F 124 C95 copy 1 "CRUCIBLE;" Feathei^ing a Mayoi\'s Nest, % gt^Ibfo grama. 'All, the world's a stage. — RuufARD Grant Whttk. — Sit akkspeakkV Edttiox. NEW YOKK: (irAKLKS E. SARGENT, PUBLISHER. 1875. u CRUCIBLE:" OR FeATHEI\ING a M.AYOi\'S NeST. t/ % U^lloto grama. 'All, the ^A;'orld 's a stage. — Richard Grant White. — Shakespeare's Edition. NEW YORK : CHARLES E. SARGENT, PUBLISHER. > 1875. i Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1875, By CHARLES E. SARGENT, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington. PREFACE All rights appertaining to the drama which follows are reserved — as much so as the contemporary Presidential candidates. The author will also, with the readers' permission, reserve his own opinion of his work. He is well aware that self- praise, even when most deserved, is invariably received by all those to w^iom it is addressed — excepting, perhaps, "too partial friends" — wnth a very large number of grains of salt and a disrespect that is little short of brutal. He simply desires to remark that if the tragedy which he has created serves to raise the stage to a higher level, and to permanently close the controversy respecting its influence, he shall have considerably more than accomplished his purpose. He repeats it, considerably more. He would further state that his arrangements with his mercenary publishers are of such an exacting nature, that all copies of the work which remain unsold on their hands will constitute " the author's edition," The bearing of this remark lies in the application. Once again : This Drama is not a Collaboration, and is not to be confounded with a Collaboration of concurrent baptism. If confounded at all, it must be on its own demerits alone. N. B. — JS'o plays exchanged. New York, December 12, 1875. DRAMATIS PERSO]^^. (Characters Misrepresented.) A. OAKEY 'ALL, - - - - A reformed Lawyer. Mr. STUART, - - - - A Managing Man. R. TURPIN SHEPHERD, - - - A Brigand. DEVEYLLE MEYKARE, - - An unprincipled Bank Clerk. T. S. ARTHUR HIGGINS, - - - An 0-K Bank Clerk. KATIE KING, _ . . . A Spirit with a good " body ' ' to it. Sheriffs, Wardens, Nubian men-and-brothers, A Dumb Bell, etc., etc. 'Outline of tbe Play {considerately pre2Mrecl for the ieneft of those who may not care to proceed further than this jmge) : A.CT I — Introduces the principal Ingredient. Act II — Shows the conditions under which this Ingredient could'nt refuse to Fuse and reFuse in the Crucible. Act III — Contains as cold-blooded a piece of villainy as ever excited a generous mind to a Whiteheat. Act IV — Is devoted to a dumb bell — a piece of Metal on which the plot neatly and readily turns . Note. — All the scenes are located in New York, by express per- mission of the generous property-owners of that city. Time: The latter part of December, 1875. PROLOGUE. [The Park Theater, New York city; The house packed from dome to pit; The boxes one blaze of beauty and renown; The curtain rises to music from the Bohemian Grirl, '' Of course, you remember me," and dis- covers A. Oakey 'All leaning with studied carelessness against a mantel, looking very pale but also very smiling and confidant ; The audience, in a frenzy o." homogeneous delight, rise as one cosmopolitan and exhaustive man, and cheer, clap and stamp ; Outside the noise is taken for an alarm of fire ; The firemen hasten with their steamers to the theater, but are unable to quench the enthusiam ; After three hours of tumultuous applause, attended b}'' a steady shower of flowers, variously arranged, which breaks at the head and feet of Mr. 'All, he draws a team of horse pistols from his trowser's rear pocket and calls for silence; He gets it, and the great crowd having returned to something like their normal state, he falls to weeping copiously in a handkerchief composed of equal parts of red, white and blue and green silk; At length, at midnight, he recovers himself sufficiently to bow, put his hand on his heart, and exclaim, with his soul visibly protruding (as it were) from his flashing eyes : Tears, liappy tears, yon know jnst what they mean, Tears from the depth of some deep well of joy — To start my tears no onions L employ — [Laughter.] Rise in my heart and in my eyes are seen. In looking at the bumper here to-night. And tashioning the future bright, so bright! [Great and long continued applause.] [At this point the thousands outside the theater, finding that admittance is an impossibility, and desiring to give their feelings vent, loose the horses from the passing omnibusses and drag those vehicles and their human freight up and down the pavement, shouting " Crucible ! Crucible ! " the while at the top of their lungs. Mr. 'All interrupts his prologue long enough to send out word to these that he is in the 'busses in spirit even as he is on the stage in body. That thought cheers those in the traces, and they cheer back again. Something like order being again restored, Mr. 'All proceeds with his prologue, growing less pale and more smiling the while :] You scarce expected at my age That I would go upon the stage, And if I chance to fall below New York's Joe Jefferson, my jo ; [Applause.] Or if I can't compare, in truth, With him, your Hamlet, Edwin Booth ; [Applause.] 6 Don't let dramatic critics howl, Or me into perdition bowl. [Cries of " Never." "Never."] Her o;olden sfifts Fate don't bestow 'em On all men as she does on Brougham ; [Applause. J In skies dramatic few the " stellas " That shine like Raymond's Col. Sellers ; [Applause.] And in the coarse of time — not Pollock's — There can't be many Lester Wallacks. [Applause.] Yet spite of all these " stars," poor I Think there is kindness in your eye. And, judging thus, I dare to wage You will not cough me off the stage. So long as I this precept prize — " Act well your part, there honor lies." [Cries of " bravo," "bravo."] I love the stage ; when in my teens I played for Stuart in New Orleans ; [Great applause and nine cheers for Stuart.] She was my first love, and to-night, Acknowledging her prior right, All other loves aside I cast And as my tears fall thick and fast, And as my smiles amid those tears Shine bright as crystal chandeliers. And as my heart, ecstatic throbbing High up within my throat goes bobbing, I cross the chasm of the years Upon the bridge of your stout cheers. And take my first love to my heart No more, from her, no more to part ; And cry o'ercome with joy and pride, " My bride ! my hride ! ! my bride ! ! ! MY BRIDE ! ! ! I " [Tremendous enthusiasm in the audience, so that all description of the scene" which follows the delivery of these lines, is beggared — notwith- standing the severity of the weather; Ladies tear the rings from their ears and fingers and hurl them at the actor ; Simultaneously the men hurl silk hats, scarf-pins, lorgnettes, autographs and bonds payable in gold, to the same objective point; Enthused rough, in the pit, rises and makes known his yearning to be one of fifty to go down and sack Stewart's and Tiffany's, in order to lay the consequent booty with the other concrete tributes; Small boy in the gallery lets oft a large rocket and is carried out, kicking, by a policeman, only to be promptly rescued by his fellows ; Police- man is linched, amid great applause and laughter. In the meantime Mr. 'AH makes a dozen attempts to get on, but all to no purpose ; At last he scowls a particularly black scowl and starts to abandon the stage, where- upon there is a lull in the storm ; The actor thereupon, after pulling hard at a lemon, a moment, to clear his throat, remarks: Ladies and gentlemen ; fellow citizens and fellows who are not, but who ought to be, citizens [laughter, and cries of " true ! true ! " Lucy Stone rising in one of the boxes and waving her handkerchief] ; residents of dear old New York ; my friends, my acquaintances, everybody : If, at the conclusion of this evening's performance of " Cru- cible" [great and long-continued applause, the whole audience rising and shouting "Crucible"], I shall be found dead in my dressing-room, let not the medical gentleman who makes the regulation jpost mortem examination, finding no wound on my person, refer my demise to apoplexy, paralysis or heart disease. For I declare to each and every one of you, to all and singly — nay, more — I swear it, and if there is a notary public present I authorize him to take my deposition [laughter] that the only verdict which the facts will warrant will be : This man was Mlled hy the kindness of the great-hearted people of New York — by the very Pelion on Ossa piled of generous encouragement and inspiration [a perfect cyclone of applause ; all the women boo-hooing]. It was only this morning that, walking down Broadway, 1 was the witness to an accident which split in twain two of Fairbank's scales ; and as I looked, I made casual exclaim to my companion, " Behold the parting of the weighs " [laugh- ter, long and loud]. Ladies and gentlemen, I, too, have reached the parting of the ways [applause], and I want here and now to express my earnest hope that, in the new balance in which I am henceforth to be tested, I may not, in the words of the darkey preacher, be weighed only to " come up missing " [re- newed laughter]. But, good friends, in all seriousness, this night finds me at the point on the journey of my life where the road forks. On this occasion I bury Law, devoting a Blackstone to its wearisome memory [laughter], and boldly enter a fresh path, at the entrance to which you have erected the radiant white stone of this magnificent reception [applause]. The stage waits for the play [a hundred voices, "let it wait!" "let it wait!" " go on ! " " go on ! " " go on ! "], and I will not further tax your patience. Permit me to add that we study to please, and need to please in order that we may be stimulated to study. Permit me farther to add, as a last word, that, other things harmoniz- ing with the wishes of Mr. Stuart's company, " Crucible " will be played for one thousand and one successive nights, and at as many matinees, and then will be repeated for one hundred more successive nights, by special request [uproarious applause]. Again, again, 1 thank yon, and as it is now going on to two o'clock, I will only venture to remind you, before making my bow, that unless the play is postponed, the novitiate cannot possibly go on. Not adieu — aa revoir. [As Mr. All retires, each man, woman and child in the vast audience, in accordance with a neat preconcerted arrangement, rises and lights a ten ball Roman candle, warranted not to sputter; The effect, as the globes of flame fill the air, is uniquely thrilling, synchronizing as it does with the colossal ecstasy which fills each breast; A number of persons are burned severely by the descending fire flakes, but each one of these charred lovers of the drama and of its latest exponent, is carried to the manager's office and given a thick coat of pain paint at the expense of the Park Theatre. ACT FIRST. Scene First : Tlie private office of Counsellor 'All. The counsellor is seen playing with a piece of red tape, with eyes fixed on vacancy ; He suddenly rises up and begins to pace the floor with bent head, and hands clasped behind him, a la Napoleon at St. Helena ; After a time he pauses in the middle of the room and exclaims, first drawing a long sigh : ^All. 'S death! I'll have no more of these dreary law books. They are the garner of much wisdom and less wit, but they contain, besides, a vast bulk of precedent that long ago outlived its usefulness, and many commodious cloaks under which wrong and bigotry hide. That is truly a stately character- ization of law which declares at the mouth of Richard Hooker, that " her seat is the bosom of God, her voice, the harmony of the world." Beautiful words — but there's one fault to be found with them, they're only half true. Law, doubtless, has her seat where Hooker locates it, but as for her voice being " the harmony of the world " — pshaw ! First catch your harmonious world, say I. There are Morrissey and Kelly — they don't seem to harmonize ; there are the Tribune and Times — they don't seem to harmonize ; look at, look at any shop and any other shop across the way, look at Turkey in Europe, look at Spain, look at the heirs of Anneke Jans — what do any of these know about harmony 1 Now, there's the higiier law — [Enter Katie King, through the key-hole, dressed in green illusion — whicli is very becoming to lier style of beauty ; She bows to Counsellor 'All, and then falls into a trance. ^ All. Who art thou? What is thy business with me '^ "Whence, and whither, and why ? Dost seek a speedy divorce without publicity ? Dost vend a life of Sergeant Bates? Speak ! Katie King. Haul off thy curious tongue. Know that I am Katie King. ''All. Any relation to Mr. Bill King, statesman, of tar off Minnesota, where his bulls hear no sound save their own bel- lowinof ! Katie King. Sir, I did not come liere to be made a mock of. Know that I am a mind-reader. Just now in passing thy oflice 1 read thy pivotal thoughts. I would fain aid thee — perfect satisfaction guaranteed or the money refunded. Thou hateth the Law ; thou lias learned to love another profession. The prayer of thy heart shall be granted. ''All. Talented spirit hear my prayer. Katie King. Trust me freely ; I am the seventh daugliter of a seventh daughter, was born with a caul over my face ; I take the Banner of Light and am intimate with the Eddy brothers. ''All. For the assistance thou proffereth much thanks. I will trust thee freely, wilt trust me freely ? Katie King. My terms are invariably cash in advance. I never trust. ''All. It is of no consequence — art a phrenologist? Katie King. I am ; fetch thy head this way and I will speedily tell thee where to place it where 'twill do most good. 'Twill cost thee but a paltry $100. [Counsellor 'AH advances his head within easy reach of the medium's fingers, after first drawing his check for $100 and handing it to Katie. The spiritualistic phrenologist, having shampooed the head, as it seemed, but having in reality subjected it to a conscientious examination for bumps, exclaims in no uncertain tones, "Mortal, thy forte is the stage, take to it, therefore, without loss of time." {Exit K. A7n^.] 'All: It must be so : — Katie, thou reasonest well, Else why this pleasing hope, this fond desire, This longing after popularity ? Or whence This growing hate and inward horror Of further following the legal path ? Why does my soul recoil from noisy Courts And ache to bust the old monotony ? 'Tis the theatrical stirs witliin nie ; 'Tis Mr. Stuart who points out my hereafter And intimates the " Crucible " to 'All ! The Crucible — thou pleasing, nervous thought, I'm weary of conundrums, this retort's the last. Thus am I doubly armed — the bar, the boards, Actions and acting both command attention. This in a moment takes me oli' the stage. But that invites me and I can't say no. The actor, perfect in his part, can smile At the drawn note of hand and pay the same. Joe Howard's Star shall fade, the Sun itselt 10 Grow dim with age, the Nation Sink in years ; but I shall flourish ev^ery blessed uiglit (" Till further notice") in the '' Crucible," Unhurt atnid the wars of Tannnany, The flesh, the devil and the New York World. [Counsellor 'All then takes out of his desk a large card which he proceeds to tack on the outside of his office door, after having first written upon it in a — running — hand the following : A. OAKEY ^ALL GONE OUT FOR THIi] DAY, WT FOR A DAY ONLY. FOTl ALD TIME. He hereby gives NOTICE, TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN THAT * * * * until Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come; " or Central Park shall make Assault upon the Battery — He Won't Be Back Gone to meet Manager Stuart. VALE! VALE! Exit 'ALL END OF ACT FIRST. 11 ACT SECOND. [On the beach at Hoboken. A. Oakey 'AUis discovered with his mouth full of pebbles discoursing to the wild waves, after the manner of Demos thenes. Ever and anon he cons a page from "A Guide to the Stage," which he carries in his hand. Suddenly he is made aAvare of the ap- proach of twelve giant Nubians, who bear between them an immense package. Nubians in chorus : We've come nnto these yellow sands, Bearing this package in our hands; To Oakey 'All it is addressed, Please open it and learn the rest. \A.ll. Men and l)rothers, without regard to previous con- dition of servitude, are all eliai-ges paid on the package ? NuJnans (holding out their hands). All ; and thou wilt please report any lack of attention on the part of the waiters. ['All flings a handful of louisd'ors to the faithful blacks, which they faithfully pocket and retire ; He then proceeds to take the wrappings from the package ; After tearing off a layer of heavy brown paper, a thick wad of rose-colored jeweler's cotton, and a hermetically sealed car., he brings to view an exquisite Crucible seven feet high and broad in pro- portion ; Attached to one of the jewel-fretted handles is a letter addressed to " A. Oakey 'All, Esq. Personal ; " Mr. 'All expectorates his pebbles, tears open the envelope and reads as follows: Park Theatre, New York, \ Manager's Office, v December 1, 1875. ) A. Oakey 'All, Esq. : Dear Sir — They say that a man is known by the company he keeps. I flatter myself tliat I keep a good Company, and so holding, 1 am anxious that you should join it, and thus sfive it an additional claim on public regard. I send you herewith the Crucible, in which I want to cast you. You will notice that no expense has been spared in get- ting it up, and will, I think, believe me when I add that it is warranted not to grow rusty in a long time. A crucible, I need not tell you, is a kind of retort; and I need not remind the public of something which your modesty might lead you to deny, that you are perfectly at home in retorts. You have only, my dear sir, to acquit yourself as well in the retort chemical as you have heretofore acquitted yourself in the retort courteous, to make a great noise in the Crucible. A thoroughly mellow fellow, why shouldn't you be at home in a thoroughly melo- drama ? 12 T shall count on you ; the Crucible is all before you where to fuse, and trusting that when next we meet it may be at rehearsal in the evergreen room. I remain, a managing man, ^ STUART. [Mr. 'All, having read the above, grows pensive for a moment, and then draws from his bosom a miniature on ivory, set round with diamonds, of the sumptuous home of the Bar Association on Twenty-ninth street. After kissing it tenderly once and again, he looks ai the Crucible and exclaims: I've put ray hand to a brand new plough, And I shan't turn back again, anyliow ; And to prove it, thus my old love's token I here discard at sweet Hoboken. [So saying he throws the picture into the waves, and then casts himself into the Crucible, where, after composing himself, he composes the follow- ing soliloquoy : Here sit I in tliis cozy Crucible, As in the elder day Diogenes, That ultra cynic, sat within liis tub — Methinks his nature was indeed, "subdued By what it worked in, like the dyer's hand,"' Until the foolish firkin pierced his soul And made him '' wooden " quite. Praise Stuart, My lines are cast in no such shabby place And no such prospect clouds my future's sky. If I'm subdued as is the dyer's hand. The Crucible that permeates my life Shall make me grow in metal day by day — What, ho there, without, I say, there, you N^ubians, ahoy ! [The Nubians reappear and assemble around the Crucible.] 'All. Make broad your shoulders to receive my weight And bear me to the play house called the Park. O, Stuart, O. friends, O, Fame, I come, I come ! Ye fflowincr hcio^lits whereon dramatic stars, Of all the ages make their lasting home. Toward ye, proud cliff's, I'll rapid transit make. Using the motor of the old time stage. Or else — or else, 1)low wind, come wrack. At least I'll die with harness on my back ! Exunt omnes from Hoboken. Mr. 'All reclining in his Crucible, which, palanquin-like, is borne on the shoulders of the faithful blacks. When they diverge from the air-line which separate Hoboken from the Park Theatre, he distributes among them curses red with uncommon wrath which cease not until they get back into the road. END OF ACT SECOND. 13 ACT THIED. Scene First. — A robber's cave in Coney Island. Enter the chief of the band, R. Turpin Shepherd, andDeveylle ileykare, the unprincipled young bank clerk. R. T. Shepherd. Well, now that you have got awa^'- with the gold how will you contrive to divert suspicion from your- self and rivet it upon your fellow clerk, T. S. Arthur Higgins ? D. MeyTiciTe. I have arranged my plans. Our office desks adjoin each other. To-morrow I will secretly place a few of the twenty dollar gold pieces in Higgin's desk. Other few, watching my chance, I will deftly insert in one of the pockets of his coat. This done to have him called into the cashier's office, and searched will follow. Dost attend ? R. T. Shepheiyl. None of your " dost attend " to me, I'm not a dime novel. Your plan looks feasible, make no mistake. \_Exeitnt omnes. [Scene Second. A savinp^s bank in New York city. Deposits received at any time; depositors allowed 50 cents on a dollar; money loaned on bond and mortgaoe; etc. ; Deyvelle Meykare and T. S. Arthur Higgins are seen busily engaged in writing ; Meykare, watching his opportunity, secretes a handful of gold pieces in his companion's desk, and in one of his vest pockets. Enter cashier. Cashier. Have either of you young gentlemen seen any- thing of a bag of gold containing four hundred and ten thou- sand dollars? Meykare. Search Higgins. With extreme diffidence I suggest such a course. But what are one's feelings at such a time ! I have entire confidence that he will come out of the test as triumphantly as Shadrach and his two friends emerged from the most famous of historic Crucibles. Higgins. By all means, search me. Save a canceled reve- nue stamp my pockets contain nothing. Meykare, I was sure of your innocence, dear Higgins, or I should not have made my proposition to our talented and urbane cashier. Cashier. Come into my room, Iliggins. [Higgins follows the Cashier into his room. A search follows which results in several gold pieces turning up in the astonished clerk's pocket.] Higgins. On my life I protest that I have not the slightest idea Cashier. Keep quiet young man and don't add mendacity to theft. 14 Meykare. Higgins, my dear boy, with the highest respect for you, and disliking exceedingly to hurt your feelings, I am reluctantly compelled to remark that the evidence bears strongly against yon — as much so as the current " pull backs " against the ladies who wear them. [Cashier raises Meykare's salary, and hands Higgins to the pohce. , End of Scene Second. Scene Third. [The Tombs, New York city. Sheriff Konner. Warden Dunhum and a few chosen friends are discovered cliatting together.] Sheinff Konner. Dunhum, what was that old ballad that I heard you singing just now ? Let's have it again. Dunhum. My liege, it was but a simple verse which I sing with a voice broken with emotion ; but if it pleases you, I'll proudly respond to your encore. Konner. Do so, by all means. [Dunhum sings with much feeling.] O let the stricken warden weep ; His heart is galled to-day, For some must drive and some must call — Thus runs the Boss away. [Enter Meykare, who, at his request, is taken to the door of the cell in which Higgins is confined.] Meykare. Higgins, my boy, I've been kind enough to come and see you. Higgins. Boo-hoo ! boo-hoo ! boo-hoo! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah ! Meykare. Don't take on so, unfortunate youth. Remem- ber that Bulwer says that there is a future left to all men who have the what's-it-name to repent, and the thingumbub to atone. END OF ACT THIRD. ACT FOURTH. [Higgins' cell in the Tombs. The prisoner sits with head in his hands playing foot-ball. At length he breaks into soliloquy : Higgins. Two weeks have I laid in this dreary dungeon, and to-morrow perhaps, certainly within a few short days, I will leave it only to be transferred to Sing Sing. O sad, O most cruel fate ! Of what avails my innocence — and Meykare himself knows I am innocent— when the evidence presented to the jury is dead against me. My lawyer has lost hope, 15 and when the case reaches the jnry it reaches it only to have the fatal word " Guilty " pronounced upon me. Great snakes! can nothing be done ? Angels and influential ministers, defend me ! . [Enter Katie King through the grated window, wearing that becoming green illusion dress of hers.] K. King. Speaking of angels, I have come, T. S. Arthur Pliggins, to succor thee. Higgins (with a faint smile). I am most grateful for your good intentions, Katie, but excuse me if I doubt your ability. Canst dismaterialize me, so to speak, and take me with you into the boundless air of liberty, unseen by the jailors ? K. King. I cannot, indeed, dismaterialize you ; but while there's life, slope is always possible from these New York city "jugs." Have you any thing to propose % Higgins. I have not, my salary is not such as to admit me to the luxury of marriage. K. King. You absurdly misunderstand me. What I mean is, have you any plan in your head for getting/V^e. Higgins. I have. There is numbered among my chosen friends a deaf and dumb boy. Methinks if he should be brought into court and there should plead for me, making oath to my previous good character, the effect on the jury might be at least suflicient to produce a disagreement. " In hoc signo vinco — the sign language might clear me. K. King. The idea don't seem to strike me as particularly good ; in fact, I think as illy of it as possible. These " dum " bo_ys are naught but plagues. I speak whereof I know. 'Twas but the other day a line old boy, Bobby D. Owen, by name, played false to Katie King. No, no ; if that would'st be cer- tain to impress the jury, not a dumb boy, but a dumb belle, is the thing. Higgins. I gladly defer to you. Knowest thou an available dumb girl for the purpose ? K. King. Thou bettest I do. Leave the matter in my hands. Higgins. I will, although it seems a cpieer proceeding — leaving matter in the hands of a spirit ! If thou succeedest, I will reward thee with my whole life's gratitude. K. King. A whole life's gratitude is all well enough, but if I indeed serve thee, ten dollars must be mine. Agreed ? Higgins. Agreed ; and I will add — nay, never shake thy head — a chromo of the Witch of Endor. End of Scene First. 16 Scene Second. [The Recorders Court ; Recorder Hackett on the bench, the space devoted to the bar and to the lay element crowded ; His Honor charges the jury in the case of The People agst. Higgins, and they retire only to immediately return.] Clerh of Court. Gentlemen of tlie jury, have you agreed on your verdict \ Foreman. We have, and we all say that if ever a little cuss was guiltier than this shameless Hig — [At this point Katie King makes her appearance at a point in the ceil- ing just over the jury box, bearing in her arms a one hundred-pound dumb-bell ; She quickly proceeds to suspend it by a single hair — " only a woman's hair " — du-ectly over the heads of twelve.] Katie King. Gentlemen of the jury, before you tinisli an- nouneingyour verdict in the Higgins case, I desire you to observe that the'liair by which this dund)-bell hangs is very much worn in places; I would add that I feel u presentiment that if you should do injustice to this unfortunate young man, the dumb- bell would fall like a thunderbolt. Ha'-liett. Silence in court. Sit down, Katie King — get thee to H — arlem,and say I sent thee there. Foreman of the jury, conclude your verdict. Foreman. We unanimously find the prisoner not guilty. The other eleven jurymen (in chorus) — So say we, all of us. [At this point the dumb-bell falls in such a manner as to crush to smith- ereens the entire twelve.] Hackett. Prisoner, you are discharged without a blot on your escutcheon. The crier will now adjourn the court. Court ConstaUe. But how about these twelve crushed men in the box ? Hackett (after a moment's thought). Deliver them to Mr. Wheeler Peckham. with my compliments — he's been inquir- ing for a struck jury, I hear. [Higgins then reveals himself. to Hackett as Oakey 'All the reformed lawyer, and the two embrace amid the wildest excitement, which the court officers are unable to quell ; A telegram arrives informing Higgins that he has been appointed President of the Bank; Deveylle Meykare is discovered in court and lynched on his own motion, and Higgins marries Eloise, a nice girl, whom he has long loved, and who, by an annoying inadvertance, the author neglected to introduce until this moment.] BOTTOM OF THE CRUCIBLE. y LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 107 503 2 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 107 503 2 ^