THREAD O' SCARLET by John Joy Bell

 THREAD OF SCARLET by J.J. Bell.

John Joy Bell was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1871. He is generally called as J. J. Bell and he was a prolific writer of fiction, farces, travel books and reminiscences. His work “The Thread of Scarlet” is a one act play and was published in 1923.  It is a thriller. This play mainly depicts the social condition of Scotland during 1940’s.

                This play takes place in small village inn, which is away from the town. It’s night time and the weather too is stormy. Migsworth, Smith and Butters were sitting in the inn and the Landlord is trying to avoid Breen, who is asking for beer. Though Breen promised to pay money in the morning, the landlord refused to give him drinks.

                Migsworth and Smith were talking about Jacob Forge and Breen.  Breen was the close friend of Jacob Forge and he is in debts. Both the Landlord and Butters wanted to avoid him. Landlord said that Breen tried to improve his business but it is degrading and his present state is very worse

But Butters opinion of Breen was different. Butters said that he saw Breen’s face when Jacob was hung and his face expressed the torment of his soul. Butters even said that Breen came to the spot to revenge the Judge and Jury for their judgment regarding Jacob. The others wondered at the friendship of Jacob Forge and Breen.

                Butters, who was one among the jury was disturbed a lot. Butters said that he saw Jacob Forge’s face when he was hung on a scarlet thread and his face was smiling even at the last moment. Butters described that the smile of Jacob was like that of an innocent one. This sight seemed to disturb Butters a lot. Everything around him imparted a fear in him. Even the snowstorm frightened him. Butters had a doubt whether he locked his house properly but he felt afraid to go to his home all alone.

                While they were all talking, a Traveller entered and he shared his experience to others. He asked whether there is any deaf and dumb person in the nearby villages. Migsworth replied that there are only paralytic person in the nearby Ashely villages. The Traveller said that a little while ago, he saw a strange man on the road, who seem to be deaf and dumb. That strange man didn’t pay any attention to the horn sound and when the car was about to fall in a ditch the man moved and they managed to move on. The Traveller said that their car almost hit the strange man. But still that strange man didn’t bother to turn back and see who it was. The Traveller further described that in the street light he saw that the strange man was wearing a scarlet muffler. Everyone was quite shocked on hearing it.

                Butters kept on muttering scarlet thread and smiling face. Butters said that Traveller saw the ghost of the Jacob Forge, who was hung in the Lakeford jail. Butters almost seem to be disturbed mentally. According to Smith, Butters was a very honest man even in the worst social condition. And his friends thought that just because Butters went to the hanging spot he is much disturbed and mentally upset.

                Migsworth and Smith described the case to Traveller. As per the trail, Jacob Forge has murdered a farmer, who was retuning from market. Jacob Forge has attacked the Farmer with a hammer and that hammer was found with blood stains in Jacob’s tools-house. More than that two bank cheques that belong to the farmer was found in Jacob Forge’s house, but still the money bag of the farmer was not found. However the scarlet thread that was found in the farmer’s nail was the main evidence against Jacob Forge, because Jacob Forge alone had a scarlet muffler in the whole village. Though Jacob Forge refused all this in the court and said that he lost his muffler in the shop, he was hanged for the murder of the farmer.

                Breen, who was fully drunk, came to the inn again, but the Landlord refused to allow him inside, since it’s time to close. But Breen entered the inn and kept asking for knife, poison and drinks. He was still muttering that he is going to kill the judges and jury. Breen with a self surprise took money from his pocket and flung at the Landlord and asked him for drinks. When Breen was almost gasping for breath, the Traveller and the Landlord made him to sit in the chair and removed the tarpaulin coats that he was wearing. Migsworth and Smith were taken aback on seeing the scarlet muffler around Breen’s neck and chest. Breen died.

                At that moment Butters got up from his chair and with a trembling voice said to Breen that he has stole his safe and without his own knowledge Butters has exposed himself. All the four, Migsworth, Smith, Landlord and the Traveller were taken aback by Butters statement.

J. J. Bell, like in most of his other works, in this work too has given the dark realism of Scottish characters. The poverty of the Scotland around 1940s’ has left many people in debt. Butters, who was an honest man according to Smith, has murdered the farmer to meet his poverty but still his conscious keeps pricking him. His Half-dazed look, fear of ghost, nervousness is all because of his fear over the crime he has committed.

HAPPY LEARNING