It is evident that ELIZABETH is not too violently shocked by the thought of the woman who has been with her son. She half rises from her chair but the doctor stops her Sit still, Elizabeth! Sit still! Don’t move!
ELIZABETH
I’m all right now.
ELIZABETH arises but immediately REEFY runs to her. He half leads her over to the couch and REEFY stands looking at her
REEFY
Just stay here on the couch.
Something has come into her figure. At the moment she is an alive, strong figure. She even sits on the couch a bit coquettishly, her legs spread apart. She looks up at him. She has on a small worn black hat that has a stuffed bird on the side of it, and when, a few moments before, she fell into the chair, the hat got tipped aside, and now it sits rakishly on her head, giving her whole figure a somewhat radish air. Now the little bird seems perched on the top of her head, ready to fly away. She is looking at DOCTOR REEFY and he is compelled to smile at her absurd appearance. She also smiles
ELIZABETH
He’s all right then? You are sure — George is all right? The woman isn’t going to get him into trouble?
REEFY
No.
ELIZABETH Smiling So he’s been up to that — so young, too. He seems just a child. I suppose every mother thinks that her son will in some way keep clean — It’s begun.
REEFY
Elizabeth! Elizabeth! My God — you aren’t just one woman. I wish you were. You keep me puzzled. You do not seem one woman to me — you seem a dozen. What a poor no-account doctor I am. Elizabeth, if you could see yourself now —
He makes a rather absurd little movement with his hand toward her hat Shoo! Fly away, little bird.
And now the two middle-aged people in the doctor’s office have become queerly like two young lovers. There is obviously an understanding between them
ELIZABETH
Go on. Tell me. I want to know.
REEFY seats himself beside her
REEFY
It’s nothing, I tell you — an old story — a romantic boy and an older woman. — Elizabeth, you should have heard her telling of it. Do you know, I think she was both sorry and glad it happened. Really, you should have heard it.
REEFY arises and stands with a somewhat quizzical expression on his face looking down at her The boy’s coming to her. The boy’s fright, his wonder in the presence of a woman, a boy’s wonder in possessing, perhaps for the first time, his woman, his boyish fright. Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Do you know what you are to me? — You must know.
He laughs Good Queen Bess. Funny I never thought of that before. What a queen you would have made, Elizabeth! Bess! — Bess! Good Queen Bess!
ELIZABETH
I can depend on you. I know it. You wouldn’t lie to me. George won’t be getting into trouble?
REEFY again sits beside her
REEFY
No. Don’t worry about that. She herself repented of her little scheme before you came. Depend upon it, she’s all right. She herself asked me to tell him that he was not the father of her child. And I will at once. You won’t have to tell him. He’s a little frightened just now.
ELIZABETH
Poor woman. — Can’t the other man marry her? Did you say he was already married?
REEFY
Yes.
ELIZABETH
Well — she doesn’t know it, but she’s lucky. Look at me. I married, didn’t I? I found a man.
Contemptuously A man!
With her free hand ELIZABETH straightens her hat, taking away the half vulgar look. She is sitting up straight and rigid on the couch You have told me a dozen times that I may die at any minute. Yesterday I thought I was gone. There is something I must tell you. There is some money for the boy — a little. I want him to have it. I have been hiding it, keeping it for him. My father gave it to me when I married Tom. It isn’t much. There’s eight hundred dollars. It’s all in bills. You know how I married — why I married. I have told you. There is nothing concealed between us.
She laughs That woman — who has just left here. — She thinks she is in a desperate position. If she only knew.
ELIZABETH is becoming excited and this adds to the look of youth and beauty that has suddenly come into her figure. She is sitting very rigid on the couch now I don’t know why I’ve never told you of the money before. I’ve never told any one. It is in a hole in the baseboard in my room. The hole is right below the little table with the lamp. You know where it stands. You have been in my room often enough. If something happens to me — suddenly — it will happen like that, soon. You go there. You get the money. You give it to George. He may be wanting to go away to school. He dreams of being something. There will be a quarrel between him and his father. ELIZABETH becomes angry He won’t be the smart go-getting man his father wants him to be. I know he won’t. Don’t you ever let his father know about the money.
ELIZABETH gets suddenly to her feet. She is excited. Passionate I don’t trust him. — I don’t want him to know of the money — I hate him — I came here to tell you. After the attack yesterday I was afraid. — This woman — you are sure there will be no harm come to George? You wouldn’t tell me anything but the truth.
REEFY is standing, looking at her with a hurt, puzzled expression on his face. Suddenly, his voice rings out
REEFY
Elizabeth!
He speaks softly Elizabeth! Oh, Elizabeth! Elizabeth! Why didn’t I come at the right time — why did I come too late? — You dear. — You lovely dear.
He kisses her. A little laugh comes to his lips Elizabeth. — You know what the woman said — never too young, never too old, to be silly. How silly we both might have been — a lifetime of being silly — if I hadn’t come too late —
The curtain descends slowly, and as it is descending, the tune “After the Ball Is Over” is heard being played on a phonograph. The tune goes on while the stage is dark and a quick shift is made to Scene 3
CURTAIN
SCENE III
THIS IS AGAIN a very simple scene. There is a large swing in the exact center of the stage and a small section of picket fence running offstage, left. The background goes off into the blue of the night. The tune “After the Ball Is Over” gradually dies away GEORGE and HELEN are in the swing AT RISE: — GEORGE is bashful with HELEN and they sit quite far apart on the seat, HELEN drops her handkerchief and GEORGE picks it up. From the distance there comes the shrill voice of a young girl
GIRL’S VOICE
Oh, Mary, Mary, come on. Hurry. Let’s go down to see the 8.10 come in.
ANOTHER GIRL’S VOICE
All right, Sarah. You start on. I’ll catch you.
GEORGE rather awkwardly passes the handkerchief to HELEN who puts out her hand for it smiling mischievously, but just as he is about to drop it into her hand she jerks her hand away letting it fall again to the ground. She laughs at him From the distance is heard the sound of a piano and a girl’s voice sings the chorus of the song— “After the Ball Is Over.” GEORGE keeps the handkerchief and does not attempt to return it to HELEN. She looks at him coquettishly
HELEN
I thought you were a ball player. What makes you so awkward?
GEORGE
Holding the handkerchief which is a very small and dainty one I think I’ll just keep it.
HELEN
Laughing, pleased Oh, George Willard! You thief! What do you want with it?
GEORGE
Holding it up before him and laughing I know what I’m going to do with it. I’ll use it as a postage stamp. Maybe I’ll write a love letter to myself.
HELEN Reaching over and — snatching — it — from — him You give it back to me, George — Willard. — I’ll — love letter you!
GEORGE
Suddenly Helen, I tell you what let’s do. Let’s go for a walk. Let’s go up to the fair ground. The races are going to be here next week and some of the race horses have already come.
HELEN
Pleased Gee, George, I wish I could. I bet it’s nice up there. It would be nice to go up there at night in the dark but I can’t. Mother made me promise I’d stay here. Anyway she wouldn’t let me.
She plays with the idea of going with him It would be fun, though, wouldn’t it? We’d go up by the waterworks pond. What do they do up there at night? Do they race the horses at night?
GEORGE
Growing a little superior and gaining confidence Of course not, Helen. But they do in the early morning. Say, it’s swell up there. You got to get up and go at daylight. It’s great. It’s so cool and nice in the early morning and the men are cooking their food outdoors and everything smells so fresh and nice.
HELEN
Excited, jumps up and down on the seat George, I bet I could do that! I could get up at daylight without Mother knowing. Dad always sleeps late, too. Will you go with me?
GEORGE Also enthusiastic — more confident You bet I will. You just say when.
They suddenly stop talking and find themselves looking at each other intently, and GEORGE becomes confused again. She jumps up from the seat and GEORGE also gets to his feet. They stand, not looking directly at each other, suddenly embarrassed again Helen, I came out here tonight to talk to you about something.
HELEN
Also growing serious Why, George! About what? —
GEORGE
I’m in trouble, Helen. I’ve just got to talk to some one.
He sits again and HELEN sits beside him, somewhat closer I tell you I’m in trouble, Helen. I’ve been thinking of things. I can’t sleep at night from just thinking.
HELEN
Softly About what, George?
GEORGE
You can’t talk about such things to just any one. Helen, do you remember when we were both in grade school? Gee, I always liked you a lot, but I guess I thought —
He hesitates. HELEN sits absorbed, listening. She is excited
HELEN
What did you think, George? — Not about me, I bet.
GEORGE
Yes, I did, too. Only, Helen —
He looks up and smiles I guess maybe I thought you were kinda hoity-toity.
HELEN
Laughing Oh, George Willard!
She grows quickly serious again and speaks a little tenderly George, what are you in trouble about? Tell me.
GEORGE
Well, it’s something serious. I used to talk a lot to Seth and Fred but lately I can’t. Anyway not about this. It’s too serious.
HELEN
George, is it something you’ve done?
She braces herself, intent on being heroic You can tell me just anything, George. Don’t be afraid. I want to know things about life. George, go on — tell me.
GEORGE
Gee, Helen, I guess you think I’m just a kid.
He grows very solemn Helen, I can’t ever get married. I can’t ever think of loving any one, not a woman, I mean. I can’t ever have a wife.
HELEN
Startled Why, George Willard! Now you tell me. If it’s something you’ve done I want to know it.
GEORGE
It’s about Mother and Father.
HELEN
She is disappointed Oh!
GEORGE
Very serious Helen, I’ve got to get Mother away from here. I’m frightened about her. I’m going to get a job on The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. I’m going to take her up there to live.
HELEN
Not so pleased — but trying to be sympathetic You’re going to leave Winesburg, George?
GEORGE
Yes. Call that old hotel we live in, a home? I guess Father doesn’t know what he does to Mother, but I do. I’ve got to get her away.
HELEN
I know how it will be. If you go I’ll never see you again.
GEORGE
Oh, Helen, Cleveland isn’t so far. I’ll be coming back here. Hesitates Would you care if I didn’t?
HELEN
Of course I would, George.
GEORGE Highly pleased Would you, Helen?
She arises and stands looking at him with one hand on the chain of the swing
HELEN
Of course I’d care, George.
GEORGE
If it wasn’t for one person here I wouldn’t care much if I never came back.
HELEN
It would be so lonesome here.
GEORGE
You lonesome?
HELEN
Yes, me.
Looks down at him There isn’t any one but you I can really talk to, George. Who else is there?... Mother is so good and, Father... I guess he thinks I’m still a kid. We never really talk. Oh, I wish I wasn’t a girl. I do, George. I wish I was a boy. I get so sick of this — this darn respectability. A girl can’t go anywhere or find out anything. She always has to sit at home or go to church or prayer meeting or Sunday school or maybe with some nice boy to the drug store to get a dish of ice cream. Everything always so la-dee-dah and proper. Gee, George, if I have to be a woman — sometimes I think — there are plenty of women who can do a hundred things I can’t do. Sometimes I don’t care if people do call them tough. Maybe I’d be tough myself.
GEORGE
Gee, Helen, I see what you mean. Gee, I didn’t know you were like this.
HELEN
We’re so respectable, me and Father and Mother. Seth Richmond says you’re always going around with the rag-tag people in town — that you go to all the tough places. Gee, George, I bet you know a lot. You know how people really live.
GEORGE
Very tenderly Oh, Helen, I’d take you with me lots of places if I could.
HELEN
She seems almost ready to cry. She and GEORGE are suddenly very tender toward each other. She leans forward and even touches his shoulder with her hand We’re so respectable, me and Father and Mother — we live here in this respectable street. Oh, George, I want to be free, to know people. George, I know there are people, just common people, who are so nice they make you ashamed. There was a woman came to work for Mother. She was helping with the house-cleaning last spring and I was up in the room with her. We talked. George, she had a child once, long ago, without even being married. And George, I didn’t know, until she told me, that there could be a child without marriage. We got to talking and then she told me. George, she made me feel so strange.
As they are talking intently DOCTOR PARCIVAL comes onstage left rear and passes across stage to Exit, right rear. His attention is attracted by the voices of GEORGE and HELEN and he turns, bracing himself with his hand on the picket fence, and taking off his hat. He bows elaborately but doesn’t speak GEORGE is so intent on HELEN that he doesn’t notice PARCIVAL but HELEN sees him. PARCIVAL passes on out of sight and HELEN grabs GEORGE by the arm
HELEN
Oh, George! There goes that funny man.
GEORGE Excited and interested Who is it?
HELEN
It’s that Doctor Parcival.
GEORGE
Does he come here — to your house? Do you know him?
HELEN
He was never here before. Tell me about him, George.
They sit GEORGE Rapidly He’s a queer one all right. He only came here to Winesburg two or three years ago. He hasn’t got any practice. When he first came here, they were going to arrest him. He went around saying that he was the man who shot Jesse James. There was a murder out in Chicago. The newspapers were full of it. It was called the Cronin Murder. Some one out in Chicago killed a man and put his body in a trunk and afterwards the trunk was found with the man in it and they never found out who killed him. And then, Helen, Doctor Parcival began to say he killed him.
HELEN
You mean that he said he killed Jesse James and that he committed this murder out in Chicago and that really he didn’t do these things at all?
GEORGE
Yes, of course, you see he is a strange man.
HELEN
Oh, I think it’s k
ind of grand, don’t you?
GEORGE
I go up to see him in his office sometimes and he talks to me. He has a kind of religion of his own. I can’t understand it exactly but it’s about God and people and you being every one and every one being you and a lot of things like that.
HELEN
Oh, I wish he’d talk to me. I’ll bet I’d like him, too. GEORGE Rapidly You see, Helen, if some one kills some one else, away off in Chicago — let’s say — you did it, too. Sometimes he says he’s Christ and that some day he’s sure to be crucified.
GEORGE laughs awkwardly And Helen, he said to me — he said — well, he said that I was Christ, too, and that some day I’d be crucified.
HELEN Thoughtfully I guess I understand what he means. There was that woman who worked here — the one who had the child without being married — I guess from what she told me that people here in Winesburg crucified her.
The conversation between GEORGE and HELEN is interrupted by the reappearance of PARCIVAL from the left rear. He stops. He pulls himself together and looks at GEORGE and HELEN. HELEN turns to face him and GEORGE moves a few steps away
HELEN
Good evening, Doctor Parcival.
PARCIVAL takes off his hat and bows elaborately. He also bows to GEORGE
PARCIVAL to GEORGE
Good evening, George.
He turns to HELEN, making a movement of his arm as though dismissing
GEORGE
Miss White, I see you have made the acquaintance of our local Horace Greeley.
He turns again to GEORGE
Go West, young man, go West. Don’t stay here. Go West and rise in the world.
GEORGE stands laughing, intent on PARCIVAL To HELEN
I came here this evening, Miss, to make a call on your father.
HELEN
I don’t think he’s here. He went downtown. And Mother is gone, too, I’m afraid.
PARCIVAL stands a moment as though in deep thought, looking at her
PARCIVAL
No. Your mother would not do, my dear Miss. The fact is that I came here this evening on a mission. It concerns the world of finance. Ah, the world of finance. It’s not for you women. It’s our man’s world where we demonstrate our manhood.
He smiles I was about to tackle your father for a loan.
Complete Works of Sherwood Anderson Page 304
