  The curtain rises on the sitting-room of a Negro’s squalid dwelling in Goat Alley, Washington, D. C. At Right Back, there is a door giving directly on the street and when it is open one gets a glimpse of the miserable, tumble-down houses on the opposite side. At Left Back is a window, with one pane broken and an old shirt stuffed in the hole. The one or two old rag-carpet rugs which lie on the floor serve only in a small measure to cover its bareness. Several old, broken and battered chairs stand here and there about the room. At Left Center is a door leading into the other downstairs room of the house. Between it and the wall, Back, is a door opening into a closet. There is another door, down Right, giving on a flight of stairs which lead to the one upper room of the house. Near the door, Left Center, and toward the front stands a battered table on which lie, in disordered array newspapers and one or two dog-eared books with their backs off. It is evening and a lighted oil lamp, with the chimney badly smoked, rests in the center. The wick is turned low and the guttering flame causes countless shadows to disport themselves eerily about the room. Between the door, Left Center, and the door, up Left, stands a fancy cupboard. There is a large easy chair between the table and the wall, Left Flamboyant lithographs, a gilt-framed picture of Jack Johnson, wearing his golden smile, a framed engraving of Abraham Lincoln, and several grotesque crayon portraits of members of the family adorn the dirty and discolored walls. An old corset, a half-eaten roll, and a doll, with its head off, lie about on the floor. A horseshoe is nailed over the center of the door, Back. Aunt Rebecca, an old coal-black Negress, enters, Back. She wears no hat and has just a shawl thrown over her shoulders. She presents the appearance of an animated mummy. Her eyes are small and bead-like and shine with an uncanny lustre; her hands are long and bony, resembling the talons of a hawk. She glances about inquiringly, gives an impatient grunt, then turns and slowly closes the door. AUNT REBECCA (in high-pitched raspy tones as she moves to the Center) Lucy Belle! Oh, Lucy Belle! LUCY BELLE (from the next room) Dat yo’, Aun’ Becky? AUNT REBECCA Yas, honey. LUCY BELLE Jes’ a minute. Changin’ mah skirt. (Aunt Rebecca drops into a chair, Left Center, and begins a weird and doleful chant.) AUNT REBECCA Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble! (High treble) Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! (Lucy Belle enters, Left. She is a frail, light brown young Negress of about twenty-eight. She has a nervous, hesitant—and sometimes wistful—manner. She wears a plain black waist and a black skirt, patched in several places.) LUCY BELLE (feelingly, as she kisses Aunt Rebecca) Aun’ Becky! I’se so glad ter see yo’ agin! ’Deed I is! (Draws up a chair and sits near her.) AUNT REBECCA (affectionately) Po’ful glad ter see yo’, honey! LUCY BELLE Seem like ole times—seein’ yo’! Lessee—how-some long yo’ all been ’way? AUNT REBECCA (reflectively) Um! Um! (Puts a hand to her head and purses her lips.) Dat gin got mah haid all tangle up! Um! Keep tellin’ G’orge whiskey suit me bettah—but he like gin. How long? Um! Um! Gawd-a-massy! Be a yeah in Feb-wary! (Lucy Belle exclaims incredulously.) LUCY BELLE Go ’long! AUNT REBECCA Sho’ has! I—I was free mon’s in Cumberlan’ wid Sadie—she dat slim yallow one, yo’ know—got a mole on dis cheek. (Indicates.) Some say dat de reason she so lucky. I ain’ sayin’. Up dere mos’ six mon’s wid Em’ly—she dat fat brown gal. (Lucy Belle nods.) An’ den I reckon ’bout fo’ mon’s in Frederick wid Henry. (Throws back her head proudly.) Henry great big fine lookin’ niggah. Ain’ so lucky, dough. Bawn in de da’k ob de moon. LUCY BELLE I ’member him. I ’member seein’ him ’roun’ yere w’en his fader died—ole Uncle Henry,— AUNT REBECCA (scornfully) Huh! Dat niggah was’n’ his fader. No, indeedy! Dat lil’ scrootchin’ monkey was’n’ calc’lated ter be de fader ob no boy like Henry. (Lucy Belle gives an exclamation of surprise. Aunt Rebecca sits in perplexed preoccupation for several moments. At length she speaks very slowly—dragging out the words, one after another.) AUNT REBECCA ’Deed chile, I kain’t seem ter ’member who Henry’s fader was. Dat gin got mah haid so tangle up. LUCY BELLE Lot done happen since yo’ been ’way. AUNT REBECCA Don’ I know it! Don’ I know it! (Fanny Dorsey, a little Negro girl of eight, and Israel Dorsey, a little Negro boy of four, run in, Left.) FANNY Mamma! Yo’ all gwine ’way? LUCY BELLE I ain’ gwine nowhar. ISRAEL Mamma! Git me some candy! LUCY BELLE (harshly, as she rises) Yo’ all hush! I ain’ gwine ter git yo’ nuffin! FANNY Mamma! I wan’ ter go out an’ play wid Gordy! LUCY BELLE Shet up! Yo’ ain’ gwine ter play wid nobody! Git in dere an’ git ter bed! Go ’long! Yo’ yere me? (Threateningly.) Wan’ me ter beat yo’? ISRAEL Mamma! Git me— (Lucy Belle grabs them roughly and pushes them through the door, Left, closing it after them. Their cries are heard for several moments and then gradually cease.) LUCY BELLE (irritably) Some day I’se gwine ter git good an’ mad an’ knock dere haids off! AUNT REBECCA How’s Sam—? LUCY BELLE (drops down on a chair near Aunt Rebecca and exclaims ecstatically) Jes’ great! Aun’ Becky, he’s de bes’ ole budigee in de worl’! AUNT REBECCA Ain’ nobody got nuffin’ on Sam. LUCY BELLE Yo’ said it! Jes’ as good ter me as he know how ter be. Do ev’ythin’ I ask him. AUNT REBECCA Don’ haf ter tell me dat. LUCY BELLE He’s de onlies’ niggah I evah loved. AUNT REBECCA Don’ make ’em no bettah den Sam. LUCY BELLE He’s mah honey-baby, buddy boy! AUNT REBECCA (with a good-natured chuckle) Listen ter yo! LUCY BELLE (her face clouding) But he ain’ had such good luck lately—. AUNT REBECCA How come dat—? LUCY BELLE I dunno—. Till ’bout a monf ago he wuk steady fo de Simpson Express Company. Drive a wagon fo’ dem. AUNT REBECCA Dat w’at he doin’ w’en I lef’. LUCY BELLE Sho’, sho’—. Good job, too. But de wuk gits slack—an’ dey lets him out. AUNT REBECCA Go ’long! LUCY BELLE He try an’ try ter git anoder job—but could’n’ seem ter fin’ nuffin’. Times is bad, yo’ know. AUNT REBECCA Yo’ don’ say! LUCY BELLE Sam’s as steady as dey make ’em. Ef he ain’ wukkin he jes’ ’bout goes crazy. AUNT REBECCA Don’ I know it. LUCY BELLE So finally he up an’ gwine ter Baltimo’—an’ gits a job wid de Street Departmen’—diggin’ ditches fo’ wattah mains. AUNT REBECCA In Baltimo’—! LUCY BELLE Yas, indeedy! I been at him fo’ a long time ter go ovah dere. AUNT REBECCA Yo’ is—! LUCY BELLE Aun’ Becky, dey’s some niggahs ’roun’ dis town—dat jes’ watchin’ dere chanct ter blackguard him an me—git back at us any way dey kin. AUNT REBECCA (with a little snort) Go ’long, now—w’at yo’ talkin’ ’bout. LUCY BELLE Dey sho’ is—! An’ jes as soon as he git somefin’ steady—an’ dat pay a lil’ bettah we gwine ter move ovah dere. AUNT REBECCA (with a wail) Gawd-a-massy, w’at yo’ po’ ole Aun’ Becky gwine ter do! LUCY BELLE Be mighty sorry ter leave yo’, Aun’ Becky—! AUNT REBECCA (with facetious fervor) Why, chile, w’at yo’ ’spose I done come back ter Wash’nin’ fo’? LUCY BELLE I know yo’ gwine ter miss me—an’ I’se gwine ter miss yo’—but it tain’ so far away dat I kain’t git ovah—now an’ den. An’ yo’ kin come ovah an’ see me—! AUNT REBECCA (shaking her head) Lawsy, lawsy—dat’s de way. Jes’ as soon as yo’ git ter likin’ somebody—dey up an’ gwine ’way. LUCY BELLE It gwine ter be bes’ fo’ bof ob us, Aun’ Becky—! AUNT REBECCA I reckon yo’ know—but jes’ de same— LUCY BELLE An’—an’ terday I feels mo’ like we got ter git ’way den evah. AUNT REBECCA How come dat—? LUCY BELLE Yo’ know Sam ain’ nevah had nuffin’ much ter do wid oder gals. AUNT REBECCA (with a nod) He don’ look like he ’ud chase ’em much. LUCY BELLE He don’! He ain’ dat kin’! But—but fo’ de las’ free weeks dey’s a gal dat he uster know—long time ago—keep comin’ ’roun’ yere. AUNT REBECCA Go ’long! LUCY BELLE Her name Lizzie Gibbs—an’ she de hardes’ ole yallow gal yo’ evah seen. AUNT REBECCA She come ’roun’ yere—! LUCY BELLE Sam only gits home onct or twict a week—mos’ly only onct. I allas goes ter de do’ w’en he’s yere—an’ ef she come—he duck upstairs fo’ she kin lay eyes on him. AUNT REBECCA Would’n’ stan’ fo’ nuffin’ like dat! LUCY BELLE W’at yo’ gwine ter do? She so hard she liable ter do anathin’. She—she was yere dis mawnin’. She say she gwine ter keep comin’ ’till she see Sam. AUNT REBECCA Gawd-a-massy! Put de po-lice on her—! LUCY BELLE (shakes her head) Ef I do dat, she liable ter make trouble— AUNT REBECCA W’at trouble kin she make ef dey locks her up? LUCY BELLE She might make trouble ’tween me an’ Sam—ef she’s a min’ ter— AUNT REBECCA ’Tween yo’ an’ Sam—! Go ’long! LUCY BELLE Sam don’ care no mo’ fo’ her den he do a rat—but she crazy jealous— AUNT REBECCA ’Co’se she is—an’ dat’s de reason— LUCY BELLE (touches Aunt Rebecca on the knee) I tell yo’ why I got ter go easy wid her—till I see mah way out. Maybe yo’ kin he’p me— AUNT REBECCA Sho’—! LUCY BELLE Yo’ see she’s de onlies’ one ob all dem blackguardin’ niggahs dat uster live ’roun’ me ovah dere in Carter Street—fo’ I moves yere ter Goat Alley—(Breaks off and stares sombrely into space for several moments, then proceeds with a slight catch in her voice.) Aun’ Becky, I’se had it hard. Ain’ nevah had much luck—’deed I ain’—’cept meetin’ up wid Sam agin. AUNT REBECCA Yo’ ain’ nevah tol’ me much ’bout yo’se’f. LUCY BELLE Nevah tol’ nobody—much. W’at’s de use? AUNT REBECCA Go on! W’at’s on yo’ min’? LUCY BELLE Mah moder died w’en I’se fifteen—an’ Pap goes off ter Texas an’ I ain’ nevah seen him since. Slim—mah bro’der—he was jes’ a lil’ kid—baby mos’—an’ I did’n’ have no oder people. AUNT REBECCA Bless yo’ soul—! LUCY BELLE Done mos’ anathin’ I could—jes’ ter make a livin’. Wuk in laundries, cook, wait on tables—. Starts gwine ’roun’ wid de boys, too. Yo’ know AUNT REBECCA Mah soul—! LUCY BELLE Jeff gits six mon’s in de wukhouse. I meets up wid Sam a few days aftah. Like de fool I is—I ’cuses him ob startin’ de fight. AUNT REBECCA Hush yo’ mouf! LUCY BELLE I did’n’ know who did—’zactly—but I was sore kase Jeff was in jail. He been takin’ me ’roun’, yo’ see—spendin’ lots-a money on me—an’—an’—Oh, well I jes’ a damn fool, kase I ain’ got nobody ter look aftah me. (Shakes her head remorsefully.) Sam gits mad—an’ quits comin AUNT REBECCA Dat ole yallaw gal yo’ jes’ tellin’ me ’bout? LUCY BELLE (nodding) Yas. But only fo’ a lil’ while—he say. He seen right away how hard she was—an’ dat she was’n’ no good—an’ he draps her like a hot tater. AUNT REBECCA Reckon he would—! LUCY BELLE Den he decides ter beat it—an’ goes off ter Atlanta. Stays dere five yeahs. Only come back yere ’bout a yeah ago. AUNT REBECCA An’ yo’ ain’ seen him—all dat time? LUCY BELLE No. AUNT REBECCA Gawd-a-massy! LUCY BELLE But he say he was thinkin’ ’bout me all de time! Nevah fo’git me an’ nevah seen any oder gal dat he like bettah! (Shakes her head.) An’ I sho’ nevah did fo’git him! Ef I’d only stuck AUNT REBECCA Yo’ lucky ter git rid-a him so easy! LUCY BELLE (nodding) ’Deed I was! (Sighs heavily.) ’Bout free mon’s aftah dat I meets Jeff Bisbee ovah in Gerner’s one day—an’—an’ he walks home wid me. I’se livin’ ovah in Carter Street den. (Gives a little nervous shudder.) He shoot off his mouf great. Tol’ me how much he think-a me—an’ dat I is de onlies’ gal dat evah got him goin’—an’ all dat kin’-a stuff. He say dat he broke—but dat he ’spec’ ter collec’ some money in a week or two—an’ dat he don’ know w’at he gwine ter do till den. Begs me ter let him stay dere wid me fo’ a few days. (Drops her head and sighs.) I finally does. De longer he stay de harder he AUNT REBECCA ’Deed, honey, I knows how yo’ must-a felt. LUCY BELLE He wuk in a livery stable ovah on C Street fo’ a while. Couldn’ git him ter do nuffin’ steady. Mos’ de time he jes’ lay ’roun’ de house an’ guzzle gin—guzzle gin—an’ w’en he ain’ doin’ dat, he out in de alley shootin’ crap wid Mink Hall an’ Slim an’ dat gang. AUNT REBECCA He wuss den no-count! LUCY BELLE I was a fool, I knows—ter stick ter him. ’Deed I was! But I’se so scar’t an’ down in de mouf dat I ain’ got good sense. (Aunt Rebecca nods sympathetically.) All de time Jeff keep gittin’ harder an’ harder. An’ me wukkin’ mah haid off ter feed him an’ de chillen. Ev’y onct in while he gits mad an’ beats me up. Finally I’se pretty neah crazy. One night w’en he’s away I gits mah broder Slim ter come ovah an’ he’p me. We packs ev’ythin’ up an’ moves ovah yere—an’ I did’n’ tell nobody whar I was gwine. AUNT REBECCA Yo’ look like yo’ had somefin’ on yo’ min’—dat fust day I seen yo’ yere! LUCY BELLE ’Deed I did! (Shakes her head.) Ain’ seen hide nor hair-a him since. (Abruptly, after a moment or two of troubled thought.) Yo’—yo’ see, Aun’ Becky, ef dey’s anabody in de worl’ dat Sam hate—it—it Jeff Bisbee— AUNT REBECCA Sho! Sho! LUCY BELLE Hate him like poison! (Hesitatingly.) I—I ain’ nevah tol’ him dat I live wid Jeff. AUNT REBECCA Yo’ ain’—? LUCY BELLE Ain’ had de nerve! He know dat I married Ed Cales—an’ I tol’ him mos’ ev’ythin’ else—an’ he say w’at is pas is pas’. But yo’ see it was Jeff dat bus’ him an’ me up befo’—an’ he call him de hardes’ niggah in Wash’nin’— AUNT REBECCA Any way ob him findin’ out—? LUCY BELLE Only ef somebody tell him. AUNT REBECCA Who know—? LUCY BELLE Slim, an’ dem people in Carter Street, an’ ole Lizzie Gibbs— AUNT REBECCA She know—? LUCY BELLE (nodding) Sho’. AUNT REBECCA Den’ yo’ bettah watch out—kase ef she like w’at yo’ tell me she ain’ gwine ter keep it to herse’f. LUCY BELLE I reckon she ain’—an’ dat’s w’at got me so worried. Yo see, she yere Sam talk so much ’bout me dat it make her crazy jealous. W’en he gwine ’way ter Atlanta, she figure dat ef he come back he mos’ likely come ter me fust. Leas’-ways dat w’at I think she figure. So she move ovah dere ter Carter Street, an’ take a house near me, wid de idea dat maybe she kin bus’ me an’ Sam up—ef he come back. I was married ter Ed Cales den—but aftah while I takes up wid Jeff—like I done tol’ yo’—an’ all de time she’s watchin’ me like a hawk widout me knowin’ it—. AUNT REBECCA Tryin’ ter git somefin’ on yo’—! LUCY BELLE Sho’! An’ now—now dat she found out whar I live—an’ dat he’s back—she’s comin’ at me agin—! AUNT REBECCA Put de po-lice on her! LUCY BELLE Den she boun’ ter tell Sam—an’ lie an’ blackguard on me wuss den evah—! Don’ yo’ see—? (Twining and intertwining her fingers and staring (The children suddenly give vent to shouts and can be heard romping wildly in the room, off Left.) LUCY BELLE (rising) Listen ter dem chillen—! (Moving toward, Left.) ’Scuse me while I puts dem ter bed. (Aunt Rebecca sits in a brown study.) AUNT REBECCA (as Lucy Belle nears the door, Left) Lucy Belle—! LUCY BELLE (pausing) Yas. AUNT REBECCA Who de fader ob Fanny? LUCY BELLE Ed Cales. (Hesitatingly) Is-Israel is—is Jeff’s. (Aunt Rebecca grunts and nods. Lucy Belle goes out, Left. Aunt Rebecca sits pondering for several moments and then begins to chant.) AUNT REBECCA (chanting) Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! Trouble in mah soul! Um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a—um—a! (A knock sounds on the door, Back. Aunt Rebecca glances toward the door and gives an annoyed grunt. The knock sounds again. Aunt LIZZIE H’yo’—? AUNT REBECCA (surveying her with an air of frank suspicion and disapproval) W’at yo’ wan’—? LIZZIE (swaggering down toward Center with her hands on her hips) Sam Reed live yere, don’ he—? AUNT REBECCA None ob yo’ bus’ness weder he do or weder he don’—! LIZZIE (savagely) Go ’long, yo’ ole black wench! Don’ yo’ give me no back talk! (Glaring at her malevolently.) Don’ yo ’spose I knows he live yere—! Is he home? AUNT REBECCA (sullenly) Don’ know. LIZZIE Whar is he—? AUNT REBECCA Don’ know. LIZZIE Yo’ don’ know nuffin’, d’yo’—? (Aunt Rebecca stands glaring fiercely at Lizzie. Lucy Belle can be heard in the next room speaking to the children.) LIZZIE Lucy Belle’s yere, ain’ she—? AUNT REBECCA (shortly) I reckon so. LIZZIE Tell her I wan’ ter see her. (Aunt Rebecca hesitates for a moment, then shuffles over toward the door on the left, and goes out. Lizzie swaggers about the room, examining various objects with an expression of sardonic contempt. Presently Lucy Belle enters, Left—falteringly.) LIZZIE (pausing, hunching herself down on one hip, and gazing at Lucy Belle with an expression of sneering venom) ’Lo Luce! LUCY BELLE W’at yo’ wan’—? LIZZIE (with an explosive, sardonic laugh) Listen ter yo’—! LUCY BELLE I—I done tol’ yo’ dat I don’ know whar Sam is! LIZZIE (harshly) Look yere, gal, d’yo’ think yo’ puttin’ somefin’ ovah on me? LUCY BELLE Dat’s de Gawd’s truf—I’m tellin’ yo’. LIZZIE Tryin’ ter make out he ain’ nevah yere—! LUCY BELLE He ain’—! Hones’— LIZZIE Yo’ lie—! Yo’ knows whar he is—an’ w’en he come home as well as yo’ standin’ dere—! LUCY BELLE I ain’ seen him in Gawd knows w’en—! LIZZIE People in de neighborhood tell me dey see him yere ev’y few days—! LUCY BELLE Dey crazy—! Shootin’ off dey moufs ’bout somefin’ dey don’ know nuffin’ ’bout—! LIZZIE Does yo’ think yo’ gwine ter salt him away—an’ nevah let nobody lay eyes on him agin? LUCY BELLE W’at ’ud I be doin’ anathin’ like dat fo’—? LIZZIE (mockingly) Yas—w’at would yo’ be doin’ anathin’ like dat fo’—? LUCY BELLE Nevah git away wid it—ef I did! LIZZIE An’ yo’ ain’ gwine git away wid nuffin’ like dis—neder! LUCY BELLE Yo’ don’ know w’at yo’ talkin’ ’bout—! LIZZIE I’se knowed Sam as long as yo’ is. LUCY BELLE Who say yo’ ain’—? LIZZIE Yo’ stan’ dere an’ act like somebody was gwine ter steal him—right from under yo’ nose—! LUCY BELLE I don’ know w’at yo’ talkin’ ’bout—! LIZZIE (mockingly) No—yo’ don’ know nuffin’—! To yere yo’ talk, yo’d think yo’ owned Sam—got him chain up like a dawg—! Mah soul—! (Vehemently.) Listen ter me, gal—he’s an’ ole frien’-a mine—an’ I wants ter see him—’bout some bus’ness—an’ ef yo’ know w’ats good fo’ yo’—yo’ bettah quit dis lyin’ an’ beatin’ ’roun’ de bush—an’— (Footsteps and whistling are heard off stage, Back. Lizzie breaks off abruptly and both stand listening. A moment later the door, Back, opens and Slim Dorsey enters. He is a tall, slender, light-colored Negro of about twenty-four. He wears a cap pulled around so that the visor slants over one ear, and an old ragged suit of clothes. He glares at Lizzie and nods.) SLIM (as he slouches toward Left Center) ’Lo Luce. LIZZIE (as she sidles toward the door, Back—to Lucy Belle) Yo’ yered w’at I said—! Dat goes bof ways—an’ all ’roun’ de squah. (With a hand on the doorknob). Jes’ remembah dat I’se knowed yo’ a good while, too. (With drawling, veiled menace.) Is—is yo’ evah tol’ Sam how much yo’ love Jeff Bisbee—? (Lucy Belle’s body becomes rigid, she clenches her hands, and speaks in a choking voice.) LUCY BELLE Yo’—yo’ shet up—! LIZZIE (with a bellowing, sardonic laugh) Ha! Ha! Why don’ yo’ tell him someday—? (She goes out, Back.) LUCY BELLE (violently) Damn her! I’se gwine ter break ev’y bone in her body—ef she keep aftah me! SLIM W’at’s de mattah—? LUCY BELLE She—she de hardes’ ole gal in Wash’nin— SLIM Jes’ fin’ dat out—? LUCY BELLE Allas gwine ’roun’ makin’ trouble fo’ somebody—! SLIM W’at she comin’ at yo’ ’bout—? LUCY BELLE (slowly gets control of herself—and ponders for a moment) Oh—oh, nuffin’—! SLIM Aftah Sam—ain’ she—? LUCY BELLE She think she is—! SLIM Bettah watch her—! LUCY BELLE Don’ yo’ worry—I is! (She goes to the window, Left Back, and peers out, then turns and comes slowly down to Center.) SLIM How is yo’—? LUCY BELLE I don’ know—not so good dis week—! SLIM Whar Sam—? LUCY BELLE Baltimo’—! W’at d’yo’ know—? SLIM A lot. (He takes a bag of tobacco and a package of papers from his pocket and proceeds leisurely to roll a cigarette.) LUCY BELLE W’at—? SLIM (as he painstakingly rolls the cigarette) Seen Jeff dis mawnin’—. LUCY BELLE (with a gasp) Jeff—! Jeff Bisbee—! SLIM (with a nonchalant nod) Sho’ nuff—! LUCY BELLE (clutching his arm) Whar—? SLIM Bennings—. LUCY BELLE De race track—. SLIM Yas. LUCY BELLE Did he see yo’—? SLIM Sho’ he seen me—! LUCY BELLE Say anathin’—? SLIM (nodding) Come up an’ grab me. LUCY BELLE Gawd sakes—! SLIM Wan’ ter know right off whar yo’ is. LUCY BELLE Yo’ did’n’ tell him—? SLIM W’at de hell yo’ take me fo’? LUCY BELLE W’at did yo’ do? SLIM Tol’ him I did’n’ know nuffin’ ’bout yo’. LUCY BELLE (gratefully) Yo’ did, Slim—yo’ did—? SLIM W’at yo’ think I is—some kin’-a fool dat has ter be tol’ w’at ter say? LUCY BELLE No, no, Slim. But I thought maybe yo’ might-a been scar’t—an’ say somefin’ fo’ yo’ think. SLIM (with a sneer) Take somebody mo’ den him ter scare me. LUCY BELLE W’at did he do? SLIM Say he gwine ter fin’ yo’—he don’ care how long it takes. LUCY BELLE (with a cry of anguish and indignation) He bettah lay off me—! SLIM Say he gwine ter bus’ hell out-a yo’ ef yo’ don’ come back ter him. LUCY BELLE He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’—! SLIM Picks up a fence rail an’ comes at me—kase I would’n’ tell him whar yo’ is—! LUCY BELLE Oh, mah Gawd! Hit yo’—? SLIM (with contempt) Been in de undertaker’s now ef he had. LUCY BELLE Did yo’ bus’ him—? SLIM I picks up a brick an’ dares him ter come at me. Mink Hall an’ some of mah oder buddies comes ’long right den an’ he beats it. (With a laugh.) Mink makes a grab fo’ him an’ he jumps th’u’ a stable window. LUCY BELLE Ain’ seen or heard-a him fo’ so long—I been hopin’ dat he gone away fo’ good. SLIM Been follerin’ de races—norf an’ souf—fo’ de las’ yeah—so he say—an’ jes’ got in town yisterday. LUCY BELLE I knows he ain’ been ’roun’ Wash’nin’. (Twining and intertwining her fingers, and her gaze roving abstractedly about.) I don’ care. He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’. Me an’ Sam’ll be livin’ in Baltimo’ soon—maybe dis time nex’ monf— SLIM Watch yo’se’f—. LUCY BELLE I sho’ is gwine ter! SLIM Don’ go travelin’ roun’ at night by yo’se’f. LUCY BELLE (shaking her head) Don’ yo’ worry—I ain’ gwine ter take no chances. (A sudden look of apprehension coming into her face.) He gwine ter beat it right ovah ter Carter Street— SLIM Nobody ovah dere know whar yo’ livin’. LUCY BELLE Nobody—nobody ’cept—(She breaks off and stares fixedly before her.) SLIM Who—? LUCY BELLE Lizzie Gibbs. (Aunt Rebecca enters, Left, and closes the door carefully after her.) AUNT REBECCA (discovering Slim) H’yo’, Slim. SLIM (shortly) ’Lo Aun’ Becky. AUNT REBECCA How is yo’? SLIM Fine an’ dandy. AUNT REBECCA (to Lucy Belle) Done put dem chillen ter bed fo’ yo’. LUCY BELLE (gratefully, as she goes to her) Thank yo’, Aun’ Becky,—sartainly mighty good-a yo’. AUNT REBECCA Dat’s all right. Israel ’sleep already— LUCY BELLE Bof so tired dey could’n’ hardly stan’ up. (Aunt Rebecca moves toward the door, Back.) LUCY BELLE Yo’ ain’ gwine—? AUNT REBECCA Mus’, chile. Jes’ drap in on mah way ter de sto’. Oughter been on mah way long fo’ dis. LUCY BELLE W’en I see yo’ agin? AUNT REBECCA May drap in later on dis evenin’. LUCY BELLE Do, honey, please—! AUNT REBECCA (in a low voice—as they pause at the door) Did’n’ put nuffin’ ovah on yo’, did she—? LUCY BELLE No, indeedy! An’ she ain’ gwine ter! AUNT REBECCA Dat’s talkin’! See yo’ some mo’. LUCY BELLE Yas, yas. Goodbye. SLIM See yo’ some mo’, Aun’ Becky. AUNT REBECCA Goodbye. (She goes out, Back.) (Lucy Belle closes the door and returns, slowly to Center. Slim has dropped into a chair, Right Center, and sits nonchalantly puffing away at his cigarette.) SLIM (casually) Luce— LUCY BELLE Yas—? SLIM I’se broke. LUCY BELLE Dat ain’ doin’ me no good. SLIM I ain’ had nuffin’ ter eat since dis mawnin’. LUCY BELLE (irritably) I kain’t he’p dat. SLIM Len’ me a couple-a dollahs. LUCY BELLE I ain’ got no money ter len’ ter yo’. SLIM Yas, yo’ is—! LUCY BELLE Git out an’ git yo’se’f a job. SLIM I is got a job. LUCY BELLE (incredulously) Whar—? SLIM At de race track. LUCY BELLE W’at doin’—? SLIM Feedin’ hosses an’ rubbin’ ’em down. LUCY BELLE Den w’at yo’ come ’roun’ yere askin’ me fo’ money—? SLIM I only had it free days—an’ dey don’ pay till Saturday. LUCY BELLE I give yo’ a couple-a dollahs las’ Monday. SLIM Yo’ ’spec’ dat ter las’ me a week? LUCY BELLE I keeps givin’ yo’ money an’ givin’ yo’ money an’ yo’ ain’ nevah pay me back a nickel. SLIM I been playin’ in hard luck. LUCY BELLE So is I. SLIM (rising) Yo’ got money. LUCY BELLE Don’ make no difference weder I is or weder I ain’—. SLIM Ain’ I jes’ tol’ yo’ ’bout Jeff Bisbee—? LUCY BELLE No mo’ den yo’ had a right ter do! SLIM I did’n’ haf ter boder ’bout comin’ in yere. LUCY BELLE Yo’ be de meanes’ niggah in Wash’nin’ ef yo’ had’n’! SLIM Go on—he’p me out dis time. LUCY BELLE I tol’ yo’ Monday dat I ain’ gwine ter give yo’ no mo’ money! SLIM (hotly) De nex’ time I keep mah mouf shet! LUCY BELLE (angrily) Keep it shet! SLIM Yo’ damn right I will! LUCY BELLE An’ keep yo’ face out-a dis house! (Harshly, as she surveys him with a glare.) Yo’ ain’ nevah done nuffin’ fo’ me—nuffin’ at all! SLIM Yo’ lie—! Ef it had’n’ been fo’ me yo’ been cleaned up a dozen times. LUCY BELLE (with a derisive laugh) Listen ter yo’! SLIM W’at ’bout dat time yo’s sick—? LUCY BELLE Yo’ wuk fo’ a week—an’ buy de stuff we eat. Nevah give me a cent! SLIM Yo’ died ef it had’n’ been fo’ me! LUCY BELLE Been sick a dozen times since den an’ yo’ ain’ raised a han’ ter he’p me! (Harshly.) Yo’ ain’ no good, Slim—an’ yo’ ain’ nevah gwine ter be no good—’less yo’ change mighty quick. Yo’ nevah keeps a job ovah a week. All yo’ is good fo’ is ter guzzle gin, shoot crap an’ chase gals— SLIM Go on blackguardin’ me—ef yo’ lookin’ fo’ trouble! LUCY BELLE I’se tellin’ de truf—an’ yo’ knows I is! SLIM (loudly) I tol’ yo’ I ain’ had nuffin’ ter eat since dis mawnin’. LUCY BELLE I’ll go down ter de sto’ an’ git some stuff. SLIM I ain’ got time ter hang ’roun’ yere while yo’ cooks it. LUCY BELLE All yo’ wan’s dat two dollahs fo’ is ter git in a crap game. SLIM (advancing toward her menacingly) Gimme some money! LUCY BELLE (defiantly) Nuffin’ doin’! SLIM Gimme it! Yo’ yere—? LUCY BELLE I give yo’ nuffin’! SLIM (grabbing her by the wrist) Come on! Gimme two dollahs! LUCY BELLE (fiercely) No, no—! Slim—le’ go! W’at’s de mattah wid yo’! Le’ go! SLIM Gimme it, or I’ll twis’ yo’ damn arm off! (He slowly twists her wrist.) LUCY BELLE (crying out in pain and fright) Oh, mah Gawd! Slim! Slim! Stop—! Le’go! Don’—I’ll kill yo’ fo’ dis! SLIM (between his teeth) Git it! Git it! LUCY BELLE Slim! Fo’ Gawd’s sake! Oh, mah soul—don’—don’—(Writhing with torture, she sinks to her knees.) SLIM Yo’ wan’ me ter twis’ it off—? LUCY BELLE (choking with pain) A-all right—Stop! All right, Slim. I’ll git it fo’ yo’! SLIM Will yo’—? LUCY BELLE Yas, yas. Stop—please—! Lemme up—lemme up—Slim— (He slowly turns her wrist back to normal and relaxing his grip somewhat allows her to rise. She stands limp and dazed for several moments, as though endeavoring to pull herself together. She draws her free hand slowly across her forehead.) SLIM (with savage impatience) Come on! (He tightens his hold somewhat. She gives a little cry of pain, and her knees give. With Slim still gripping her wrist, she moves unsteadily to table, Center.) LUCY BELLE All right—all right, Slim. I’ll git it fo’ yo’—. (He drops her wrist. She opens the small drawer of the table and takes out an old and worn leather pocket book. She extracts two one-dollar bills, hands them to him, then deftly stuffs the pocket book down in one of her stockings. Slim jams the bills into his pocket, turns and moves swiftly to the door, Back, and goes out.) LUCY BELLE (crying out after him) Yo’s a dirty dog! I—I’ll git yo’ fo’ dat—! (Lucy Belle sinks down into a chair and covers her face with her hands. She looks up once and her face presents the picture of fierce, tearful rage. Presently a knock sounds on the door, Back. Lucy Belle jumps up with a start. The knock sounds again.) LUCY BELLE (in faltering tones) Come in! (The door opens and Chick Avery enters. He is a weak-faced, but passably good-looking mulatto, of about thirty-five. He wears a suit of smart clothes, somewhat the worse for wear. His feet are encased in a pair of patent leather shoes which are slit about CHICK (doing a sort of clog dance toward her) H’yo’, Luce—! LUCY BELLE (exclaiming in mild surprise) Why—why, ’lo, Chick—! CHICK How’s de baby—? LUCY BELLE Pretty good, I reckon. CHICK All by yo’ lonesome—? LUCY BELLE Look like it, don’ it? CHICK W’at d’yo’ know—? LUCY BELLE Nuffin’ much—! (He puts his arm around her and attempts to draw her to him.) Stop yo’ foolin’—! (She pulls away from him.) CHICK Ain’ yo’ got a kiss fo’ me? LUCY BELLE I’ll bus’ yo’ in de nose, Chick Avery! CHICK Mah soul, but yo’ gittin’ skittish—! How much dey cos’ now? LUCY BELLE Mo’ den yo’ kin pay. CHICK (with an explosive laugh) Sam got yo’ gwine, ain’ he? LUCY BELLE Good thin’s come high. CHICK Yo’ said somefin’! (Sitting on the edge of the table.) How he makin’ out in Baltimo’—? LUCY BELLE Who—? CHICK Sam. LUCY BELLE Oh—oh, he ain’ makin’ out so bad. CHICK Git home often? LUCY BELLE Onct or twict a week—depen’s on hard dey’s wukkin’ him. CHICK An’ yo’ stick home an’ wuks yo’ haid off. LUCY BELLE (shortly) I does mah share. CHICK Nevah seen yo’ lately w’en yo’ was’n’ played out from wukkin’ yo’ haid off. LUCY BELLE (querulously) None-a yo’ bus’ness how hard I wuks! (Sharply.) W’at yo’ doin’ now? CHICK Barbarin’. Jes’ git a job on de Norfolk boat. LUCY BELLE W’at doin’? CHICK Same thin’—barbarin’. Dey’s got two chairs. I’se gwine ter run one-a dem. Starts in nex’ week. Got a chanct ter make some real money, now. LUCY BELLE Sho’ soun’ like a mighty good job. CHICK (pointedly) Yo’ allas tied up ter some niggah dat make yo’ wuk like hell. LUCY BELLE Shet up! Yo’ don’ know w’at yo’ ’s talkin’ ’bout. Ev’body got ter wuk hard dese days ter git by. CHICK (satirically) Is dey? LUCY BELLE Ef dey’s any good, dey is! W’at yo’ gittin’ at anyway? CHICK I’se allas been yo’ lef’ han’ed budigee—. LUCY BELLE ’Deed yo’ ain’ been nuffin’ but a frien’! CHICK Dat’s w’at I means. (With a significant smile.) Ef I been yo’ real budigee, I sho’ nevah make yo’ wuk like yo’ is! LUCY BELLE (derisively) No! Yo’d make me wuk like a dog. CHICK Not on yo’ life! LUCY BELLE Make me git out an hussle while yo’ lays home an’ guzzle gin. (They both laugh explosively. Lucy Belle unbends somewhat.) CHICK (surveying her critically) Yo’ gittin’ ole, Luce— LUCY BELLE (sharply) So is yo’! Look at dat damned ole haid ob yo’s. Noder yeah an’ yo’ won’ have a hair lef’. CHICK (gives an explosive laugh, and runs a hand over his head) Dat’s no lie! (Throwing back his shoulders.) De older I gits de bettah I feels. LUCY BELLE So does I! CHICK (pointedly) Been ter any dances? LUCY BELLE Don’ care nuffin’ ’bout dancin’ no mo’. CHICK (with a little exclamation of incredulity) Uster be crazy ’bout it! LUCY BELLE Uster be crazy ’bout a lot-a thin’s. CHICK Membah dat dance ob de Golden Eagle Club at de ole Mawnin’ Star? LUCY BELLE (with a reminiscent smile) Sho’ do—! CHICK Somebody th’u’ a beer bottle— LUCY BELLE (in joyous memory) An’ miss yo’ by free inches! (They both laugh uproariously.) CHICK Mah soul! Dat was some night! Git home ’bout seven o’clock in mawnin’. LUCY BELLE (with just a note of wistfulness in her tones) Still have dances up dere? CHICK (exclaiming) Do dey? ’Bout ev’y night. (In ardent admiration.) Yo’s de bes’ lil’ dancer I evah knowed. LUCY BELLE Go ’long! (She drops down into a chair, gives a little sigh and stares abstractedly into space.) CHICK Membah de time we goes down ter Rivahview an’ comin’ home de ole boat gits stuck on dem mud flats dere by de Eastern Branch—? LUCY BELLE ’Deed I does! (In ecstatic memory.) We dance on de deck—in de moonlight— CHICK (with a rapturous chuckle) Ole Beverly Johnson chase Mink Hall wid a razor— LUCY BELLE (laughing) Mink jump ovahboard an’ swim ter shore! CHICK (laughing) Great day! An’ membah de fair down at—er—lessee—Manassas? LUCY BELLE (nodding) Eat chicken an’ duck an’ co’n pone an’ ice CHICK Bet yo’ ain’ had no times like dem since! LUCY BELLE (deprecatingly) I was jes’ a kid den. CHICK Dere’s gwine ter be a dance at de Mawnin’ Star termorrer night. LUCY BELLE Yo’ gwine—? CHICK Sho’! Come on an’ go wid me. LUCY BELLE (shaking her head) Nuffin’ doin’. CHICK (earnestly) Come on! W’at’s dis settin’ ’roun’ de house gittin’ yo’—? Jes’ dis onct fo’ ole times’ sake. LUCY BELLE (shaking her head more emphatically) Nuffin’ doin’, Chick. No use ter axe me. CHICK (slides off the table and moves to her side) Luce—jes’ dis onct—! LUCY BELLE (loudly) No—! (Pause. Chick surveys her ruefully. Lucy Belle glowers at him.) CHICK (at length) Den come on ovah ter Gerner’s an’ have a glass-a gin. LUCY BELLE Not ternight, Chick. CHICK Yo’ tired—an’ it set yo’ up great. LUCY BELLE Not ternight. CHICK Dey got a phonograph in de back room an’ we kin have a couple-a lil’ dances. Ef yo’ kain’t go ter de Mawnin’ Star—yo’ kin leas’ git yo’se’f in a lil’ dance ovah dere. LUCY BELLE No, no—! CHICK Come on! Jes’ fo’ ole times’ sake! Good Lawd, yo’ got ter git out an’ have a lil’ fun now an’ den. Yo’ kain’t stick home yere all de time! (Puts a hand on her arm.) Come on, baby—! LUCY BELLE Nuffin’ doin’—! (A loud knock sounds on the door, Back. Lucy Belle jumps up and stands listening.) CHICK (in a low voice) Who dat—? LUCY BELLE (shaking her head) Don’ know. (The person outside kicks the door violently. An expression of dire apprehension comes into Lucy Belle’s face. She swings about, points at the door, Left, and speaks in peremptory tones.) LUCY BELLE Git in dere a minute. CHICK (in low, guarded tones as he hurries toward Left) Is it Sam—? (She shakes her head. Chick goes out, Left. Lucy Belle, after a moment or two of deliberation, advances warily toward the door, Back. When almost there she halts again, as though debating whether or not to answer the door. Suddenly the kicking is renewed with increased vigor. Lucy Belle draws back shudderingly, as though to turn and flee. Abruptly the door opens and Jeff Bisbee lunges in. He slams the door shut after him. He is a short, stocky Negro of about thirty—brown in color—with a short, thick neck, a bullet head and a mean, leering manner.) LUCY BELLE (with a gasp of terror) Jeff—! JEFF I knowed I’d find yo’—! (Swaying toward her menacingly.) W’at yo’ leave me fo’? LUCY BELLE Yo’ know why—! JEFF Sneak off like a cat—! LUCY BELLE I was starvin’ ter deaf—. JEFF Like hell yo’ was! LUCY BELLE Yo’ was’n’ wukkin—. JEFF Yo’ know why! LUCY BELLE Yo’ did’n’ want ter—! JEFF I’ll bus’ yo’ in de mouf! (Takes a step toward her.) I was havin’ some hard luck den. LUCY BELLE Dat’s w’at yo’ allas say. It was allas hard luck—or somefin’! JEFF (pulls back an arm as though to strike her) Yo’ knows I was! Could’n’ git nuffin’—! LUCY BELLE Yo’ did’n’ ha’f try. JEFF Yo’ lie—! Times was hard. Look fo’ a monf—an’ could’n’ fin’ nuffin’—! (As though he were on the point of leaping upon her and choking her.) Watched yo’ chanct—did’n’ yo’—? LUCY BELLE No, no—! JEFF Watched yo’ chanct—an’ run—! Did’n’ stop ter figur’ w’at I’d done fo’ yo’—! LUCY BELLE (with a cry of derision) Yo’ nevah done nuffin’ fo’ me—! JEFF Yo’ be on de streets ef it had’n’ been fo’ me! (Lucy Belle sneers audibly.) Did’n’ have no mo’ sense den a chicken—! LUCY BELLE Ain’ on ’em now, is I? JEFF It ain’ yo’ fault—! LUCY BELLE (her tones gradually becoming more and more tremulous) Yo’ crazy—! JEFF Watch till mah back is tuhned—an’ run ter anoder niggah. LUCY BELLE Yo’ dreamin’—! JEFF I got de dope on yo’—an’ got it right—! LUCY BELLE Yo’ think yo’ have—! JEFF Yo’ come yere ter Sam—! LUCY BELLE No, no—! JEFF Come yere ter dat damned ole loon! Beat it ter de man dat git me sent up! Dat’s de way yo’ pay me back, huh—? LUCY BELLE Yo’ don’ know w’at yo’ talkin’ ’bout—! JEFF Livin’ yere wid him—! LUCY BELLE No, no—! JEFF (savagely) Don’ yo’ go lyin’ ter me—! I knows! Yo’ kain’t put nuffin’ ovah on me! (She starts to back away from him.) Yo’ yere—? (He grabs her by the arm.) LUCY BELLE (pulling away from him) Jeff—please— JEFF (menacingly) Come yere—! LUCY BELLE (getting around to the other side of the table) Jeff—please— JEFF Yo’ gwine wid me—! LUCY BELLE No, no—! JEFF An’ yo’ gwine damn quick! LUCY BELLE Jeff—fo’ Gawd’s sake—! JEFF I’se gwine back ter Havre de Grace in de mawnin’ an’ yo’ gwine wid me—! LUCY BELLE (defiantly) I ain’ gwine nowhar wid yo’! (Jeff reaches in a back pocket, whips out a knife, snaps open the blade, and poises it in the air.) JEFF I’ll cut yo’ God-damn heart out! LUCY BELLE (terror-stricken as he makes a move to come around after her) Oh, mah Gawd, Jeff—! Don’—don’—! (Puts a hand to her throat, and glances wildly about, struggling for self-control.) Jes’-a minute— JEFF (savagely) Come on—! LUCY BELLE Mah clothes—! JEFF Git ’em—git ’em! LUCY BELLE An’ de chillen—! JEFF Ter hell wid dem—! LUCY BELLE Got—got ter leave ’em wid somebody. JEFF (sardonically) Leave ’em wid Sam. LUCY BELLE (as though she hadn’t heard his remark) Got ter leave ’em wid somebody dat kin see after ’em right. JEFF Git busy den! LUCY BELLE (after a moment of tense, anguished deliberation) I—I reckon I could leave ’em wid Aun’ Becky— JEFF Who she? LUCY BELLE Ole woman—live down de alley yere. JEFF Hussle. LUCY BELLE (after a moment of hesitancy) Dey’re in yere. Got ter git ’em ready. (Moves swiftly toward the door, Left. Jeff takes a step or two, as though he were going to follow her. She pauses as she places a hand on the door knob.) Only take a minute. (She opens the door quickly, slides out and closes it. Something about her manner and the quickness with which she closes the door rouse Jeff’s suspicions. He stands—body tense—glaring after her. Absolute silence ensues. The lock in the door clicks. With a cry of rage Jeff leaps forward and tries to force the door open.) JEFF (ferociously) Open de do’! Open it—or I’ll knock yo’ haid off! Open it! (Muttering and cursing to himself he puts his shoulder against it and presses hard, but it fails to yield.) Open up! Open up! (Baffled, at length he turns away, springs to Left Center, and grabs up a chair. Realizing, however, that it is perhaps not quite heavy enough for his purpose, he slowly sets it down, stands with his hands resting on its back, and looks about in search of a more formidable weapon. Suddenly shouts, the footsteps of people running, and the noises of panicky commotion issue from the alley, immediately off stage, Back. It proceeds down the alley, Left, and the noise rapidly lessens in volume, and distinctness. All at once the door, Back, bursts open and Slim dashes in. He bangs the door shut after him, and stands wild-eyed and breathing heavily.) JEFF W’at’s de mattah—? SLIM (with a gulp—as he recognizes Jeff) Po—po-lice! JEFF (lowering his voice and becoming markedly wary and tense) Po-lice—? Who dey aftah? SLIM Raid Messer’s stable—down de alley yere— (Someone runs heavily down the alley. Slim springs back and stands in a crouching attitude. Jeff leaps over to the table and blows the light out.) JEFF Crap game—? SLIM Yas. JEFF Git anabody? SLIM Don’ know. (The noise and clatter recede continually, off Left. At length Slim advances cautiously to the door, Back, opens it and peers out. Jeff goes over and stands near him.) SLIM At de oder end-a de alley, now. JEFF See yo’ w’en yo’ runs? SLIM Sho’—! Slew-foot know me, too. He one-a dem. Liable ter come back dis way an’ search ev’y house. (He opens the door wider and leans far out. A pale light filters in from Back. The silhouetted SLIM I’se gwine ter beat it. (Slim darts off down the alley, Right. Jeff stands tensely deliberating for several moments. Finally he steps out, and with a swift movement closes the door after him. Almost immediately the door, Left, opens and a broad shaft of light falls across the room from the doorway, Left, to the wall, Right Back. Lucy Belle enters, followed closely by Chick. They leave the door open and pause, Right Back, in the full beat of the light.) CHICK (as they move to Right, Back) Oughter shot him in his tracks—! (Taps his hip pocket.) LUCY BELLE (shaking her head violently) I done tol’ yo’ dat yo’ done right—stickin’ dere an’ keepin’ yo’ mouf shet. CHICK (with simulated bravado) Sartainly like ter git dat bird. LUCY BELLE Gawd, no! Don’ wan’ no killin’s ’roun’ yere. CHICK Yo’ bettah beat it. LUCY BELLE (breathing quickly) Ain’ no place ter go—. CHICK Plenty ob ’em—! Hun’erd’s—! LUCY BELLE Ain’—ain’ got no strenf—! (Draws a hand across her forehead.) CHICK Buck up! Yo’ got ter git out-a yere—! LUCY BELLE Oh—oh, Gawd! Somefin’ like dis allas got ter happen. (Chick skips over to the door, Back, opens it and peers up and down the alley.) LUCY BELLE See anabody—? CHICK (shaking his head) No. (He closes the door and returns swiftly to her.) He liable ter come back any minute. LUCY BELLE Yo’ reckon so—? CHICK Sho’ as yo’ bawn! LUCY BELLE I kain’t go runnin’ ’roun’ de streets— CHICK We kin go ter some place neah. LUCY BELLE —Not feelin’ like I does. CHICK Yo’ ain’ gwine ter stay yere an’ let him kill yo’! LUCY BELLE He ain’ gwine ter kill me! CHICK Damn soon see ef yo’ stick yere! LUCY BELLE Sho’ ter see us in de street. CHICK We got a chanct ter run dere. LUCY BELLE He’s some runner hisse’f. CHICK He ain’ gwine ter do nuffin’ outside—wid de cops aroun’. (She deliberates.) Look at yo’! Tremlin’ like a leaf! LUCY BELLE (with a little hysterical sob) I know—I know— CHICK Yo’ needs a good swig-a gin— LUCY BELLE Ain’—ain’ got a bit in de house. CHICK Come on ovah ter Gerner’s— LUCY BELLE Kain’t leave de chillen. CHICK (with a little laugh—as though recalling her subterfuge with Jeff) Carry ’em ovah ter Aun’ Becky’s. LUCY BELLE I know—but yo’ see— CHICK Yo’ crazy ter stick yere—’less yo’ wan’ me ter hang ’roun’ an’ plug him fo’ yo’— LUCY BELLE Nuffin’ like dat—! CHICK Den come on—! Good drink set yo’ up jes’ right. (Lucy Belle takes a faltering step or two toward the door, Left. Just then someone passes the window, Left Back, and heavy footsteps on the pavement SAM (peering forward through the dim light at them) Luce—! LUCY BELLE (with a cry of mingled joy and agitation) Sam—! SAM (closing the door and moving slowly down to Center) H’yo’—? LUCY BELLE (leaps to his side and grabs his arm) Sam—Sam-boy! Jes’ talkin’ wid—wid Chick Avery yere—yo’—yo’ knows Chick— CHICK (circumspectly) H’yo’, Sam. (Sam glowers at Chick for a moment before replying.) SAM (at length—with ill grace) H’yo’—! LUCY BELLE Light de lamp, Chick. (To Sam.) Po-lice raid a crap game down de alley—an’—an’ we puts out de light. (Chick strikes a match and lights the lamp on the table, Center.) LUCY BELLE (in eager vibrant tones of affection as she gazes up at him) Sam-boy, I’se so glad ter see yo’! How is yo’? SAM Pretty good. LUCY BELLE Did’n’ hardly ’spec’ yo’ ternight. SAM Shower come up an’ we quits early. LUCY BELLE Gawd bless yo’—! (Casting about for something to relieve the constraint of the situation somewhat, she spies his hat, grabs it and begins to industriously dust it off with her sleeve.) Mus’-a been playin’ football wid dis ole hat. SAM (with a contemptuous glance at Chick) I’se been doin’ a man’s wuk. LUCY BELLE (with a forced, nervous laugh) Been standin’ on yo’ haid! CHICK (doing a light clog dance toward the door, Back) On mah way, Luce. See yo’ some mo’. LUCY BELLE W’at’s yo’ hurry—? CHICK Got some bus’ness ter ’tend ter—ovah at Gerner’s. (Gives an explosive laugh.) (Lucy Belle makes a wry face, and finally breaks into a little nervous giggle.) LUCY BELLE Goodbye, Chick. See yo’ some mo’. CHICK (over his shoulder) See yo’ some mo’, Sam. (Sam nods glumly and grunts. Chick goes out, Back.) SAM (sharply) W’at he doin’ ’roun’ yere—? LUCY BELLE Jes’—jes’ drap in ter say “howdy”. SAM Don’ wan’ nobody like him hangin’ ’roun’. LUCY BELLE He—he’s an ole frien’-a mine. SAM (nodding) Damn pool room spoaht! LUCY BELLE No, no, Sam-boy! He’s a barber—an’ makes good money. Wukkin’ all de time. SAM Nevah seen a barber dat was any good. LUCY BELLE He ain’ so bad. An’ he don’ come ’roun’ yere—oh, only onct in a long time. (Glancing toward the door, Left.) We keep on talkin’ like dis, dem chillen wake up an’ make a fuss. (She hurries over, Left, and closes the door. Sam takes his pipe from his coat pocket, fumbles around in the other outside coat pocket, finds his bag of tobacco, pulls it out and begins painstakingly to fill the pipe. Meanwhile he follows Lucy Belle’s movements with an intent, questioning gaze.) LUCY BELLE (coming back to him) Honey-baby, been crazy ter see yo’—! SAM (lays his pipe on the table and takes her in his arms) Honey-baby! (Kisses her fondly.) Mah lil’ gal! LUCY BELLE Seem ter me I miss yo’ mo’ an’ mo’—! SAM Sho’ nuff—? LUCY BELLE Lonesome yere widout yo’. SAM (playfully) Go ’long! LUCY BELLE (shaking her head) So lonesome some days dat I don’ know w’at ter do. SAM (patting her cheek) Po’ lil’ baby-budigee—! LUCY BELLE Hones’, kain’t seem ter git uster yo’ bein’ away. SAM Jes’ remembah dat I misses yo’ as much as yo’ does me. LUCY BELLE I know, Sam-boy—I knows yo’ does! SAM (sits in a nearby chair and pulls her over on his knee) Tain’ gwine ter be dis way long. LUCY BELLE (with a little cry of joy) Gee, w’en yo’ comes home like dis—an’ s’prise’s me— SAM (laughing) Make yo’ feel good—? LUCY BELLE Oh, Gawd—! (Strokes his hair fondly. Someone passes down the alley. She gives a start.) SAM W’at’s de mattah—? LUCY BELLE (making a valiant effort to hide her agitation) Nuffin’—! SAM Yo’ mus’ got de fidgets. LUCY BELLE (nodding) Maybe—from bein’ yere nights—alone. (Plaintively.) Oh—oh, Sam-boy, I don’ wan’ yo’ ter go ’way no mo’! SAM (with puzzled impatience) W’at yo’ talkin’ ’bout, gal? LUCY BELLE I don’ wan’ yo’ ter go ter Baltimo’ no mo’—! SAM Honey-baby, I got ter git back on de job! LUCY BELLE No, yo’ ain’—. SAM W’at’s de mattah wid yo’? Is yo’ crazy—? LUCY BELLE Dat ain’ de onliest job in de worl’— SAM Dat don’ make no diff’rence. LUCY BELLE Yo’ kin git somefin’ yere. SAM Walk de streets agin like I did las’ monf? LUCY BELLE Thin’s ain’ so slow now. SAM Slower den dey evah was! LUCY BELLE So hard on me bein’ yere alone—an’ wid de chillen. SAM Kain’t he’p it, honey-baby. Jes’ got ter keep gwine ’long like we is—’till thin’s break bettah. LUCY BELLE Wukkin’ hard—? SAM Sho’ is! LUCY BELLE Diggin’ in de streets ain’ no kind-a job fo’ yo’. SAM Bettah den nuffin’. LUCY BELLE (feelingly, as she strokes his hair again) I knows dat yo’ doin’ all yo’ kin—! Gawd bless yo’—! But I wan’s ter be wid yo’, Sam-boy honey-baby—all de time. SAM (his tones vibrant with emotion) An’ I wan’s yo’ wid me—! LUCY BELLE Den—le’s go ter Baltimo—now— SAM W’at yo’ mean—? LUCY BELLE Next week. SAM Next week—? LUCY BELLE Er—er maybe de week aftah. We been figurin’ on gwine dere all ’long. But le’s don’ wait till yo’ git somefin’ steady. Yo’ kin’ allas git somefin’. SAM (turning the thing over in his mind) I don’ know, honey— LUCY BELLE Sho’ yo’ kin! I don’ wan’ ter stay yere no longer widout yo’. Please—! SAM Cos’ a lot ter move. LUCY BELLE We could sell off some de furn’ture—an’ maybe jes’ take rooms— SAM (nodding) Yas—perhaps. LUCY BELLE Sho’ we could! SAM Got ter fin’ de rooms fust. LUCY BELLE Dat gwine ter be easy ’nuff. SAM Nex’ week, yo’ say—? LUCY BELLE Or de week aftah! SAM Make it de week aftah. LUCY BELLE (kissing him) Yo’ will—! SAM I reckon so—! LUCY BELLE Gawd bless yo’—! SAM Do—do mos’ anathin’ dat gwine ter make yo’ happy! LUCY BELLE (embracing him) Honey-baby! (Draws back suddenly and searches his face anxiously.) Is yo’ had any suppah? (He smiles and shakes his head.) Co’se yo’ ain’! W’at’s de mattah wid me! Great day! SAM I ain’ so hangry. LUCY BELLE Hush yo’ mouf, an’ lemme git down ter dat sto’. (She grabs up a little shawl from a nearby chair and throws it over her head.) SAM Got any money—? LUCY BELLE A lil’, I reckon. (Sam reaches in his pocket, pulls out a bill and hands it to her.) SAM Yere. LUCY BELLE Thanks, honey. Be right back. Ef Israel hollers go in dere an’ beat him. (Sam nods. She goes out hurriedly, Back. Sam reaches over on the table, picks up his pipe and lights it. A knock sounds on the door, Back.) SAM Come in! (The door, Back, opens and Lizzie Gibbs enters. Sam twists about to see who it is.) LIZZIE (doing a sort of languorous muscle dance as she advances) H’yo’, Sam? SAM (harshly—glowering at her) W’at yo’ wan’? LIZZIE (unctuously) I draps ’roun’ dis way—now an’ den—ter see ole frien’s. SAM (laying his pipe on the table and rising) Yo’ does, does yo’? LIZZIE Jes’ see yo’ gittin’ off a car down on Four-an’-a ha’f Street. (She waits a moment or two for him to speak, but he doesn’t offer to proceed with the conversation.) How is yo’? SAM All right. LIZZIE Long time since I seen yo’. SAM Reckon it is. LIZZIE Ain’ seen yo’ since yo’ git back from Atlanta. SAM No—yo’ ain’. LIZZIE Tol’ me yo’ gwine down here fo’ a few weeks—! SAM (his manner gradually becoming defiant) Long as I ’spected ter stay. LIZZIE Yo’ nevah come back! SAM Got a good job. LIZZIE Las’ a long time, did’n’ it? SAM Long as I wan’s it! LIZZIE Nevah send me wud—or nuffin’—! SAM Yo’ knows why! LIZZIE I wish ter Gawd I did! SAM Don’ stan’ up dere—an’ talk like a fool. LIZZIE Tell me—tell me—! SAM I ain’ got no time fo’ no gal like yo’. LIZZIE Sam—w’at yo’ got so agin me? SAM Yo’ know! LIZZIE ’Deed I don’! SAM I ain’ studyin’ ’bout no gal dat fights—an’ raises hell— LIZZIE I know—sometimes I uster—w’en I got mad—But I nevah meant no harm, Sam-boy— SAM How ’bout dat time ovah at yo’ sistah’s? LIZZIE (penitently) I know, I know—(Lays a hand on his arm.) Fo’give me, Sam—! ’Deed I did’n’ mean nuffin’ den! SAM (drawing away from her) I ain’ boderin’ ’bout yo’, Lizz. LIZZIE (passionately) Listen, son, ain’ yo’ gwine ter fo’give yo’ ole budigee? SAM Go ’long ’bout yo’ bus’ness—. LIZZIE I’ll give yo’ money, Sam—! Give yo’ de bes’ eats in de worl’—! SAM Shet up! LIZZIE Sam—! SAM Yo’ an’ me done call it quits—long time ago. LIZZIE (collects herself gradually, and draws back a step or two with a sardonic leer) Done pass me up, huh? SAM Yo’ yered me. LIZZIE Pass me up fo’ dis lil’ wench. SAM (flaring up) Who yo’ talkin’ ’bout? LIZZIE Yo’ know—! SAM Who—? LIZZIE Lucy Belle. SAM Don’ yo’ go blackguardin’ her. LIZZIE I ain’ blackguardin’ nobody. SAM Den watch yo’ step! LIZZIE Fell fo’ her! Oh, mah Gawd! SAM Keep yo’ tongue off her! LIZZIE I knows her as well as yo’ do! Bettah—! SAM Yo’ don’—! LIZZIE I knowed her w’en she live ovah in Carter Street— SAM Carter Street—? LIZZIE (with a loud, rasping laugh) W’en she livin’ dere wid Jeff Bisbee—! SAM (with a shout which is a mixture of incredulity and menace) Livin’ wid Jeff Bisbee—! LIZZIE Sho’! Big as life. SAM Yo’ lie—! LIZZIE Ain’ she tol’ yo’? Oh, mah Gawd! (Gives a raucous, sardonic laugh.) Ask her—! She’ll tell yo’ all ’bout it! I knowed yo’d fall fo’ a wench like her! (The door, Back, opens and Lucy Belle enters, carrying several small packages. An expression of blank dismay floods her face upon discovering Lizzie.) LIZZIE (regarding her with an expression of leering vengeance) H’yo’, Luce—! LUCY BELLE (in a low, choking voice) ’Lo—! (Sam’s eyes are first upon one, then the other, in a gaze of fierce, tigerish scrutiny.) LIZZIE (with a wink and a laugh as she slouches toward the door, Back) Great lil’ gal, Sam—! LUCY BELLE (angrily) Yo’—yo’— LIZZIE Go on an’ say it! I dare yo’—! SAM (to Lizzie) Shet up! LIZZIE (with a leering smile) So long, Sam. See yo’ some mo’. (At the door, Back.) Good beatin’ w’at she need! (She goes out quickly, Back. Lucy Belle advances to Center, and deposits her packages on the table.) LUCY BELLE (studying Sam’s face with eager, pathetic anxiety) Hardes’ ole gal in Wash’nin’! SAM (fiercely) She say yo’ live wid Jeff Bisbee—! LUCY BELLE (agitatedly) She—she say dat—? SAM (advancing quickly to her side) Did yo’—? LUCY BELLE Oh, Sam—I—I— SAM Yo’ yere me? LUCY BELLE She—she hate me like sin—! SAM Did yo’—? LUCY BELLE Tryin’ ter git back at me—! SAM (grabs her and jerks her to his side) Did yo’ live wid him—? LUCY BELLE Oh, Sam-boy, honey-baby—! Don’— SAM Did yo’—? LUCY BELLE (with a sob) Oh—oh, Sam—I—I ain’ gwine ter lie ter yo’— SAM (putting a hand on each of her shoulders, and staring down into her eyes with a look of scarce-believing, burning intensity) Took up wid dat dirty skunk—? LUCY BELLE He made me—! SAM Yo’ lie—! LUCY BELLE He did—he did! Say he kill me ef I did’n’—! SAM An’ yo’ let him git away wid it—! LUCY BELLE Did’n’—did’n’ know w’at ter do—! SAM (mockingly) Did’n’ know w’at ter do! LUCY BELLE He kep’ aftah me—an’ kep’ aftah me— SAM W’en—w’en? LUCY BELLE Aftah Ed leaves me. Yo’s in Atlanta. SAM An’ yo’ stick yere? LUCY BELLE I was ha’f sick—an’ did’n’ have no money. He—he had me so scar’t I was neah crazy. SAM (in anguish) Gawd—! LUCY BELLE Ha’f-out-a mah haid, honey—did’n’ know w’at I was doin’— SAM Took up wid de wust niggah in de worl’—! LUCY BELLE I—I could’n’ help it—’deed I could’n’! SAM Swo’ I nevah touch anathin’ or anabody dat he lay a fingah on. LUCY BELLE Dat’s de reason I ain’ said nuffin’. SAM (bitterly) I reckon it is! LUCY BELLE I knowed how yo’ hate him. SAM (harshly) Dey don’ come no wuss. LUCY BELLE Treat me like a dog! SAM W’at kin’-a crazy fool is yo’? LUCY BELLE I done tol’ yo’. I was down an’ out—an’ scar’t ter deaf. SAM (shaking his head) Took up wid him—! LUCY BELLE I know, I know— SAM Why did’n’ yo’ kill him? LUCY BELLE Gawd, I wan’ed ter—! SAM Why did’n’ yo’? LUCY BELLE Ev’y day I prays dat yo’ would come back. An’ I thinks ’bout yo’ all de time. Sam-boy, honey-baby, dey ain’ nevah been anabody but yo’—an’ nevah will be! (Stretching out her arms to him.) W’en yo’ come back it seem too good ter be true. SAM Wish I nevah come back. LUCY BELLE Don’ say dat, Sam—don’—! SAM Whar was yo’ livin’—? LUCY BELLE Carter Street. SAM An’ he come ter yo’ dere? LUCY BELLE Yas. SAM An’ yo’ let’s him stay. LUCY BELLE Had ter—. (Sam gives a short, savage laugh.) I—I only done w’at oder gals would-a done—ef dey been in mah place. I gits away de fust good chanct I gits. SAM How long yo’ live wid him? LUCY BELLE ’Bout yeah-an’-a-ha’f. (In tender, appealing tones.) Honey-baby, I loves yo’—an’ I’se loved yo’ all de time—right from de fust. Yo’ knows I is! W’en me an’ yo’ hooks up yere—yo’ say w’at is pas’ is pas’! Don’ yo’ membah—? (Sam nods.) An’ yo’ say dat yo’ ain’ been no angel—an’ yo’ knows I ain’— SAM Did’n’ know yo’d been tied up ter anabody like Jeff. LUCY BELLE I done tol’ yo’ why I did’n’ say nuffin’. Oh, Sam-boy, I ain’ nevah come back at yo’ ’bout ole Lizzie Gibbs. I don’ hol’ dat agin yo’—even ef she do blackguard an’ lie on me. I ain’ nevah said nuffin’ ter yo’ ’bout it. Is I? SAM No. LUCY BELLE Den don’ hol’ dis agin me. It all happen fo’ me an’ yo’ hook up fo’ good. It’s pas’ an’ gone. Fo’give me. I ain’ nevah gwine ter keep nuffin’ back agin. Fo’give me, honey-baby—please fo’give me? SAM (takes her in his arms and kisses her passionately) Mah lil’ baby budigee! LUCY BELLE Yo’ does fo’give me, don’ yo’? SAM Yas, yas—! LUCY BELLE I knowed yo’ would. SAM Ef yo’ evah has anathin’ ter do wid anoder niggah I’se gwine ter kill yo’! LUCY BELLE No, no, Sam—nevah agin—! Don’ yo’ worry—! SAM (with passionate fervor) I loves yo’ bettah den anathin’ in de worl’—! LUCY BELLE (ecstatically) Sam-boy budigee! SAM I wants ter go on wukkin’ fo’ yo’— LUCY BELLE Honey-baby! SAM An’ w’en anathin’ like dis come up— LUCY BELLE I know, I know— SAM Ef it had been anabody but Jeff— LUCY BELLE But w’at is pas’ is gwine ter be pas’—! SAM (repeating) W’at is pas’ is gwine ter be pas’. An’ I’se gwine on wukkin’ fo’ yo’—an’ tryin’ ter make yo’ happy— LUCY BELLE (with a sob) I knows yo’ is, ole Sam-boy, baby! SAM Yo’s all I got in de worl’. LUCY BELLE Yo’s all I got! SAM By-an’-by we gwine ter git nuff saved ter buy a lil’ place down neah Frederick—mah ole home. LUCY BELLE Yas, yas—jes’ as soon as we kin— SAM An’ we gwine down dere an’ raise garden truck—an’ chickens—an’ live right— LUCY BELLE Yo’ said somefin’! SAM De chillen’ll have plenty-a room ter play. An’ I kin take a day off now an’ go huntin’. (Wistfully.) Still got-a lot-a possums down ’roun’ dere. LUCY BELLE Is dey—? SAM Heaps. (With a sigh.) Yas, indeedy! We gwine down dere—an’ live right! (The footsteps of someone coming rapidly down the alley arrest them. Lucy Belle gives a start. They both listen intently. The door, Back, suddenly bursts open and Jeff Bisbee dashes in. He halts abruptly upon discovering Sam and stares at him—his face distorted with rage. Sam breaks away from Lucy Belle and starts at him—menacingly.) SAM (at the top of his voice) Git out-a yere! (Lucy Belle gives a cry of anguish and fear and draws back, toward Left, cowering.) JEFF (drawing a knife and snapping open the blade) Who yo’ talkin’ ter? SAM Ter yo’! LUCY BELLE (rushes forward, as though to place herself between them) Jeff—! Fo’ Gawd’s sake! JEFF Thought I’d find yo’ yere! SAM (thunderously) Git out—! (Jeff lunges at Sam. Lucy Belle gives a blood-curdling shriek. The men grapple and sway about the room, grunting and cursing.) LUCY BELLE Oh, mah Gawd! Po-lice! Po-lice! Murder! (Sam has a firm grip on Jeff’s right arm. After some desperate maneuvering, Jeff contrives to swing it down in an attempt to stab Sam in the side. Sam diverts the thrust and the blade plunges into Jeff’s side. Jeff gives a groan, his body becomes limp, his knees sag, the muscles of his hand relax and the knife falls to the floor. Sam releases him and he staggers toward the table, Center. He makes a grab for it, misses it, and falls to the floor. He raises himself on one elbow, puts his free hand to his side, and lies there groaning and rolling his eyes. Sam and Lucy Belle stand gazing down at him—terror-stricken.) LUCY BELLE (in wild, hysterical tones) Sam—run! Git out—git out fo’ yo’ life! (At this juncture a policeman dashes in, Back. He pauses near the door for a second, sees Jeff lying on the floor, turns, discovers Sam, springs over and grabs him.) CURTAIN |
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