Now then—(he strikes a pose) for St. Augustine—
Miss Lucy Taylor, Mr. Ned Coles.
(They step out amid applause and stand before stage.)
For Daytona—
Miss Janie Bradley, Enoch Nixon
(Same business.)
For Ocala—
Miss Docia Boger, Mr. Oscar Clarke
(Same business.)
For Palatka—
Miss Maggie Lemmons, Mr. Senator Lewis
(Same business)
And for Jacksonville the most popular "walkers" in de state—
Miss Emmaline Beazeby, Mr. John Turner.
(Tremendous applause. John rises and offers his arm grandiloquently to Emma.)
Emma (pleadingly, and clutching his coat). John let's we all don't go in there with all them. Let's we all go on home.
John (amazed). Why, Emma?
Emma. Cause, cause all them girls is going to pulling and hauling on you, and—
John (impatiently). Shucks! Come on. Don't you hear the people clapping for us and calling our names? Come on!
(He tries to pull her up—she tries to drag him back.)
Come on, Emma! Taint no sense in your acting like this. The band is playing for us. Hear 'em? (He moves feet in a dance step.)
Emma. Naw, Jobn, Ah'm skeered. I loves you—I—
(He tries to break away from her. She is holding on fiercely.)
John. I got to go! I been practising almost a year—I—we done come all the way down here. I can walk the cake, Emma—we got to—I got to go in! (He looks into her face and sees her tremendous fear.) What you skeered about?
Emma (hopefully). You won't go it—You'll come on go home with me all by ourselves. Come on John. I can't, I just can't go in there and see all them girls—Effie hanging after you—.
John. I got to go in—(he removes her hand from his coat)—whether you come with me or not.
Emma. Oh—them yaller wenches! How I hate 'em! They gets everything they wants—.
Voice Inside. We are waiting for the couple from Jacksonville—Jacksonville! Where is the couple from—.
(Wesley parts the curtain and looks out.)
Wesley. Here they is out here spooning! You all can't even hear your names called. Come on John and Emma.
John. Coming. (He dashes inside. Wesley stands looking at Emma in surprise.)
Wesley. What's the matter, Emma? You and John spatting again? (He goes back inside.)
Emma (calmly bitter). He went and left me. If we is spatting we done had our last one. (She stands and clenches her fists.) Ah, mah God! He's in there with her—Oh, them half whites, they gets everything, they gets everything everybody else wants! The men, the jobs—everything! The whole world is got a sign on it. Wanted: Light colored. Us blacks was made for cobble stones. (She muffles a cry and sinks limp upon the seat.)
Voice Inside. Miss Effie Jones will walk for Jacksonville with Mr. John Turner in place of Miss Emmaline Beazeley.
Scene III—Dance Hall
Emma springs to her feet and flings the curtains wide open. She stands staring at the gay scene for a moment defiantly then creeps over to a seat along the wall and shrinks into the Spanish Moss, motionless.
Dance hall decorated with palmetto leaves and Spanish Moss—a flag or two. Orchestra consists of guitar, mandolin, banjo, accordian, church organ and drum.
Master (on platform). Couples take yo' places! 'When de music starts, gentlemen parade yo' ladies once round de hall, den de walk begins. (The music begins. Four men come out from behind the platform bearing a huge chocolate cake. The couples are "prancing" in their tracks. The men lead off the procession with the cake—the contestants make a grand slam around the hall.)
Master. Couples to de floor! Stan' back, ladies an' gentlemen—give 'em plenty room.
(Music changes to "Way Down in Georgia." Orchestra sings. Effie takes the arm that John offers her and they parade to the other end of the hall. She takes her place. John goes back upstage to the platform, takes off his silk hat in a graceful sweep as he bows deeply to Effie. She lifts her skirts and curtsies to the floor. Both smile broadly. They advance toward each other, meet midway, then, arm in arm, begin to "strut." John falters as he faces her, but recovers promptly and is perfection in his
