Bartlett—[While they are doing this, rushes in his mad frenzy to the platform over the edge of the cliff. He puts his hands to his mouth, megaphone-fashion, and yells with despairing rage.] Ahoy! Ahoy! Sarah Allen! Put back! Put back! [as
[The Curtain Falls]
ACT FOUR
Scene—About nine o’clock of a moonlight night one year later—Captain Bartlett’s “cabin,” a room erected on the top of his house as a lookout post. The interior is fitted up like the cabin of a sailing vessel. On the left, forward, a porthole. Farther back, the stairs of the companionway. Still farther, two more portholes. In the rear, left, a marble-topped sideboard. In the rear, center, a door opening on stairs which lead to the lower house. A cot with a blanket is placed against the wall to the right of door. In the right wall, five portholes. Directly under them, a wooden bench. In front of the bench, a long table with two chairs placed, one in front, one to the left of it. A cheap, dark-colored rug is on the floor. In the ceiling, midway from front to rear, a skylight extending from opposite the door to above the left edge of the table. In the right extremity of the skylight is placed a floating ship’s compass. The light from the binnacle sheds down over this and seeps into the room, casting a vague globular shadow of the compass on the floor. Moonlight creeps in through the portholes on the right. A lighted lantern is on the table.
As the curtain rises, Sue and Doctor Berry are discovered sitting by the table. The doctor is a man of sixty or so, hale and hearty-looking, his white hair and mustache setting off his ruddy completion. His blue eyes have a gentle expression, his smile is kindly and sympathetic. His whole manner toward Sue is that of the old family doctor and friend, not the least of whose duties is to play father-confessor to his patients. She is dressed in deep mourning. She looks much older. Her face is pale and plainly marked by the ravages of suffering and grief. But there is an excited elation in her face at present, her eyes are alight with some unexpected joy.
Sue—[Excitedly.] And here is Danny’s letter, Doctor—to prove it’s all true. [She takes a letter from the bosom of her dress and holds it out to him.]
Doctor—[Takes it with a smile, patting her hand.] I can’t say how glad I am, Susan. Coming after we’d all given him up for lost—it’s like a miracle. Eh, well, I can hardly believe——
Sue—[Smiling happily.] Read what he says. Then you won’t doubt.
Doctor—[Hesitating—playfully.] I don’t know that it’s right for me—love letters at my age!