American drama -- 20th century; New York (N.Y.) -- Drama; Political corruption -- Drama; Socialists -- Drama; Tammany Hall -- Drama
JULIA. You've seen things with your own eyes, Jack.
JACK. Yes; I suppose so.
JULIA. And you know how to tell about them. And you've such an engaging
way about you...nobody could help but take to you.
JACK. Cut out the taffy. Who's your friend?
JULIA. Her name's Hegan.
JACK. A woman?
JULIA. A girl, yes. And she's coming right along, Jack. You must take a
little trouble with her, for if we can only bring her through, she can
do a lot for us. She's got no end of money.
JACK. No relative of Jim Hegan, I hope?
JULIA. She's his daughter.
JACK. [With a bound.] What!
JULIA. His only daughter.
JACK. Good God, Julia!
JULIA. What's the matter?
JACK. You know I don't want to meet people like that.
JULIA. Why not?
JACK. I don't care to mix with them. I've nothing to say to them.
JULIA. My dear Jack, the girl can't help her father.
JACK. I know that, and I'm sorry for her. But, meantime, I've got my
work to do...
JULIA. You couldn't be doing any better work than this. If we can make a
Socialist of Laura Hegan...
JACK. Oh, stuff, Julia! I've given up chasing after will-o'-the-wisps
like that.
JULIA.--But think what she could do!
JACK. Yes. I used to think what a whole lot of people could do. You
might as well ask me to think what her father could do... if he only
wanted to do it, instead of poisoning the life-blood of the city, and
piling up his dirty millions. Go about this town and see the misery and
horror... and think that it's Jim Hegan who sits at the top and reaps
the profit of it all! It's Jim Hegan who is back of the organization...
he's the real power behind Boss Grimes. It's he who puts up the money
and makes possible this whole regime of vice and graft...
JULIA. My dear boy, don't be silly.
JACK. How do you mean? Isn't it true?
JULIA. Of course it's true... but why declaim to me about it? You forget
you are talking to the champion female muckraker of the country.
JACK. Yes, that's right. But I don't want to meet these people socially.
They mean well, a lot of them, I suppose; but they've been accustomed
all their lives to being people of importance... to have everybody stand
in awe of them, because of their stolen money, and all the wonderful
things they might do with it if they only would.
JULIA. My dear Jack, did you ever observe anything of the tuft-hunter in
me?
JACK. No, I don't know that I have. But it's never too late.
JULIA. [Laughing.] Well, until you do, have a little faith in me! Meet
Laura Hegan, and judge for yourself.
JACK. [Grumbling.] All right, I'll meet her. But let me tell you, I
don't propose to spare her feelings. She'll get things straight from me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account