Miss Boltwood, a despotic spinster, is persuaded to join a band of ladies who have sworn to give up tea and all taxed articles till the Revolutionary War is over. The tea habit is too strong for Miss Boltwood and she drinks it secretly. Her niece, Betty, discovers this and uses the information to compel her aunt to consent to her (Betty’s) engagement to the young minuteman, William Dickinson. Miss Boltwood also has a lover, the Tory, Judge Ingram, whom she has kept dangling for years. When he joins the Patriot cause and she hears the (false) report that he has been arrested as a spy, she champions him and finds that she loves him; she becomes an ardent Patriot also--all this just as he has decided that their _friendship_ is ideal! Mandy, who is a privileged character, furnishes much fun. [Illustration] COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY ANNA PHILLIPS SEE _As author and proprietor_ _All rights reserved._ Love and Tea ACT I SCENE.--_The living-room of_ MISS BOLTWOOD’S _home. There are doors to_ L. _and_ R., _a closed window near_ R., _a fireplace with fire near_ C. _and over it a cupboard that locks; a tea table, four straight chairs, a high winged chair or settle, a mirror, furnishings of a colonial tea table, a black cat (toy), etc._ (MANDY _is discovered on stage. She pokes fire, looks into kettle, stumbles over cat by the hearth._) MANDY. Dere’s dat cat agin! Here you, Salem, git out from under Mandy’s feet ’fore I break my neck or yours! Black imp o’ Satan! (_The cat is supposed to spit._) He spits! I pray you, spit not at poor old Mandy, please, Mr. Cat! Oh, you looks a very witch cat! Good Salem! Good pussy! (_Pets the cat._) _Enter_ BETTY BOLTWOOD _in afternoon dress but with an apron on_. BETTY. Mandy, aunt bids you assist me with the porcelain against the tea-drinking this afternoon. Fetch the linen towel and the tray. MANDY. Yes, missy. Here dey is. (MANDY _gets towel and tray and she and_ BETTY _wipe the dishes and arrange them on the tea table_.) BETTY (_holding up cream pitcher_). I like well this tea set, Mandy. ’Twas a most pleasing gift that aunt’s cousin fetched her from China. She surely hath a vast love for tea. ’Tis almost a carnal weakness! MANDY. True, missy. You’ aunt do love tea most ’stravagantly, an’ cats too! (_Looks scornfully at_ SALEM.) A true sign she will never marry. But Missy Boltwood am so sperity de mens am ’fraid of her, mebbe. BETTY (_as they set the table_). Aunt is too strong-willed and--and--managing to obey any man. Heard you not that when a girl she was betrothed to Judge Ingram, but could not abide the thought of marriage? MANDY. Lawsy, Miss Betty! An’ such friends as dey is, too! De Judge am a Tory. Is dat de reason Missy Boltwood ain’t no patriarch like mos’ of de Hartfield ladies?