Ethel Clifton and Co.

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District Attorney Van Osterman married a wife with money, got his political start through it and then became mixed up in an auto accident. He was at home, ill but safe, when into the parlor came a black robed young woman who wanted to know how he was. It seemed the dark clothed woman had decided Van Osterman would die anyway, so put on advance mourning. Mrs. Van Osterman (Edna Earle Andrews) had been waiting for her. She, the wife, caused reports to go out her husband was dying to bring one Janet Page (Ethel Clifton) to her home. Among her husband’s papers Mrs. Van Osterman had found checks payable to Janet Page and a lease for a home in Fordham. So it isn’t surprising a district attorney with no more sense than to give checks when cash was the thing should have gotten hurt someway. Mrs. Van Osterman informed Miss Page of the checks and the lease and Miss Page passed over a knockout blow in return by saying besides there was a baby, also in Fordham. Then Janet told Mrs. Osterman a few things, all of them having worked overtime in stagedom, about the husband without affection, that there must be love and sympathy in the home, all fine for the balcony on Sunday nights. “You and your kind” was the hardest worked line. The talk got to Mrs. Van. She tore off the dictograph, burned up the phonograph record, ‘phoned her lawyer to get a divorce and told the darkly dressed woman to go in and see the man she loved because he loved her as he didn’t love his wife or something to that effect, then Mrs. Van leaned against the mantle and wondered who was the saint and who was the sinner.
"The Saint and Sinner"
the sketch has holding power for about the same position the Colonial gave it, No. 3, and the familiar theme always finds willing listeners, especially in vaudeville.
Source:
Variety 45:13 (02/23/1917)