CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
., Cornell University Library 
 
 arVlieO 
 
 The way the money goes : 
 
 3 1924 031 242 948 
 olin,anx 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tinis bool< is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031242948 
 
THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 
 
THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 
 
 A Play in Three Acts, by Lady Bell 
 
 LONDON : SIDGWICK & JACKSON, LTD. 
 3 ADAM STREET, ADELPHL MCMX 
 
All rights reserved. 
 
CHARACTERS 
 
 John Holroyd. > 
 
 Tom Tarlton. f Ironworkers. 
 
 Vincent. A Manager. 
 
 Slark. a Bookmaker. 
 
 A Hawker. 
 
 A Policeman. 
 
 A County Court Bailiff. 
 
 Mrs. Holroyd. \ 
 
 Mrs. Riggs. j. Wives of Ironworkers. 
 
 Mrs. Tarlton. ) 
 
 Sally Holroyd. Aged eight. 
 
 Jack Holroyd. Aged six. 
 
 Mary Anne Jones. Aged nine. 
 
 Mrs. Burrows. 
 
 Mrs. Smithson. 
 
 Mrs. Jones. 
 
 Mrs. Malony. 
 
 Mrs. Dale. 
 
 Jim Bates. 
 
 Jock Denny. 
 
 Men and Women in Crowd, Newspaper Boys^ &c. &c. 
 
Time : — The Present Day. 
 
 ACT I 
 
 Scene : — The Outside of three Cottages. 
 Time : — Friday Forenoon. 
 
 ACT II 
 
 Scene I. : — The Interior of Mrs. Holroyd's and Mrs. 
 
 Tarlton's Cottages. 
 Time : — Friday Evening. 
 Scene II. : — An Open Space in the Town. 
 Time : — Saturday Afternoon. 
 
 ACT III 
 
 Scene : — The Interior of Mrs. Holroyd's Cottage. 
 Time : — Six Months after. 
 
THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 
 
 ACT I 
 
 SCENE I 
 
 A Street in a Manufacturmg Town. 
 Three houses seen. 
 
 THREE WOMEN in the doorways, mks. holroyd C. 
 and MRS. RiGGs L., Jcnitting. mks. tarlton R., 
 pinning the trimming into a hat. 
 
 \A silence. A woman walks past and nods to 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Yes, five-three the yard. [Showing 
 a pattern of sttiff'.'] At Miller's, that is. It's six- 
 pence everywhere else in the town. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [knitting busily]. Eh, Miller's is a 
 grand place. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. But the shops do look funny in 
 these parts after London. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. You'd best forget London, Annie, 
 now you've married and come down here. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. 'Tisn't SO easy. Aunt. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [who is Sitting down outside her door 
 on a wooden stool, her work basket beside her"]. I'm 
 
10 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 sure you needn't to want finer shops than we've got 
 in the High Street. It's as good as a treat to 
 stand on the pavement outside Miller's and look in 
 at the window. 
 
 MEs. HOLROYD. Well, t' pavement isn't much. I 
 only wish I had a chance of going inside. 
 
 MES. TAELTON. But why don't you, Aunt .'' Why 
 don't you go shopping like other peeple ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Because I've got nothing to spend 
 on it, child, that's why — and a good reason too. 
 
 MRS. EitiGs. But — you'll excuse me, Mrs. Holroyd 
 — your husband is doing that well, you should have 
 as much to spend as any of us, and more, 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Well, I should, certainly, but it 
 seems I haven't. It's not myself I mind about — I 
 never was one to be dressy. 
 
 MES. TAELTON \laughmg and throxmng her arms 
 round her]. And that's true enough. Auntie dear ! 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [half Smiling']. There, there, 
 that's enough, child! but I should like to have 
 something to spend on dressing up the children. 
 There's ray little lass now — she getting on for nine, 
 and it's hard for her to see Jones's Mary Ann going 
 about in a frilled pinny, and she nothing but an 
 overall. 
 
 MES. RiGGs. Ah, they do like to dress up. My 
 Mabel was such a one for that when she was little. 
 [Smiiing.] [a boy passes, whistling. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. How's she getting on, your Mabel ? 
 
 MRS. EiGGS. She's obliging a lady, up by the rail- 
 way. Eighteenpence a week she gets. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 11 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Eighteenpence ! my word, that's 
 fine — and only fourteen ! 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. When IVe got children they shall 
 always be dressed up. [Holding up hat in her 
 hand to looh at it.'\ 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \loohing meaningly at the ribbon, 
 S^c, which MRS. TARLTON IS holding'}. Well, my 
 dear, in that case you'll have to be more careful 
 about what you spend on your own back. 
 MRS. TARLTON. I shan't like that ! 
 MRS. RiGGs. My word, they cost a lot. And yet 
 they're bad to lose too — we buried one last autumn. 
 MRS. HOLROYD {sympathetically]. And she wasn't 
 insured either, was she, Mrs. Riggs ? 
 
 MRS. RiGGS [sombrely']. No, she wasn't, and we 
 had to pawn the clock to put her away. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, yes — they won't give you a 
 
 farthing's credit for a burial, not one farthing. / 
 
 know that. [mrs. tarlton puts her hat, 6^c. inside, 
 
 and comes out again, and stands 
 
 doing nothing, listening to the 
 
 others. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. No, they must have the money down. 
 
 And the times were bad, and my husband had been 
 
 out of work. But he was good to me then, my Bill, 
 
 and he said he'd leave the drink and put into a 
 
 club instead, so that when the next little one was 
 
 taken we'd be able to put her away properly. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [sigMng]. Yes, that's the way of 
 it — the twinnies it was, that came before Sally, we 
 buried when they wasn't six months old. It's a good 
 
12 THE WAY|THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 job it wasn't us that had to pawn the clock — Hol- 
 royd, he'd never let me pawn anything in his 
 life. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. Never pawned anything ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYU. Never inside the shop ! 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. But how else can one get a bit of extra 
 money when one wants it ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON \smilmg half to herself ^ Well, well 
 — there's ways and ways ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. That's just it, I never do get a 
 bit of extra. And yet there's many a time I should 
 have liked it well, if it was only just to put up a bit 
 of looking-glass on the wall, or a picture, or that. 
 But it was no use, he wouldn't have it. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON {horrified]. He wouldn't have a look- 
 ing-glass ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [lavghmgl. Well, hardly to call one, 
 not one that you could see your whole face in at 
 once. But there, he wouldn't have it. And I don't 
 mind about it now. But many's the time I have 
 thought, well, if only I could make a bit for myself 
 somehow, and not ask any one how to spend it. But 
 Holroyd, he says, " Let the women bide at home," 
 he says, " and let the men work, else we'll have the 
 men stay at home while the women work, and that 
 won't do." But the thing I'd set my heart on was 
 to have a little grocery business of my own in the 
 front room, and no harm to any one. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. To be sure. Sometimes the best 
 of us want extra, when it's illness, or a child 
 coming, or that. , 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 13 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Ay, another little one does run 
 into a lot of money. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. You Can't count less than five shillings 
 for the time you're laid up. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. No, you Can't, and when I know 
 it's coming, we put away sixpence a week until 
 there's ten shillings saved, and then when the time 
 comes I can have a woman in to help, and some- 
 thing to spare. 
 
 MRS. EiGGS. Aye, that's best. The last time I 
 could not get any one, and I had to be up and do 
 for myself after four days. I was bad for a good 
 bit after that. 
 
 MEs. HOLEOYD. Yes. It's the standing does it — 
 the cooking and that. Ah well, the only way to 
 have enough is to put it by, little by little, and 
 regular. Holroyd is such a one for that. We have 
 got it all written down what we spend every week, 
 as clear as print. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Written down, have you ? Never ! 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. / could never do that. 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. Yes. I put it all down on a 
 bit of paper, whatever I pay out, if it's only a 
 halfpenny — and then Holroyd copies it off on 
 Sunday. 
 
 MRS. EIGGS. My word ! 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD [feeling m her apron pocket and 
 bringing out a scrap of crumpled paper; mrs. riggs 
 looks over mrs. holeoyd's shoulder L., mes. taelton 
 jR.]. There it is, you see — it's all down what I've 
 paid out this week. Rent, five shillings and sixpence ; 
 
14 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 lard, twopence halfpenny ; onions, one penny ; milk, 
 threepence ; tobacco, ninepence ; and so on . . . 
 all down there. [Showing the other side of the 
 paper.] 
 
 MEs. EiGGS. Well, I'm sure it's a wonder. [Goes 
 back to her place, mrs. taelton walks away half 
 impatiently. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [puts it back"]. Of course that 
 looks very untidy, but in the book it's beautiful. 
 Holroyd is a splendid scholar, he can write down 
 anything he chooses. And such a one for reckoning ! 
 He's learned me since we were married, and I take 
 a pride in it same as him, in getting it totted up 
 right every week. Now it's Friday to-day, and I 
 know without looking just what we've got left, till 
 he brings it in — one shilling in the box upstairs. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. Look at that now ! 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. It's for hls sick club, and every 
 Friday he asks me for the shilling to put in, and 
 goes off as regular as clockwork with it. And then 
 till the pay comes there's nothing left, Of what 
 he gives me, of course — I don't know what he does 
 with the rest, nor how much it is. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs [incredulously]. You don't know how 
 much it is ? [mrs. holkoyd shakes her head.] Well, 
 there is a difference in husbands, I must say. 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. And a good job too, as there's a 
 difference in wives. 
 
 MES. HOLROYD [smilvng]. Oh, I never ask him, 
 I just let him be. They're bad to do with, is the 
 men, if you get asking them questions. 
 
I] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 15 
 
 Mas. RiGGS. Now, there's mine, he gives me every 
 penny he gets, twenty-eight shillings when he comes 
 home on Friday evening, and I give him back three 
 shillings and sixpence for himself, sixpence a day 
 to waste, 
 
 MEs. HOLEOYD. Three shillings and sixpence ! 
 Whatever does he do with it ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Just wastes it, as I tell you, that's 
 what he gets it for — on sweets, or chocolates, beer 
 sometimes, or worse. And I have twenty-four and 
 sixpence to keep myself and the children, best way 
 I can. And many's the time I shouldn't have got 
 along in the middle of the week, without I'd pawned 
 Bill's Sunday clothes every Monday. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, I'd never dare do that ! 
 Holroyd wouM be angry. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. Why ? He doesn't want them in the 
 week. I just take them round on Monday, and get 
 four shillings for them, and then on Friday I fetch 
 them out again, so as people may see he's got them all 
 right and respectable for the week end, and I pay four 
 shillings and sixpence. That gives me a bit of cash 
 if I want it, and only sixpence gone on the Fridays. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Why, that's fine ! I shall do that 
 too, I declare, and I ought to get a good bit. Tom's 
 Sunday clothes are something wonderful. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, Annie — you'll excuse me, 
 Mrs. Riggs, for saying so — I think for young people 
 like you it's best to do without the pawn-shop. I'm 
 sure that with just the two of you there ought to 
 be enough. 
 
16 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Enough ! . . . Well, sometimes 
 there's enough, sometimes there isn't. It just de- 
 pends on the way the luck goes. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. The luck ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. What luck ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON {laughing]. Well, Tom would be 
 vexed with me for saying it, I know, and you won't 
 name it again ; but if he gets the straight tip, it's 
 all right ; and if he doesn't, it's all wrong ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \horrified']. The straight tip ! Do 
 you mean to say he bets? [mrs. tarlton 7iods.\ 
 Bets on the races ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. That's it ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. O Annie, after my poor sister 
 died, and I got you into a good place in London, I 
 thought you'd be kept out of all the betting and 
 gambling as goes on there. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Kept out of it! \lauglimg merrily]. 
 In London ! Ha ! ha ! They used to bet where / was, 
 I can tell you, and gamble as well — and the young 
 ladies went to the races all dressed up to the nines, 
 and put into the sweeps too. I know they did, 
 for their maid, Mademo'selle, told me what they 
 came back with. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \loohiiig up anxiously at the upper 
 window of house]. Don't let your uncle hear you, or 
 he'd carry on dreadful. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [lower, and looking up too]. Is he 
 at home ? I forgot. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Aye, he's in — he's asleep on his 
 bed — it's his week on the night shift, and he gets a 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 17 
 
 good rest in the morning while the bairns are still 
 at school. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Well, if he's asleep he won't hear 
 what I'm saying. [Dismissing it, but going' on in a 
 lower toiie-l O Aunt, you can't think how exciting 
 it is! You wake up in the morning and say, by 
 tea-time there'll be the paper with the race news 
 in it. And when it comes, if you've won, or if 
 you've lost, you've got something that makes you 
 jump. That's what I like. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs [catching her breath']. Aye, yes. I 
 used to do it when we were young, but I know 
 better now. It's no good, mind you. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh, but it is good — it makes you 
 feel you're alive. [Getting excited, mrs. holroyd 
 becoming gradually interested.'] You see. Auntie, 
 this is how you do it. There'll be a race coming on 
 somewhere or other — there's always a race of sorts 
 somewhere — well, this week of course it's the Grand 
 Yorkshire. [slark, the Boohmaker, comes in L., 
 
 walking down the street. 
 
 slark [passing, looks round quickly, and lifts 
 his hat]. Beg pardon, madam, could you tell me 
 the name of this street .? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. North Street. 
 
 SLARK. Much obliged. And Prospect Place is 
 down there .? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, secoud on the right. 
 
 SLARK. Thank you. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Wclcome, I'm sure. 
 
 [SLAEK goes off. 
 B 
 
18 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. HOLKOYD. The Grand Yorkshire, it is, this 
 week ? 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. Why, I should think any one 'd know 
 that. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD {indifferently]. Can't say I did. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. O Aunt, you do miss a lot ! 
 Well then, you get to know how the betting is. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. How do you do that ? 
 
 MRS. EiGGs \laiiglivng\. Oh, there's plenty of 
 people to tell you — don't you fear ! 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, indeed ! Or else what I do, 
 is to look through the list of favourites beforehand, 
 and see if there is a name that takes my fancy. 
 For the Grand Yorkshire now, the first favourite 
 is called Grand Sire, and the second New Moon. 
 Well, last night I saw the new moon as we were 
 standing with the paper on the door-step, and so 
 I said to Tom — "That's it — that's the one for 
 us." But he says, "No, it'll be Grand Sire," he 
 says, "for it's grandfather's birthday to-morrow." 
 " Well," I said, " you must just see to-morrow 
 what's for the best;" and that's to-night, and I'm 
 that anxious for him to get back. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. To-uight ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes ; you See, he gets his pay 
 to-night, and the race is to-morrow, so that just 
 fits in. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [aghust]. Annie ! Is that the way 
 the money goes ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. It's One of the ways, yes — and 
 sometimes it's the way it comes. That five pounds 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 19 
 
 we won at the New Year it did fetch us up 
 wonderful. 
 
 MRS, HOLROYD [dropping her hnittmg, awe-struchl. 
 Five pounds ! [Suddenly recollecting herself.'] Eh, 
 Annie, don't tell me about it. I don't know what 
 your uncle would say. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Auntie, must you never listen to 
 anything your husband doesn't like ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Best not, child, best not. [mrs. 
 TARLTON turns away Imighing contemptuously.] 
 He's the breadwinner, honey, and he knows best. 
 Oh, he's a good man, he's never so much as laid a 
 finger on me since we were married. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Aunt, how dull, how dull ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [surprised]. What's dull, child .'' 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Why, to be so good, SO thrifty, 
 and all ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. O Annie ! [Horrified. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. You know it's dull ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Indeed and I don't. I'm quite 
 contented, I'm sure. [Laughs. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. But you Said just now you wanted 
 to go shopping, like other people. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [smiUng]. Oh yes, I did. I get 
 grumbling a bit at times, like everybody else. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. And you wanted a business of 
 your own. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [cheerfully]. Yes — but I didn't 
 get it, and so I went without. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. And you never go anywhere, to the 
 shops, or the trips, or the theatres, or the halls. 
 
20 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD, Oh, Holroyd's such a one for his 
 home, he's too comfortable in it to go gadding. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. I should be sorry to make Tom as 
 comfortable as all that. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [shocJced]. Take care, Annie, take 
 care — them's London ways. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Never spending your money on 
 anything but boots and coals ! What's the fun 
 of that.? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, there's not much fun in spend- 
 ing anyway. Lucky if you can get the boots and 
 coals you want. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. I'm sure it's hard enough to keep your 
 money in your pocket, with all them that comes 
 round asking you to take it out — the hawkers and 
 the pedlars, and the pound ticket people, and one 
 and the other. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. And Hobody asking you to keep 
 it in. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Except the Ladies up at the Settle- 
 ment. Miss Verrender takes care of it if you ask her. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. That's it, yes. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. That's the only way I can put by. 
 I'm not as clever as you are about accounts, Mrs. 
 Holroyd, and when Miss Verrender says, " Now you 
 take care of your money, Mrs. Riggs," I just says 
 to her, "Well, you must come round then, miss, 
 and ask me for it on Saturday morning — if you 
 don't, it'll be gone." And now I've saved a shilling 
 instead of sixpence to give her when she comes in 
 the morning. She will be pleased. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 21 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. That reminds me — I got a card 
 off the postman for you. 
 
 [Goes into her house to get it. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. For me ! [to mrs. tarlton]. I've not 
 had a letter for these fifteen years. 
 
 [mrs. holroyd comes out again and 
 gives her the post card, which she 
 holds with the corner of her apron. 
 I wonder who it's from ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Maybe it'll say on the back, Mrs. 
 Riggs. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Aye, to be sure. [Loohs.] Oh ! [dis- 
 appointed] it's from Miss Verrender — she says she's 
 sorry she can't come to-morrow, and that I must 
 keep the money until next week. Eh, I doubt 
 I'll not be able to. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Why, you must feel as if you'd got 
 a shilling to spend. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, no, honey ! 
 
 [Enter mrs. borrows and mrs. smithson 
 with shawls over their heads. 
 
 MRS, RIGGS. Morning, Mrs. Burrows, you're quite 
 a stranger. 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. Yes, I've been that busy I couldn't 
 get away. My man happened an accident Monday 
 come a fortnight, and he's been off work ever since. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [sympatheticdlly\. Eh, dear ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. That's bad ! 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. He got his foot scalded at the 
 works, something crool. 
 
 MRS. SMITHSON [crosses and stands between mrs. 
 
22 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLROYD and mrs. tarlton. MRS. RiGGS Still sitting 
 on the other side of mrs. holroyd, and mrs. burrows 
 to her left}. Terrible leg he had, poor fellow. 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. Of course the law gave me some- 
 thing while he was off work, but it don't go very far. 
 
 MRS. sMiTHsoN. No, it just gives you something to 
 eat, but you can't buy the bairns boots out of your 
 compensation, 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Ever ti'ied the pound ticket for 
 boots, Mrs. Smithson ? 
 
 MRS. SMITHSON. Indeed yes, they're champion ! 
 
 MRS. TARLTON, What's a pound ticket ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [introducing]. That's my niece, 
 Mrs. Tarlton ; she's been in service in London. 
 
 MRS. SMITHSON. Aw, indeed. Pleased to meet you, 
 I'm sure. 
 
 MRS, TARLTON. Pleased to meet you. 
 
 MRS, HOLROYD. The pound ticket is just a way 
 of getting things on credit. Holroyd, he'll have 
 nothing to do with them. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Yes. You buy the ticket for a pound, 
 and then you get things on credit till you've used 
 it up. 
 
 MRS. SMITHSON. Many's the time my children 
 wouldn't have had boots else — for they won't give 
 you credit, not in the big shops, without you've 
 one of the tickets, and you can pay sixpence every 
 week when you couldn't pay seven or eight shillings 
 for a pair all at once. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. I would like to get a veil that 
 way. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 23 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. A Veil, Annie ! What in the 
 world do you want with a veil ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Why, Aunt, in London I always 
 wore a veil when I went out on Saturday and 
 Sunday. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. You'd never spend a pound on a 
 veil .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I'm sure I don't know, I never 
 bought one. [Contemptuously.] 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [eagerly]- But where do you buy 
 the tickets from, to begin with ? from the shops ? 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. No, you don't get them from the 
 shops. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Sometimes there's a gentleman comes 
 round with them. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Or else it'll be one of the widows. 
 But mind you, they buy the tickets off the shops for 
 a pound, and they sell them to you for twenty-two 
 shillings, so that you pay twenty-two shillings any 
 way for your pound's worth of goods. 
 
 MRS. SMJTHSON. Aye, you must be careful where you 
 get them from — there's some as don't act quite 
 straight with them. 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. Yes indeed — you'll mind Mrs. 
 Malony of our street, the way she was in the 
 other night ? 
 
 MRS. SMITHSON. Aye, poor soul ! She was in trouble 
 about a pound ticket she got off one of the 
 widows. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Another lady I know got a ticket off 
 a gentleman that comes round here, and she started 
 
24 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 away paying at the New Year, and never got 
 finished until nearly Christmas again. 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. Eh, yes, that's often the way of it. 
 [mrs. dale comes along R., a peevish, 
 miserable- hoJcing old woman. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. How's yourself to-day, Mrs Dale ? 
 
 MRS. DALE [standing between mrs. holroyd and 
 MRS. SMITHSON, and complaining]. Middling, only 
 middling — I haven't had me health, not since the 
 back end of last year. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. The wintry weather likely; we most 
 of us had a poor back end. 
 
 MRS. DALE [whining']. It's worst for the widows as 
 has to work for themselves, and with these bad 
 times it's a hard job to keep alive. Sometimes one 
 can make a bit with the pound ticket and that — 
 but it's a hard job, very hard. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [interested]. Eh, she's got them ! 
 
 MRS. DALE. If any lady here wants a pound ticket, 
 I'm sure it's a kindness to employ me as can give 
 you the best, and a kindness to yourself too. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [to MRS. HOLROYD, half oside]. Poor old 
 soul ! it seems hard not to get a ticket ofF her. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, Charity begins at home, 
 mind you, and we'll all of us be widows or widowers, 
 if we live long enough. 
 
 MRS. MALONY [heard from outside]. What do you 
 say ? No, I don't know where she is. Aye, it's no 
 good asking me, I know nothing about it. 
 
 [mrs. MALONY coming in L. and 
 speaking with a rich brogue. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 25 
 
 MHS. MALONY. Why, here ye all are ! [To mrs. 
 BURROWS and mrs. smithson.J What are you doing 
 in this street ? 
 
 MRS. BURROWS [laughimg]. Same as you, Mrs. 
 Malony, getting a change. 
 
 [mrs. malony catches sight of mrs. dale. 
 
 MRS. MALONY. Why, if she isn't the very one ! 
 the ould cat ! 
 
 MRS. DALE. What do you mean by speaking 
 that way .'' 
 
 MRS. MALONY [fowcZ]. I mean you're the one that 
 got me into trouble. 
 
 MRS. DALE. I never got no one into trouble — 
 I've got enough of me own, [mrs. dale and mrs. 
 MALONY in centre of stage, the others closing in round 
 them at back and sides.} 
 
 MRS. MALONY [excited]. You'll have more if you 
 don't take care. Look here, I'll just tell you all; 
 don't you be getting any tickets off that person, 
 for you'll be sorry for it. Mind that now. 
 
 MRS. DALE. If you Say that again, I'll have the 
 police to you. [All the others exclaim !1 Taking 
 away an honest woman's character like that ! 
 
 MRS. MALONY. An honest woman .'' No ! It is 
 yourself I was speaking of, Mrs. Dale, and it's the 
 thief of the world you are, with me paying you six- 
 pence every week for most a year, and never getting 
 but fifteen shillings worth of goods at all, at all. 
 
 MRS. DALE. You got a pair of boots and a dress 
 length. It wasn't my fault if they cost fifteen 
 shillings, and not a pound, was it ? 
 
26 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS MALONY. The back of my hand to you, 
 that there I was with five shillings left and mayn't 
 go to another shop with it! I'll soon stop you 
 playing the same tricks on other people. Now 
 you listen to me, all of ye thafs here. 
 
 MES. DALE. Well, I'll wish you good-day. I 
 won't stay here to be insulted. [Going off.'] 
 
 MRS. MALONY. Good day, indeed ! [catching 
 hold of MRS. dale]. None of that ! Oh, but 
 you shall hear what I've got to say, I can tell 
 you. That's right, all of you come round and 
 listen. 
 
 MRS. DALE. Help ! She's going to murder me. 
 
 [policeman comes along. The women 
 scatter. 
 policeman. What's all this about ? 
 MRS. MALONY. It's the ould liar here. 
 MRS. DALE. Liar yourself! 
 
 policeman. That's enough. [He: separates them.] 
 Move on, please. 
 
 MRS. MALONY. I'll soou show you who's the 
 liar, and the grand thief as well ! 
 
 POLICEMAN. Well, move on, please, in the mean- 
 time. [To MRS. DALE.] You go oue way, and 
 you [to MRS. malony] go the other, then there'll be 
 less chance of your meeting. Move on, please. 
 
 [mrs. malony goes off muttering and 
 
 vowing revenge, and the other 
 
 PEOPLE scatter. 
 
 [When they have all gone o^holroyd 
 
 com£s out and stands at the door C. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 27 
 
 Tenth his pipe in his mouth ; as he 
 comes he pulls up his trousers 
 under his belt. 
 HOLROYD. What's all that about ? I wish they'd 
 make a row under somebody else's window. 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. Mi's. Malony's been having 
 words about the ticket she got off old Mrs. Dale. 
 HOLROYD. Serve her right. 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, Well ! Poor thing. 
 
 [Goes into Iwuse, 
 HOLROYD. Poor thing indeed ! A silly fool ! 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD is Seen getting things 
 
 out of the oven. mrs. tarlton is 
 
 working just inside her door, and 
 
 MRS. RiGGS not visible, holroyd 
 
 smiles at policeman. They stand 
 
 a moment. 
 
 HOLROYD [speaks between the whiff's of his pipe"]. 
 
 Well, Sergeant, women can make a noise when they 
 
 give their minds to it. 
 
 POLICEMAN. Aye, there seems to be a good few 
 tongues round here, to judge by the sound of 
 them. 
 
 HOLROYD. One to every man, I suppose, as nature 
 made them, but there's two to every woman, I do 
 believe. 
 
 POLICEMAN. Sounds like it sometimes, I must say. 
 It's all this buying and selling in the streets that 
 makes the trouble. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, there's only one way of buying I 
 believe in, and that's having the money in your 
 
28 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 hand when you go into the shop and paying over 
 the counter. 
 
 POLICEMAN. It's not every one thafs as careful as 
 you and your missus. 
 
 HOLKOYD. She's well enough, though I don't tell 
 her so. JSo good letting the women know what you 
 think of them, or they get above themselves. 
 
 POLICEMAN. I daresay you're right, though I'm 
 not a married man myself. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Never tried it ? 
 
 POLICEMAN. I dursn't do it, Mr. Holroyd. Women 
 are up to too many pranks these days. 
 
 HOLEOYD [reflectively]. And you couldn't run in 
 your own wife, I suppose, whatever she did .'' 
 
 POLICEMAN. That's it, you see. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I believe the thing is to keep them in 
 their place from the beginning, and then they will 
 stay there. 
 
 POLICEMAN. Some of them, perhaps. 
 
 HOLEOYD [smoMng silently, and then after a minute']. 
 They like it, you know — like it best. 
 
 POLICEMAN [dubiously]. Oh, do they .'' I shouldn't 
 have thought it. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Look at my old woman — she just does 
 what I tell her, and there's an end of it. She knows 
 what would happen if I found her buying off the 
 people in the street, or parleyvooing with them at 
 the back doors. She'd better let me catch her, 
 that's all. 
 
 POLICEMAN. Oh, that back door business ! It's 
 the bookies that do most harm, mind you. 
 
I] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 29 
 
 HOLBOYD. Yes, I don't believe you've done much 
 good sending them off the streets. 
 
 POLICEMAN. I'll tell you what we've done. We've 
 sent them into the houses — in at the front door, 
 out of the back, and down the alley, and there 
 you are. 
 
 HOLKOYD. And there they aren't. 
 
 POLICEMAN. That's about it. I'm after one of 
 these fellows that keeps hanging round here — it's 
 just a game we're playing, and it's as good as 
 gambling to him, I do believe. I must best him or 
 he'll best me. And I'm sure I know what he's after, 
 though I can't prove it. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, keep him out of my door, that's 
 all. 
 
 POLICEMAN [laughing as he strolls off']. I should 
 think you'd be able to do that for yourself, Holroyd. 
 So long ! [Goes off". 
 
 HOLEOYD [nods at him sideways — stands smoTcing. 
 Calls after him]. By the way, when's the next 
 Hearts of Oak meeting, do you know .'' 
 
 POLICEMAN. Some time next week, I believe, but 
 I'll let you know. 
 
 HOLEOYD. All right, thank you. [Nods. Calls.] 
 Meg, why are the bairns so late from school .'' 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [Jrom inside]. It's the day they're 
 weighed or measured or something at school — such 
 carryings on it is. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Umph ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. And what happens when they're 
 short weight I don't know. [Coming to door. 
 
30 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLEOYD [grunts contemptvmish/]. Oh ! some 
 gentleman writes to the papers and says, "What 
 is the country coming to?" — that's all. You got 
 the shilling all right in the box upstairs ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [her hands Jull]. Of course, yes. 
 HOLROYD, Well, go up and get it, will you ? And 
 I'll step round with it after dinner. 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD puts dowH the things 
 she has m her hand, and goes 
 upstairs. 
 [VINCENT comes in R., walking along 
 street, holkoyd takes his pipe 
 out of his mouth, and touches 
 his cap. 
 HOLROYD. Morning, sir. 
 
 VINCENT. Eh, Holroyd, you're the man I want. 
 I was going to send for you. 
 
 [holroyd stands hy as vincent takes 
 some papers out of his pocket and 
 looks at them. 
 [mrs. holroyd comes back with the 
 shilling. 
 MRS. holroyd. Here it is, Joe. 
 holroyd {hurriedly]. All right — not now. 
 MBS. holroyd [sees vincent, makes a hurried 
 curtsey, puts the shilling in her apron pocket, cmd 
 retires']. Oh, I beg your pardon. 
 
 [Business, mrs. riggs, with her broom, 
 and MRS. tarlton, look out and 
 retire, 
 VINCENT. I daresay you've heard Manson is going 
 
I] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 31 
 
 to give up in a few months' time, and we shall move 
 Randall into his place. Do you think you'd be 
 man enough to take on Randall's job ? 
 
 HOLROYD. I'd do my best, sir. 
 
 VINCENT. It's a much better billet for you, of 
 course. You'd get half as much again as you 
 do now. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, I could do with that. 
 
 VINCENT. I daresay [smiling']. Most of us could. 
 We'd put you into a better house over at the works 
 — one of the new ones we've just built. And mind, 
 Holroyd, we're putting none but our best people 
 over there, men and wives, they're picked tenants, 
 all of them. 
 
 HOLROYD. Thank you, sir. Well, I won't say 
 Meg isn't a good wife, I've trained her well. 
 
 VINCENT. I'm glad to hear it. 
 
 HOLROYD. And if you can spare the time, sir, 
 I'd like to ask your advice about something. 
 
 VINCENT. All right. What is it ? 
 
 HOLROYD. It's this Way, sir. My wife she's set 
 her heart this long time, 'most ever since we were 
 married, on starting a little business — on having 
 a shop, like, in her front room, for groceries and 
 sweets. But if you give the women one thing they 
 ask for, you never know but they'll ask for some- 
 thing else. 
 
 VINCENT. That's the danger. 
 
 HOLROYD. So, to keep her quiet, I just told her 
 she couldn't have it. 
 
 VINCENT. But you're going to give it to her now ? 
 
32 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, I thought I might have a try. 
 Thirty pounds would start it, and I have got twice 
 that saved. 
 
 VINCENT. Saved sixty pounds! Splendid! You 
 must have been careful. 
 
 HOLHOYD. Oh yes, we have. I keep the accounts, 
 and I know where the money goes, and I don't let 
 the missis throw it out of the window as some does, 
 and if she grumbles a bit sometimes at being kept 
 tight — well, I don't tell her what I get, or she'd 
 grumble more. 
 
 VINCENT. Wise man ! Well, I think with a busi- 
 ness like that you might do very well. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I'm glad to hear you say so, sir. 
 
 [Enter sally and jack L., carrying 
 satchels, school-hooks, S^c. 
 
 sally Ifommg rurvnmg u'p\. Daddy ! Daddy ! 
 
 JACK. Daddy! Daddy! 
 
 HOLROYD. All right, bairns. Run in there to 
 mother, little lass, and Daddy will come presently. 
 
 JACK. You'll come to see the puppy fed, won't you .'' 
 
 HOLEOYD. Oh yes, we'll get him fed all right. 
 Run away now, little lad. Off you go. {Children 
 rwn into house.] 
 
 VINCENT [sighing]. You're a lucky man, Holroyd. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Yes, sir. 
 
 VINCENT. I had a wife and child once, now I have 
 neither. 
 
 HOLEOYD [sympathetically]. Yes, sir. 
 
 VINCENT [recovering himse^ and changing his 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 33 
 
 tone. Pullmg out Ms watch]. Well, you know 
 the houses I mean, don't you ? I'm going over 
 there now, if you care to come and have a look 
 at them. 
 
 HOLROYD. Thank you, sir. 
 
 JACK [at door with the dog in his arms]. Daddy ! 
 
 SALLY. Look ! He's got a bow of ribbon on ! 
 
 HOLROYD. All right, bairns, back soon ! 
 
 VINCENT. Good-bye, children. 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD appearing behind door. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Say " Good-bye, sir," — that's right. 
 [The children bob and curtsey. 
 
 VINCENT [smiling]. Good morning — Good morn- 
 ing, Mrs. Holroyd. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [curtseying]. Morning, sir. 
 
 [holroyd and vtncent go out. mrs. 
 
 HOLROYD, MRS. RIGGS, and MRS. 
 
 tarlton and the children all look 
 out after them. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. My word, Mrs. Holroyd, your 
 husband going off like that with the Manager ! I 
 wonder what they're after .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [beaming]. Well, I'm sure I can't 
 tell. Holroyd's that close, I never know what he's 
 up to. But it's no harm, you may be sure of that. 
 [With a pleased laugh.] 
 
 MRS. RiGGS [smiling]. Listen to that now ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [who has put her hand into her 
 apron pochet]. There now, he's forgot his shilling ! 
 
 MRS. tarlton. Well, I'm glad he's forgot some- 
 thing for once, like other people. 
 
34 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. HOLKOYD. For shame on you, Annie. 
 [Smilmg,] Get along with you ! 
 
 [Goes into house, mrs. riggs also, 
 though still seen sweeping, dj-c, 
 inside, slark walks past, drop- 
 ping his stick on the grou/nd out- 
 side MRS. tarlton's door. 
 
 SLARK. Beg pardon, madam. How very awkward 
 of me! 
 
 MRS. TARLTON \outside her house]. Granted, I'm 
 sure. 
 
 SLARK [L. of MRS. tarlton]. Excuse me, madam, 
 but as I was passing just now, when you kindly 
 directed me, didn't I hear you say something about 
 the Grand Yorkshire "^ 
 
 MRS. tarlton \hoking at him eagerly]. You did, 
 yes. 
 
 SLARK \in a low tone]. Can I do anything for 
 you.? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [eagerly]. Oh, do you mean — 
 
 [policeman comes along. 
 
 SLARK [looking up, as he sees policeman]. And 
 of course, as I was saying, ma'am, it looks more like 
 rain to-day than it did yesterday, and I doubt we'll 
 have some to-morrow. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [hoMng up at the sky]. Maybe we 
 shall. 
 
 powcEMAN [to slark]. Now, what are you doing 
 here ? 
 
 SLARK. Strolling along the street, same as you 
 are, No harm in that, I suppose ,? 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 35 
 
 POLICEMAN. No harm in that, no. But I've seen 
 you before. 
 
 SLAEK. Well, and I've seen you before — what 
 then ? You're not going to run me in, I suppose, 
 because I'm telling this lady I think it's going to 
 rain to-morrow ? 
 
 Miis. TARLTON {winningly']. That would be hard. 
 Sergeant, I'm sure. 
 
 SLARK. Well, p'raps I'll have the pleasure of 
 seeing you another time, ma'am. Good after- 
 noon. 
 
 [Goes off. HAWKER heard calling outside. 
 POLICEMAN [going left, then he turns round before 
 gmng off]. Excuse me, ma'am, you'd best be care- 
 ful who you talk to in this neighbourhood. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. I'm sure he seems quite a real 
 gentleman. 
 
 POLICEMAN. Ah, that kind's often the worst. 
 [ Walks slowly off' after slark. 
 
 [rayne, the HAWKER, comes in L., 
 
 carrying a pack over his shoulder. 
 
 During this scene mrs. holroyd 
 
 is seen at first through her door 
 
 getting the dinner ready, S^c. 
 
 HAWKER [L., putting his pack on the ground and 
 
 unbuckling it]. Morning, ladies — can I do anything 
 
 for you to-day ? I generally find some customers 
 
 in this street. 
 
 [mrs. TARLTON, much interested, comes 
 out of her house to see what he has 
 got. MRS. RiGGs, who hus been 
 
36 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 seen through her open door polish- 
 ing a brass candlestick, comes 
 out also. 
 
 MRS. TABLTON. What have you got ? [^Interested^ 
 
 HAWKER. Ribbons, needles, pins, calico ? Look 
 at the finish of that calico — that's what dukes and 
 duchesses wear, so you can't go wrong with it. 
 Stockings ? You could walk all day in these stock- 
 ings and never feel it — as good as an aeroplane 
 any day. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Thank you, I don't need to fly 
 to market, it's just round the corner. 
 
 [hawker offers them to mrs. riggs. 
 
 MRS. EiGGS. Thanks — I can walk there too in 
 what I knit myself. 
 
 hawker, a cape ? A nice warm cape ? I'm sure 
 the wind must come pretty sharp round this corner. 
 You'd find this very comfortable, ma'am. 
 
 MRS. EIGGS [holding the end of the cape]. It seems 
 rather big, this. 
 
 HAWKER. It'll soon shrink, ma'am, with the air 
 and the damp. But I think, all the same, I've got 
 a smaller one. [Looks.] 
 
 MRS. RIGGS, That's too small. ' 
 
 HAWKER. It'd work larger, ma'am, when once you'd 
 got it on. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [looking at it]. There's this, that if 
 it keeps oif the rheumatics it '11 save the doctor's 
 bill, and I have 'em that bad sometimes. 
 
 HAWKER [with conviction]. You have the rheu- 
 matics, ma'am ? You can't do without a cape, then. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 37 
 
 Here, just put it on and see how cosy you feel 
 in it. 
 
 MKS. RiGGs [putting it on]. My word ! It is cosy. 
 
 MKs. TAULTON. Let me see the other one, will you ? 
 
 HAWKER. With pleasure. Miss. \Puts the little 
 cape on her shoulders.^ 
 
 MRS. TAKLTON. It is nicB ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. How much is it ? YLoohing at hers\. 
 
 HAWKER. Sixpence a week, ma'am, both of them. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Yes, but for how long ? 
 
 MRS, TARLTON. Yes, One must know that. 
 
 HAWKER. Eleven weeks this one, ma'am, and 
 fifteen weeks the other. That is five shillings and 
 sixpence for the little cape, and seven shillings and 
 sixpence for the big one. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Seven shillings and sixpence ! 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, but ouly sixpence at a time. 
 
 HAWKER. That's just it. Miss, you've grasped it ; 
 it's giving them away, it really is, but still, I'd 
 rather do it to get a good customer. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Seven shillings and sixpence, that's 
 sixpence for fifteen weeks. 
 
 HAWKER \adiniiringly\. Quite right, ma'am ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Well, I'll have it then. 
 
 MRS, TARLTON. And I'll have this one, 
 
 HAWKER. Thank you, ladies. That'll be sixpence 
 on each to-day, and the same every week, I shall 
 be calling back next Friday, 
 
 MRS. TARLTON \givvng the sixpence, aside to mrs, 
 RiGGs]. That's the last sixpence I've got in my 
 purse. 
 
38 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS, iiiGGs. Aye, and there goes Miss Verrender's 
 shilling broken in two. Can you give me change, 
 mister ? [mrs. tarlton dances across the stage to 
 
 her own house. 
 HAWKER. Certainly, madam. Thank you. Any- 
 thing else, ladies.? Bootlaces, ribbons, thimbles, 
 cotton ? [sally appears at mrs. holroyd's door, 
 
 evidently much interested in the 
 hawker's pacTi. Stands shyly 
 looTiing at it. 
 Good morning, little missie. Well now, little 
 lady, I wonder if I've anything for you — ^you won't 
 want needles and cotton yet awhile — now, what 
 about that ? 
 
 [He takes out a looking-glass with 
 fiowers painted on it, and places it 
 against the end of his pack. 
 sally [rushes excitedly into the home to call her 
 mother]. Look, mother ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [from inside]. What is it ? what is 
 it, child ? I'm busy. 
 
 SALLY [comes out dragging her mother — mrs. 
 HOLROYD drying her hands as she comas']. Look, 
 mother ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [R. C.]. Eh, but it is fine. 
 
 [sally looks at herself in it.] 
 HAWKER. That's a sweet little lady you have 
 there, ma'am. I can tell she's yours, by the 
 likeness. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [plcasedi]. Oh yes, she's mine. 
 sally [jumping with excitement]. Mother, mother, 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 39 
 
 look at it ! [Dances to herself in the glass.] Mother, 
 do buy it ! 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. Buy it, chiM ! Nonsense ! I never 
 heard the like. How can I ? 
 
 HAWKER. By paying one shilling you can have 
 it on your wall this very day. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. One shilling ! [Amazed.] 
 
 [mes. taelton standing R. — then mes. 
 HOLEOYD. sally looking at herself 
 in the glass^-mns. eiggs outside her 
 own door, then the hawker.] 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Eh ! ! ! 
 
 HAWKEE. One shilling this week — one next, and 
 just one every week until it's all paid. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Ah, that's a different matter. 
 
 HAWKEE. Well, ma'am, I do assure you that after 
 the first it comes so natural that you never seem to 
 feel it. 
 
 MES, HOLROYD. It would take a long time to make it 
 come as natural as that to my husband, I can tell 
 you. 
 
 HAWKER [crosses to MES. HOLEOYU and stands, glanc- 
 ing at the hoitse]. Well, I can see by the looks of 
 everything — and, if you'll excuse me, by the looks of 
 yourself, ma'am — that your good gentleman must 
 be a superior kind of man. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. He is that ! 
 
 HAWKER. He ought to have something of that 
 kind on his wall then, there's no doubt about it. 
 [Pointijig to glass.] 
 
 MRS, HOLEOYD [laughing]. He won't, I tell you. 
 
4.0 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 He'd never dream of spending money on a thing 
 like that. 
 
 HAWKER. But a shilling, ma'am, one shilling ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, but how many shillings would 
 it take to get it all paid ? 
 
 HAWKER. Only twenty-one, ma'am. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Twenty-one ! 
 
 HAWKER. I would let you have the glass for a 
 guinea, and it's like giving it to you. Is your 
 birthday coming soon, ma'am ? It's like a birthday 
 present. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I dou't generally get birthday 
 presents that cost a guinea. 
 
 HAWKer. Anywhere in the town it would cost you 
 twenty-five shillings. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Would it ? 
 
 HAWKER. Indeed, yes. But you see, this one 
 came from France just on purpose for me, and I get 
 it cheaper. Come, ma'am, haven't you got a shilling 
 in one of those pockets .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I never have a shilling in my 
 pocket. I keep it all in a box till I take out what 
 I want for marketing. [Laiighing.] Ah, yes, I 
 forgot ! I have got one to-day ! I've got one ! 
 [To MRS. RiGGs.] Just look at that! [Taking 
 shilling out of pocket.'] 
 
 HAWKER. Now then, you see ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Ah, but thafs no use ! 
 
 HAWKER. No use, ma'am? A bright shilling in 
 your hand ? There must be plenty more where 
 that came from. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 41 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD \^jirmly'\. No, no, that shilling's got 
 to go to the sick club, and can't go to anything 
 else. 
 
 HAWKEE, To the sick club? Your good gentle- 
 man isn't ill, is he ? 
 
 MEs. HOLEOYD \laughvng\. Ill ? Not he ! 
 
 MES. EiGGs. If you saw him you'd not think so. 
 
 HAWKEE, Well then, it seems a pity to spend a 
 shilling on nursing him when you can get some- 
 thing like that with it. Besides, I'm sure it would 
 be as good as medicine to him to see anything like 
 that on his wall. \_'rakes up glass and holds it for 
 MES. HOLEOYD to look at herself^ Look at yourself 
 in it, ma'am, and see if you don't like it. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD \looks ot Kevself and smiles']. I've 
 never seen ;my skirt before, and I don't know that 
 I think it very beautiful now that I do see it. I 
 can't see my face very well because of all those 
 green things. 
 
 HAWKEE. That's for decoration, ma'am ; nothing 
 looks better on the wall. 
 
 {Puts the glass leammg against the 
 wall between mes. eiggs' and mes. 
 holeoyd's cottages. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. It looks better on the wall, I dare 
 say, than it does across my face. 
 
 SALLY {Jumping roumd her motherl. Oh, mummy, 
 I do love it, don't you ? 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. Well, I must Say I do. 
 
 MRS. EIGGS. Really, Mrs. Holroyd, a shilling every 
 week isn't much. 
 
42 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 Mas. HOLROYD. It's a great deal when you know 
 where every penny goes. 
 
 HAWKER. I tell you what, ma'am, suppose you 
 toss.? It's often a good way of settling, when a 
 lady can't make up her mind. Allow me, ma'am. 
 {Takes the shilling before she knows what is happening, 
 and spins it, claps his hamd over it.] Heads you 
 buy,- tails you don't ! Heads it is ! 
 
 [Shows it, puts the shilling into his 
 pocket. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [taken aback]. Aye, but that won't 
 do ! [Holding out her hamd for it. 
 
 HAWKER. Madam, the glass is yours. 
 
 [With a low how. 
 
 SALLY [seeing holroyd coming]. Daddy ! Daddy ! 
 Look ! [mrs. tarlton vanishes into her house, 
 
 HOLROYD. What is it, little lass ? 
 
 SALLY. Look ! [Pointing to the glass. 
 
 HOLROYD [changing his tone]. What's that thing ? 
 
 SALLY. Look, Daddy, I can see myself in it ! 
 
 HOLROYD. Don't waste your time looking in the 
 glass, little lass, that's no good. Come along in to 
 dinner. 
 
 HAWKER [L., kneeling by his pack, preparatory 
 to fastening it up, insinuatingly]. Anything I can 
 do for you to-day, sir.? No braces, bootlaces, 
 razors ? 
 
 HOLROYD. Nothing, thank you, but just leave me 
 in peace. I don't do my shopping in the street. 
 
 HAWKER. All right, sir, all right ! Don't excite 
 yourself. 
 
i] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 43 
 
 HOLROYD [R. C.]. Look here, the sooner you 
 go and sell your wares in some other street, the 
 better I shall be pleased. The working man has 
 a hard time enough without you getting at the 
 women, and making 'em throw away their money on 
 nonsense. 
 
 HAWKER. On nonsense, mister, do you call it? 
 Why, there's cottons, needles, thimbles, everything 
 a lady should use. 
 
 HOLROYD. I call that nonsense. [Pomtmg to the 
 glass.] So just take it away, please. 
 
 HAWKER [doing up his things]. No, no, sir, not 
 that — the lady has bought it. 
 HOLROYD. Bought that ? 
 
 [A moment of suspense ; they all wait. 
 The HAWKER buckling up things, 
 tSj-c, MRS. HOLROYD has shrunJc 
 back into her doorway. 
 [Sternly.] Well, Mrs. Riggs, it's not my busi- 
 ness, I daresay, but if you'll let me say so, you 
 might find something better than that to spend 
 your husband's wages on. 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD looking anxiously at 
 
 MRS. RIGGS, who takcs up the glass 
 
 as if it belonged to her. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. It's all right, Mr. Holroyd. [Smiling 
 
 and going into her house with the glass.] There's 
 
 not much of his money been spent yet. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [gcmig hurriedly to hawkek]. 
 Mister. . . . 
 
 HOLROYD [stops her sternly]. Now, don't let's have 
 
44 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 ymi going after any of that tomfoolery. Come in 
 and give the child her dinner. 
 
 [mrs. holroyd shrinks bach towards 
 
 her house. 
 
 HAWKER. Good afternoon, sir — I shall be calling 
 
 back next Friday, I dare say — and most Fridays for 
 
 a bit. [ With his pack over his shoulder. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, keep out of my way, if you 
 
 can. 
 
 HAWKER. Anything to oblige, sir. Til arrange to 
 call when you're out. 
 HOLROYD. Damn you ! 
 HAWKER. Thank you, sir. 
 
 [Goes off, L., with a smile, saying to 
 
 MRS. RIGGS 
 
 A masterful gentleman, that ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. My word, yes ! [Admirvngly.] 
 
 HAWKER [half aside']. Well, I'll be upsides with 
 him yet. [Goes out L. 
 
 HOLROYD [to MRS. holroyd]. I never saw such 
 a street as this for people hanging about. Now 
 just give me that shilling that you brought down 
 for the sick club or I shall forget it again if I 
 don't look out. I'll go round with it after dinner. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [conjwed]. The shilling? 
 
 HOLROYD. Yes, the one you went to get when 
 Mr. Vincent came. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh yes, that shilling to be sure. 
 [Feels in her pocket.] Well, that is a funny thing. 
 
 HOLROYD. What is it ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [Z,.]. Lost anything, Mrs. Holroyd? 
 
]] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 45 
 
 MRS, HOLROYD [C.]. Why, that shilling I had 
 in my pocket for the sick club. 
 
 HOLROYD [R-l- Lost it! What's got you, Meg? 
 You're not going to get careless of your money, 
 are you ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, John — no, no, I'm not. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. I wonder if you have put it down 
 anywhere ? You haven't been in here, have you ? 
 But I'll just look round in case. 
 
 [Goes into her house. 
 
 HOLROYD. That's like a woman. If you haven't 
 been in there, what's the good of looking ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [comes iack from her house with her 
 own shilling, and rims to mrs. holroyd]. Let me 
 feel, Mrs. Holroyd, perhaps it's got into the 
 lining of the pocket. [Pretends to feel in mrs. 
 holroyd's poclcet.] Why, there it is ! [Bringing out 
 the shilling.'] 
 
 MRS. holroyd. I am silly ! 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, you are right there. What's 
 coming to you, Meg, that you don't know what's 
 in your own pocket .'' [Puts the shilling into his 
 pocket.'] Here, it'll be safer in mine. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I don't know what I was thinking 
 of, I'm sure. [Trying to conceal her perturba- 
 tion.] 
 
 HOLROYD. Nor do I. Well, do let's go in to 
 dinner. Where's the little lass gone ? 
 
 [Sees SALLY leaning her face against 
 the wall — turns her round. 
 Why, what's the matter, little one ? 
 
46 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act t 
 
 SALLY [half crying}. I want to look in the pretty 
 glass again. 
 
 HOLEOYD [roughly]. Well, want must be your 
 master. [More softly.] Now, don't be silly. Come 
 in with Daddy, little lass, and forget all about it. 
 [To MRS. HOLROYD.] That's what comes of letting 
 those fellows hang about — 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD hos been trying to say a 
 
 word to MRS. RIGGS. 
 
 and mind, if ever I find you've bought anything 
 off one of them, either for the child, or for yourself, 
 or for any one else, I'll . . . Well, you'll see soon 
 enough what I'll do when the time comes. 
 
 [He goes into his house with sally, 
 followed by mrs. holroyd, who 
 turns and looks at mrs. riggs as 
 the curtain comes down. 
 
 CURTAIN 
 
ACT II 
 
 SCENE I 
 
 Scene: — The interior of mes. holeoyd's and mes. 
 taelton's cottages, the interior towards the 
 audience, the doors towards the bach. Houses 
 of manufacturing town, chimneys, and furnaces 
 seen through windows. A partition running 
 up the middle of the stage to represent the wall 
 between the two cottages — the doors of the 
 cottages a/re close to one another, either side of 
 centre wall at bach. 
 
 In MES. holeoyd's cottage a window right of door, 
 under the window a big table on which she is 
 ironing, against right wall some steps going up 
 to the bedroom. Against centre wall a fireplace, 
 at which mes. holeoyd heats her irons, <^c., in 
 front of fireplace a clothes horse with linen 
 hanging on it. Down stage, R., a table, at 
 which HOLEOYD IS sitting doing his accounts. 
 The cottage is very plainly furnished. A door 
 on right, down stage, is supposed to lead into the 
 alley. At foot of stairs, pegs for holroyd's 
 cap and clothes, ^c. 
 
 MES. taelton's cottage, window at bach, L., fireplace 
 against centre wall — piano against left wall and 
 hohing-glass over it. A table with gaudy table- 
 
48 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 cloth on it in the middle of the room — an arm- 
 chair and another chair. A door on left, down 
 stage, is supposed to lead into the yard. When 
 the curtain goes up mes. tarlton's cottage is 
 empty and the door shut. mes. holeoyd's docyr 
 wide open, some children are playing outside — 
 MES. HOLEOYD is ironing, and holroyd doing 
 his accounts. 
 
 SALLY. Let me be leader now, Mary Anne. 
 MAEY ANNE. No, it's my turn. 
 
 [They struggle, sally is pushed down 
 and she cries. 
 HOLEOYD [without loolcing up]. Not so much noise, 
 lassies. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. What's the matter, Sally ? 
 SALLY. Mary Anne Jones pushed me down, 
 
 [Crying. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [putting down her iron with a hang, 
 
 goes out and drags sally in\ Aye, just look at 
 
 you with your overall all over mud ! and not another 
 
 clean one till Sunday. 
 
 [mes. .tones appearing at the door, a 
 frowzy, untidy woman, with a 
 beer jug in her hand. 
 What's happened ? Sally hurt herself.? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. No, Mrs. Jones, she's not hurt 
 herself, it's your Mary Anne that's hurt her ; she 
 pushed her down. 
 
 MAEY ANNE. I didn't, mother, I just fell up against 
 her, and she fell over. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 49 
 
 SALLY. Yes, you did push me. 
 
 MRS. JONES [looJcing at sally's overall]. Still, on 
 that sort of thing after all it doesn't show so 
 much. It's a good job it wasn't Mary Anne's white 
 pinny. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Well, cvery one to their taste — 
 some people likes to show the dirt, and others 
 doesn't. 
 
 MARY ANNE [to sally]. I like my pinny best. 
 
 [sally cries louder. 
 
 HOLROYD.. Oh, do keep quiet, little lass ; Daddy's 
 busy. [Buries himself in his papers, putting his 
 hands over his ears. 
 
 SALLY. I'd like to have a pinny like Mary Anne's. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [exasperated]. If you only want it 
 to wipe up the puddles with, you'd best not have 
 it at all. 
 
 MRS. JONES. Come away, Mary Anne ; best play in 
 our own yard. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. And fall into your own puddles, 
 that '11 be best. 
 
 MRS. JONES. Well, if that's the way of it, I'd best 
 say good day. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Good day, I'm sure. 
 
 [mrs. JONES and mary anne go away. 
 And you just go out into our yard, Sally, till 
 I've done ironing, and get some more mud on your 
 clothes if there's any room for it. 
 
 [sally goes slowly across to door down R. 
 But mind, not a clean thing do you have till 
 Sunday morning. [sally goes out with a sob, 
 
 s 
 
50 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLROYD. Now let's have no more quarrelling for 
 a bit while I'm reckoning. [Buries himself im 
 accotmts.] 
 
 MRS. HOLiioYD [goes on talking half to herself], 
 I don't quarrel as long as people doesn't 
 quarrel with me — but when one turns nasty 
 another must, all the world over. Mrs Jones' 
 daughters, indeed ! [Ironing vigorously.] They're 
 no better than any one else's. [Coming down and 
 hanging the clothes over the horse — putting her iron 
 to heat, S^c. Giving herself such airs because her 
 Jane Ellen has gone into the fried fish business, and 
 her Mary Anne's got a frill ! And I'm sure Sally 
 should have one too, if she had her rights — such 
 a good girl at school, and the prize for regular 
 attendance and all. [Goes bach wp stage, amd begins 
 ironing again,] 
 
 HOLROYD [putting away one paper and taking 
 a/iiother]. What's all that about, Meg? Who are 
 you talking to ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, I don't know — to me iron, I 
 suppose. It does just as well as any one else I'm 
 likely to get. 
 
 HOLROYD [looking up]. What is the matter ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, it's hard on the child to see 
 every one else so nice, and not have a frill to her 
 back. 
 
 HOLROYD. Frill ! You women think of nothing 
 but frills. Can't you teach the child to think of 
 something sensible ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. You Can't cxpect the bairns to be 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 51 
 
 always sensible, or the women either, if you come 
 to that. [Puts her iron down at the side of the 
 grate.] 
 
 HOLROYD. There's not much good expecting it, 
 any way. 
 
 MEs. HOLROYD. What else have they got to think 
 about ? You go here and there and get a change. 
 [Making up her mind.] I never get a bit of change 
 from year's end to year's end, and there's others 
 takes their wives out to the halls, and to the 
 theatres, or such like. 
 
 HOLROYD [more and more su/rjprised]. Why, Meg, 
 is it you that's asking me to spend my money on 
 taking you to see play-acting ? I've got something 
 better to do with it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [hesitating — then with a plunge]. 
 I'm sure I don't know what you do with it. 
 
 HOLROYD [amazed]. What's that ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [uervousli/ Jidgetkig with her 
 apron, looking down as she talks]. Well, yes, I 
 have been thinking about it, and I will just say it 
 for once. Other people they says to me, "Why, 
 Mrs. Holroyd, you must be well off," they says, 
 " you must be as well off as us, and better ; why 
 don't you do things the same as everybody else.?" 
 they says. 
 
 HOLROYD [sternly]. Meg, you're talking about 
 
 things that aren't your business. Don't let me 
 
 hear any more of that. [Putting papers together. 
 
 [MRS. HOLROYD cries quietly, and then 
 
 gives a loud sob. 
 
52 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 Good Lord! what's loose here to-day? Why is 
 everybody boohooing? What is it, Meg? You 
 must be ill to go on that way. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD [standing by centre wall in front of 
 fireplace']. I'm not ill — it's worse than that. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Worse ! 
 
 MEs. HOLEOYD. Yes, it's in my mind I feel it. 
 
 HOLEOYD [alarmed']. In your mind . . . you're 
 not — not going off your head, Meg ? Is that why 
 you've been so queer ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. I'm worse than that — I'm dull! 
 Yes, that's what it is, I believe. It's quite true. 
 I'm dull, [She wipes her eyes.] 
 
 HOLEOYD. Dull ! I never heard such a thing ! 
 You've plenty to do, haven't you ? You've not got 
 to look for something to put away the time ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Oh, I've got plenty to do, yes — 
 but it's always work, and never any play. [Takes 
 iron and some clothes off the horse and goes back to 
 table.] 
 
 HOLEOYD. Play! What's got you? What do 
 you want to play at ? You don't want me to come 
 out and have a game of marbles with you in the 
 street, do you ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. I want to do something diiferent. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Different to what ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [turning round to speak, iron in 
 hand]. To what I do day in and day out — it's cook, 
 and dish up, and wash up, and mend— and cook, and 
 dish up, and wash up, and mend — and then again, 
 and then it's bed time, and then it's get up and 
 
n] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 53 
 
 begin it all over again from the beginning. [Goes 
 on ironing:^ 
 
 HOLEOYD. Well, what else do you expect ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Fd like to do something else. 
 
 HOLROYD. Why don't you read ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I'm not one that fancies a book. 
 
 HOLROYD. There's a good newspaper comes in 
 every evening, you could always sit down and read 
 it, when I've done with it. Why don't you ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I don't seem to care about the 
 things they talk about in the paper. 
 
 HOLROYD. But you needn't read the sensible 
 part — there's the ladies' corner, where they tell you 
 how to make jam out of turnips, and paper the 
 room with postage stamps. Why don't you read 
 that ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I don't Seem to fancy that 
 either. 
 
 HOLROYD [puts up papers in drawer of table and 
 getting up]. There now, I must be oft' — I've got 
 a meeting of the Club Committee. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Now, you See — ^you've got your 
 committee, you're going out. 
 
 HOLROYD [surprised]. Of course I am, that's my 
 work. It's not yours. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Mrs Riggs went to a meeting 
 where a lady said that wives has rights, same as 
 husbands. 
 
 HOLROYD [amazed}. Rights ! What's got you, Meg.? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I'd like to have rights same as 
 other people — yes I would. 
 
54 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLKOYD. You just shut up, and don't treat me 
 to that tommy-rot. Somebody must stay in the 
 home, I suppose, and look after the bairns and the 
 cooking. And I can't help it if my work's outside 
 and yours in. That's how the Almighty made us. 
 So you just mind your own business, and I'll mind 
 mine. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. And never a word of thanks I 
 get for it neither. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, if it comes to that, old woman, 
 I don't mind saying you're not as bad as some. So 
 cheer up now ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh well, I am glad you say that, 
 John. [Comforted.'] You are kind. 
 
 HOLROYD [off hcmd]. That's all right. [Goes out 
 iy door at hack, and is seen to pass mrs. tarlton's 
 window L.] 
 
 [mrs. eiggs, coming from R., is seen 
 through the window looking after 
 him, then she puts her head in 
 cautiously, holding the big looking- 
 glass in her hand. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. Mrs Holroyd, what about this ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [horrified']. Oh ! I'm sure I don't 
 know what to say about it. It was all done so 
 quickly, all in a minute like, and there it was, and 
 I never got the chance of asking the gentleman for 
 my shilling back again, and now I doubt I'll never 
 get it. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Aye, I doubt you won't — it's his 
 by the law now, I'm sure. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 55 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. That's it. You never know with 
 the law what'll happen, and you dursn't take 
 liberties with it. I don't know what's to be done. 
 [Looking at glass.] Oh, but it's beautiful ! 
 
 MRS. RiGGS [who has come down stage to table on 
 which she leaves the glass]. It is, and no mistake. 
 
 [They look at it. 
 Well,, I'm afraid it won't do to leave it with me, 
 for when Bill comes home on a Friday afternoon, 
 well, he does seem to lurch up against things if 
 they're lying about. 
 
 [They look at it doubtfully. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [anxious]. I wonder if the gentleman 
 would take it back again .'' 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. I'm sure he won't now. Look here, 
 I'll tell you what we might do. I'm going up 
 to the pawn-shop, to get Bill's Sunday clothes out 
 for the week end, and if you like I'll take the glass 
 up there with me and leave it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [relieved]. Oh, could you? just 
 till we see what to do. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Certainly, and you know they will 
 give you something on it besides. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Will they ? So they will ! [Get- 
 ting excited.] How much ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [covnting]. Well, they should give 
 you a third of what it's worth — and that's worth — 
 what did the gentleman tell you .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Twenty-one shillings ! 
 
 [They stand looking at it for a moment. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS, And a third of that is — [counting]. 
 
56 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. HOLiiOYD. Seven shillings. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. [admiringli/]. Yes, that's it, seven 
 shillings. 
 
 MBS. HOLROYD. You mean to say that I get seven 
 shillings just for getting the thing out of the 
 way.? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS, Seems like it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [recolkctimg herself]. Eh, but it's 
 wrong to get money that way. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Fiddle ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Think SO ? [Relieved.] 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Got a bit of paper ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Here. Oh . . . [hesitatimg] that's 
 been round the butter. [Looks round.] Here, that'll 
 do. [Gives paper.] 
 
 [During folhwing sentences mrs. riggs 
 puts paper over glass. 
 
 MRS. riggs. Now, I'll just take it, and bring you 
 back seven shillings. At least it won't be quite 
 that, they will charge you a halfpenny off it, you 
 know. Oh, and you'll want it laid, I suppose .? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Laid ! What's that ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. They charge you a penny extra a 
 month for laying it in a drawer or somewhere safe, 
 instead of knocking about. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. A penny ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Yes, they'll just keep it back out 
 of the seven shillings ; you would never feel it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. All right then, I'll spare a penny 
 extra to have it laid. But, oh, Mrs. Riggs, I'm 
 sure it's wrong to fling about money like that. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 57 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. What else are you to do, without 
 it's left here for your husband to see ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, no, that won't do — best take 
 it, and thank you. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. All right, I'll see what I can get. 
 
 [mrs. tarlton passes the window walk- 
 mg hrisJch/, going back to her 
 house. 
 Oh, there's Mrs. Tarlton, I'll just ask her if 
 she wants me to do anything for her, too — 
 she said something about it. [slark is seen 
 through the window of mrs. tarlton's house comimg 
 left.] 
 
 [mrs. riggs goes out of the door of 
 MRS. holroyd's house — she sees the 
 BookmaJcer passing the window, 
 speaking to mrs. tarlton at her 
 door. She turns round and says 
 
 to MRS, HOLROYD 
 
 MRS. RIGGS {surprised]. A gentleman's going in ! 
 MRS. HOLROYD. A gentleman ! 
 
 [mrs. tarlton and slark, having ex- 
 changed a few words outside, mrs. 
 tarlton leads the way into her 
 cottage. 
 slark \to MRS. tarlton, taking off his hat]. Beg 
 pardon, ma'am, I'm fortunate to meet you, I thought 
 I'd call in again. 
 
 MRS. tarlton. Pleased to see you, I'm sure. 
 SLARK. We were interrupted yesterday. 
 
58 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, the police are very rough 
 sometimes, I'm sure. Won't you sit down ? 
 
 [sLARK sits down right of table in mrs. 
 tarlton's cottage, mrs. riggs in 
 cottage, R., tries to listen at 
 partition, and looks inquiringly at 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, ifs no good doing that, you 
 can't hear what they're saying. I've tried it. [She 
 has been getting out the tea-things, bread, dfc, from 
 a cupboard under the stairs — makes tea, which she 
 and MRS. RiGGs drink during the scene between mrs. 
 
 TARLTON and SLARK.] 
 
 [slark and mrs. tarlton in one cottage, 
 
 L., MRS. HOLROYD and MRS. RIGGS 
 
 in the other, R. 
 
 SLARK. I'll go straight to business, madam. I 
 think you mentioned the Grand Yorkshire yesterday. 
 Do you wish to have anything on it .'' 
 
 MRS. TARLTON \who hos drawn up a chair to left 
 of table]. Yes, I do indeed. [Anxiously.] What 
 do you advise ? 
 
 SLARK. Well, I suppose you know that Grand 
 Sire and New Moon are the first and second 
 favourites. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, of course I know that. What 
 are they standing at ? 
 
 SLARK. Grand Sire, 6 to 4 ; New Moon, 4> to 1. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. My husband's very keen on Grand 
 Sire. 
 
 SLARK. Well, I'd be careful — New Moon has 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 59 
 
 trained on a lot of late, and the stables are very 
 sweet on him, I hear. 
 
 MRS. TAELTON [eagerly']. Are they? I wonder 
 what I'd best do ? 
 
 SLARK. Well, missis, it's not my job to advise. 
 My job is to lay any horse you fancy, but I tell 
 you, ifs not to everybody I'd say as much as I've 
 said to you. 
 
 MRS. TAKLTON. I'm surc it's very kind of you. 
 
 SLARK. What do you Want to have on ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON \a7ia:iously'\. That's just it, I can't 
 tell till my husband comes back. In any case, 
 it can't be more than twenty-three shillings, for 
 that's his week's pay. 
 
 sLAEK. Well, of course, if he feels he's 'got hold 
 of a good thing, he might have asked his employer 
 to advance him something extra, and I daresay 
 he'd get it if he gave a good reason. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. What leason ? [smiling]. Not the 
 Grand Yorkshire ? 
 
 SLARK. No, no, but he might have said there 
 was illness in the house, or the boiler 'd burst, or 
 something like that. A boiler is splendid for that 
 — there's always something or another wrong with it. 
 
 [They both laugh. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [smilvng]. Well, I don't think he 
 will have thought of that, but if he has, I doubt 
 it'll be all on Grand Sire. 
 
 SLARK. Well, that 'd not be my tip. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. If he doesn't come before you 
 go, how can I let you know ? 
 
60 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 SLAKK. You can send a telegram in the morning, 
 you know. You've got a code book, haven't you ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. I had One, but it got lost in the 
 moving. 
 
 SLARK. Here's another. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh, thank you ! 
 
 [She looks at it — business with book. 
 MRS. RiGGs [in cottage, R., to mrs. holkoyd]. I 
 must be off" now, if I want to get back before Bill 
 comes home. 
 
 [sLARK and MRS. TARLTON, busimess with 
 books durvng the next few sen- 
 tences, while the other women talk 
 in cottage, R. 
 MRS. HOLROYD [listening]. I wonder if he's still 
 there ? Eh, I doubt it's no good. Annie had best 
 be careful. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Do you think I should go in ? 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I think you should. I'll come 
 with you. [mrs. riggs goes to mrs, tarlton's 
 door. Knocks. 
 MRS. TARLTON. Come in ! 
 
 [sLARK jumps up startled, mrs. riggs 
 and MRS. HOLROYD go in. 
 MRS. RIGGS. Oh, I beg your pardon. 
 SLARK. Good afternoon ! 
 MRS. RIGGS. Afternoon ! 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Good aftemoon, mister ! 
 SLARK. Good afternoon ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [to MRS. tarlton]. I'm sorry, I'm sure, 
 to interrupt you, but I'm just going up to the shop 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 61 
 
 yonder, you know [zvith a meaning glance], and 
 I didn't know if you wanted any business done. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [excited andjlurried]. Well, I might, 
 but I really can't tell. Very well, mister, I'll send 
 you a telegram. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [stoioding heJiiud the table with slark 
 on her right, mhs. riggs, Z., a/nd then mes. tarlton], 
 A telegram, Annie ! You're never going to send a 
 telegram .? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON, Oh, but I am, though; look, it's 
 all in there ! [Showing book. 
 
 SLARK. Perhaps the other ladies would like to see. 
 If you'll each accept one, I'm sure I shall be very 
 pleased. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [half laughing]. Not me. Keep it 
 away from me, please. I've done it before, and I 
 know what it means. 
 
 SLARK. You can't have done it often this way, 
 ma'am — this is a dead cert. It's as sure as I see 
 you standing here. You must have gone to the 
 wrong person. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [wko has been looking at the book]. 
 Eh, I'd never know what it's all about. 
 
 SLARK. It's simple enough, ma'am, it's about the 
 races — these are the code words, and you see you 
 just telegraph that word to me — [Pointing.] Slark, 
 3 Railway Terrace, the name of the horse, and that 
 word — that means put sixpence on — or that word 
 means a shilling on — or so on, as much more as 
 you like. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. As much more ! Mercy on us ! 
 
62 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 SLARK. And you have no further trouble in the 
 matter. You put your own name to it, too, of 
 course, that I may know who it is. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [to MRS. RiGGs]. Do you Understand 
 about it .'' 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Aye, IVe done it myself — before I 
 grew wiser. 
 
 SLAUK. But ril tell you what, ma'am [to mrs. 
 tarlton] — a much simpler way than a telegram is 
 a slip. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Of course, yes. 
 MRS. RIGGS. Aye, that's the best way, and no 
 expense. [mrs. holroyd, half bewildered and 
 
 half excited, listens to what they 
 are saying. 
 SLARK. Yes, that will be the best way. Write 
 the name of the horse on a slip of paper with the 
 amount, and your name and address, and hand it in 
 at Newton's, the butcher, addressed to me, with the 
 money enclosed. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, I know ; that will be the best 
 
 way if Tom doesn't come in in time. [Goes out and 
 
 looks left and comes hach quickly.] There's the 
 
 Sergeant coming. [slark jumps behind the door. 
 
 [policeman comes along, L., and is 
 
 seen to pass window. They all 
 
 stand very quiet in suspense, out 
 
 of sight of the window, as the 
 
 POLICEMAN passes. He is seen to 
 
 pass MRS. tarlton's door, and look 
 
 in at the open door of mrs. hol- 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 63 
 
 royd's cottage, sees no one there, 
 and then, while the four people in 
 the next cottage are still anxiously 
 listening, he comes bach to mrs. 
 tarlton's and knocks at the door. 
 They all start in alarm, slaek 
 goes behind the door again. 
 MRS. TARLTON. Come in ! 
 
 [policeman opens the door — slark 
 behind it. 
 POLICEMAN. Is Mrs. Holroyd there ? 
 MRS. HOLROYD [down stogB by Jh-eplace]. Yes. 
 POLICEMAN [civilly to MRS. holroyd]. Your hus- 
 band wanted to know about the next Hearts of 
 Oak meeting. It's next Thursday evening at seven 
 o'clock. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. All right, I'll be sure to tell him. 
 POLICEMAN. Nice day. 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, very. 
 MRS. RiGGS. Good aftemoon. 
 POLICEMAN. Afternoon ! 
 
 [Strolls off R. The four people in 
 cottage stand quite still for a 
 minute longer. Then mrs. tarlton 
 cautiously looks out of her door 
 and watches him out of sight. 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh dear me, I was frightened. 
 slark [coming out from behind the door a/nd going 
 down staged It's all in the day's work, ma'am. 
 Makes it the more interesting. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, I'm not used to that sort of 
 
64> THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 ' 
 
 thing. Still, ifs rather exciting being afraid like 
 that, it makes a nice change. 
 
 SLARK [to MRS. tarlton]. Well, I think I'd better 
 not wait. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. No, it's best not. 
 SLARK. Have you any way out but the front .-' 
 MRS. TARLTON. You Can go out this way if you 
 don't mind the alley. 
 
 [Goes to door down stage, L,, and opens it. 
 
 SLARK. I don't mind the alleys as long as it's not 
 
 drying day. [mrs. riggs and mrs. holroyd laugh. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. My word, it is flappy round the 
 
 head when the linen is hanging. [slark goes out, 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [to MRS. tarlton]. Now, do you want 
 
 me to take anything to the pawn-shop for you ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [bewildered}. Oh dear, yes, every- 
 thing, anything — just wait a minute longer. Oh, I 
 wish Tom would come in with his money in his 
 pocket. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Ah yes, one's always glad to get it 
 safe home. 
 
 MRS. tarlton. I don't mind that so much as long 
 as he hasn't put it on the wrong horse. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [interested}. Which is the right one, 
 after all ? 
 
 MRS. tarlton [eagerly}. Grand Sire and New 
 Moon are first and second favourites, and I know 
 Tom will have put on Grand Sire, and now that 
 gentleman says it should be New Moon. I believe 
 New Moon is the one. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Well, it doesn't matter to me which 
 
II] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 65 
 
 — that's not where my money is going. I'm going 
 off now with the four and sixpence to get Bill's 
 things out. He must have them to go to the 
 sports to-morrow. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Four and sixpence ! Dear ! it's a 
 pity you can't put it on the Grand Yorkshire ! Oh, 
 Aunt, I wish you had something to put on it. But 
 I know you haven't \laughmg\, as you and Uncle 
 keep such a look-out on all your shillings, and 
 pennies too. 
 
 MRS. BIGGS [pauses ; slyly, with a smile]. Well, if it 
 comes to that — but I'd best say nothing about it. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [eagerly]. What's that ? Aunt, have 
 you got any more money ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [dozmi Stage R., excited in spite of 
 herself]. No I haven't yet, but . . . 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Aunt,. do tell me ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, it's a shame of you, Mrs. 
 Riggs, to say anything about it — but to tell the 
 truth, I shall have seven shillings presently. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Sevcn shillings ! Oh ! where from ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Never you mind. [She involuri' 
 tarily looks at the glass.] 
 
 [mrs. eiggs is laughing. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [Ufts up paper and peeps in]. Oh, I 
 see — how splendid ! you are sending that up to the 
 pawn-shop. Of course you'll get a lot on that, 
 there's no doubt about it. Aunt, you viust put 
 something on New Moon. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I couldu't. Your Uncle would 
 be fit to kill me. 
 
66 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MEs. TARLTON. But why? It's not his money 
 you're putting on it. 
 
 MTis. HOZROYB [looJcmg irresolute]. Not his? Whose 
 is it then ? 
 
 MRS. RiGGS [wondermg]. Well, I'm sure I don't 
 know. It should be yours, shouldn't it ? It'll be 
 what you get on this. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. It is yours, then. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [putting her hand to her head]. I 
 suppose it is. Well, I've got that bewildered and 
 turned round with all the hiring and lending and 
 going on, that I don't know what belongs to me 
 or to anybody else. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Seven shillings — that'll just come 
 at the right time. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I tell you what, Mrs. Riggs, 
 I'll be able to pay you back that shilling you gave 
 me this morning just in the nick of time. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [laughing]. Well, I shan't be sorry 
 to have it. I've not got many of them left. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. My word ! I got frightened when 
 John asked me for it. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [eagerly.] That will leave you six 
 shillings for the Grand Yorkshire. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS. All right, I'll soon be back. 
 
 [Goes out quickly with glass. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [da7'ting to door anxiously.] She's 
 not going to take the money straight to the gentle- 
 man, is she? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. No, no , We're going to send it up in 
 a slip when she comes back again, that's the best way. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 67 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYi) [coming back down stage^. I believe 
 you've bewitched me, Annie — my knees are all of 
 a shake. 
 
 MRS. TAKLTON. You'll just See when the paper 
 comes in that tells about it, if your knees don't 
 shake then, and all the rest of you too ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. The paper ! When will that be ? 
 
 MRS. TAHLTON. To-morrow evening, when the race 
 is run. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. To-morrow evening ! that's a long 
 time. [Me7i pass at the back from left to 
 
 right, as if they were coming 
 from work. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh, dear, if Tom would come 
 back ! \Both stand at the door. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, there's John ! O Annie ! 
 what would he say .'' [As though recalled to herself] 
 You know I mustn't have anything to do with 
 slips or anything. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh, he'll enjoy it when the money 
 comes in. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I'U never dare to tell him. How 
 much will it be ? 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. That depends on the starting 
 price. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. That's all double Dutch to me. 
 
 [holroyd appears, mrs. holroyd still 
 standing outside her door at back. 
 
 HOLROYD. Eh, they do jaw at committees. I 
 thought we should never he done ! Where's the 
 little lass ? 
 
68 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 Mils. HOLEOYD. Shc's playing in the yard. I'll 
 get her. [Comes into her own house JoUowed hy 
 HOLROYD.] I've been in with Annie. 
 
 [mrs. tarlton in her cottage trying 
 to pick out the " Bhie Bells of 
 Scotland'" on the •piano -with one 
 finger. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I'm about fed up with that piece. 
 
 [mrs. taelton goes on. 
 
 HOLROYD. Good Lord ! I wish that piano were 
 next door to some one else. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Poor Annie, she came here to 
 be near us. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Aye, well I daresay it's a good thing, 
 you can look after her a bit. She's but a lass, 
 after all. I don't think Tom has got her in hand. 
 
 MES. HOLROYD. He's a good boy enough. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I doubt he's got among the wrong sort 
 of people that'll lead him astray, with betting 
 and that. Annie ever spoken to you about it ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [embarrassed]. Well, she has done. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I wish you'd give her a talking to 
 about it. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. I will, if I get a chance. 
 
 HOLEOYD. That's right. Mustn't let them get 
 into bad ways. Look here, Meg, I've been thinking 
 since I went away — [she listens eagerly] — perhaps 
 it is rough on you never to go anywhere, and I've 
 made up my mind that next week I'll take you 
 on the tram — we'll have a ride to the end of the 
 lines. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 69 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. To the Very end ! That would 
 be fine. 
 
 HOLROYD. And walk back. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [kss efithusiastic]. Ah ! 
 
 HOLROYD. And, some day — 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD looJcs eagerly at him. 
 . . . I'll tell you something. 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Thank you, John, I'm sure. 
 HOLROYD. Now, where's the little lass.? [Calls.] 
 Little lass ! Come out with Daddy ! 
 
 [sally runs in from the yard. 
 Coming for a walk with Daddy, little lass ? 
 SALLY [delighted]. Oh yes, Dad. 
 HOLROYD. We'll go up past the Town Hall, and 
 into the big square. 
 
 SALLY [jumping for joy]. Oh yes. Daddy. 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Stop, you Can't go like that. I 
 never saw such a sight. [Undoes the overall.] Here, 
 if you're a good girl, you may have it oft' and go 
 out in your frock, but mind you take care and 
 don't tumble down this time. 
 
 HOLROYD. She'll hold her Daddy's hand, that'll 
 be best. 
 
 SALLY. Yes, Daddy. [Looks wp lovingly at hol- 
 royd]. [mrs. HOLROYD pulls down her frock, 
 
 ties on her hat, 8^c. 
 MRS. HOLROYD. There, that's better. 
 HOLROYD. There now, I'm sure she doesn't look 
 amiss. Where's Jack ? 
 
 SALLY. He's playing ball with Jones' Bobby. 
 HOLROYD. All right then, we'll go without him. 
 
70 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS, HOLEOVD. And I hope it's him that's pushed 
 Bobby into a puddle this time. 
 
 HOLROYD [with cm after-thought]. Perhaps Mother 
 would like to come too. 
 
 SALLY [surprised and pleased]. Mother ! Mother 
 come too ? What fun ! Do, Mother ! Come out 
 with Daddy and me. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I won't Come to-day, thank you 
 kindly, John, I'm not quite ready. I told Annie 
 I'd wait with her till Tom comes in. 
 
 HOLROYD. All right. Don't forget about giving 
 her a talking to. {.They go out. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \stands looking after them and then 
 comes into mrs. tarlton's house']. Annie, I feel 
 that queer, I don't rightly know what's coming 
 to me. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [amused]. It's just that you're en- 
 joying yourself, Auntie, that's all. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, is that it ? I certainly never 
 felt like it before. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Just sit down here and rest till 
 Tom comes in, and then we'll see what he's done. 
 [Looking out.] Oh, I believe — yes — there he is ! 
 
 [tarlton comes quickly past the window 
 and rushes in, starts as he sees 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. 
 
 Oh, it's all right, it's only Auntie — she won't mind. 
 [During the following sentences mrs. 
 HOLROYD dts open-mouthed, more 
 and more bewildered, a/nd gradu- 
 ally getting excited. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 71 
 
 TAELTON [exdted and restless]. Look here, Annie, 
 I've just heard ... 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. One moment, Tom — brought home 
 your money ? 
 
 TARLTON. Not a penny. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. There now ! — What have you put 
 it on ? 
 
 TARLTON. Grand Sire, of course. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Oh, but it isn't " of course " ! 
 
 TARLTON. What do you mean ? Grand Sire is the 
 first favourite, and stands at 6 to 4. They say he 
 never was better — he did a rare good trial yesterday. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. There's a gentleman been here 
 that says it's New Moon. 
 
 TARLTON {startledl. New Moon, does he ? — I be- 
 lieve that's a mistake. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. New Moon is at 4 to 1. 
 
 TAELTON. Well, I can't help that now, I've put 
 all my money on Grand Sire. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Tweuty-threc shillings .'' 
 
 TAELTON. And another ten I got them to advance 
 me at the office. 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. YoU did ! 
 
 TAELTON. Yes, I told them my grandmother was 
 coming travelling with a trip from Cornwall. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Tom ! how could you ? 
 
 TARLTON. Well, she is coming next year or some 
 time — she's such a one for the trips. [Disinissvng 
 it.] So look here, Annie, I've put on twenty-three 
 shillings, and ten shillings, and that's the lot. We 
 haven't another penny til 1 Monday. Can you manage ? 
 
72 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [delighted]. Oh yes. We've got 
 some bread in the house, and some potatoes. 
 
 TARLTON. Oh, that's all right — it's only two days, 
 after all. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Pity you hadn't more to put on, 
 wasn't it ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [horrified]. You must be crazy, both 
 of you, and me too I think, to sit and listen to you. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. No, no, Aunt, we're very wise. 
 
 TARLTON. We know a thing or two more than 
 most people, I can tell you. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Yes, that's very well, but I be- 
 lieve New Moon is going to win, and you've all the 
 money on Grand Sire. 
 
 TARLTON [with a sudden idea]. Well then, I'll 
 tell you what ; we must hedge. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [excited]. Of course ! Let's see. 
 [Pulls newspaper out of his pocket with racing news 
 — they consult it.] New Moon is at 4 to 1 — and if 
 only we had two pounds on him too, we'd be all 
 right, whatever happened. 
 
 TARLTON. I daresay, but where are you going to 
 get the two pounds from ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [sarcasticolly]. That's just what I 
 was wondering. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Look here, there's nothing for it 
 — we must pawn the furniture. 
 
 [tarlton stares at her. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [jumps up]. Pawn the furniture ! 
 I never heard the like. 
 
 TARLTON [with both hands in his pockets, staring]. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 73 
 
 Pawn the furniture ! Ha ! ha ! I must say, Annie, 
 you're a sportsman. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Tom ! I'm ashamed of you, backing 
 her up like that ! 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. We'll pawn every stick of it ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Annie ! all your nice things ! 
 
 TARLTON. Yes — get 'em all back and something 
 else besides. 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. You go for a barrcr, Tom, and 
 you can take them all in twice — all but the piano. 
 
 TAELTON [looTcmg perplexed\. Ay, that piano, I 
 doubt it would be bad to trundle. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. What do you want with it any- 
 way, you as could never learn to play music ? 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. The piauo isn't music, it's furniture. 
 
 TAELTON. And a good job too, as it'll be all the 
 furniture we'll have to-morrow. 
 
 [taelton cmd mes. taelton laugh, 
 
 MES. holeoyu. Well, you've gone queer, I believe, 
 both of you. 
 
 taelton. Just you wait a bit, Aunt ; you'll see. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [excited — taking the things off the 
 table amd putting them on th-e piano]. I must say Tom 
 is first-class — he always knows what's best to do. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Best ! Well, I never did. 
 
 TAELTON. Now then, get your muscle up, Annie, 
 and put everything ready, and I'll run for the 
 barrer. [Rmhes out, annie exulthigly taking off 
 
 tablecloth, ^c. 
 
 CUETAIN 
 
74 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 SCENE II 
 
 Scene : — A piece of waste building ground in the town. 
 C. a pile of bricks, ^c, on which are sitting 
 
 TARLTON, L., then MRS. TARLTON, then MRS. HOL- 
 
 ROYD — MRS. RiGGs Standing behind them talking 
 to them. Children playing at the back — down 
 stage R. a group of men and women, among 
 them MRS. MALONY and mrs. smjthson — group 
 at back C. with mrs. jones and mrs. burrows. 
 
 Twenty four hours have elapsed. It is Saturday 
 afternoon. A crowd waiting for the paper. 
 
 \As the curtain goes up on the crowd, jim, walking 
 from left to right down stage, lights his pipe, 
 and shaking the match to put it out, knocks mrs. 
 
 HOLROYD. 
 
 JIM. Beg pardon. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. It's all right. 
 
 JIM. Why, it's Mrs. Holroyd ! Something new to 
 see you waiting for the paper. 
 
 JOCK, [in group, R.]. You betting on the 
 Grand Yorkshire ? [.T^hey all laugh. 
 
 JIM. Give us a tip, will you, Mrs. Holroyd .? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD' \half amused and half nervotisl. I 
 suppose I may wait for the paper as well as any one 
 else, if I want. 
 
 JIM. To be sure, 
 
 MRS. BURROWS. The ladies must have what they 
 want in these days. 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 75 
 
 MEs. MALONY. Of course they must, and if it 
 comes to that there's more things in the paper than 
 the Grand Yorkshire. 
 
 FiKST MAN. Aye, yes, they tell you how to pickle 
 red cabbages. 
 
 JIM. And a good thing too. I always says me 
 tea isn't me tea without there's a pickle of cabbages. 
 
 MES. MALONY. Ah Well, some reads the papers for 
 pickles and some for politics. 
 
 MES. BUEEows. Mr. Holroyd, he'll be reading the 
 paper for politics, I'm sure. 
 
 JIM. Oh yes, he's a splendid scholar, he will read 
 the morning paper from start to finish at dinner- 
 time. [Children rush round. 
 
 MAN [m group at back, who has overheard the last 
 sentence]. Aye, but the evening paper's best. 
 
 MES, JONES. There's more sporting news in it. 
 
 MES. SMITHSON. I wish it would hurry up and 
 come. 
 
 MES. JONES. It's bad to wait. 
 
 MES. TAELTON. Tom, how soou do you think the 
 paper will come .'' 
 
 TAELTON. It should be here now — I hope we shall 
 find it's all right when it does come. 
 
 MES. TAELTON. Well, we Can't go wrong as we've 
 backed both. 
 
 TAELTON [smiling and confidenf]. That is, if one 
 of them wins. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [tO TAELTON, MES. EIGGS standing 
 
 by her and listening anxiously]. Tom, how much 
 shall I get .'' 
 
76 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 TARLTON. Let me see — ten shillings, was it, you 
 put on ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Ten, yes, on the horse they called 
 New Moon. 
 
 TARLTON. Well, Auntie, you can't tell what you 
 stand to win till you know what it started at. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, don't talk like that, Tom, Fm 
 fair moidered by it. [tarlton and his wife laugh. 
 TARLTON. You'll know soon enough. 
 
 [tarlton and his wife turn to talk to 
 some other people who are standing 
 near. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \jkO MRS. RIGGs]. Eh, but I Oughtn't 
 
 to have done it. I was that worried last night I 
 couldn't hardly sleep. You were wiser than me, 
 after all, to leave it alone. 
 
 MBS. RIGGS. Well, what do you think — I didn't ! 
 To tell the truth I put a shilling on it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. You did ! 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. I did. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. One shilling ! and to think I have 
 put on ten, and the worst is, them four shillings out 
 of the housekeeping; whatever I shall do about 
 them I don't know. But you think it'll be all 
 right, don't you, Mrs. Riggs .? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. I hope so, I'm sure, for everybody's 
 sake. 
 
 JOCK {in group, i?.]. Hullo, Jim ! you got any- 
 thing on ? 
 
 JIM. Got anything on .? rather !— what d' you take 
 me for .-' 
 
ii] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 77 
 
 MAN. Ah, the Grand Yorkshire couldn't get on 
 without your money. 
 
 ANOTHER. Well, what's it on ? 
 
 JIM. Ah, that's just it ! guess. 
 
 ANOTHER. Don't take much guessing — Grand Sire, 
 I suppose, like every one else ? 
 
 JIM. Well, you're wrong then — ask another. 
 
 MAN. New Moon, then .'' 
 
 JIM. You're mistaken again, mister, not New 
 Moon neither. 
 
 MAN. Oh, if you've got a Derby winner up your 
 sleeve, you're welcome to him. 
 
 JIM. I'm sick of backing favourites, they play me 
 nowt but tricks — I'm backing an outsider. 
 
 CROWD. Outsider! are you? [They all laugh. 
 
 JIM. Yes — Blue Boy, that's standing at 100 
 to 8. 
 
 JOCK. What the blazes d' you do that for ? 
 
 JIM. Oh, I've dropped enough brass over favourites. 
 I don't say they don't win sometimes, but other 
 sometimes they doesn't, and them's my times. So 
 now I'm trying the other way. 
 
 JOCK. Well, it may turn up trumps, you never 
 know with horses what they'll do. 
 
 JIM. No you don't, except you may be pretty 
 sure they'll land you in a snock-snarl before you've 
 done with them. 
 
 JOCK. Every horse, they say, can gallop once in 
 his life. 
 
 MRS. MALONY. I darcsay we all could if we got 
 the chance. 
 
78 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 JOCK. All right ; stand us something if you win, 
 that's all. 
 
 JIM. Every man of you. 
 
 MEN. Hurray ! 
 
 MAN IN CROWD [at bocJc]. It '11 be Grand Sire, I 
 fancy, no doubt about it. 
 
 MRS. JONES. It's Sam Bowles is going to ride him. 
 He's a splendid rider — if that's anything. 
 
 ANOTHER. He's come out top of the averages, this 
 year. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYn [has been listening cmadoitsh/, seizes 
 MRS. tarlton's arm]. Annie! — I'm that put 
 about. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON. Cheer up, Auntie ! We'll know in 
 a minute. ' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Eh, but it's bad waiting, when 
 one's put about. 
 
 MAN [in group at back]. Paper's late to-night. 
 
 ANOTHER. Who's your money on ? 
 
 MAN. Oh, that's not what I'm after — I want to 
 see what they're up to in Parliament. 
 
 ANOTHER. Well, it'll take him all his time to see 
 that. 
 
 JIM [in group down stage, R.]. I daresay I 
 shall be in Parliament one of these days if I don't 
 look out. 
 
 ANOTHER. Just the man ! 
 
 [People laugh. 
 
 MRS. MALONY. And what about us ladies ? 
 
 JIM. The ladies '11 be the third chamber, of 
 course. [People laugh. 
 
ti] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 79 
 
 TARLTON. Ah, dear, paper's late to-night. 
 
 [When laughter has subsided, boys 
 heard calling papers outside. 
 BOYS. Paper ! Paper ! 
 
 [All crowd turn round. Boys rush in. 
 
 Everybody gets a newspaper. In 
 
 one moment the stage is all white 
 
 with papers that are being held 
 
 up. 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [hurriedly to mrs. riggs and mes. 
 
 holeoyd]. You needn't get one, one'll do for us all. 
 
 [tarlton opens it hurriedly. Leaning over the paper 
 
 as TARLTON opens it.'] There it is — Stop Press news. 
 
 [A moment oj^ suspense. 
 TARLTON [his hand with the paper in it drops to 
 his side.] Damnation ! 
 
 [They look at one another. 
 MRS. HOLEOYD [trembling]. What is it.'' Who's 
 won.? 
 
 TARLTON. Blue Boy first — High Flyer second — 
 Countryman third ! 
 A VOICE. Blue Boy ! 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD [trying to see over the paper]. 
 What does it mean ? Does it mean that New 
 Moon's not won ? 
 
 MRS. TAELTON. YeS. 
 
 TARLTON. New Moon nowhere ! [Da'shes the paper 
 to the ground.] 
 
 JIM. Blue Boy ! Hurrah ! that's mine ! 
 
 ALL. Never ! Jim's pulled it off! Cherro for 
 Jim ! 
 
80 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 JIM. Come along, boys — Blue Boy's first ! let's go 
 and diink his health. 
 
 \They go out jovially, R. 
 TAELTON. Blue Boy, a rank outsider! I don't 
 believe it's straight. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [cmxioush/]. Well then, what 
 about the money I was going to get — and the 
 money I sent .'' 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. It's gone. 
 
 [mrs, tarlton poring over the paper. 
 MRS. HOLROYD [cmociously']. And the four shillings 
 out of the housekeeping money, that gone too ? 
 MRS. RIGGS. Yes, it's all gone. 
 
 [holroyd comes along, L. He is 
 reading the paper which he has 
 opened. As he passes he sees mrs. 
 
 HOLROYD. 
 
 HOLROYD [surprised]. Hallo, Meg, you here ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [trying to puM herself together]. 
 Yes, I just came out to see if you were coming. 
 
 HOLROYD. Oh well — ^you needn't do that ! — Let's 
 go home, then. 
 
 [Boy comes running from right — yeUs 
 
 in HOLROYO's^^lCe. 
 
 BOY. Grand Yorkshire ! Grand Yorkshire ! 
 HOLROYD [angrih/]. Confound your Grand York- 
 shire! I don't want to know about it! Come 
 along, Meg, let's get out of this. [Walks along 
 first, MRS. iioi,noYi) JbHows bewildered. 
 
 [They go out R., crowd gradually dispersing. 
 Two more boys rush across with papers. 
 
n] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 81 
 
 MRS. TARLTON [to tarlton]. Well, I suppose we'd 
 best go home, too. 
 
 [She goes out, R. 
 TARLTON [moodily]. We've got a home — till 
 Monday. 
 
 [TTie crowd comes back carrying jim 
 across from right to left, cheering. 
 BOYS [calling]. Grand Yorkshire ! 
 
 [tarlton sits with a face of despair as 
 the crowd passes. 
 
 CURTAIN 
 
ACT III 
 
 SCENE I 
 Six months have passed. 
 
 Scene: — The interior of mes. holroyd's cottage. 
 
 Window., L. Against bach wall, L. C, a 
 flight of stairs leading to the bedroom door. 
 
 Door, L. A dresser with plates, Sj-c, on it, R. In 
 
 centre a table with chairs right and left of it. 
 
 Table under window, L., chair between it and 
 
 door. The room is empty. 
 A knock at the door. No answer. A louder 
 
 knock. 
 
 MRS. RiGGS [coming in and looking round. She 
 knocks on the open door. No reply. Knocks again]. 
 Mrs. Holroyd ? You in ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \voicefrom tipstairs]. Yes ? 
 
 [mrs. RiGGs knocks again. 
 Yes ? Who is it ? 
 
 MRS. RIGGS, Me. 
 
 [mrs. holroyd opens bedroom door, 
 looks out, comes downstairs, listen- 
 ing and hesitating, as though she 
 wonders tvhom she will see. 
 
ACT III] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 83 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh ! [With a sigh of relief.] Oh, 
 it's you ! 
 
 MES. RiGGs [startled]. What's the matter, Mrs. 
 Hoh'oyd .'' You look quite scared. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, I om glad it's you, Mrs, 
 Riggs. 
 
 MRS. EiGGs. Well, I'm sorry to disturb you, I'm 
 sure, if you were getting a rest, but I've just run 
 out of No. 40 cotton. Have you a reel you could 
 let me have for a few minutes.'' If not, I'll soon 
 slip round to the shop and get it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, I Can let you have one. [Goes 
 wearily across to her zvorh-basliet on the table.] Yes, 
 here it is. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Thank you. I just wanted to finish 
 hemming up a skirt — I'll bring it back to you. 
 [Stopping as she was turning to go.] My word, you 
 do look badly to-day. Aren't you feeling well ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, I'm not feeling very well 
 to-day. [Sits right of table. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. I'm sorry, I'm sure. Can't I help you 
 any way .'' Is there nothing you can fancy .'' Some- 
 times one fancies what other people has cooked, 
 and I could soon bring you in a pudding or that. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, thank you kindly — a pudding 
 won't do me no good. [Trying to keep back her 
 tears.] Nothing won't, now. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. My dear, what is it.? You do look 
 that unhappy. Mr. Holroyd's well, isn't he, and 
 the bairns ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh yes, they're all right. 
 
84 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MRS. EiGGs. You are worried about Mrs. Tarlton, 
 I daresay. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD \sighmg\. Eh, yes, they've been 
 doing badly since that day they lost everything, 
 going from bad to worse. They are living in one 
 room now, and Annie that poorly — I don't know 
 what she'll do when her baby comes. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. Eh, but the racing is bad when 
 there's little ones coming. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. It's bad at any time. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [sits, L.J. Yes. I remember what hap- 
 pened to us when we were young, and we said we'd 
 not do it again, and Bill he's had the sense to keep 
 to it. They haven't always the sense, not that way, 
 haven't the men, but I'm thankful to say he's left 
 the races, and maybe some day he'll leave the 
 drink too. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, it's best to leave the races 
 alone — if you can. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS \looks at her]. Eh, is that what it is ? 
 [mrs. HOLROYD bursts into tears.] [Comforting.] Now, 
 now, Mrs. Holroyd, you needn't to trouble. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [bursts out]. Oh, I'm so dreadfully 
 troubled, and I don't know which way to turn, and I 
 haven't told me trouble to nobody, except them as 
 brought it on me — but others '11 know it soon enough. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [corwemed]. Tell me about it, and 
 we'll see what can be done. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Nothing can be done. You mind 
 that day we all waited for the paper to hear about 
 New Moon ? 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 85 
 
 MRS. EiGGS [shaking her head sympathetically]. 
 Indeed, yes, for I lost a shilling on it. 
 
 [mrs. holroyd nods her head without 
 speaking. 
 
 MRS. holroyd. I lost ten. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs [shaking her head sympathetically]. 
 Yes, it was a bad job. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. There was six shillings all but a 
 penny that I had from the pawnbrokers after I'd 
 paid you) back yours, [mrs. riggs nods assent.] 
 And four and a penny out of the housekeeping 
 money — that was the worst, [mrs. riggs nods 
 and shakes her head sympathetically.] Well then, 
 I got that back all right without John knowing 
 anything, by pawning some of me clothing. Then 
 the gentleman came back, and I got betting again, 
 and I won a bit, and I lost a bit. But what's the 
 good of telling it all — the bets must be paid up 
 on Monday, whatever happens, and I went mad, I 
 believe, to do it — and I borrowed here, and pawned 
 there, till I'm fair crazy with it all, and then I went 
 to a money-lender, and now I'm ruined — we're both 
 ruined. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [horrified]. Eh, you don't say so ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I do. I owe twenty-eight pounds, 
 seven shillings. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS. Twenty-eight pounds, seven shillings ! 
 Eh, what a lot ! All to the money-lender .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD, To him and others, but it's not 
 them that wants it now. There's another, the debt 
 collector they call him, who buys up all the debts. 
 
86 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 and then he comes round, and we have to pay 
 him. I don't rightly understand how it is. But he 
 was here yesterday, and he says, "Can you pay 
 me .? " he says, and I says, " Indeed I can't." Then 
 he says, " It's gone on long enough, and I'm sorry, 
 but the County Court will send a summons." " Don't 
 you do that, sir," I says, " Please, don't do it." 
 "Well," he says "we can't help it, it's the law 
 of the land, and your husband will get a summons 
 served on him." So there I just sit waiting up- 
 stairs. I dursn't sit down here, for thinking what 
 John '11 look like when he hears about it, and I 
 think every one that comes inside the door will be 
 the one. And now to-day what's put me in such 
 a taking is there's a letter come for John [she goes 
 to the dresser on which is a letter in an envelope — 
 takes it up — shows it to mrs. riggs — -puts it back again 
 and comes down stage R. C], and I doubt that's 
 what it'll be. 
 
 MES. EiGGS. A letter ! aye — that looks bad. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. I was very nearly putting it in 
 the fire. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS \hurriedly\. Best not, you might 
 get into more trouble — ^you never know, with other 
 people's letters. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Well, I'm sure I'm that scared and 
 that miserable, I'd like to drown myself in the 
 river. I very nearly did it last night. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS [horrified]. Eh, but you mustn't do 
 that. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. But then I thought the bairns 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 87 
 
 would be left alone, and Sally just finishing her 
 schooling, and coming home, and I didn't have 
 the heart — but all the same I believe I shall end 
 that way, I really do. 
 
 MRS. RiGGs. Oh, don't speak that way. I daresay 
 it'll come right, and be better than you think for. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. It can't come right, I tell you — 
 because John mibst get to know about it, and that 
 will be the worst thing of all. 
 
 [holroyd comes in at the door, L. 
 MRS. HOLROYD tums away, and 
 begins drying her eyes, 4"C. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS \_going outl. Good morning, Mr. 
 Holroyd. 
 
 HOLROYD \nods and says gruffly']. Morning. 
 
 MRS. RIGGS \as she goes out\ I'll let you have 
 your cotton back; thank you kindly for lending 
 it to me. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Welcome, I'm sure. 
 
 [Exit MRS. RIGGS, 
 
 HOLROYD. Mrs. Riggs seems to have a lot of 
 time to spare ; she is always in somebody else's 
 house. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. She's just been in here to borrow 
 a reel of cotton, that's all. 
 
 HOLROYD. Well, I'm glad she's gone this time, 
 because [saying these words very emphatically'] I've 
 got something to tell you, Meg. Now, what do 
 you say to that ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Something to tell me, John, have 
 you.-* [Trying to be interested.] 
 
88 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLROYD. What's amiss with you to-day ? You're 
 looking badly. What is it ? 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. I've got a headache. 
 
 HOLEOYD. A headache.? You don't say that! 
 That's not like you. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. It's the time of year, I think. 
 
 HOLEOYD [satisfied]. Ah yes, that's it, I daresay. 
 Well, what I am going to tell you will do you 
 good [standing behind table]. Now, Meg, I'm going 
 to tell you my affairs, and treat you as if you 
 was any one that's sensible. 
 
 [mes HOLEOYD has taken her work- 
 basket, and sat dozen wearily R. 
 of table, sewing. 
 
 mes. HOLEOYD. Thank you, John, I'm sure. 
 
 HOLEOYD. You'll mind the first years we were 
 married, you used to be bothering me about letting 
 you start a little business, or what not, in the front 
 room ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Yes, I mind it well. 
 
 HOLEOYD. And I said you couldn't have it — so 
 there was an end of it. 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Yes, of course. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Well, what would you say now if I 
 was to say to you — Meg, here's thirty pounds .? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [galvanised]. Thirty pounds ! 
 
 HOLEOYD. And if I said, now that's for you to 
 start your little business, and make the best you 
 can with it ? 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD [her face falls again as she suddenly 
 realises that she cannot use the thirty pounds]. Oh, 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 89 
 
 John, it's that kind, I'm sure, I don't know what to 
 say. You'd give me thirty pounds — it'd be for 
 the business, yes. 
 
 HOLEOYD. I'd tell you how to lay it out, of 
 course — you'd have to be careful how you start. 
 And then you might make a pretty penny from 
 it, a nice little nest-egg to put away for Sally when 
 she gets married. What do you say to that, Meg ? 
 That'll happen before long. My word, the little 
 lass is growing bonnier every day. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, she is. 
 
 HOLEOYD. You've Said many a time that I've kept 
 you short, and that I've given you just what you 
 could do with for the house, and nothing to cut 
 to waste, and I'll say now that you've done it, and 
 done it well. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Thank you, John. 
 
 HOLROYD. When you asked me what I did with 
 the rest — well, I didn't tell you, but I've just saved 
 it up till I've got MO. And now that's ^30 for the 
 business, and £^0 for my life insurance with the 
 post oflBce; if I was taken first you would get 
 the insurance, and with the business you and the 
 bairns wouldn't want. Now, Meg, what do you 
 say to that ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [concealing her agitation]. Oh, 
 John, you're that good, I'm sure I don't know what 
 to say. 
 
 HOLEOYD. And now the time's come we're going 
 to take up Randall's job, we'll get half as much 
 again as we get now. Please God, if I have my 
 
90 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 health, we'll do well for ourselves and the bairns, 
 and I must say, old woman, you have deserved it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. John, I haven't deserved it. 
 
 [Making up her mind to speak. 
 
 HOLROYD. Aye, yes, you have, and Mr. Vincent, 
 he says, " You've got a good, respectable wife," he 
 says, and he's going to give us a house in the 
 front row, and he says, " We want none but respect- 
 able people there ; but you have a good wife," he 
 says, " and she will be a credit to you." 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [getting up — 'then with a tremendoits 
 effort], John, wait a moment, there's a letter 
 for you. 
 
 HOLROYD [L. C.]. A letter ! A letter — where ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I put it on the dresser for fear 
 anything 'd happen to it. 
 
 HOLROYD [crosses, R. and takes it\ A letter — 
 Well, that's a queer thing ! 
 
 [Opens it and reads it. 
 [mes. HOLROYD Standing C, in front 
 of table, looks at him, hardly 
 daring to breathe. 
 
 HOLROYD. Ah, that's all right. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [hardly able to believe her ears]. All 
 right ! All right, is it ? 
 
 HOLROYD. It's from Mr. Vincent, and he says any 
 time now we can go into the house, and wants to 
 know if we would care to do some looking after the 
 rooms next door where they have Socials, and such 
 like. My word, Meg, we shall get on. Well, you've 
 been a good wife to me, and helped me well. 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 91 
 
 though I'm not one for saying so — but IVe thought 
 it many a time. So there ! [Gives her a Mas.] Now 
 — it's not often I do that ! 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. O John ! John ! I want to tell 
 you. . . . 
 
 HOLKOYD. What is it ? [She tries to speak. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I Can't . . . but I must. , . . 
 
 [A JcnocJc at the door. mrs. holroyd starts. 
 
 HOLROYD. Come in ! [vincent comes in. 
 
 VINCENT. Good morning ! [mrs. holeoyd dusts 
 chair, left of table, with her apron, then goes up 
 behind table — vincent sits down."] You got my 
 letter, Holroyd, about helping with the rooms .'' 
 
 HOLROYD. Yes, sir. I was just naming it to my 
 wife. 
 
 VINCENT. I thought as I was passing I'd speak to 
 Mrs. Holroyd about it. It will be a convenience to 
 me if you will help with them — of course you'll get 
 something a week for doing it, and I wanted to 
 know if Mrs. Holroyd were agreeable to help with 
 the Girls' Club and Socials, and so on, that are 
 held there .'' 
 
 HOLROYD [R. of table]. Of course she'll be 
 pleased, sir. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [muttering]. Oh yes, I'll be 
 pleased. 
 
 VINCENT [surprised and taken aback at her manner]. 
 Have you ever had anything to do with that kind 
 of thing ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, sir, I Can't say I have. 
 
 HOLROYD [eagerh/]. But she can do it, sir. 
 
92 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 VINCENT [lookimg at her]. You are fairly strong 
 in health, are you ? 
 
 Mas. HOLROYD. Oh yes, sir, I'm sti'ong. 
 
 HOLROYD. She's never ailed anything since we 
 were married, though she isn't looking well to-day, 
 as I've been telling her. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [desperately]. It's my head aching 
 that bad. If you'll excuse me, sir, I'll just go up- 
 stairs a bit. 
 
 VINCENT. Oh, I'm so sorry. Yes, do. 
 
 [mrs. HOLROYD goes up the steps and 
 into bedroom. 
 
 HOLROYD. I put it down to this street, sir. When 
 we're in the front row, which is higher like, I'm 
 sure she'll have her health. 
 
 VINCENT. I hope so. You can try it, at any rate, 
 and see how you get on. 
 
 HOLROYD. When would you like us to move 
 in, sir? 
 
 VINCENT. When you like. Randall goes out to- 
 morrow. 
 
 HOLROYD. Then we'll begin cleaning the day after, 
 and get in as soon as we can. 
 
 VINCENT. All right. [Holding out his hand to 
 HOLROYD.] And you have my best wishes for your 
 future success — you deserve it. 
 
 HOLROYD. Thank you, sir. 
 
 [They shake hands and vincent goes out. 
 HOLROYD sits dowu right of table, 
 and clasps his hands behind his 
 head, his feet stuck out, with a 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 93 
 
 smile of satisfaction on his face. 
 After a moment he gets up, gets 
 his pipe, and takes out his papers 
 out of drawer, SfC. 
 
 [A knock at the door. 
 Come in ! [Door opens and man stands in doorway- 
 Yes ? [Looks at man inquiringly. 
 
 MAN. Your name Holroyd ? 
 
 HOLHOYD [coming forward L., curth/]. Yes. 
 
 MAN. John Holroyd. I" 
 
 HOLROYD. Yes, my name's John Holroyd. You 
 have the advantage of me, mister. What's your 
 name ? 
 
 MAN. I don't know that my name matters 
 much. 
 
 HOLROYD [he goes forward in the meantime]. Well, 
 I generally like to know the name of people who 
 come inside my door, and, if you'll excuse me, to 
 know why they've come. 
 
 MAN. I'll easy tell you that. I've got a summons 
 here against you. 
 
 HOLROYD [unruffled]. A summons against me ! 
 You've come to the wrong house. 
 
 MAN. No, I don't think it. You're summoned 
 for debt to the County Court to the tune of twenty- 
 eight pounds, seven shillings. 
 
 HOLROYD. Debt ! You have made a mistake, 
 mister. You have come to the wrong place this 
 time. For I've never owed a penny in my life, not 
 a farthing. 
 
94 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 MAN. Well, it's here all right — John Holroyd, 
 2 North Street. 
 
 HOLBOYD. Yes, that part's right ; I'm John Hol- 
 royd, 2 North Street, but no one in this house has 
 ever owed a penny. 
 
 MAN. You've got a Missus, haven't you ? 
 
 HOLKOYD Ion the defensive]. Yes, I've got a Missus, 
 but what's that to you ? 
 
 MAN. Well, it will be your Missus then, that's 
 got into trouble. 
 
 HOLROYD. You'd better take care what you're 
 saying. 
 
 MAN. Look here, my man, it's no good talking 
 like that — your wife is in debt to the tune of twenty- 
 eight pound, seven shillings, and there's the paper 
 from the County Court. 
 
 HOLROYD [gets up, trying to speak calmly}. In debt .' 
 What's that ? In debt ? Who to ? 
 
 MAN. It was to one and another — now it's the 
 debt collector, James Simpson, it's owing to, and 
 he's bringing the summons. 
 
 HOLROYD. Where is he ? I'll knock his lies down 
 his throat for him. 
 
 MAN. Now, none of that, please. It's no use, 
 you know. Where is your Missus ? 
 
 HOLROYD. What's that to you .'' 
 
 MAN. Where is she ? I must see her, and if she 
 isn't in I must wait till she comes. 
 
 HOLROYD \holis at him for a moment, and then goes 
 to the foot of the stairs, and calls']. Meg! [No 
 answer.] Meg ! 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 95 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [upstoirs]. Yes, John ? 
 
 HOLROYD. Come down ! [Listeiis.'] Come down at 
 once, I tell you, 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, John. 
 
 HOLROYD Meg ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, yes, Fm coming down directly. 
 [Comes down slowly and stands on the stairs, deadly 
 white; she looks from one to amother.] 
 
 HOLROYD [R. C] Look at that. [Holding paper 
 up before her.] 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. What is it ? I can't see very well 
 to-day. My head's so bad. 
 
 MAN. It's a summons out against John Holroyd, 
 for the sum of twenty-eight pound, seven shillings. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes — twenty-eight pound, seven 
 shillings. I know. 
 
 HOLROYD. You know ! What does it mean .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. John, I'll tell you about it. 
 
 HOLROYD. Look here, first tell me, yes or no — 
 is it you ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes. 
 
 HOLROYD [staggered]. You got into debt for twenty- 
 eight pound, seven shillings ? You got into debt ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes. [She is standing C, in 
 front of stairs.] 
 
 HOLROYD [crossing L. Pulling himself together]. 
 Look here, sir, just leave us for a bit, will you.? 
 till I've got to the bottom of this. 
 
 MAN [hesitating]. Well, I don't know that I 
 ought to do that till we've got this thing settled 
 one way or the other, 
 
96 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLROYD. Oh, you needn't to be afraid that Til 
 get away in the meantime. I'll be here ready for 
 you, with what you want. 
 
 [man goes out and holroyd shuts the 
 door, then goes back to his wife. 
 Come here — now just tell me what this all means, 
 and whether I'm crazy or you are. 
 
 [MRS. HOLROYD huTsts into teoTS, and 
 sinks into chair at right of table. 
 HOLROYD takes her hand down 
 from her face.] 
 Now leave off doing that, and tell me if it's really 
 you that's done it, and what it is you've done ? 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Yes, yes, it's me. 
 HOLROYD. How Can you have got into debt.? 
 You haven't bought anything ? [Looks round. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, I haven't. 
 HOLROYD. Well, where's the money gone ? 
 
 [She doesn't answer. 
 Now, you answer and tell me the truth, and if you 
 don't I'll thrash you within an inch of your life. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. John, John, you wouldn't do that ! 
 You that's never touched me yet. 
 
 HOLROYD. I shall now, I can tell you, if you've 
 been deceiving me all this time. You, that I 
 thought was the best wife in the place! Come, 
 where has the money gone, and how have you 
 managed to spend it on the sly all this time! 
 [Sternly.] How have you done it ? You say you've 
 bought nothing. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Nothing. 
 
in] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 97 
 
 HOLROYD. Then what have you done? Where 
 has it gone ? answer ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I've — I've been betting. 
 
 HOLROYD. What ! Betting ! Betting on the races, 
 do you mean.? Well, if that's what you've been 
 doing — Good God ! I don't wonder you're in 
 debt. We're done for now, if that's the game 
 you're playing. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. John, I'll never do it again. 
 
 HOLROYD. Oh, I'll take good care of that — it's 
 what you've done already that matters. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. John, I'm that sorry — so dread- 
 fully sorry. 
 
 HOLROYD. stow that ! I don't care if you are or 
 not. I want to get to the bottom of it, and don't 
 you tell me any lies ; it'll be the worse for you if 
 you do. Where did you get the money to do it .'' 
 Eh ? Where did you get it ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I got it — from the pawn-shop. 
 
 HOLROYD. From the pawn-shop ? You've been to 
 the pawn-shop ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. YeS. 
 
 HOLROYD. Pawned what ? How did you get 
 things to pawn ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD \loohmg rowiid as though to see if the 
 things are still there']. I — I hired them. I got them 
 from the hawkers, and paid a bit every week — and 
 then — and then the luck turned against me. 
 
 HOLROYD. Luck, indeed ! Don't you talk to me 
 about luck. Well — go on. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. I tried to get it back and get 
 
 G 
 
98 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 clear, and I wanted to leave off, and I couldn't. I 
 went on, and I betted again to get it back again, 
 and then it seemed as if I had to go on, and then I 
 won a bit, and then I had to do it again, and when 
 I won it was always just a little, and then I lost 
 again — and at last it was such a lot, I had to borrow 
 it. [Subsides into tears.] And now I owe all 
 that. 
 
 HOLROYD. My God! Is it you, my wife, that's 
 done all this ? [Seizing her wrist. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Dou't — don't — you hurt me. 
 
 [holroyd pushes her into chair at left 
 of table. 
 
 HOLROYD. Go on. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. And then at last a gentleman 
 came round and said he'd bought up all the debts, 
 and that I had to pay him, and I said I couldn't, 
 and then he said the County Court would send for 
 you — and I knew they would, and I've been that 
 misei'able. 
 
 HOLROYD. You'd need to. When did this begin .'' 
 Has this been going on ever since we were married ? 
 All the time we were getting on so well, and they 
 all said what a good wife I'd got. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, no, indeed it hasn't. 
 
 HOLYOYD. But what's the good of asking you — 
 how do I know that you are speaking the truth 
 now, when you've been lying all this time ? 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. No, uo, John, indeed I haven't — 
 I didn't begin till after Annie came to live here. 
 Annie and Tom had won five pounds the year 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 99 
 
 before, and I thought I'd like to do the same — a 
 gentleman came to her house and told her about 
 the races, and told me, and somehow I got 
 betting. 
 
 HOLROYD. Yes, that's how it's done — that's how 
 it's done ! 
 
 [Walks miserably R., and then turns 
 back. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. O John ! what shall I do ? 
 
 HOLROYD [standing behind table R.]. Do ! No- 
 thing. I'm the only one that can do anything. 
 
 MRS, HOLROYD. Will they take you to prison? 
 Let me go to prison instead of you. 
 
 HOLROYD. Not likely — they won't take me to 
 prison. I'm going to pay it. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. You're going to pay it ? But can 
 you ? 
 
 HOLROYD. Of course I can, out of the thirty 
 pounds I'd saved to get you a business. That's where 
 it'll go. [mrs. HOLROYD Wrings her hands.] And 
 I've toiled and toiled to save it that you might 
 have it, and stayed late and worked overtime, and 
 it's just all been for a pack of swindlers, that's got 
 at you and brought you to the bad. 
 
 [Sinking into chair at right of table, 
 with his head on his hands. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [gocs to him and lays her hand on 
 his shoulder]. John ! 
 
 HOLROYD [shakes her off]. Don't touch me, keep 
 away from me ! I'll never believe you again, never ! 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. John, I wiU try so hard ! 
 
100 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 HOLKOYD [roughly']. Let me be. Let me think 
 for a minute, and see whereabouts I am. 
 
 [She stands miserably watching him, 
 left of table. 
 
 Yes, I'll send the fellow up the money this even- 
 ing. And I'll write to Mr. Vincent and tell him 
 we can't take the job, nor go to live in the 
 front row. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [starts']. Oh ! 
 
 HOLROYD. No, you needn't think we're going to 
 do that now, when we're told they want every one 
 respectable. We were respectable yesterday, or at 
 least I thought we were. That's past and gone, 
 and we must just stay where we are. 
 
 [The door opens and the children come rumming in. 
 
 SALLY. Daddy, Daddy, look what the puppy 
 can do ! 
 
 JACK. He can beg if you hold up his ears. 
 
 HOLROYD [roughly]. Get out of this! [He kicks 
 the dog away.] 
 
 SALLY [horrified]. Daddy ! 
 
 [jack cries and catches up the dog. 
 
 HOLROYD [roughly]. Don't bother — go out ! 
 
 [They run out, crying^ 
 [Shuts the door after them.] Poor little bairns! 
 I've worked hard for them and for you — but it 
 wasn't worth doing. [Gloomily. Walks across the 
 room with his hands behind him. 
 
 [After a moment — [give time] — 
 VINCENT puts his head in. 
 
 VINCENT [smiling]. Oh, Mrs. Holroyd, I beg your 
 
ni] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 101 
 
 pardon — I've just come to tell you that your 
 children seemed to be in trouble about something 
 as I passed, and I have comforted them by making 
 their puppy stand on his hind legs ! 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD [standing right of table up stage, 
 L. C]. Thank you, sir. 
 
 HOLEOYD. They'll have trouble enough before 
 they're done with it. 
 
 VINCENT. Why? [surprisedl. 
 
 HOLEOYD [jgoing down C. and stands C. R. of 
 VINCENT and L. of mes. holeoyd]. I was just 
 coming round to tell you, sir, that I'm afraid we 
 shall not be able to take that job, nor yet to 
 come and live in the front row, but still, I'm much 
 obliged to you for your kindness. 
 
 VINCENT [amazed]. What's all this about ? What's 
 happened since I was here just now ? 
 
 HOLEOYD. I would rather not tell you, sir. It's 
 not a thing that I'd like to talk about more than 
 need be, but we've got into trouble, and. . . Well, 
 I would rather not take the job, thank you. 
 
 VINCENT. Look here, don't do anything in a 
 hurry. I don't like asking what the trouble is, 
 but surely you needn't give up the job. 
 
 HOLEOYD. No good talking about it. 
 
 MRS. HOLEOYD. Oh, sir, I'll tell you. 
 
 HOLEOYD. Hold your tongue, will you ? 
 
 VINCENT. Let her speak. I want to hear what 
 she has to say. [holeoyd goes up, L.] 
 
 MES. HOLEOYD. Oh, sir, it's me that's got into 
 trouble. Holroyd has always been that respectable. 
 
102 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act 
 
 we both have, and now I've got into trouble with 
 the betting. 
 
 VINCENT. Betting ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Morc than I can pay, and Holroyd 
 has a summons from the County Court, and we 
 can't live in a front row where they're all re- 
 spectable. 
 
 VINCENT. How much do you owe .'' 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Twenty eight pound, seven shillings. 
 
 VINCENT. That is a great deal. [Gravel;^]. 
 
 HOLROYD. Yes, it is, but never mind that, thank 
 you, sir. I've got a bit to pay it with that I'd 
 saved up for something else, and I'm not going 
 to be in debt an hour longer. It will be all right. 
 
 VINCENT [standing to right of holroyd, and left of 
 MRS. holroyd]. Look here, Holroyd, you've been 
 with us a long time. 
 
 holroyd. Yes, sir. Man and boy I've worked for 
 you all my life, and never been ashamed to look you 
 in the face till to-day. 
 
 VINCENT Ihesitating]. Would — would a little tem- 
 porary help be of any use, just to get you straight ? 
 
 holroyd [sternli/]. Thank you kindly, sir, but I'll 
 never borrow from any one, and no one in this 
 house shall ever be in debt again, as long as I'm 
 here to prevent it. Thank you, sir, all the same. 
 
 VINCENT [going]. Well, I can't help feeling you're 
 right, Holroyd, and I respect you. 
 
 holyoyd. Yes, my name was respectable always, 
 and my father's before me, but that's all changed 
 now. 
 
Ill] THE WAY THE MONEY GOES 103 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [os VINCENT is goingj. Oh, sir, tell 
 him that I will never do it again. He won't listen 
 to me. I will never, never do it again as long 
 as I live. 
 
 HOLROYD, Never is a long time. 
 
 VINCENT. IVe heard a great deal of your wife, 
 Holroyd, and nothing but good. Give her another 
 chance — she has been a good wife to you until 
 temptation came her way, and I believe she will 
 be a good wife still. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [entreatinglt/']. I will — I will indeed. 
 
 VINCENT. YouVe got your wife and children 
 spared to you — you may still be a happy man. 
 
 [holroyd stands dogged. 
 [Going]. I'll keep that offer open for another 
 two days. 
 
 HOLROYD. I doubt I shan't change my mind. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Do you mean, sir, you'd let us 
 come all the same ? 
 
 VINCENT. Yes, I will give you another chance. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, God bless you, sir ! 
 
 VINCENT [nods Mndh/]. Good-bye! 
 
 HOLROYD. Good day, sir. [Shuts the door after 
 him and comes bach.] 
 
 JACK [heard from outside]. Look, Sally, he's 
 begging again. 
 
 SALLY [outside]. Look at his tail ! 
 
 JACK [outside]. He can do it quite well — look! 
 Come along. Spots ! [He whistles — sally laughs. 
 
 HOLROYD. Poor little bairns ! 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [listeni7ig to them, L., looTcing at 
 
104 THE WAY THE MONEY GOES [act hi 
 
 door nervously, commg to him]. John, if the bairns 
 come in again, don't be rough with them — and 
 don't tell them I've not been good — ^you see, they 
 think I am. [A pause. 
 
 HOLROYD [slowly looks at her]. Yes — you've been 
 good to them, I will say that — to them that's alive 
 and them that's dead. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD [hardly daring to believe]. Oh, John ! 
 
 [A patise]. 
 
 HOLROYD [crossing to her]. Meg — mebbe we'll be 
 able to make a job of it after all, you and I. 
 
 MRS. HOLROYD. Oh, John ! John, my old man ! 
 
 [Hides herjhce on his shoulder. 
 
 CURTAIN 
 
 Printed by Baliantyne, Hanson & Co. 
 Edinburgh &' London.