The second offering of the Professional Players, A. A. Milne's "Michael and Mary", has the elements of what is generally thought of as a charming English comedy. By no means the best of Mr. Milne's plays, Miss Kennedy and an able cast succeed in presenting it in a thoroughly entertaining manner. The disjointed plot that jumps from 1905 to 1930 without much continuity is not exactly exciting, but the author's gentle wit saves the play from becoming dull.

The action is stimulated by a problem in poetic justice. A lovely young lady, Mary, that is, Madge Kennedy, is deserted by a worthless husband and Michael, Terence Neill, comes upon her in the British Museum. Of course they fall in love and are subsequently married on the assumption that Husband number one is dead. This is back in 1905 and '06. As every one expects, the first husband turns up, but this is in 1919 after a son has arrived to complicate matters. A weak heart fortunately carries off the deserter during a slight scuffie with Michael, by this time a budding novelist. This incident is covered over and it is not until 1930 that the illegal marriage of the supremely happy Michael and Mary gets another blow. Highly devoted and avowedly Victorian son David takes a young lady in marriage and the truth must be told. David accepts the situation with considerable grace. The play ends, however, with the police on the point of discovering the lie that Michael used to cover the death of the first husband. Everyone faces the possible jail term happily, because "It was worth it."

So long as Mr. Milne shows the past with a charmingly sentimental wit, he is on firm ground. He creates a strong sympathy for both of his leading characters that follows to the end of the play. When he sets David to orating on the Futility and Superficiality of the present he unfortunately fails to be convincing, or even amusing. Cocktails and smart talk might be thoroughly evil, but David is merely trite on the subject. Aside from this, there is only one major fault in the play, and that is a very flat end. The discovery of the police delivered in a long and dull exposition by officer Cuff and the final acceptance of the verdict whatever it might be is an anticlimax and a considerable let down from the highly dramatic moment just preceding. The charm of Michael and Mary remains but the play of their life just dwindles away into hopes for an uncertain future.