More Portmanteau Plays Part 56

[_He pounds the door with his fists._

_Then he turns in despair and humiliation._

_He paces the floor a moment, not knowing what to do. Suddenly Hank's whistle is heard. The boy listens as though fascinated and goes to the window and watches Hank. Jonathan goes to his wrecked theatre and, taking it up, piles his ma.n.u.scripts, the pink and the blue, on it. He hesitates to include one in the pile, offering once or twice to put it in his pocket, but he finally places it in grim determination with the others. Then he takes it off and stuffs it in his pocket. He stuffs the pile in the stove and sets a match to it, watches it a moment, then writes on a piece of paper, fastens it to the door. Then he finds a piece of rope on a packing case, moves the ladder under the gable window, fastens the rope to a peg in the wall, climbs the ladder, considers a moment, returns to the stove with the beloved ma.n.u.script, stuffs it in the fire, remounts the ladder and lets his weight onto the rope. As he disappears from view, the rope breaks and a cry and sound of falling are heard._

_The flames from the burning theatre and ma.n.u.scripts flicker against the wall for a silent moment._

_The key is heard to turn in the lock and John and Nathaniel enter._

JOHN

Jonathan!

NATHANIEL

He's hiding.

JOHN

Jonathan!

NATHANIEL (_Sees paper on door_)

What's this?

JOHN

What does it say?

NATHANIEL

"Good-bye!... Jonathan."

JOHN (_Looks suspiciously at Nathaniel_)

Did you tell the silly boy about your running away?

NATHANIEL

I told Jonathan nothing about myself. You are the head of the Clay family and out of custom I respected your position; but, by G.o.d, John, you're a failure with this boy.

JOHN

He--

[_Hank enters carrying Jonathan in his arms. Jonathan is limp and pitiful.

His clothes are torn. He is moaning pitifully._

HANK

He fell on the rocks out there.

NATHANIEL

Put him over here.

[_Hank places Jonathan on the bench near the piano. Nathaniel places the costume, which Susan left there, under his head for a pillow._

JOHN

What was he doing?

HANK

He was--

NATHANIEL

This is no time for questions, John. Call a doctor.

[_Jonathan moans and rolls his head, looking vacantly at Hank now and then._

JONATHAN (_moaning_)

Good-bye.... Jonathan.

JOHN

We'd better take him in the house.

JONATHAN

My mother was the best woman--

NATHANIEL

He'd better stay here until the doctor comes.

[_John exits._

JONATHAN

All on a summer's day--

[_All the time Nathaniel has been pa.s.sing his hands over Jonathan._

HANK

He's out of his head, ain't he?