The Thirteenth Chair | Page 9

either. It was a day or two after. I remember you and I had lunch
together the day you got home and I had dinner that night with Spencer.
Funny you don't remember anything about it.
(WILLIAM sits R. in circle.)
MASON. Well, of course, I must have seen it in the papers, but I don't
go in much for crimes, and not knowing the man I wasn't interested.
STANDISH (sitting in circle L.C.). It was a good deal of a sensation.
The man knew a lot of nice people. Came here a good deal, didn't he,
Mr. Crosby?
CROSBY (sitting in circle up C.). At one time. But after Helen married
he rather dropped out of it. Fact is, until Trent here appeared on the
scene he was always hanging around.

(TRENT comes down and sits in R. side of circle.)
STANDISH. Funny they never found out who killed him.
WALES (standing outside of circle, L. side). They may not. They
haven't stopped trying.
MASON (seated on table R.). Oh, are the police still interested?
WALES. Yes, they're interested. As a matter of fact there's a reward of
five thousand dollars for the discovery of the murderers.
STANDISH. Are you sure of that?
WALES. I offered it.
TRENT. You?
WALES. Yes. What sort of a man do you think I am? Do you expect
me to sit still and let the murderers of Spencer Lee go free? Why, I'd
known the man all his life. We were the closest friends.
WILLIAM. But if he was the kind of a man that Standish says--
WALES. I don't give a damn what he was. He was my friend, and I'm
never going to rest till I find out who killed him.
TRENT. But.
WALES. I wouldn't care so much if they'd given the poor devil half a
chance for his life, but they stabbed him in the back.
MASON. Wasn't there any indication--
WALES. There wasn't a thing to show who did it, or how it was done.
A knife-wound between the shoulder-blades and no knife ever found.
Nothing stolen, nothing disturbed. The police have found out that a
young woman called to see him that afternoon, two or three hours
before his body was discovered. That's all that we know.

TRENT (with a laugh--still seated in circle). And now you're going to
try spiritualism?
WALES. Why not? (There is a pause.) Do any of you object?
TRENT. Certainly not. I'm rather for it.
MASON (rises, still on L. of table R.). You are doing this seriously?
This is not a joke?
WALES. Quite seriously. (There is a pause.) Well, why won't
somebody laugh?
CROSBY. My dear fellow, why should anyone laugh? This queer old
woman may have powers of which we know nothing at all. Personally,
I haven't much belief in that sort of thing, but I'm not going to laugh at
it. (Rise.) Neither am I going to have any trickery, or if there is any I'm
going to expose it.
WALES (over L.). That's perfectly fair.
CROSBY. You've been at her séances, or whatever they call them,
before?
WALES. Yes.
CROSBY. In the dark?
WALES. Invariably.
CROSBY. I may want light. (He turns to his son.) Billy, if I call for
lights you give them to me. Don't wait for anything. Understand?
WILLIAM. Perfectly, dad.
(WILLIAM goes up to small table R. of chesterfield. Brings table with
lamp on it down to his chair and the chair next to it in the circle.)
CROSBY (still in circle.) That's all right then.

(The door L. opens. MRS. CROSBY enters, followed by MADAME
LA GRANGE and the other ladies. WALES moves to R.C. outside
circle, STANDISH to upper end of table R., TRENT to L. side of
circle.)
MRS. CROSBY. I think it wasn't fair of us.
ROSALIE. Oh, madame, I did not mind.
(MRS. CROSBY crosses back of chesterfield to up R.C.)
MISS EASTWOOD (down L.). I can assure you there isn't anything up
her sleeve.
ROSALIE. Well, what did you expect? Burglar's tools?
(MISS EASTWOOD goes up to L. end of chesterfield. MRS. TRENT
closes door down L. She and HELEN move up L. with Miss
STANDISH.)
WALES (over R.). Madame la Grange, we've fastened the windows.
(TRENT, STANDISH, ERSKINE by console table L. of chesterfield.)
ROSALIE. That is right. You cannot be too careful, eh?
CROSBY. And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to lock the doors and
keep the keys in my pocket.
ROSALIE. Anything you do wish, sir. It is all the same to me.
(Goes inside circle and sits down up C. in circle.)
MASON (R.C.). May I see that it's done, Mr. Crosby?
CROSBY (L.C., with a laugh). Can't you trust me?
MASON. It isn't that--I--well, I just want to be sure. To see for