A Fool There Was

1
A fool there was and he made his
         prayer
    (Even as you and I)
To a rag and a bone and a hank
        of hair
    (We called her the woman who
        did not care)
But the fool, he called her his
       Lady Fair
    Even as you and I

2
We called her the woman 
 who did not care,
But the fool, he called her 
  his lady fair
  (Even as you and I.)

3
The Child, .......
   .. Miss Runa Hodges

4
The Wife,........
    Miss Mabel Frenyear

5
The Husband .....
   ...... Edward Jos�

6
The Wife's Sister,...
   ... Miss May Allison

7
The Friend,.......
    .. Mr. Clifford Bruce

8
The Vampire,.....
   ... Miss Theda Bara
One of her victims,..
   ... Mr. Victor Benoit

9
   "Some day you will re-
gret that."

10
The Doctor,.......
   ... Mr. Frank Powell
The Doctor's Fiancee,
   ... Miss Minna Gale

11
The sunset of happiness.

12
The next day.

13
   "Certainly baby and I
can go with you! And
tomorrow you must sail?"

14
Innocence breakfasts.

15
The next morning.

16
  "My dear John, I cannot
leave sister; you must go
to London alone. It will
only be a month."

17
  "You have ruined me,
you devil, and now you
discard me!"

18
 "It was but a ruse to test
your love. Why should I
sail abroad and leave you?"

19
   "Tom, you bring them to 
the boat. I have an hour's
work in the city before I
can go abroad!"

20
   "Storm and darkness! Is
it an omen?"

21
    "Cheer up, Kate, the
storm and darkness are
passing now!"

22
   "She leave you. She go
Europe. Catch man, plenty
money."

23
     "See what you made of
me, and still you prosper,
you hell cat!"

24
        "I might have known
you'd follow her, Parmalee!
Our predecessor, Van Dam,
rots in prison through her!
Look what she has done for
me-- Look what she is do-
ing to you!"

25
"Kiss me, my Fool!"

26
   "Only a boy he was, Sir,
and she standing there
and laughing like a devil."

27
  "It was just some ship
noise. Come on deck now,
--Jack may be here any
moment."

28
Two months later.

29
Oh, the years we waste and the
        tears we waste
And the work of our head and
        hand
Belong to the woman who did not
        know
    (And now we know that she
        never could know)
And did not understand.

30
  "Why are your thoughts
in America, when you say
your heart is in Italy?"

31
"There's John Schuyler!"

32
  Owing to Schuyler's dis-
graceful conduct, the Doc-
tor's wife refuses to stay
at the same hotel.

33
(And now we know that she
   never knew why,
  And did not understand.)

34
       "You men shield each
other's shameful sins. But
were it a woman at fault,
how quickly you'd be to ex-
pose and condemn her."

35
   "Mamma, is a cross a
sign for love?"

36
    "Yes, dear; and love
often means a cross."

37
A Fool there was and his
   goods he spent,
Honor and faith and a sure
   intent.

38
 "The time has come, Kate,
when you must know the
dreadful truth. I will no
longer be silent. You, too,
have guessed at something.
And have sorrowed in si-
lence!"

39
Oh, the toil we lost and the
    spoil we lost,
And the excellent things
    we planned.

40
Their return.

41
"That woman is with him!"

42
  The housekeeper at the
Schuyler's townhouse re-
ceives the new mistress.

43
  "This lady will be your
mistress!"

44
"Papa, dear, I want you!"

45
  "Why did you act afraid
and ashamed? You should
have bowed and smiled, as
I did."

46
The following week.

47
   "Kate, I have sent for our
lawyer; you must tell him
all, and be divorced!"

48
  "Tom, you were the best man
for Jack at our wedding.
What do you say?"

49
  "Your promise was 'till
death do us part.' Stick,
Kate, stick!"

50
Six months afterwards.

51
  "Mr. Schuyler, in view
of the circumstances, I
hereby tender my resig-
nation as your Secretary."

52
    "I am not surprised,
rats always desert a sink-
ing ship."

53
  "He is worse than ever,
but it is true the woman
has left him."

54
 "If he is as you say, then
my place is with him."

55
  "His friend and secre-
tary were at the house.
The friend is going to bring
his wife to him."

56
  "Stop me if you dare! I
will scream, and the town
shall ring with more scan-
dal about John Schuyler!"

57
The following week.

58
  ".... and bless mamma
and, dear God, p-please s-
send m-my p-papa home
to m-me!"

59
  "We must watch Kate. I
fear she will do something
rash!"

60
The next day.

61
  "As a last appeal I will
take his child to him!"

62
"Is papa home, mamma?"

63
The Fool was stripped to
 his foolish hide.

64
So some of him lived, but
  the most of him died.

65
(Even as you and I.)

THE END.

Home

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

1