mother, don't you want to go upstairs

  JESSICA. [Sincerely moved.] Yes, I hate this

room now.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Rising.] Hate this room!

When we've just had it done! Louis Kinge!

  BLANCHE. Louis Quinze, dear! She means

the associations now, mother.

MRS. HUNTER. Oh, yes, but that's weak and



480

 

THE CLIMBERS



foolish, Jessie. No, Blanche - [Silling again.] -

I'm too exhausted to move. Ring for tea.

      [BLANCHE rings the bell beside the mantel.

  CLARA. [Crossing to piano, forgets and starts

to play a music-hall song, but MRS. HUNTER

stops her.] Oh, yes, tea! I'm starved I

  MRS. HUNTER. Clara, darling! As if you could

be hungry at such a time!

                          [JORDAN entrs Left.

  BLANCHE. Tea, Jordan.

  JORDAN. Yes, madam.

                            [He goes out Left.

  MRS. HUNTER. Girls, everybody in town was

there I I'm sure even your father himself couldn't

'save complained.

  BLANCHE. Mother I

  MRS. HUNTER. Well, you know he always

found fault with my parties being too mixed. He



481

 

4THE CLIMBERS



wouldn't realize I couldn't throw over all my old

set when I married into his, -not that I ever

acknowledged I was your father's inferior. I

consider my family was just as good as his, only

we were Presbyterians!

  BLANCHE. Mother, dear, take off your gloves.

  MRS. HUNTER. I thought I had. [Crying.]

I'm so heartbroken I don't know what I'm doing.

                         [Taking off her gloves.

     [BLANCHE and CLARA comrort their mother.

  JESSICA. Here's the tea-

  [JORDAN and LEONARD enter with large, sil-

    ver tray, with tea, cups, and thin bread-and-

    butter sandwiches. They place them on small
    tcatable which JESSICA arranges /or them.

  MRS. HUNTER. I'm afraid I can't touch it.

  [Taking her place behind lea-table and biting

    eagerly into a sandwich.



482

 

2'HE CLIMBERS



  JESSICA. [Dryly.] Try.

  [BLANCHE pours tea for them all, which they

    take in turn.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Eating.] One thing I was

furious about,-did you see the Witherspoons

here at the house

  CLARA. I did.

  MRS. HUNTER. The idea! When I've never

called on them. They are the worst social pushers

I've ever known.

                   [She takes another sandwich.

  CLARA. Trying to make people think they are

on our visiting list ! Using even a funeral to get in!

  MRS. HUNTER. But I was glad the Worthings

were here, and I thought it sweet of old Mr. Dormer

to go even to the cemetery. [Voice breaks a little.]

He never goes to balls any more, and, they say,

catches cold at the slightest change of temperature



43

 


THE CLIMBERS



                    [She takes a third sandwich

  BLANCHE. A great many people loved father.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Irritably.] They ought to've.

It was really foolich the way he was always doing

something for somebody! How good these sand-

wiches are!            [Spoken very plaintively.

  JESSICA. Shall we have to economize now,

mother 

  MRS. HUNTER. Of course not; how dare you

suggest such an injustice to your father, and be/ore

the flowers are withered on his grave!

                        [Again becoming tearful.

  [JORDAN enters Left with a small silver tray,

    heaping full of letters.

Has the new writing paper come

  BLANCHE. [Who lakes the letters and looks

through them, giving some to her mother.] Yes.

  [BLANCHE reads a letter, and passes it to

     JESSICA.



484

 


THE CLIMBERS



  MRS. HUNTER. Is the black border broad

enough They said it was the thing.

  CLARA. If you had it any broader, you'd have

to get white ink to write with!

  MRS. HUNTER. [Sweetly.] Don't be imperti-

nent, darling!

                          [Reading another Iletr.

  [Enter Miss RUTH HUNTER. She is an un-

    married woman between thirty and forty years

    of age, handsome, distinguished; an aris-

    tocrat, without any pretensions; simple, un-

    affected, and direct in her efiL rt to do kindnesses

    where they are not absolutely undeserved. She

    enters the room as if she carried with her an

    atmosphere of pure ozone. This affects all

    those in it. She is dressed in deep mourning

    and wears a thick chiffon veil, which s/u

    removes as she enters.



485

 

THE CLIMBERS



  RuT. Oh! you're having tea!

                           [Glad that they are
  MRS. HUNTER. [Taking a second cup.] I thought

the children ought to.

  RUTH. Of course they ought and so ought you,

if you haven't.

  MRS. HUNTER. Oh, I've trifled with something

  JESSICA. Sit here, Aunt Ruth.

  BLANCHE. Will you have a cup, Aunt Ruth

  RUTH. Yes, dear, I'm feeling vcr- hungry.

  [Sitting on the so/a beside JESSICA and pressing

    her hand as she does so.

  MRS. HUNTER. Hungry! How can youI

  RUTH. Because I'm not a hypocrite!

  MRS. HUNTER. [Whimpering.] I suppose that's

a slur at me!

  RUTH. If the slipper fits! But I confess I

haven't eaten much for several days; I couldn't



486

 

IHE CLIMBERS



touch anything this morning, and I begin to feel

exhausted; I must have food and, thank Heaven,

1 want it. Thank you.

        [To BLANCHE, taking the cup from her.

  MRS. HUNTER. I think it's awful, Ruth, and I

feel I have a right to say it -I think you owed

it to my feelings to have worn a long veil; people

will think you didn't love your brother.

  RUTH. [Dryly.] Will they  Let them! You

know as well as I do that George loathed the very

idea of crepe and all display of mourning.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Feeling out of her dement,

changes the subject.] You stayed behind

  RUTH. Yes. I wanted to be the last there.

[Her voice chokes; she tries to control hersel/.] Ah I

you see my nerves are all gone to pieces. I won't

cry any more!

  MRS. HUNTERL I don't see how you could



487

 

THE CLIMBERS



bear it - staying; but you never had any heart

Ruth.

  RUTH. [Mechanically, biting her lips hard So

keep the tears back.] Haven't I

  MRS. HUNTER. My darling husband always felt

that defect in you.

  RUTH. George 

  MRS. HUNTER. He resented your treatment o

me, and often said so.

  RUTH. [Very quietly, but with determination.]

Please be careful. Don't talk to me like this

about my brother, Florence - ot you'll make me

say something I shall be sorry for.

  MRS. HUNTER. I don't care ! It wore on him,

the way you treated me. I put up with it for his

sake, but it helped undermine his health.

  RUTH. Florence, stop!

  MRS. HUNTER. [In /oolish anger. the resentment



488

 

THE CLIMBERS



o0 years bursting out.] I won't stop! I'm alone

now, and the least you can do is to see that people

who've fought shy of me take me up and give me

my due. You've been a cruel, selfish sister-in-

law, and your own brother saw and hated you

for itI

  BLANCHE. Mother!

  RUTH. [Outraged.] Send your daughters out of

the room; I wish to answer you alone.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Frightened.] No! what you

have to say to me I prefer my children to hear!

  [CLARA comes over to her mother and puts het

    arm about her.

  RuTu. I can't remain quiet any longer. George

- [She almost breaks down, but she controls hersell.]

This funeral is enough, with its show and worldli-

ness ! I don't believe there was a soul in the church

you  didn't see! Look at your handkerchief



489

 

THE CLIMBERS



Real grief isn't measured by the width of a black

border. I'm ashamed of you, Florence! I never

liked you very much, although I tried to for your

husband's sake, but now I'm even more ashamed of

you. My dear brother is gone, and there need

be no further bond between us, but I want you to

understand the true reason why, from to-day, I

keep away from you. This funeral was revolting

to me!-a show spectacle, a social function, and

for him who you know hated the very thing.

[She stops a moment to control her tears and her

anger. ] I saw the reporters there, and I heard

your message to them, and I contradicted it. I

begged them not to use your information, and they

were gentlemen and promised me not to. You are,

and always have been, a silly, frivolous woman.

I don't doubt you loved your husband as much

as you could any man, but it wasn't enough for me;



490

 

THlE CLIMBERS



he was worth being adored by the best and noblest

woman in the world. I've stood by all these

years, trying with my love and silent sympathy to

be some comfort to him -but I saw the disap-

pointment and disillusionment eat away the very

hope of happiness out of his heart. I tried to help

him by helping you in your foolish ambitions,

doing what I could to give my brother's wife the

social position his name entitled her tol

  MRS. HUNTER. That's not true; I've had to

fight it out all alone!

  RUTH. It was not my fault if my best friends

iound you intolerable; I couldn't blame them.

Well, now it's over! George is at rest, please

God. You are a rich woman to do what you

please. Go, and do it! and Heaven forgive you

for ruining my brother's life! I'm sorry to have

said all this before your children. Blanche, yoi.



491

 

THE CLIMBERS



know how dearly I love you, and I hope you have

forgiven me by now for my opposition to youi

marriage.

  BLANCHE. Of course I've forgiven you, but

you were always unjust to Dick.

  RUTm. Yes; I didn't like your husband then,

and I didn't believe in him, but I like him better

now. And I am going to put all my affairs in his

hands. I couldn't show - surely - a better proof

of confidence and liking than that: to trust him as

I did - your father. I hope I shall see much of

you and Jessica. As for you, Clara, I must be

honest -

  CLARA. [Interrupting her.] Oh, I know you've

always hated me! The presents you gave the

other girls were always twice as nice as I got I

  MRS. HUNTER. [Sympathetically.] Come here,

darling.



492

 

771E CLIMBERS  



  [CLARA goes and puts her arms about her mother'.

    neck.

  RUTH. You are your mother's own child, Clara,

and I never could pretend anything I didn't feel.

[She turns to BLANCHE and JESSICA, who stand

side by side.] You two are all I have left in the

world of my brother. [She kisses them, and Ides

the tears come, this time without struggling.] Take

pity on your old-maid aunt and come and see me,

won't you, often - [Trying to smile away her

tears.] And now good-by I

  JESSICA ANiw RUTH. [Taking her hands.]

Good-by.

  [RUTH looks about the room to say good-by

    to it; she cries and hurriedly begins pull-

    ing down her veil, and starts to go out as

    JoRDAN    ters Lei   and announces "Mr.

    Mason I"



493

 

THE CLIMBERS



  [MRS. HUNTER fluffs her hair a little and hopes

    she looks becoming.

  (MASON is a typical Ne-w Yorker, well built, well

    preserved, dignified, and good-looking, - a

    solid man in every sense of the word.

  MASON. [Meeting RUTH, shakes hands with

her.] Miss Hunter.

  RuTH. I am just going, Mr. Mason.

  MASON. You must stay. I sent word to youi

house this morning to meet me here.

                 [Shakes hands with IHe others.

  RuTH. I was here all night.

  MRS. HUNTER. Will you have some tea The

children were hungry.

  MASON. No, thank you. [To BLANCHE.] Isn't

your husband here

  [JORDAN, at a signal from MUs. HUNTER, removes

  the tea things.



494

 

THE CLIMBERS



  BLANCHE. No, he left us at the door when we

came back.

  MASON. Ddn't he get a letter from me this

morning asking him to meet me here

  BLANCHE. Oh, yes, he did mention a letter at

breakfast, but my thoughts were away. He has

been very much worried lately over his affairs;

he doesn't confide in me, but I see it. I wish you

could advise him, Mr. Mason.

  MASON. I cannot advise your husband if he

won't ask my advice. I don't think we'll wait for

Mr. Sterling.

                 [Gives chair to MRS. HuNTiL

  MRS. HUNTER. I suppose you've come about

all the horrid business. Why not just tell us how

much our income is, and let all the details go. I

really think the details are more than I can beat

to-day.



495

 

THE CLIMBERS



  MASON. That can be certainly as you wish; but

I felt - as your business adviser - and besides I

promised my old friend, your husband - it was my

duty to let you know how matters stand with the

least possible delay.

  Mps. HUNTER. [Beginning to break down.]

George! George!

  [RUTH looks at her, furious, and bites her lips

    hard. JESSICA is standing with her buck

    toward them.

  MASON. Well, then-

  [He is interrupted by MRS. HUNTER, who sees

    JESSICA.

  MRS. HUNTER. Jess! How      rude you   are!

Turn around this minute! [JESSICA does not move.]

What do you mean! Excuse me, Mr. Mason!

Jess! Such  disrespect to your father's will!

Turn around! [Angry.] Do you hear me



496

 

THE CLIMBERS



  JESSICA. [With her back still turned, her shoul-

ders shaking, speaks in a voice broken with sobs.]

Leave me alone! Leave me alone -

  [She sits in a chair beside her and leans her arms

    upon its back and buries her lace in her arms.

  BLANCHE. [With her hand on her mother's arm.]

Mother! Don't worry her!

  MRS. HUNTER. Go on, please, Mr. Mason,

and remember, spare us the details. What is our

income 

  MASON. Mrs. Hunter, there is no income.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Quietly, not at all grasping

what he means.] No income! How is our

money -

  MASON. I am sorry to say there is no

money.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Echoes weakly.] No money

  MASON. Not a penny I



497

 

THE CLIMBERS



  MRS. HUNTER. [Realizing now what he means,

cries out in a loud, hard, amazed voice.] Whatl

  BLANCHE. [With her hand on her shoulder.)

Mother!

  MRS. HUNTER. I don't believe it!

  RUTH. [To MASON.] My good friend, do you

mean that literally - that my brother died

without leaving any money behind him

  MRS. HUNTER. For his wife and family

  MASON. I mean just that.

  Rum. But how

  MRS. HUNTER. Yes, tel us the details - every

one of them! You can't imagine the shock this is

to me!

  MASON. Hunter sent for me two days before he

died, and told me things had gone badly with him

last year, but it seemed impossible to retrench

his expense.



498

 

THE CLIMBERS



  Rum. Are you listening, Florence 7

  MRS. HUNTER. Yes, of course I am; your

brother was a very extravagant man!

  MASON. This year, with his third daughter

coming out, there was need of more money than

ever. He was harassed nearly to death with

financial worries. [RUTH  begins to cry soldy.

MRS. HUNTER gets angrier and angrier.] And

finally, in sheer desperation, and trusting to the

advice of the Storrings, he risked everything he

had with them in the Consolidated Copper.

The day after, he was taken ill. You know what

happened.  The Storrings, Hunter, and others

were ruined absolutely; the next day Hunter

died.

  RUTm. Poor George I Why didn't he come to

me; he must have known that everything I had

was hisI



499

 

ATHE CLIMBERS



  MASON. He was too ill when the final blow

came to realize it.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Angry.] But his life insurance,

-there was a big policy in my name.

  MASON. He had been obliged to let that lapse.

  MRS. HUNTER. You mean I haven't even my

life insurance

  MASON. As I said, there is nothing, except this

house, and that is -

  MRS. HUNTER. [Rises indignantly and almost

screams in angry hysterics.] Mortgaged, I presume I

Oh, it's insulting! It's an indignity. It's - it's -

Oh, well, it's just like my husband, there!

  BLANCHE. Mother!

  [RUTH rises, and, taking MASON'S arm, leads him

    aside.

  MRS. HUNTER. [To BLANCHE.] Oh, don't talk

to me now! You always preferred your father,



5 or

 

THE CLIMBERS



and now you're punished for it! He has wilfully

left your mother and sisters paupers!

  BLANCHE. How can you speak like that!

Surely you know father must have suffered more

than we could when he realized he was leaving

nothing for you.

  JESSICA. Yes, and it was for us too that he lost

all. It was our extravagance.

  MRS. HUNTER. Hush I How dare you side

against me, too

  RUTH. Florence -

  MRS. HUNTER. Well, Ruth, what do you think

of your brother now

  BLANCHE. [To her mother.] Don'tI

  MASON. By whom were the arrangements for

to-day made

  MRS. HUNTER. My son-in-law had most press-

ing business, and his friend -



Sor

 

THE CLIMBERS



  BLANCHE. The friend of all of us -

  MRS. HUNTER. Yes, of course, Mr. Warden

saw to everything.

  BLANCHE. He will be here any moment!

  MASON. When he comes, will you send him on

to me, please

  RUTH. Yes.

  MASON. Very well. Good-by. [Shakes hands

with BLANCHE.] I am very sorry to have been

the bearer of such bad news.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Shaking hands with him.]

Please overlook anything I may have said; at such

a moment, with the loss of all my money - and

my dear husband - I don't know what to say!

MASON. Naturally. [To the others.] Good-by.

[To RUTH, who jollows him.] I'll come to see you

in the morning.

                        [As they shake hands.



502

 

THE CLIMBERS



  RUTH. And I can then tell you what I settle

here now./ [MASON goes out Leat.] Florence, I'm

very sorry-

                                  [1nierru pted.

  MRS. HUNTER. Oh!     You! Sorry!

  RUTH. Yes, very, very sorry, -first, that 1

spoke as I did just now.

  MRS. HUNTER. It's too late to be sorry for

that now.

  RUTH. No, it isn't, and I'll prove to you I mean

it. Come, we'll talk things over.

  MRS. HUNTER. Go away! I don't want you

to prove anything to me! [MRS. HUNTER and

CLARA sit side by side on the so/a. BLANCHE and

JESSICA are in chairs near the table. RUTH sits

beside BLANCHE. MRS. HUNTER has something

the manner of porcupines and shows a set de-

termination to accept nothing by way of corn/ott



503

 

THE CLIMBERS



or expedient. BLANCHE looks hopejul and ready

to take the helm for the family. JESSICA will back

up BLANCHE.] My happiness in this world is

over. What have I to live for

  RUTH. Your children!

  MRS. HUNTER. Beggars like myself!

  BLANCHE. But your children will work for you.

  CLARA. Work! I see myself.

  Rum. So do I.

  MRS. HUNTER. My children work! Don't be

absurd!

  JESSICA. It is not absurd! I can certainly earn

my own living somehow and so can Clara.

  CLARA. Doing what, I should like to know!

I see myself !

  BLANCHE. Jess is right. I'll take care of this

family - father always said I was "his own child."

I'll do my best to take his place.



504

 

THE CLIMBERS



  RUTH. I will gladly give Jessica a home.

  MRS. HUNTER. [Whimpers.] You'd rob me of

my children, too!

  JESSICA. Thank you, Aunt Ruth, but I must

stay with mother and be Blanche's right-hand

man I

  CLARA. I might go on the stage.

  Mks. HUNTER. My dear, smart people don't

any more.

  CLARA. I'd like to be a sort of Anna Held.

  JESSICA. I don't see why I couldn't learn type-

writing, Blanche

  MRS. HUNTER. Huh! Why, you could never

even learn to play the piano ; I don't think you'd

be much good at typewriting.

  CLARA. You want to be a typewriter, because

in the papers they always have an old gentleman

taking them to theatres and supper I No, sir, if



505

 

6THE CLIMBERS



there is to be any "old man's darling" in this

family, I'll be it !

  RUTH. [Dryly.] You'll have to learn to spell

correctly first!

  CLARA. [Superciliously.] Humph!

  JESSICA. There are lots of ways nowadays for

women to earn their living.

  RuTH. Yes, typewriting we will consider.

  MRS. HUNTER. Never!

  [No one pays any attention to her except CLARA,

    who agrees with her.

  RUTH. Jess, you learned enough to Meach,

didn't you -even at that fashionable school

your mother sent you to

  JESSICA. Oh, yes, I think I could teach.

  MRS. HUNTER. Never!

  (Still no one pays any attention cxcept CLARA

    wvho again agrees with her.



506

 

THE CLIMBERS



  CLARA. No, indeed! I wouldn't teach!

  BLANCHE. If we only knew some nice elderly

woman who wanted a companion, Jess would be

a godsend.

  CLARA. If she was a nice old lady with lots of

money and delicate health, I wouldn't mind that

position myself.

  RUTH. Clara, you seem to take this matter

as a supreme joke!

  MRS. HUNTER. [With mock humility.] May I

speak [She waits. AU turn to her. A moment's

silence.] MAY I speak

  RUTH. Yes, yes. Go on, Florence; don't you

see we're listening

  MRS. HUNTER. I didn't know! I've been

so completely ignored in this entire conversation.

But there is one thing for the girls - the easiest

possible way for them to earn their living -



507

 

THE CLIMBE