(Two years are supposed to have elapsed. Costumes should be changed as to be noticed.) Scene I.—Brownschweiger’s sitting room. Enter Yokle and Henner Hoffman. Henner. Es mus eppes gadu sei. Du bazawlsht mer yo ken interessa may und es sayd shlecht ous. Yokle. Well, hob yusht noch a wennig gadult, und ferrup mich net. Ich expect es gait bol besser— Henner. So husht du shon long gsaut. Won’s net ware os dy frau, dee Frany, alendig ware, don het ich net so long g’wart. Yokle. Wart noch a wile. Ich bin sure os es all recht wert eb long. Henner. Won es noch ware os wee’s for yora zurick wor ep dos dee ferdulta fry shoola und may machina und oll dee socha in der gong komma sin, und du hetsht besser g’shpawrt—ovver ich will der noch 4 wocha zeit gevva. Ich mus ovver gay. (Exit.) Yokle. (Alone.) Won ich yusht seller Shwinefelt nee gsana het. Ich hob shon bol $800 in dee inshurance co.’s bezawlt. Won ich selly $800 g’used het for my intressa zu bezawla, het ich ols noch wenig ivverich kot for on der haupt sum obzumocha. Do kommt widder ainer for gelt! (Enter Shwinefelt.) Shwine. Well, Yacub, wee sayts ous hite? Sin widder dry [3] death-notices for dich. Dy 'sessment is $23.75. Yokle. Ich hob miner sex kens. Won du es net uf holta konsht, don missa mir’s fawra lossa. Shwine. Well, wee is dee grossmommy? Gate see net bol nivver? Ich hob net gedenkt 2 yore zurick os see so long ousholta date. Yokle. See is graut aye zeit wee dee onner. Shwine. Denksht net 'swar zeit see date nivver gay? Yokle. Mer darf see evva doch net dote shlawga. Shwine. O, nay! Ovver won mer eera Awdorn tay shtork mocha date! See kent mol shnell shtarwa, waisht, om mawga gromp, oder eppes so. Yokle. Wos in der welt mainsht du? Shwine. Du fershtaist’s, denk ich. Won see dote ginkt, data meer, du und ich, $10,000 zeaga, saysht? No ken shreef, ken assignee, ken ufbrecherye! Und see is anyhow olt genunk for op zu passa. Yokle. Yaw, ovver wee kent mer’s macha? Shwine. Horich! Ich sawg deer’s! Du gaisht in der shtore und gricksht 10 cent wart mice gift. Ich darf kanes kawfa. Ich hob kay mice, ich board am wartshouse. Ovver du husht rotta, kansht sawga. Du bringsht meer’s peckly und ich psuch eich anes fon denna ovet—sell is all—$10,000 oder uf brecha. Wee sawgsht? Yokle. (Walking back and forth.) Ich doos! (Exeunt both.) Scene II.Small sitting room. Best room. Evening. Lamp burning. Sallie seated alone, sewing. Sallie. Ich wais gar net wos lets is mit’m dad. Er is gar nimmy der mon wo er wor. Sidder os seller Shwinefelt do hare kommt will es naryets may gay. Hite is er rum g’stonna und rum gluffa os we en dummer older goul. Essa dute are nix may widers, und gshlofa hot er net feel dee letsht nocht, und dee onner nocht aw net. Es doot en ebbes mechtig druvla. (Enter Gust.) Gust. Well, well, Sallie, olford busy. (Kisses her and seats himself near.) Sallie. Yaw, Gust, ich mus busy sy. Du waisht de mam kon nix shoffa wayga der rummadiz for so long. Und dort is dee grossmommy, und dee boova, und der dad druvelt sich so wayga eppes, und ich wase net forwos. Sis gar nimmy in unsererm house we’s war. (Bursts into tears. Gust puts arm around her, strokes her hair in a comforting manner.) Gust. Waisht net wos dee uresoch is, Sallie? Sallie. Nay, ich doo net, won’s net sy shulda sin. Do is der old Hoffman, der hut getroyt zu shreefa, und no mus er so feel in dee life inshurance co. bezawla, und uf der bowerie gates gar nimmy. (Cries.) Gust. Wen hot er don inshured? Sallie. Ich glaub os er dee grossmommy inshured hot. Gust. O, nay, see is shon 10 yore zu olt. Wee olt is see anyhow? See mus 80 sy. Sallie. Ich hop eera daufshein hite gsayna in da shublaut. (Goes out and returns with it.) Do is eera elt druf. (Both examine.) Konsht du es Deutsch laysa? Gust. O, yaw, do is es: “Geboren den 18ten Yooly, 1814.” Sell date see yusht 67 yore olt mocha. Des is net eera daufshein, denk ich. (Reads.) Yo, sis. (Examines.) Sawg, muldo! Do sin dee ziffera ferennert, des war 1801. War hot des gadu? Sallie. Ich glaub os es der Shwinefelt war. Gust. Er war nix zu gute dafor. Und denksht du dy pap druvvelt sich wayga dem? Sallie. Ich wase net. Ovver er est net, und shloft nimmy! Gust. (Gets up and walks about.) Ich will dich net fershrecka, ovver ich hop hite gamaint, wee er im shtore wor, es war eppes lets. Un er hut en peckly mice gift kauft. Sallie. (Starting up.) Wos? Gust. Sy yusht rooich, Ich hop’s g’filt mit gips. (Plaster of Paris). Sallie. O, my Gott, Gust! Wos soll ich mocha? Es sin dee shulda—my ormer dad! (Wrings her hands and cries violently.) Gust. Hold up, Sallie. Ich will der now aw noch gooty news sawga. Ich hop hite en breef grickt fom ma lawyer in Ohio; der shreipt dos anes fom mina unkles in sellera shtait gshtorwa is, un hot mir $10,000 fermocht. Now, hop ich en plan; $3,000 bezawlt dime dad sy shulda. So feel geb ich deer, und du lainsht’s eem. Und ich denk, mit em ivvericha, kÖnne ich und du awfonga housa. Sallie. Oh! Gust. No ferlongsht du mich nimmy. Gust. Wos? Won ich a hunnert douset het date ich es all gevva for dich! (Kisses her, she cries on his shoulder.) Kum, kum, Sallie! Hile net, mer wella nivver zu der onnera gay und wella eena unser plan sawga. (Exeunt.) Scene III.Same as first. Yokle and Shwinefelt seated on right. Granny on left. In center, by her side is a small table on which are a cup and saucer. Ike and Abe have books. Frany in an arm-chair with pillows under head on extreme left. Two empty chairs near C. Granny coughs. Shwinefelt rises, and, while talking to Granny, empties a folded paper into her teacup. While so occupied, Gust and Sallie appear at left entrance, stop, and see him do it. Shwinefelt. Deer seit ols aye zeit wee dee onner. (Empties paper into cup on the sly.) Granny. Yaw, und nee net gute. Ich hop evva ols den hushta! (Coughs.) Shwine. Sis evva aw so feicht wedder. Granny. Wos? (Enter Gust and Sallie and see the act.) Shwine. So feicht is es drous. (To Yokle.) Wos zeit is es shun. Ich denk ich mus bol uf der wake for hame. Ike. (Coughing.) Ich hop aw der hushta. Gust, husht ken lickerish-ball? Abe. I, drink fon der mommy eererm Awdorn tay. Frany. Yaw, sell date ich, Ike. Yokle. Sell is net feel wart. (Sharply.) Frany. Yo es is. Ike, drink mole, und no gay in’s bet. Dee Sallie holt der mommy no noch may. (Ike gets up, takes cup and drinks.) Yokle. (Starting up.) Drink net. (Excitedly.) Drink sell net. Ike. Yaw, ich hop getrunka! (Spits.) Wos der difle is do hin in dem tay? (Spits, etc.) Yokle. (Distractedly.) Gift, mice gift! Grickt millich! (Runs out for milk. Confusion all around.) Ike. Gift! Gott im Himmel! Bin ich fergift! Frany. O, Gott! O, Gott! Wee is don des ny komma? Ike. O, my! O, my! Macht’s mich dote? Herr Yesses! Es shoft shon. Ooh! Hooo! (Holds stomach with both hands, bends down, etc.) Gate ebber for der duckter. Oh! Hooo!—es shoft shon orig. O, ich grick now bol shmartza—won ich—es brent—ach!—ich! Helf mer doch—holed ebber millich—kee warmy millich! Sallie. (Goes to him.) Es war kay gift. Sy yusht ruich. Es war nix os gips. Ike. We waisht’s, Sallie? O, ich glaub os es gift war. O! was es zuckt! (More business.) Shwine. (Aside.) Dummer older difle! Olles ferdorwa. (Attempts to exit when Gust steps before him with a drawn pistol which he holds to Shwinefelt’s head.) Gust. Net so shtorik. Sits dich noch a wile. Sis noch net so shpote. Sallie. Sy yusht ruich, Ike, es dute der nix. Yokle. (Rushing in with a tin full of milk which he sets down before Granny and shouts.) Do is seesy millich. Granny. See is gute. (Takes it and drinks it.) Yokle. O, my kindt! my kindt! Gust. Er is all recht. Es wor gips in sellem bobbeer und shunsht nix. Ich fershtay olles. Do is der kerl wo des ding g’shtart hut, und ich hob’s en sayna in der tay doo. Now, hob ich eem por worta zu sawga. Im ershta blotz, rous mit sella inshurance policies. Shwine. Do sin see. (Hands them out.) Gust. Do, Ike, ferise see. (Ike does so.) Now, Shwinefelt, clear the patch! Los dich nimmy in Lebanon Co. sayna, oder ich arrest dich for zu brovera dee grossmommy zu fergifta. Ich kon olles proofa. Now nous mit der. Ike und Abe, geb eem farrywell. (Ike and Abe kick him out of center entrance.) Now, dad, horich a mole. Los dy finger ous der inshurance business. Kum in unser cumpeny. Ich und dee Sallie shtarta en cumpany, capital $10,000, ganunk for der old Henner ob zu flicka. Net so, Sallie? (Sallie takes her place by his side.) Granny. Des is besser for my hushta os ich noch eppes kot hop. Frany. Yaw, es cured aw my rummadiz, glaub ich. Ike. Und my bouch! Granny. (Granny rises and stretches out her hands.) Liebe kinner. Empfongt my sÄga! (Tableau.) IKE. FRANY. YOKLE. GRANNY. GUST. SALLIE. ABE. CURTAIN. |