Craig's Wife (1926)/Act 1

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Contents

Craig's Wife (1926)
by George Kelly

Act I

Act II

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4562835Craig's Wife — Act I1926George Kelly

CRAIG’S WIFE

ACT I

The entire action of the play transpires between five-thirty in the evening and nine o’clock the following morning, in the living room in the home of Mr. Walter Craig. This room, like all the other rooms in the house, reflects the very excellent taste and fanatical orderliness of its mistress. It is a kind of frozen grandeur, in dark, highly polished wood—strewn with gorgeous, gold-colored rugs and draped in rich brocaded satins. The piano scarf and the scarf on the oblong center table are canary-colored, and the draperies on the bay window at the left, and on the curving window on the stair landing at the back, are dark green. This curving window has a beautiful built-in window seat, with lovely cushions, and there is another built-in seat at the right of the staircase, from which the balustrade curves upwards. On the right, at the back, there is a wide door hung with brown velvet portières; and the rest of the room at the right is taken up with an ornamental mantelpiece, fancy mirror and fireplace. In front of this fireplace there is a beautiful high-backed chair. There is another big chair at the left of the center table, a small fancy chair beside the piano, and a chair at either side of the room, forward. There are two fancy benches, one immediately above the center table, and one in front of the center table. There is sufficient room between the table and this forward bench to permit of the business of passing between them. Up at the left there is a glass vestibule, one door of which opens into the room and the other out on to the front porch. As Mrs. Craig enters, she appears to have been dressed for this particular room. She wears an extremely fashionable fawn-colored ensemble suit, brown slippers and stockings, and a small, dark brown velvet toque. She carries a brown leather pocket-book and a brown silk umbrella.

Miss Austen hurries down the stairs and out through the portières at the right. Mrs. Harold comes in through the door up at the left, carrying the evening newspaper and some tabourette doilies, and moves down towards the center table.

Mrs. Harold (stopping halfway to the table and peering out after Miss Austen)

Is there something you wanted, Miss Austen?

Miss Austen

No, thanks, dear, I’m just looking for that pattern that I sent for the other day: I wanted to show it to Mrs. Frazier.

Mrs. Harold

Lift up the lid of that worktable there, Miss Austen; I think I saw a pattern of some kind in there this morning.

[Continuing to the table and putting down the newspaper and doilies.

Miss Austen

Yes, here it is, I have it. (There is a sound from the right) I knew I left it right here somewhere.

[She hurries in through the portières and up the stairs.

Mrs. Harold (moving up to the door at the left)

I gave those roses she brought to Mazie to put in some water.

Miss Austen

Oh, did you—thanks ever so much.

Mrs. Harold

She’s gettin’ a vase for them.

Miss Austen

They’re lovely, aren't they?

Mrs. Harold

Yes, they’re handsome.

[She goes out on to the porch again, and Mazie comes in through the portières, carrying a vase of pink roses, which she puts on the upper corner of the small grand piano at the left.

Mazie (calling out through the French windows to Mrs. Harold)

Did the paper come yet, Mrs. Harold?

Mrs. Harold

Yes, I just brought it in,—it’s there on the table.

[Mazie turns and comes back to the table, picks up the paper, and strolls forward, holding it up as though to allow the light from a window at the right to fall upon it.

Mazie

More rain again to-morrow.

Mrs. Harold (answering her from the front porch)

Does it say so?

Mazie

Unsettled to-night and Friday—probably thunder showers. Slightly cooler, with moderate winds,

Mrs. Harold (coming in)

I don’t know where all the rain is comin’ from.

Mazie

It isn’t very nice weather for Mrs. Craig, is it?

Mrs. Harold (moving forward to the piano)

You can’t tell; it might not be rainin’ in Albany. Aren’t these roses beautiful?

Mazie

Yes, they’re lovely.

[Mrs. Harold smells the roses.

Mrs. Harold (crossing to the foot of the stairs)

I heard her telling Miss Austen she’s got over two hundred rose bushes in her garden.

Mazie (turning and looking at Mrs. Harold)

Is she still upstairs?

Mrs. Harold

Yeh. I guess she’s talkin’ poor Miss Austen to death. (Mazie laughs and resumes her paper, and Mrs. Harold gives an eye around the room) Bring that paper out with you when you’re comin’, Mazie; don’t leave it layin’ around in here.

Mazie

All right.

Mrs. Harold (moving up to the door at the left and looking out)

It’ud be just like the lady to walk in on us.

[Mazie turns sharply and looks at her.

Mazie

Mrs. Craig, do you mean?

Mrs. Harold

She might, you can’t tell.

Mazie

I thought you said she wouldn’t be back before Saturday.

Mrs. Harold (coming back to the table and picking up the doilies)

That’s what she told me when she was goin’ away. But it’s just as well to keep a day or two ahead of a woman like Mrs. Craig, Mazie (she flicks the dust from the table with the doilies); if she gets an idea up there that there’s a pin out of place around here,—she’ll take the first train out of Albany. (Mazie makes a sound of amusement and resumes her paper and Mrs. Harold starts for the door at the right) Oh, there’s plenty like her—I’ve worked for three of them; you’d think their houses were God Almighty.

[She goes into the other room.

Mazie

Didn’t you tell me, Mrs. Harold, that you worked out on Willows Avenue one time?

Mrs. Harold (calling from the other room)

Yes, I worked out there for two years, at Doctor Nicholson’s.

Mazie

Did you know any people out that way by the name of Passmore?

Mrs. Harold (appearing between the portières)

By the name of what?

Mazie

Passmore. Capital P-a-double s-m-o-r-e. Mr. J. Fergus Passmore and wife.

Mrs. Harold (coming forward at the right)

No, I don’t remember anybody by that name; why?

Mazie

Nothing.—It says here they were both found dead this morning in their home on Willows Avenue.

Mrs. Harold

Oh, Lord have mercy on them! What happened to them?

Mazie (reading)

Why, it sez: “Fashionable Willows Avenue Residence Scene of Double Tragedy—Bodies of J. Fergus Passmore and Wife, Socially Prominent in This City, Found Dead in Library from Bullet Wounds—Empty Revolver Near Fireplace—Cause of Death Shrouded in Mystery—Police Working upon Identity of Gentleman Visitor Seen Leaving Premises in Automobile Shortly After Midnight.” (Mazie looks fearfully at Mrs. Harold, who shakes her head dolefully) “About eight o’clock this morning upon entering the library in the home of Mr. J. Fergus Passmore of 2214 Willows Avenue, Miss Selma Coates, a colored maid—”

Mrs. Harold

Twenty-two fourteen must be out near the lake. (The front doorbell rings incisively) See who that is, Mazie.

[Mrs. Harold disappears into the other room and Mazie crosses up to the door at the left, putting down the newspaper on the table as she passes.

Mrs. Craig (out on the porch)

We can leave these right here, Ethel,—Mazie’ll bring them in.

Mazie

Oh, how do you do, Mrs. Craig.

Mrs. Craig

Hello, Mazie.

Mazie (going out)

You’re back a little ahead of time.

[Mrs. Harold comes in through the portières, peering out toward the front porch.

Mrs. Craig

Yes, a little. Will you take these things, Mazie?