The Whispering Chorus
1
"You'd better do this!"
"You'd better not!"
"I'll shoot myself!!"
"I should worry!" --
"God pity me!"
[scrolls upward to reveal:]
You've heard them - these echoes
which none but yourself could hear!
The secret, private life of every man
and every woman, is lived away in
a Hall of Echoes, to the music of
this Whispering Chorus - which
fills life and colors it, and makes it
beautiful or otherwise.
2
John Tremble - 2nd Assistant
Cashier of the Clumley
Contracting Company.
Raymond Hatton
3
"You work too hard -
just to make a
rich man richer!"
4
"Nothing you do
is appreciated
anyway!"
5
"Good work
is always appreciated
in the end!"
6
Jane Tremble - his wife.
Kathlyn Williams
7
"Fighting" George Coggeswell
____
A far-seeing young legislator -
who heads a commission with
extraordinary powers to investigate
the muddy waters of the state's
politics.
Elliott Dexter
8
Christmas Eve
in John Tremble's household
___
$25.00 a week, under Jane's
efficient white hands keeps
the "wolf from the door" -
but it doesn't provide theatre
tickets, nor automobiles -
and the slow acid of
discontent eats steadily
into the man's heart.
9
"This week's salary
will more than cover
it, dear!"
10
"All I ever do is to
pay bills - even the boys
at the office notice I'm
getting shabby!"
11
"John, I'm ashamed of
you - Jane's even given
up the cheap little dress
she wanted, to pay my
doctor's bill!"
12
"How much was the
dress?"
13
"I'm going to get
you that dress."
14
"Hell is paved
with good intentions."
15
"Don't be a fool, Jack!
A couple of games at
Jimsy's, and you can buy
your wife a new dress -
and yourself a new over-
coat!"
16
"Take a Chance!
Nothing Ventured -
Nothing Gained!"
17
"Let's hang up some
mistletoe, Honey, you're
going to look so pretty
in that new dress - that
John'll be wanting a kiss!"
18
The
"Wee Small
Hours."
19
"I couldn't get Jane's
dress! It - it had been
sold!"
20
"Clumley has more
than he can use -
take what you need!"
21
"What would Jane
think of a thief!"
22
"Don't be a fool!
No one
will ever know!"
23
The Fear.
24
"I've forgotten to lock
my cash-drawer at the
office - but Barden will
take you to the theatre,
and I'll join you later!"
25
"You'd better clear out -
if you don't want
to go to jail!"
26
"Instead of wasting time
over a useless investigation
of my books - if you'd come
to a little 'business' under-
standing - you'd find, young
man, that I could do more
for you than anyone in this
state!"
27
"If that dead man
were you -
all your worries
would be over!"
28
"Have you any news
of my husband?"
29
In order to seem
a noble "martyr,"
Tremble makes it
appear that he
has been murdered.
30
By morning - when he had
finished his handiwork,
no one could have
told which was
"John Tremble" - and
which the bearded
"Stranger"!
31
"Dead Men tell no Tales"
_____
And as the days go on,
the supposed body of
John Tremble is found.
32
"There used to be a little
man hangin' round here,
wearin' blue overalls - but I
ain't seen him for a week!"
33
"I'm going down to see
Mr. Coggeswell - he may
have some news of John!"
34
"We've just found the
body of John Tremble
murdered by a man
named 'Edgar Smith'!"
35
"The police claim to have
found your husband's body.
To prevent mistake - will
you help us to identify him?"
36
"I suppose it must be
- my husband!"
37
"I shall offer $1,000
reward for the arrest of
Edgar Smith; meantime,
there's a clerical position
open in my office - if
you'd care to accept it."
38
The Slow Poison
of a Guilty Conscience
___
Feeling suspicion, in every smile
he meets - and handcuffs, in
every welcome - Tremble
seeks to bury his identity
at the river docks.
39
"Don't send for an
ambulance - it might
bring the police!"
40
"My boy is not dead!
But somewhere - somehow
- he is in great trouble!"
41
"You'll always go lame
on that pin, Kid!"
42
"We traced Edgar Smith
as far as Cincinnati, then
we lost track of him. But
if he ever comes back -
we've got evidence enough
to send him to the 'Chair'!"
43
Fortune favors the
brave - and Coggeswell
finds himself, at the
end of two years,
the people's candidate
for Governor.
44
"Gentlemen - we want
Mr. Coggeswell for Gov-
ernor, but he must be a
healthy Governor."
45
"All this that they call
'success' means nothing to
me - unless you will share
it with me, Jane."
46
"My heart has already
answered you! But his
mother believes him to be
still alive - and I would
not hurt her."
47
"I'm 'dog' homesick! And
I want to know if you'll
write a letter to someone
for me?"
48
"Looks crooked - you'd
better trace this letter
yourself!"
49
Mute
Evidence.
50
"If you're goin' to gamble
- you'll do it right here!"
51
"Now Edgar Smith -
you'll come along with me!"
52
"You beat it, and beat
it quick - or you'll land
in the 'Chair'!"
53
And on
a certain June day
two years later -
54
"Orange blossoms -
don't make a hit with
me!"
55
And on
a certain June day
two years later -
56
"Governor, your 'Lady'
is the most charming woman
in the state - and the most
politic!"
57
"Why don't you
go back to her -
she'd understand!"
58
"Please make your check
nice and fat for my Blind
Orphans. I feel, Dear, that
we must be good to all
children because, because - !"
59
"Could - could you give
me something to eat?"
60
"A tramp - he looks like
a murderer - is just going
into the house with old Mrs.
Tremble!"
61
"Did you ever - have
a son?"
62
"Suppose your prayers
were answered - and
your boy came back!"
63
"Johnny!"
64
"Be strong enough, my
son, to bear the truth! Jane,
believing you dead, was
married two years ago - to
the Governor of this State!"
65
"You must promise me
to save Jane - even if it
kills you!"
66
"Mrs. Tremble's sick,
Doctor - will you come
right over?"
67
"We've just caught a
tramp, Mrs. Coggeswell
- but don't alarm your-
self!"
68
"You don't understand!
I'm not Edgar Smith - I'm
John Tremble!"
69
"I'm not trying to black-
mail anyone! Take me in
to my mother - she'll tell
you who I am!"
70
"Mrs. Tremble -
is dead!"
71
The case of
the people
against
Edgar Smith
72
"We shall show that
Edgar Smith lured John
Tremble to a deserted
shack and killed him
with an iron kettle."
73
"Call Mrs. Coggeswell."
74
"I next saw John
Tremble - when I
identified his body!"
75
"Did you ever see
the defendant before?"
76
"No - I never saw
him before!"
77
"You promised
your mother
that you'd save Jane -
even if it
killed you!"
78
The Night
of the
Verdict
79
"That poor wretch who's
on trial worries me, some-
how! Do you think they'll
find him guilty?"
80
"We find the defendant
guilty of murder - in the
first degree!"
81
"I didn't think it could
be done - but they've done
it! They've convicted a man
of the murder - of himself!"
82
"I'm John Tremble
himself - Coggeswell's
wife is my wife! Oh
God! - won't you
believe me?"
83
"I never killed anybody,
I tell you! I found a dead
man and dressed him in my
clothes - my mother knew
me, but she died!"
84
"Even if Edgar Smith
were insane, and honestly
believed he was 'John
Tremble' - he wouldn't
have waited until he was
crippled and disfigured -
to come back!"
85
"God moves
in a mysterious way -"
86
"My lover, my husband
- I cannot give you up!"
87
"If you were
to tell the Governor
all you know -
where would Jane be?"
88
"Guilty of murder -
in the first degree!"
89
"You promised
to save Jane
even - if - it - killed -
you!"
90
"I've never before asked
you to use your high office
to grant me a personal favor
- but now I beg you to
pardon the prisoner - Edgar
Smith!"
91
"Can you give me any
good reason, Jane, why
I should pardon this
murderer?"
92
"Suppose it were proven
- that 'Edgar Smith' is
really John Tremble?"
93
"It would merely reverse
the case - for we still have
the dead body to account for!
If 'Edgar Smith' did not kill
John Tremble - then John
Tremble - killed - Edgar Smith!"
94
"A woman out here -
who brought me a letter
signed by the Governor's
'lady' - claims she's your
wife. Do you want to see
her?"
95
"I've come to save you,
John - it isn't too late! But
before I destroy the happi-
ness of those others - I must
know that you are innocent
of the other man's murder!"
96
"You'd merely wreck your
own life - you couldn't save
mine! When I pay the price
- there will be no miscar-
riage of justice!"
97
"And knew that somewhere
in the world - God's
dreadful dawn was red!"
98
"This is our third anni-
versary, Jane, and we'll
have the ceremony repeated
today - in the presence of
- Almighty God!"
THE END
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