Richard Harding Davis

“ They've come. They've come! HATCH: (fiercely) They've come! What is it? What does that mean? (REDDY runs to window and opens the shutters.) ALICE: (jubilantly) It means—it means that twenty men are crossing that lawn. It means that while you sat drinking there, Civilization was racing toward you at seventy miles an hour! HATCH: Damnation! We're trapped. Get to the wagon—quick! No. Leave the girl alone. We've no time for that. Drop that stuff. That way. That way. REDDY: (at window) No. Get back! Get back! It's too late. There's hundreds of them out there. ”

“ Real ladies. When I was doing my last bit in jail, I got a thousand letters from ladies asking for me photograph, and offering to marry me. ALICE: Really? Well, that only proves that men—AS HUSBANDS—are more desirable in jail than out. (To HATCH) No, it's a poor life. HATCH: It's a poor life you people lead with us to worry you. There's seventy millions of you in the United States, and only a few of us, and yet we keep you guessing all the year round. ”

“ The file is now drawn harshly across the bolt of the window of the dining room, and a piece of wood snaps. With an exclamation, Alice blows out the candle and exits. The shutters of the windows are opened, admitting the faint glow of moonlight. The window is raised and the ray of a dark lantern is swept about the room. HATCH appears at window and puts one leg inside. He is an elderly man wearing a mask which hides the upper half of his face, a heavy overcoat, and a derby hat. But for the mask he might be mistaken for a respectable man of business. ”

“ You're not men enough. You're afraid to even steal from men. You rob WOMEN when they're alone—at night. (Holds up locket.) Try to take that from me! VOICE: (calling) Alice—Alice! ALICE: Mother! Oh, I forgot, I forgot. (The burglars rise and move toward her menacingly.) Please, please keep quiet. For God's sake, don't—let—her—know! VOICE: Alice, what's wrong? Who are you talking to? (ALICE runs to the curtains, with one hand held out to the burglars, entreating silence.) ”

“ We can go now. (HARRY places muffler and jewels in an inside coat pocket. REDDY takes up the dark lantern.) REDDY: Go? Not till I've got something to eat. HATCH: No, you don't. You can wait till later for something to eat. REDDY: Yes, I can wait till later for something to eat, but I can wait better if I eat now. (Exit into pantry.) HATCH: Confound him. If I knew the roads around here as well as he does, I'd drive off and leave him. That appetite of his will send us to jail some day. HARRY: Well, to tell the truth, governor, a little supper wouldn't hurt my feelings. (Goes to buffet.) ”

“ If you hadn't so kindly given me a tip about the telephone, I might have gone off and clean forgot that. (HARRY takes curtain cords from window curtains.) REDDY: I'm afraid pretty polly talked too much that time. We ain't all stupid. ALICE: No, so I see, so I see. It was careless of me. But everybody you call upon may not be so careless. HATCH: Well, I've won out for twenty years. I've never been in jail. ALICE: Don't worry. You're young. I told you you looked young. Your time is coming. In these days there's no room for burglars. You belong to the days of stage-coaches. ”

“ Well, then, while they're having supper, you and I will talk. If you're going to gag me soon, I want to talk while I can. (Rises and hands box to him.) Have a cigar? HATCH: (takes cigar) Thanks. ALICE: (standing with hand on back of chair) Now, I want to ask you some questions. You are an intelligent man. Of course, you must be, or you couldn't have kept out of jail for twenty years. To get on in your business, a man must be intelligent, and he must have nerve, and courage. ”

“ Why, we're the last thing you think of at night when you lock the doors, we're the first thing you think of in the morning when you feel for the silver basket. We're just a few up against seventy millions. ”

“ What good is even a hundred thousand for ONE year, if to get it you risk going to prison for twenty years? That's not sensible. Merely as a business proposition, to take the risk you do for ten thousand dollars is stupid isn't it? ”

“ CAN'T you keep still? REDDY: Oh, Lord! Oh, Lord! Think of a man puttin' benzine in a whiskey bottle! That's dishonest, that is. Using a revenue stamp twice is defraudin' the Government. I could have him arrested for that. (Pause.) If I wanted to. (Pause.) But I don't want to. HATCH: Oh, quit that—and come here. Get out the window, and I'll hand the bag to you. Put it under the seat of the wagon, and cover it up with the lap robe. (REDDY steps to centre door and, parting the curtains, leans into the hall beyond, listening.) REDDY: Go slow. ”

“ In the left wall is a recessed window hung with curtains. Against the right wall is a buffet on which is set a tea-caddy, toast-rack, and tea kettle. Below the buffet a door opens into the butler's pantry. A dinner table stands well down the stage with a chair at each end and on either side. Two chairs are set against the back wall to the right of the door. The walls and windows are decorated with holly and mistletoe and Christmas wreaths tied with bows of scarlet ribbon. When the window is opened there is a view of falling snow. At first the room is in complete darkness. ”

“ Sit down, and make yourselves perfectly at home. HARRY: Well, well, that does look good. (Places box of cigars at upper end of table, and seats himself.) Better have a bite, governor. HATCH: No, I tell you. (He sits angrily in chair at left end of table, with his face turned toward the curtains.) REDDY: Oh, come on. It don't cost you nothing. (The light from the candle is seen approaching the curtains.) ”

“ My mother is not at all well. (Takes cigar box off table.) Excuse me, you've got the wrong cigars. Those are the cigars father keeps for his friends. Those he smokes he hides over here. (Places box on buffet and takes out a larger box, with partitions for cigars, matches, and cigarettes. As she moves about, REDDY keeps her well in the light of the lantern.) Try those. I'm afraid you've a very poor supper. When father is away, we have such a small family. ”

“ Yes, it's a free life until you go to jail. It's this way. You're barbarians, and there's no place for you in a civilized community— except in jail. Everybody is working against you. Every city has its police force; almost every house nowadays has a private watchman. And if we want to raise a hue and cry after you, there are the newspapers, and the telegraph, and the telephone (nods at telephone) and the cables all over the— HATCH: (Grimly) Thank you. One moment, please. (Throws open overcoat, showing that it is lined with burglars' jimmies, chisels, and augers..) ”

“ HARRY: (feeling in bag) It feels all right. (HATCH cautiously parts curtains at centre and exits into hall.) REDDY: (lifts bag) We got enough stuff in this bag already without wasting time on ANOTHER house. HARRY: Wasting time! Time's money in THIS house. Look at this silver. That's the beauty of working the night AFTER Christmas; everybodys' presents is lying about loose, and everybody's too tired celebrating to keep awake. ”

“ I gave up robbing tills when I was quite a boy. (Carries bag toward window and looks out.) HARRY: (Takes box of cigars from buffet) Ah, here they are. (With disgust.) Domestics! What do you think of that? Made in Vermont. The "Admiral Dewey" cigar. Gee! What was the use of Dewey's taking Manila, if I've got to smoke Vermont cigars? (REDDY enters, carrying tray with food and a bottle.) REDDY: Say, fellers, look at this layout. These is real people in this house. I found cold birds, and ham, and all kinds of pie, and real wine. (Places tray on right end of table.) ”

“ It seems all right. There's no light, and everybody's quiet. (To HARRY) You work the bedrooms. I'll clear away those things. Don't be rough, now. HARRY: I know my business. Give me the light. (Takes lantern and exits centre) HATCH: Hist, Reddy. Reddy, leave that alone. That's not safe. (Removes silver from sideboard to bag) . REDDY: I know it ain't, governor. I'm lookin' for somethin' to eat. (He kneels in front of buffet, and opens door.) HATCH: No, you're not! You're not here to eat. Come and give me a hand with this stuff. REDDY: Gee! I've found a bottle of whiskey. ”

“ None of THEM is afraid to go out in public with his wife and children. THEY'RE not afraid to ask a policeman what time it is. They don't have to wear black masks, nor ruin their beautiful complexions with burnt cork. ”

“ My mother and I are here alone. There are three men trying to break in. Yes, burglars, of course. My mother is very ill. If they frighten her the shock might—might be very serious. Wake up the crew, and send the wrecking train here—at once. ”