A MAN’S VOICE
Ha! You see, Fred! That’s what you get trying to kiss the bride. Fred, you’re drunk.
There is a crash, as though some one had fallen, and MIRIAM, standing at the door, puts her hands over her ears
A MAN’S VOICE
Let me go! I’m gonna kiss her. I gotta have a kiss.
The voices die down and MIRIAM runs across the room to the bed. She falls to her knees
MIRIAM
As she runs Oh! Oh! Oh! I can’t stand any more of it! I won’t! I don’t have to! I won’t!
She stays on her knees by the bed with her face in the crook of her arm, her shoulders shading, and again the voices from below fall away to a low murmur Some one comes slowly up the stairs and into the room. This is LAURA GREY, JOHN GREY’S wife, a comely, serious and white-faced woman of perhaps fifty-five. She hurries over to the door, left, and opening it enters, but immediately comes out. She looks about the room and seeing her daughter kneeling by the bed goes to her. She sits on the bed and takes her daughter s head in her lap. She strokes her head. The sound of voices from below is quieter now
LAURA GREY
Poor Miriam! You mustn’t, dear. You mustn’t. It will soon be over now. You can’t run away like this. You can’t, dear. You can’t lose your nerve now.
MIRIAM straightens stiffly up. She stays for a moment on her knees and looks at her mother
MIRIAM
Mother, I won’t go down there again. I won’t.
She gets suddenly to her feet and stands before her mother. A man s voice is heard from below
MAN’S VOICE
Now you just let me alone. I ain’t done nothing, have I? I just wanted to kiss her. A kiss don’t hurt a woman. I’ll bet Bob Forest ain’t kissed her yet. He ain’t got the nerve. I tell you women like men that have the nerve.
A MAN’S VOICE
Oh, cut it out, Jed.
FIRST VOICE
What the hell she get married for, if she didn’t want to be kissed.
There is a murmur of protest
A WOMAN’S VOICE
You’ve hurt her feelings, that’s what; you should be spanked, Jed Smith.
MIRIAM
To her mother Mother! Mother! Why did you have these people here?
LAURA
Taking her daughter s hand Why, Miriam, child. They are your father’s friends. They are people who have put money into the factory. Your father invited them. I had them, Miriam, because I thought it would help your husband.
MRS. GREY arises from the bed and stands facing her daughter. She speaks again You have to remember, Miriam, that Robert Forest is an inventor. He was very poor when he came here. Your father and Henry Eastman gave him his chance.
MIRIAM turns from her mother and walks nervously up and down the room and LAURA again sits on the bed
MIRIAM
Angrily His chance. His chance. What do I care for his chance?
LAURA
Why, Miriam. Now you get yourself in hand. We must go down now, Miriam. We must. We can’t be discourteous to our guests.
There is a sound of a struggle going on below. Some one tries to mount the steps but is apparently stopped. There is a sound of a scuffle
MIRIAM
They’re not my guests. I didn’t invite them here. I didn’t want them here.
MAN’S VOICE
From below I tell you I am gonna kiss her. I won’t leave this house till I kiss her.
WOMAN’S VOICE
Sharp and determined You’re going home, Jed Smith; that’s where you’re going.
MIRIAM and her mother stand silently, listening intently to the struggle going on below
WOMAN’S VOICE
I don’t care, I feel like crying for Miriam. I think you men are just horrid.
MAN’S VOICE
Oh, Jed Smith’s all right. He’s only stewed. He don’t mean nothing.
MIRIAM suddenly whirls and faces her mother
MIRIAM
So you want me to go down there again, to that? You are asking me to face some more of that?
LAURA
I am afraid, Miriam, they are all a good deal like that.
Again the sounds from below have partly died away. Nothing is heard but a low murmur of voices. MIRIAM is again moving restlessly about
MIRIAM
Mother... tell me... was father... when you and he were married... did he get drunk?
LAURA
Yes. He was drunk. They went away and left him with me. He was sick.
MIRIAM
And you stayed with him after that? You took care of him?
After that happened, on your wedding night, you could go on living with him?
LAURA speaks in a steady, even voice Yes, Miriam, I have stayed with him. I did my woman’s duty. Come here, Miriam. Sit here.
She indicates a chair near the bed and sits on the bed. MIRIAM sits and looks at her mother Miriam, I must go down now. If you won’t, I must. I can’t be rude to your father’s guests. It’s time, daughter, that you grew up. You might as well know that most of the men you and I are likely to know are like the men down there. We women have to learn that most men are just children and that they are often very crude and even nasty children.
MIRIAM
She speaks sharply But why, why? Why should we live with them? I don’t want a child for a husband.
LAURA
No matter what you want, Miriam, you are married now.
MIRIAM
Not yet. There has been a ceremony but that isn’t a marriage.
LAURA
Miriam!
MIRIAM jumps to her feet and stands. She speaks rapidly
MIRIAM
I am going to tell you something, mother. I didn’t want to marry your man, Robert Forest. I only did it because there was no one else.
She laughs, a half hysterical little laugh
LAURA
Miriam!
MIRIAM
Well, it’s true. Oh, mother, he has been so funny, so frightened. What that drunken man said is true. He has never even kissed me. He hasn’t dared touch me. That drunken man down there wants to kiss me but, although I am Robert Forest’s wife, he hasn’t kissed me. I suppose I made him feel I didn’t want him to.
LAURA turns and moves toward the door, rear center
LAURA What a strange child you are, Miriam. I don’t understand you. You say you didn’t want to marry Robert and you’re angry apparently that he hasn’t made love to you before marriage. I don’t understand.
MIRIAM
No, mother, I guess you don’t understand. Mother, when I was away, at school, I fell in love with a man. He was a professor. He was married.
She laughs, a little hysterically He kissed me all right. He made love to me. I’d have run away with him only he didn’t have the nerve. He didn’t dare.
LAURA
She takes a step back toward MIRIAM. She is shocked Miriam!
MIRIAM
Oh, don’t be upset, mother. Nothing much happened.
LAURA
But, Miriam.
MIRIAM
She is sitting on the bed, looking defiant and ex cited. There is still the murmur of voices from below I really loved him, mother. I’d have done anything he said but, it turned out, he was afraid.
LAURA
Well, Miriam, you are married now. That’s settled.
MIRIAM
Not yet. Nothing is settled yet. Not really. I only told Robert Forest I’d marry him because there was no one else.
LAURA
Severely Miriam, Robert Forest is your husband. When I consented that these people come here tonight I was thinking only of your husband’s interest.
MIRIAM
Contemptuously And father’s, eh, mother? You were thinking of father’s interest? Of his schemes, of his money grabbing. Mother, I have never spoken of it but I will now. I hate father. I hate all these successful men. I married Robert Forest tonight to get away from
father, to get out of this house. Mother... tell me... be honest with me... do you, can you, love father?
LAURA
With dignity Miriam, I am a woman and he is my husband.
She turns to go down the stairs and MIRIAM stands for a moment uncertainly. She calls
MIRIAM
Mother!
LAURA has turned to descend the stairs but stops and turns LAURA Well?
MIRIAM
Tell me, mother, is he drinking? Is Robert drunk? I couldn’t tell. He just sat down there looking dumb and frightened.
LAURA again takes a step toward her daughter. She speaks LAURA No, child, Mr. Forest is not drunk.
Her tone changes Child, you are upset. Miriam, I do understand. After my own wedding I cried all night. Life is like that but it has to be faced. Courage, Miriam, courage!
LAURA turns again and again is about to descend the stairs. Both women stand listening
A MAN’S VOICE
From below, loudly Where’s Mrs. Grey? Where’s our bride? What the hell? Is our bride scared out?
ANOTHER MAN’S VOICE
You’ve got her scared, Forest.
WOMAN’S VOICE
NOW, don’t you listen to them, Mr. Forest. I think they are just horrid.
LAURA
To MIRIAM Courage, Miriam. It will soon be over.
There is a sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs and MIRIAM grasps her mother’s arm
MIRIAM
Mother, some one’s coming up. It may be that drunken man.
She pulls her mother across the room and through the door, left As they cross You can’t leave me alone up here with that man, mother, you can’t.
She half pushes her mother through the door and turns to look toward the stair landing. She speaks Courage — God — Courage for a wedding night.
She follows her mother into the room and closes the door and the noise of heavy feet ascending the stairs continues Two men enter the room. They are JOHN GREY, a big, rather handsome man, of the Warren Harding type, and HENRY EASTMAN, HENRY is a short, fat man with a fat, puffy face. Both are a little drunk. JOHN GREY enters the room first
HENRY EASTMAN
From the door Weil, John, we got these rubes good and high, didn’t we? That was pretty good champagne I bought for Miriam’s party, wasn’t it, John? How’d you like it? It cost me enough. It ought to be good.
He lowers his voice. He speaks again Say, John, where is she?
HENRY EASTMAN comes into the room and the two men stand talking, HENRY is bracing himself with his hand on the back of a chair, JOHN GREY makes a motion with his hand toward the door, left
JOHN GREY
She’s in there, I guess, but where the hell’s Laura? God, Henry, I wanted to kick that damn fool Jed Smith. Now he’s got me in bad. I’ll get it hot from Laura.
HENRY EASTMAN
Yeah! I know. And won’t my wife claw into me?
JOHN GREY
Oh, Laura won’t claw. She’ll just be silent. She’ll just go around looking hurt.
HENRY EASTMAN
He points So Miriam’s in there, eh?
He laughs, a half drunken giggle Is that where they are going to be? Will they sleep in there?
JOHN GREY
Sheeee! Be careful, Henry. She’ll hear you.
HENRY EASTMAN
Say, John, I’ll bet she’ll turn him down cold. Nothing doing, eh? Hell, we both know Bob Forest. He’ll be so embarrassed, when they are alone together, he won’t be able to speak. Hell, John, I went through it. D’ye know what, John?
Again he breads into a foolish little giggle My Sally.... You know, John, the first night... she got undressed and then she got scared. Lord, John, it was a circus. We were alone in the house and she ran. I chased her upstairs and down. And what d’ye think, John? I caught her in the cellar. By God, I was pretty drunk, but I caught her.
The two men stand, HENRY talking and giggling and MIRIAM comes through the door, left, followed by her mother, MIRIAM turns and silently pushes her mother back into the room and closes the door. Her hands at her back are holding to the knob. She is flushed and angry, HENRY EASTMAN suddenly stops giggling. He grows serious Look here, John. I followed you up here. We got to have a talk.
JOHN GREY
About what, Henry?
HENRY EASTMAN
Why about Bob Forest, our inventor. You know, John. You know I found him. He wasn’t nothing. Just a little telegraph operator. Now he’s married your daughter.
JOHN GREY
Well, what if he has?
HENRY EASTMAN
You know what well enough, John.
JOHN GREY
No, I don’t, Henry. I don’t know what you’re driving at.
HENRY EASTMAN
Yes, you do.
JOHN GREY
Well, we can’t talk here. We can’t talk now.
HENRY EASTMAN
Yes, we can. Business is business, John. You know me. You and I have cleaned up in this town and we both know Bob Forest is at work on new inventions. I only want a word from you, John. Are we going to stick together?
JOHN GREY steps over to HENRY and puts an arm about his shoulder JOHN GREY
Why yes, Henry. Sure we are. We’ll make this boy we’ve got make money for both of us.
HENRY EASTMAN
You mean that, John?
JOHN GREY
Sure. His being married to Miriam will only make him dead sure for both of us.
HENRY EASTMAN
Well, I just wanted to know. You got to remember that this Bob Forest had nothing when I found him.
JOHN GREY
Sure, we’ll stick together, Henry. Why I never even thought of anything else. You’re always ace high with me, old man.
The two men go into a half-embrace and then HENRY turns towards the stair landing HENRY EASTMAN
Well, that’s O.K., John. Come on now. I’m going to get these people out of this house. You come on down with me. I’ll tell you what, John. You get Laura and come home with me and Sally. That’ll save both our hides.
They go off down the stairs in a half-embrace. JOHN GREY speaking as they go
JOHN GREY
O.K., Steve. That will be O.K. with me if I can make Laura see it.
The two men go on down the stairs and MIRIAM crosses and stands near the stair landing looking down as LAURA comes through the door, left
HENRY EASTMAN
From the stairs Miriam’s scared, but she’ll be O.K. after tonight.
LAURA
Softly Miriam!
MIRIAM
Turning to face her mother Oh, Mother!
LAURA
Don’t mind anything I have said, Miriam, She goes to her daughter and puts an arm about her. She speaks rapidly If you don’t want this man, Miriam, you don’t have to have him. I may always have been wrong. I have tried to keep a kind of dignity. I have always submitted. I wanted to be a good wife but I guess I have failed.
MIRIAM becomes suddenly tender
MIRIAM
Mother!
LAURA
If you are afraid, Miriam, if you want to come away from it, now, tonight, even if you want to run away, I’ll understand.
MIRIAM
Then you heard what father and Henry Eastman said?
LAURA
Yes, I heard.
HENRY EASTMAN
From below Come on now, folks. Time to go now. Come on! This ain’t your wedding night.
There is the sound of people preparing to depart, the scraping of chairs, etc., as the two women above stand near the stair landing, MIRIAM has her arm about her mother’s waist. JOHN GREY’S voice is heard from below
JOHN GREY
Laura. Where are you, Laura?
MIRIAM
To her — mother No, mother, I’ll not run away. I’ve married him. I’m not afraid. I’ll handle things.
LAURA
Your father will be wanting me to go... you heard... to the Eastmans
’ house.
JOHN GREY Below Laura! Laura! Where are you, Laura!
The two women stand listening
MAN’S VOICE
Below Well, good night, Forest. — Give her my best.
ANOTHER MAN’S VOICE
Your best! Give her your own best, Bob.
There is a loud outburst of laughter and sounds of departure
WOMAN’S VOICE
Below Charles Fuller, I think you are just horrid.
LAURA
Wearily I suppose I’ll have to go down now.
She goes to the head of the stairs but stops to speak Miriam, I don’t know what to say. It’s too bad it had to be like this. Are you afraid?
She is a little hysterical Do you want me to send him away?
MIRIAM has become suddenly cold and indifferent
MIRIAM
No. I’m not afraid. Don’t you worry. I’ll handle things. I’ll manage.
She stands listening as her mother goes with weary, dragging steps down the stairs The sounds of the departing guests grow fainter and MIRIAM laughs, a hard little laugh. She crosses and goes through the door, left And now again there is a sound of footsteps on the stairs and ROBERT FOREST comes up the stairs and into the room. He is a rather tall, awkward seeming man of thirty, dressed for a wedding. His wedding clothes do not seem to fit him. He looks like a workman or a farmer uncomfortable in such a uniform. He is wearing a long black coat and striped trousers and appears half-frightened, half embarrassed. He comes into the room silently and stands for a moment. He starts toward the door left and stops. He calls in a low frightened voice
ROBERT FOREST
Miriam.
There is no answer She came up here. Her mother said she was up here.
He crosses and sits in the chair by the bed. He looks worried. He speaks again Oh, why did I do this? Why did I? Why did I ever think I could really have a woman like her?
He gets up and goes to the stair landing and stands hesitatingly I ought to run away. I shouldn’t stay up here, but if I ran away she wouldn’t understand.
He comes hesitatingly back into the room Why do they all have to insult you? Why do they?
He moves silently and easily about, goes to the window that looks out onto a roof and again crosses to the chair by the bed Any way, I ought to speak to her. I ought to explain.
Complete Works of Sherwood Anderson Page 316
