Miss Civilization | Page 9

never been in jail.
ALICE: Don't worry. You're young. I told you you looked young. Your time is coming. In these days there's no room for burglars. You belong to the days of stage-coaches. You're old-fashioned now. You're trying to fight civilization, that's what you're trying to do. You may keep ahead for a time, but in a long race I'll back civilization to win.
HATCH: Is that so? Well, Miss Civilization, you've had your say, and I hope you feel better. (To HARRY) Give me that silk muffler of yours. (To ALICE) If civilization is going to help you, it's got to hurry.
ALICE: You don't mean to say you really are going to gag me?
HATCH: I am.
ALICE: My! But I shall look silly. (With her face turned right she listens apprehensively.)
HARRY: (Coming down with curtain cords, and taking muffler from his pocket) I've got the stuff in this muffler.
HATCH: Well, give me that, too. (Shows inside coat pocket) I'll put it in the safe.
(HARRY places muffler on table, exposing jewelry.)
HATCH: (begins placing the ornaments one at a time in his pocket. To ALICE.) What is it? What did you hear?
ALICE: I--I thought I heard my mother moving about.
HATCH: Well, she'd better not move about.
ALICE: (Fiercely) You'd better not wake her. (Sees the jewels.) Oh! Look at the "graft," or is it "swag?" Which is it?
HATCH: (To HARRY) Cover em up; cover it up.
(HARRY tries to hide the jewels with one hand, while he passes a lady's watch to HATCH.)
HARRY: (to ALICE) That's YOUR watch. I'm sorry it has to go.
ALICE: I'm not. It's the first time it ever did go. And, oh, thank you for taking that big brooch. It's a gift of father's, so I had to wear it, but it's so unbecoming. (She listens covertly.)
HATCH: Put your hat on them. Cover them up. (HARRY partly covers jewels with his hat.
HATCH lifts a diamond necklace.)
ALICE: I suppose you know your own business--but THAT IS PASTE.
HATCH: Do you want to be gagged NOW?
ALICE: Pardon me, of course you know what you want. (Notices another necklace.) Oh, that Mrs. Warren's necklace! So you called on her, too, did you? Isn't she attractive!
REDDY: We didn't ask for the lady of the house. They ain't always as sociable as you are.
ALICE: Well, that's her necklace. You got that at the house on the hill with the red roof--the house has the red roof, not the hill. (She recognizes, with an exclamation, a gold locket and chain which HATCH is about to place in his pocket.) Oh! That's Mrs. Lowell's locket! How could you! (She snatches locket from HATCH, and clasps it in both hands. She rises indignantly.) How dared you take that!
HATCH: Put that down!
ALICE: (wildly and rapidly) No, I will not. Do you know what that means to that woman? She cares more for that than for anything in this world. Her husband used to wear this. (Points.) That's a lock of their child's hair. The child's dead, and the husband's dead, and that's all she has left of either of them. And you TOOK it, YOU BRUTES!
REDDY: Of course we took it. Why does she wear it where everybody can see it?
HATCH: (savagely) Keep quiet, you fool.
ALICE: She WORE it? You took it--FROM HER?
HATCH: We didn't hurt her. We only frightened her a bit. (Angrily.) And we'll frighten you before we're done with you, Miss Civilization!
ALICE: (defiantly, her voice rising) Frighten me! You--you with your faces covered! You're not men enough. You're afraid to even steal from men. You rob WOMEN when they're alone--at night. (Holds up locket.) Try to take that from me!
VOICE: (calling) Alice--Alice!
ALICE: Mother! Oh, I forgot, I forgot. (The burglars rise and move toward her menacingly.) Please, please keep quiet. For God's sake, don't--let--her--know!
VOICE: Alice, what's wrong? Who are you talking to?
(ALICE runs to the curtains, with one hand held out to the burglars, entreating silence.)
ALICE: I'm--I'm talking to James, the coachman. One of the horses is ill. Don't come down, mother. Don't come down. Go back to bed. He's going now, right away. He came for some medicine. It's all right. Good night, mother.
VOICE: Can't I help?
ALICE: (Vehemently) No, no. Good night, mother.
VOICE: Good night.
HATCH: (fiercely, to HARRY) That's enough of this! We can't leave here with the whole house awake. And there's a coachman, too. She'll wake him next. He'll have the whole damned village after us. (To ALICE) That woman upstairs and you have got to have your tongues stopped.
ALICE: (standing in front of curtains) You try to go near that woman! She's ill, she's feeble, she's my-- mother! You dare to touch her.
HATCH: Get out of my way.
ALICE: She's ill, you cowards. It will kill her. You'll have to kill me before you get through this door.
HATCH: (savagely) Well, then, if it comes to