Why the Chimes Rang | Page 7

his head he wears his crown. Everyone leans forward watching with the greatest tension. The_ KING, _exalted with his mood of selfsacrifice kneels, removes his crown and lays it in the hands of the_ PRIEST. HOLGER _crouching in the shadow quivers with anticipation. Again the pantomime of hope and failure. The_ PRIEST turns back to the KING _and raises his arm in the customary gesture. The_ KING _starts to rise then suddenly as though overcome at this spiritual defeat sinks again to his knees before the altar and buries his face in his hands, praying. The_ PRIEST _stands with arms crossed upon his breast, regarding him sorrowfully._)
HOLGER. (_Overwhelmed with disappointment, softly to the woman_) Perhaps there are no chimes, perhaps the Christ hears us not!
WOMAN. Have faith,--have faith in God.
HOLGER. I would that I could give my pennies to the Child.
(The KING _rises from his prayer and goes sadly to the right, standing near the lady in red._)
WOMAN. (_In a low ringing voice that thrills like the call of a trumpet_) Go up, my son,--fear not--The Christ-Child waits for all!
(HOLGER _breathless with the adventure rises and goes timidly forward out of the gloom of the hut into the splendor of the chancel, looking very small and poorly dressed beside all the great ones. He holds out his pennies to the_ PRIEST _who bends and takes them with a tender little smile, and_ HOLGER, _crossing himself, too abashed to stand and wait, shrinks back into the darkness and the sheltering arms of the Woman._)
(The PRIEST _goes up the steps of the altar and holds the pennies high above his head in consecrating gesture, and as he does so, the organ music breaks off with an amazed suddenness for from above there comes the far triumphant ringing of the chimes, mingled with ethereal voices singing The Alleluia._)
(A wave of awe sweeps over everyone in the chancel and as the PRIEST _wheels and gestures them to their knees, they prostrate themselves quickly._ HOLGER, _too, kneels awe-struck but the woman rises to her full height and stands watching. From this time on, she withdraws gradually into the deeper shadows of the hut and is seen no more._)
(_As they all kneel the Angel enters from the right, ascends the steps of the altar and stands beside the huddled figure of the_ PRIEST. _As she stands there, a single pencil of light shines down upon her from above, a ray of light so brilliant that everything around seems dull in comparision, and while she gives her message, the light above grows till it floods her hair and garments with a miraculous radiance. The_ ANGEL smiles at HOLGER _and chants in a lovely voice._)
ANGEL. Verily, verily, I say unto you, it is not gold nor silver nor rich pearls but love and selfsacrifice that please the Lord. The Christ-Child was hungered and you gave him meat,--a stranger and you took Him in.
HOLGER. (_In an awed tone_) But I--I have not seen the Christ-Child.
ANGEL. Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these His Brethern, you have done it unto Him! (The ANGEL _stands with one hand uplifted, as the music rises in a great crescendo of triumph_. HOLGER, _quite overcome, drops his face in his hands and as the climax of the singing is reached, the whole tableau is held for a moment, then blotted out in darkness_.)
(_There is a pause, then the light on the hearth flares up revealing the boy alone, still on his knees, looking up bewildered at the back wall of the hut, where the vision had been. Swiftly he rises to his feet and turns to face the Woman._)
HOLGER. Dame,--dame!--The Chimes,--the star--did you see? (_She is gone, he stares about him looking for her_) Gone! Gone! (_The music still rings softly_) But the Chimes! (_He turns, runs to the window, and flings open the casement. A soft light, half moonlight, half something more luminous pours in upon him. He speaks in a tone of infinite happiness, looking upward_) The stars!--God's Chimes!
THE CURTAIN FALLS SLOWLY.

THE APPENDIX

[Illustration: Sketch of hut scene for "Why the Chimes Rang," before the backing of the gauze drop is raised. (Everything back of the fireplace on the left, and the window on the right, is painted on the gauze, including the stool and the supporting pillar.)]
[Illustration: Sketch of chancel scene for "Why the Chimes Rang," after the backing of the gauze drop is raised. (For simplified setting made of screens, see diagram on page 34 of appendix.)]

The accompanying scenery plates are not intended to be followed in all their elaborate detail but merely to give an idea of the effect to be worked toward in planning the scenery.

APPENDIX.
The following suggestions for a simplified staging of "Why The Chimes Rang" are offered, not to college dramatic