Produced by WebRover, MWS, hazeleyeflgal, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.) Transcriber’s Notes: Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. * * * * * PLAYS BY SUSAN GLASPELL [Illustration] BOSTON SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY PUBLISHERS * * * * * Copyright, 1920, BY SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) PRODUCTION OF ANY OF THE PLAYS HEREIN PRINTED MUST NOT BE MADE EXCEPT BY WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR, WHO MAY BE ADDRESSED IN CARE OF THE PUBLISHERS PRESS OF GEO. H. ELLIS CO., BOSTON CONTENTS PAGE TRIFLES. _A Play in One Act_ 1 THE PEOPLE. _A Play in One Act_ 31 CLOSE THE BOOK. _A Comedy in One Act_ 61 THE OUTSIDE. _A Play in One Act_ 97 WOMAN’S HONOR. _A Comedy in One Act_ 119 BERNICE. _A Play in Three Acts_ 157 SUPPRESSED DESIRES. _A Comedy in Two Scenes_ 231 (IN COLLABORATION WITH GEORGE CRAM COOK) TICKLESS TIME. _A Comedy in One Act_ 273 (IN COLLABORATION WITH GEORGE CRAM COOK) * * * * * TRIFLES A PLAY IN ONE ACT * * * * * First Performed by the Provincetown Players at the Wharf Theatre, Provincetown, Mass., August 8, 1916 ORIGINAL CAST GEORGE HENDERSON, _County Attorney_ ROBERT ROGERS HENRY PETERS, _Sheriff_ ROBERT CONVILLE LEWIS HALE, _A Neighboring Farmer_ GEORGE CRAM COOK MRS. PETERS ALICE HALL MRS. HALE SUSAN GLASPELL TRIFLES SCENE: _The kitchen in the now abandoned farmhouse of JOHN WRIGHT, a gloomy kitchen, and left without having been put in order--unwashed pans under the sink, a loaf of bread outside the bread-box, a dish-towel on the table--other signs of incompleted work. At the rear the outer door opens and the SHERIFF comes in followed by the COUNTY ATTORNEY and HALE. The SHERIFF and HALE are men in middle life, the COUNTY ATTORNEY is a young man; all are much bundled up and go at once to the stove. They are followed by the two women--the SHERIFF’S wife first; she is a slight wiry woman, a thin nervous face. MRS. HALE is larger and would ordinarily be called more comfortable looking, but she is disturbed now and looks fearfully about as she enters. The women have come in slowly, and stand close together near the door._ COUNTY ATTORNEY [_Rubbing his hands._] This feels good. Come up to the fire, ladies. MRS. PETERS [_After taking a step forward._] I’m not--cold. SHERIFF