TRIFLES.docx
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TRIFLES.docx
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TRIFLES
TRIFLES
APLAYINONEACT
FirstPerformedbytheProvincetownPlayersattheWharfTheatre,Provincetown,Mass.,August8,1916
ORIGINALCAST
GEORGEHENDERSON,CountyAttorney...ROBERTROGERS
HENRYPETERS,Sheriff...ROBERTCONVILLE
LEWISHALE,ANeighboringFarmer...GEORGECRAMCOOK
MRS.PETERS...ALICEHALL
MRS.HALE...SUSANGLASPELL
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TRIFLES
[SCENE:
ThekitcheninthenowabandonedfarmhouseofJOHNWRIGHT,agloomykitchen,andleftwithouthavingbeenputinorder--unwashedpansunderthesink,aloafofbreadoutsidethebread-box,adish-towelonthetable--othersignsofincompletedwork.AtthereartheouterdooropensandtheSHERIFFcomesinfollowedbytheCOUNTYATTORNEYandHALE.TheSHERIFFandHALEaremeninmiddlelife,theCOUNTYATTORNEYisayoungman;allaremuchbundledupandgoatoncetothestove.Theyarefollowedbythetwowomen--theSHERIFF'Swifefirst;sheisaslightwirywoman,athinnervousface.MRS.HALEislargerandwouldordinarilybecalledmorecomfortablelooking,butsheisdisturbednowandlooksfearfullyaboutassheenters.Thewomenhavecomeinslowly,andstandclosetogethernearthedoor.]
COUNTYATTORNEY
[Rubbinghishands.]
Thisfeelsgood.Comeuptothefire,ladies.
MRS.PETERS
[Aftertakingastepforward.]
I'mnot--cold.
SHERIFF
[Unbuttoninghisovercoatandsteppingawayfromthestoveasiftomarkthebeginningofofficialbusiness.]
Now,Mr.Hale,beforewemovethingsabout,
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youexplaintoMr.Hendersonjustwhatyousawwhenyoucamehereyesterdaymorning.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Bytheway,hasanythingbeenmoved?
Arethingsjustasyouleftthemyesterday?
SHERIFF
[Lookingabout.]
It'sjustthesame.WhenitdroppedbelowzerolastnightIthoughtI'dbettersendFrankoutthismorningtomakeafireforus--nousegettingpneumoniawithabigcaseon,butItoldhimnottotouchanythingexceptthestove--andyouknowFrank.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Somebodyshouldhavebeenlefthereyesterday.
SHERIFF
Oh--yesterday.WhenIhadtosendFranktoMorrisCenterforthatmanwhowentcrazy--IwantyoutoknowIhadmyhandsfullyesterday.IknewyoucouldgetbackfromOmahabytodayandaslongasIwentovereverythingheremyself--
COUNTYATTORNEY
Well,Mr.Hale,telljustwhathappenedwhenyoucamehereyesterdaymorning.
HALE
HarryandIhadstartedtotownwithaloadofpotatoes.WecamealongtheroadfrommyplaceandasIgothereIsaid,"I'mgoingtoseeifIcan't
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getJohnWrighttogoinwithmeonapartytelephone."IspoketoWrightaboutitoncebeforeandheputmeoff,sayingfolkstalkedtoomuchanyway,andallheaskedwaspeaceandquiet--Iguessyouknowabouthowmuchhetalkedhimself;butIthoughtmaybeifIwenttothehouseandtalkedaboutitbeforehiswife,thoughIsaidtoHarrythatIdidn'tknowaswhathiswifewantedmademuchdifferencetoJohn--
COUNTYATTORNEY
Let'stalkaboutthatlater,Mr.Hale.Idowanttotalkaboutthat,buttellnowjustwhathappenedwhenyougottothehouse.
HALE
Ididn'thearorseeanything;Iknockedatthedoor,andstillitwasallquietinside.Iknewtheymustbeup,itwaspasteighto'clock.SoIknockedagain,andIthoughtIheardsomebodysay,"Comein."Iwasn'tsure,I'mnotsureyet,butIopenedthedoor--thisdoor[indicatingthedoorbywhichthetwowomenarestillstanding]
andthereinthatrocker--[pointingtoit]
satMrs.Wright.
[Theyalllookattherocker.]
COUNTYATTORNEY
What--wasshedoing?
HALE
Shewasrockin'backandforth.Shehadheraproninherhandandwaskindof--pleatingit.
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COUNTYATTORNEY
Andhowdidshe--look?
HALE
Well,shelookedqueer.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Howdoyoumean--queer?
HALE
Well,asifshedidn'tknowwhatshewasgoingtodonext.Andkindofdoneup.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Howdidsheseemtofeelaboutyourcoming?
HALE
Why,Idon'tthinksheminded--onewayorother.Shedidn'tpaymuchattention.Isaid,"Howdo,Mrs.Wright,it'scold,ain'tit?
"Andshesaid,"Isit?
"--andwentonkindofpleatingatherapron.Well,Iwassurprised;shedidn'taskmetocomeuptothestove,ortosetdown,butjustsatthere,notevenlookingatme,soIsaid,"IwanttoseeJohn."Andthenshe--laughed.Iguessyouwouldcallitalaugh.IthoughtofHarryandtheteamoutside,soIsaidalittlesharp:
"Can'tIseeJohn?
""No,"shesays,kindo'dulllike."Ain'thehome?
"saysI."Yes,"saysshe,"he'shome.""Thenwhycan'tIseehim?
"Iaskedher,outofpatience."'Causehe'sdead,"saysshe."Dead?
"saysI.Shejustnoddedherhead,notgettingabitexcited,butrockin'backandforth."Why--whereishe?
"saysI,not
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knowingwhattosay.Shejustpointedupstairs--likethat[himselfpointingtotheroomabove]
.Igotup,withtheideaofgoingupthere.Iwalkedfromtheretohere--thenIsays,"Why,whatdidhedieof?
""Hediedofaroperoundhisneck,"saysshe,andjustwentonpleatin'atherapron.Well,IwentoutandcalledHarry.IthoughtImight--needhelp.Wewentupstairsandtherehewaslyin'--
COUNTYATTORNEY
IthinkI'dratherhaveyougointothatupstairs,whereyoucanpointitallout.Justgoonnowwiththerestofthestory.
HALE
Well,myfirstthoughtwastogetthatropeoff.Itlooked...[Stops,hisfacetwitches]
...butHarry,hewentuptohim,andhesaid,"No,he'sdeadallright,andwe'dbetternottouchanything."Sowewentbackdownstairs.Shewasstillsittingthatsameway."Hasanybodybeennotified?
"Iasked."No,"saysshe,unconcerned."Whodidthis,Mrs.Wright?
"saidHarry.Hesaiditbusiness-like--andshestoppedpleatin'ofherapron."Idon'tknow,"shesays."Youdon'tknow?
"saysHarry."No,"saysshe."Weren'tyousleepin'inthebedwithhim?
"saysHarry."Yes,"saysshe,"butIwasontheinside.""Somebodyslippedaroperoundhisneckandstrangledhimandyoudidn'twakeup?
"saysHarry."Ididn'twakeup,"shesaidafterhim.Wemust'alookedasifwedidn'tseehowthatcouldbe,forafteraminuteshesaid,"Isleepsound."HarrywasgoingtoaskhermorequestionsbutIsaidmaybeweoughttolethertellherstoryfirsttothe
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coroner,orthesheriff,soHarrywentfastashecouldtoRivers'place,wherethere'satelephone.
COUNTYATTORNEY
AndwhatdidMrs.Wrightdowhensheknewthatyouhadgoneforthecoroner?
HALE
Shemovedfromthatchairtothisoneoverhere[Pointingtoasmallchairinthecorner]
andjustsattherewithherhandsheldtogetherandlookingdown.IgotafeelingthatIoughttomakesomeconversation,soIsaidIhadcomeintoseeifJohnwantedtoputinatelephone,andatthatshestartedtolaugh,andthenshestoppedandlookedatme--scared.[TheCOUNTYATTORNEY,whohashadhisnotebookout,makesanote.]
Idunno,maybeitwasn'tscared.Iwouldn'tliketosayitwas.SoonHarrygotback,andthenDr.Lloydcame,andyou,Mr.Peters,andsoIguessthat'sallIknowthatyoudon't.
COUNTYATTORNEY
[Lookingaround.]
Iguesswe'llgoupstairsfirst--andthenouttothebarnandaroundthere.[TotheSHERIFF.]
You'reconvincedthattherewasnothingimportanthere--nothingthatwouldpointtoanymotive.
SHERIFF
Nothingherebutkitchenthings.
[TheCOUNTYATTORNEY,afteragainlookingaroundthekitchen,opensthedoorofacupboardcloset.Hegetsuponachairandlooksonashelf.Pullshishandaway,sticky.]
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COUNTYATTORNEY
Here'sanicemess.
[Thewomendrawnearer.]
MRS.PETERS
[Totheotherwoman.]
Oh,herfruit;itdidfreeze.[TotheLAWYER.]
Sheworriedaboutthatwhenitturnedsocold.Shesaidthefire'dgooutandherjarswouldbreak.
SHERIFF
Well,canyoubeatthewomen!
Heldformurderandworryin'aboutherpreserves.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Iguessbeforewe'rethroughshemayhavesomethingmoreseriousthanpreservestoworryabout.
HALE
Well,womenareusedtoworryingovertrifles.
[Thetwowomenmovealittleclosertogether.]
COUNTYATTORNEY
[Withthegallantryofayoungpolitician.]
Andyet,foralltheirworries,whatwouldwedowithouttheladies?
[Thewomendonotunbend.Hegoestothesink,takesadipperfulofwaterfromthepailandpouringitintoabasin,washeshishands.Startstowipethemontheroller-towel,turnsitforacleanerplace.]
Dirtytowels!
[Kickshisfootagainstthepansunderthesink.]
Notmuchofahousekeeper,wouldyousay,ladies?
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MRS.HALE
[Stiffly.]
There'sagreatdealofworktobedoneonafarm.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Tobesure.Andyet[Withalittlebowtoher]
IknowtherearesomeDicksoncountyfarmhouseswhichdonothavesuchrollertowels.
[Hegivesitapulltoexposeitsfulllengthagain.]
MRS.HALE
Thosetowelsgetdirtyawfulquick.Men'shandsaren'talwaysascleanastheymightbe.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Ah,loyaltoyoursex,Isee.ButyouandMrs.Wrightwereneighbors.Isupposeyouwerefriends,too.
MRS.HALE
[Shakingherhead.]
I'venotseenmuchofheroflateyears.I'venotbeeninthishouse--it'smorethanayear.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Andwhywasthat?
Youdidn'tlikeher?
MRS.HALE
Ilikedherwellenough.Farmers'wiveshavetheirhandsfull,Mr.Henderson.Andthen--
COUNTYATTORNEY
Yes--?
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MRS.HALE
[Lookingabout.]
Itneverseemedaverycheerfulplace.
COUNTYATTORNEY
No--it'snotcheerful.Ishouldn'tsayshehadthehomemakinginstinct.
MRS.HALE
Well,Idon'tknowasWrighthad,either.
COUNTYATTORNEY
Youmeanthattheydidn'tgetonverywell?
MRS.HALE
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