The Stronger, by August Strindberg

The Persons

Mrs. X, an actress, married
Miss Y, an actress, unmarried
Waitress,non-speaking role

THE SCENE: The corner of a ladies' restaurant; two small tables of castiron, a sofa covered with red plush, and a few chairs>

MRS. X enters, dressed in hat and a winter coat, and carrying a pretty Japanese basket on her arm.

MISS Y: has in front of her a partly emptied bottle of beer; she is reading an illustrated weekly, and every now and then she exchanges it for a new one.

MRS. X: Well, how do, Millie! Here you are sitting on Christmas EVe, as lonely as a poor bachelor.

[MISS Y, looks up from the paper for a moment, nods, and resumes her reading.]

MRS. X: REally, I feel sorry to find you like this - alone - alone in a restaurant, and on Christmas Eve of all times. It makes me as sad as when I saw a wedding party at Paris once in a restaurant--the bride was reading a comic paper and the groom was playing biliards with the witnesses. Ugh, when it begins that way, I thought, how will it end? Thik of it, plaing billiards on his wedding day! Yes, and you're going to say that she was reading a comic paper--that's a different case, my dear.

{A Waitress, brings a cup of chocolate, places it before Mrs. X, and disappears again.}

MRS. X: [Sips a few spoonfuls; opens the basket and displays a number of Christmas presents.] See what I've bought for my tots. [picks up a doll.] What do you think of this? Lisa is to have it. She can roll her eyes and twist her head, do you see? Fine, is it not? And here's a cork pistol for Carl.

[MRS. X loads the pistol and pops it at Miss Y. Miss Y, starts as if frightened.]

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