Street Scene (1929)/Act III

by Elmer Rice

Layout 2

ACT THREE

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Setting by Jo Mielziner

ACT THREE

Mid-afternoon of the same day. At the left of the stoop, is a large roll of bedding. Before the rise of the curtain, and continuing faintly thereafter, a woman can be heard singing scales. Olsen, pipe in mouth, is leaning against the railing. Two Men, furniture-movers appear at the left.

One of the Men

[Picking up the bedding]: All right. Dat’s all, Charlie!

[The Men exit left.]

[A Policeman comes out of the house, carrying the blood-stained dress of Mrs. Maurrant, and Sankey’s coat, cap, and bill-holder. He comes down the steps, and exits at the right.]

[At the left, Two Young Nurse-Maids, in smart uniforms, appear, each wheeling a de-luxe baby-carriage.]

First Nurse-Maid

[Seeing the house-number]: This must be the place, right here—346.

[They stop, under the Maurrant windows.]

 

Second Nurse-Maid

Yes, I guess it is.

First Nurse-Maid

Yes, this is it, all right. [Looking up]: Must be right up there, on the first floor, see?

Second Nurse-Maid

Yes, sure. [Excitedly]: Say, look! You can see where the glass is out of the window. That’s where this feller What’s-his-name tried to climb out.

First Nurse-Maid

Oh, yes, I see it! Say, what do you know about that!

Second Nurse-Maid

[Taking a pink tabloid newspaper from under the hood of the baby-buggy]: Wait! There’s a picture of it, somewhere. [Turning the pages]: Here it is. [They excitedly examine it together, as she reads]: “Composograph showing Sankey, scantily clad, in a last vain attempt to escape the vengeance of the jealousy-crazed husband, whose home he had destroyed.” And there’s Maurrant pulling him back, And Mrs. Maurrant trying to get the pistol away from him, see? Look at the blood running down her face, will you?

 

First Nurse-Maid

It’s worse than awful! Can you imagine what those two must have felt like, when he walked in on them like that?

Second Nurse-Maid

Well, he just happened to be one of the ones that finds out! Believe me, there’s lots and lots of husbands that don’t know the half of what goes on up-town, while they’re down-town making a living.

First Nurse-Maid

Say, you’re not telling me, are you? If I was to spill all I know, there’d be many a happy home busted up. I wonder if they caught him.

Second Nurse-Maid

[As her Baby begins a thin wailing]: Oh, God, he’s in again! [To the unseen Baby]: Shut up, a little while, can’t you?

[She shakes the carriage.]

A Policeman

[Appearing at the Maurrant windows, a tabloid in his hand]: Keep movin’, ladies. No loiterin’ aroun’ here.

First Nurse-Maid

[Eagerly]: Say, have they caught him, yet?

 

The Policeman

Why, ain’t you hoid? He was last seen, flyin’ over Nova Scotia, on his way to Paris.

First Nurse-Maid

Who are you trying to string, anyhow?

Second Nurse-Maid

[Coquettishly]: Say, will you let us come up and look around?

The Policeman

Why, sure, sure! Bring de babies, too. De commissioner is soivin’ tea, up here, at four-thoity.

Second Nurse-Maid

You’re awful smart, aren’t you?

The Policeman

Yeah, dat’s why dey put me on de entertainment committee. I’m Handsome Harry Moiphy, de boy comedian o’ Brooklyn.

First Nurse-Maid

[Looking at her watch]: Oh, say, I ought to be getting back, [Turning her carriage]: Clarice darling would throw a duck-fit, if she knew I brought her precious Dumplings to a neighborhood like this.

 

Second Nurse-Maid

[Turning her carriage]: There’s not so much to see, anyhow. It’s nothing but a cheap, common dump.

[They go towards the left.]

The Policeman

Over de river, goils. See you in de funny paper.

Second Nurse-Maid

Don’t you get so fresh.

The Policeman

Drop in again, when you’re in de neighborhood. An’ tell Mrs. Vanderbilt, Harry was askin’ for her.

[As the Nurse-Maids go off, at the left, Easter hurries on at the right, several folded newspapers under his arm.]

Easter

[To the Policeman, going to the left of the stoop]: Is Miss Maurrant up there, officer?

The Policeman

No. There ain’t nobody up here but me.

Easter

You don’t happen to know where she is, do you?

 

The Policeman

No, I don’t, Are you a reporter?

Easter

Who, me? I’m just a friend of hers. I’ve got to see her.

The Policeman

Well, I ain’t seen her since she went off to the horspital this mornin’. She ain’t been back since.

[He starts to leave the window.]

Easter

Oh, officer!

The Policeman

Yeah?

Easter

Have they caught him, yet?

The Policeman

Naw, not yet. But we’ll get ’im, all right!

[He leaves the window. Easter remains at the left of the stoop, uncertain whether to go or not. Mrs. Jones appears, at the right, carrying several newspapers.]

Mrs. Jones

[To Olsen]: Have they caught him yet?

 

Olsen

[Shaking his head]: No.

Mrs. Jones

I been down at Police Headquarters, all this while—[Breaking off, as she notices Easter.]: Say, what’s he want here?

[Olsen shrugs his shoulders.]

Easter

[Approaching them]: Pardon me, but maybe you can tell me where I can find Miss Maurrant?

[Olsen shakes his head.]

Mrs. Jones

Why no, I can’t. I jus’ this minute got back from Police Headquarters. Maybe she’s aroun’ at the horspital.

Easter

No, I just came from there.

Mrs. Jones

Well, I really couldn’t say where she is, Was there somethin’ special you wanted to see her about?

Easter

I’m a friend of hers—

 

Mrs. Jones

Yeah, I noticed you talkin’ to her, last night, when I took the dog out. [Staring at him.]: Well, I guess she’ll need all the friends she’s got, now. Imagine a thing like that happenin’ right here in this house, at ten o’clock in the mornin’! Everythin’ goin’ on just as usual, and then, all of a sudden, before you know it, there’s two people murdered.

Olsen

I tal everybody some day he kill her.

Mrs. Jones

Well, I ain’t sayin’ it’s right to kill anybody, but if anybody had a reason, he certainly had. You oughta heard some o’ the questions they was askin’ me down at the Police. I could feel myself gettin’ redder an’ redder. “Say,” I says, “how do you expect me to know things like that?” [Suddenly, as she looks left]: Here’s Rose now!

Easter

Where?

[He turns quickly and hurries to the left, as Rose appears, carrying four or five packages.]

 

Mrs. Jones

[To Olsen]: He seems to take a pretty friendly interest in her.

[Olsen nods.]

Rose

[Anxiously, as she comes up to Easter, at the left the stoop]: Have they caught him yet?

Easter

Why no, they haven’t. I just asked the officer, upstairs.

Rose

Oh, I hope he got away! If they get him, there’s no telling what they’ll do to him. And what would be the good of that? He never would have done it, if he’d been in his right mind.

Easter

I only heard about it, a little while ago. So I went right around to the hospital. But they said you’d left.

Rose

[Going to the steps]: She never opened her eyes again. They did everything they could for her, but it didn’t help.

Easter

Here, let me take your bundles.

 

Rose

No, it’s all right. I think I’ll just sit down for a minute.

[She sits on the stoop and puts the packages beside her.]

Easter

Can’t I get you something? A drink or something?

Rose

No, I’m all right. It’s so hot. [She puts her hand to her head.] And all those people asking me a lot of questions.

Mrs. Jones

[Approaching the stoop]: Are you feelin’ dizzy or anythin’?

Rose

No, I’ll be all right in a minute.

Mrs. Jones

Well, I was gonna say, if you want to go up to my flat an’ lay down for a minute—

Rose

No, thanks; I don’t want to lie down. I’ve got to go upstairs to get some things.

 

Easter

Why, say, you don’t want to go up there!

Rose

I’ve got to; there’s some things I need.

Easter

Well, let me get them for you. Or this lady here.

Mrs. Jones

Yeah, sure. The place is a sight, up there. You’re li’ble to go into a faint or somethin’.

Rose

I guess nothing can be any worse than what’s happened already. [Indicating the bundles]: I got to change my dress. I bought a white dress for her, And white silk stockings. I want her to look pretty.

Mrs. Jones

Yeah, white is the nicest.

Rose

She looks so quiet and natural. You’d think she was asleep.

Mrs. Jones

It was the same way with my mother. You’d of thought she was gonna get up, the next minute. [Starting to go up the steps]: Well, I gotta go up an’ get me some lunch. Between everythin’ happenin’ an’ goin’ down to Police Headquarters an’ all, I ain’t had a bite to eat since breakfast. [Stopping on the top step, and looking from Rose to Easter]: Well, you cerainly never know, when you get up in the mornin’, what the day is gonna bring.

[She enters the house.]

Rose

[Rising]: Well, I’d better be going up, too. There’s a lot of things to attend to.

Easter

You better let me come up with you.

Rose

Why thanks, Mr. Easter, But I’d rather go alone, if you don’t mind.

Easter

But, listen here—you can’t go through all this alone—a kid like you. That’s why I came around. I knew you’d be needing a helping hand.

Rose

That’s awfully nice of you, Mr. Easter. But I don’t need any help, honest I don’t.

[She opens one of the packages.]

 

Easter

Why, you can’t handle everything yourself! What about a place to live and all that?

Rose

[Taking a rosette of black crape out of the package]: Well, I don’t exactly know, yet. I’ll have to find some place where Willie and I can live. I’d like it to be some place where he wouldn’t be running around the streets all the time. You see, there’s nobody but me to look out for him, now.

[Olsen crosses to the cellar. Mrs. Jones appears at her window and furtively peeps out, at Rose and Easter.]

Rose

[As she sees that Olsen is about to descend the cellar steps]: Oh, Mr. Olsen!

Olsen

[Stopping]: Yes ma’am.

Rose

Would you mind lending me a hammer and some tacks? I want to put up this crape.

Olsen

Yes ma’am; I bring ’em right away.

[He goes down into the cellar. Mrs. Jones leaves the window.]

Easter

[Insistently]: But why won’t you let me help you out?

Rose

It’s terribly nice of you, Mr. Easter. But I’ll be able to manage alone, really I will. It isn’t as if I wasn’t young and strong and able to take care of myself. But as it is, I’d sort of rather not be under obligations.

Easter

Why, you wouldn’t be under any obligations. I just mean it in a friendly way, that’s all.

Rose

You’ve been very nice to me and all that, Mr. Easter. But—well, I’ve been sort of thinking things over—you know, about what we talked about last night and all. And I honestly don’t think I’d care about going on the stage.

Easter

Say, you’ve got me all wrong, Rose! Just forget all about that, will you? I just want to help you out, that’s all. [Taking a step towards her]: I think you’re one swell kid, and I want to do something for you. I’m not trying to put anything over on you.

[Shirley appears, at the left, carrying her school-bag, from which a newspaper protrudes.]

Rose

Well, that’s nice and friendly of you, Mr. Easter. And if I ever do need any help—.

Shirley

[Catching sight of Rose]: Rose! You poor thing! [She runs up to Rose and throws her arms about her.] It’s terrible—terrible!

Rose

Yes, it is. But I sort of had a feeling, all along, that something terrible was going to happen.

[Olsen comes up the steps, with a hammer and a box of tacks.]

Shirley

How could he do such a thing! I couldn’t believe it when I read it.

Rose

He was out of his mind, when he did it. Oh, I only hope he got away! [As Olsen approaches]: Oh, thanks, Mr. Olsen.

Olsen

I do it.

 

Rose

[Giving him the crape]: Oh, would you, please? Right up there, I think.

[She indicates the left of the doorway.]

Olsen

[Going up the steps]: Sure.

Rose

[Going to Easter and extending her hand]: Thanks for coming around, Mr. Easter. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back to the office.

Easter

Why, that’s all right about that. Only, in the meantime, I wish—

Rose

If I need any help, I’ll let you know. [With a tone of finality in her voice]: Good-bye.

Easter

All right; but don’t forget. [He hesitates, then decides to go.] Well, good-bye.

[He goes off at left.]

Rose

I’ve got to go up and get some things that Willie and I need. Sam went to call for him at school and take him around to my aunt’s. You see, I didn’t want him coming back here. He’s only a little kid, after all.

Shirley

Oh, it’s such a terrible thing! I can’t believe it yet.

Olsen

[Holding up the crape]: Dis vay?

Rose

Yes, like that. [Hesitantly, as she picks up her bundles]: Miss Kaplan, it’s sort of silly of me, I guess. But I’m kind of afraid to go up there alone. I wonder if you’d mind coming up with me.

[Olsen tacks up the crape.]

Shirley

Anything I can do for you, poor child!

[She and Rose go up the steps.]

Rose

Thanks ever so much. [To Olsen]: Thanks, Mr. Olsen. It’s awfully nice of you.

[She and Shirley enter the house. Olsen exits down the cellar steps. Kaplan appears, at his window, and seating himself, begins to read a newspaper. An under-sized Man and a tall, athletic Woman appear at the right. They are dressed for tennis, and carry tennis-rackets.]

A Man

[As they cross]: He would say that.

A Woman

So I just looked at him for a moment, without saying anything. And then, I said: “My dear boy,” I said. “What do you expect anyhow, in this day and age?” I said, “Why even Frankl has to do a black bathroom, occasionally,” I said.

A Man

[As they disappear at the left]: Exactly! And what did he say to that?

[Buchanan comes out of the house, and, seeing Kaplan at the window, stops at the right balustrade.]

Buchanan

Well, there’s been some excitement around here, today.

Kaplan

[Looking up from his paper]: Dees is a terrible t’ing vich hes heppened.

Buchanan

I’ll say it is! You know, the way I look at it, he didn’t have a right to kill the both of them like that. Of course I’m not saying what she did was right, either.

Kaplan

How ken ve call ourselves ciwilized, ven ve see thet sax jealousy hes de power to avaken in us de primitive pessions of de sevege?

Buchanan

[Rather bewildered by this]: Yes, that’s true, too. Of course, you can’t expect a man to stand by and see his home broken up. But murdering them, like that, is going a little too far. Well, I got to go and phone the doctor. This thing’s given my wife a kind of a relapse. She thought a lot of Mrs. Maurrant.

[He goes down the steps, and off at the left, as Lippo appears, at the right.]

Lippo

[Stopping in front of Kaplan’s window]: Dey don’ ketcha Maurrant, ha?

Kaplan

I hevn’t hoid anyt’ing foider.

Lippo

He’sa gonna gat da ’lectrica-chair, ha?

 

Kaplan

De blood-lust of our enlightened population must be setisfied! De Chreestian state will kerry out to de last letter de Mosaic law.

Lippo

Eef Ahm ketcha my wife sleepin’ wit’ ’nudder man, Ahm gonna keela ’er, too.

[Sam hurries on at the left.]

Kaplan

So you t’ink thet merriage should give to de hosband de power of life and det’ and thet—

Sam

[Going up the steps]: Papa, is there any news of Maurrant?

Kaplan

I hev heard notting.

Sam

The police are going to make me testify against him. What can I do, papa?

Kaplan

You ken do notting.

 

Sam

How can I send a man to the electric-chair? How can I? I tried to stop him, papa. I tried to warn her—[He stops short, as several shots are heard off-stage, at the left.] What’s that?

Lippo

[Excitedly]: Dey finda ’im!

[He runs off, at the left, followed by Sam. Kaplan leans out of the window. At the same moment, Mrs. Jones leans out of her window and, a moment later, Mrs. Fiorentino out of hers. In the Maurrant apartment, the Policeman leans out and Rose and Shirley appear in the hall bed-room window. Rose is wearing a mourning-dress. Olsen comes up the cellar steps and runs off at the left. Mrs. Olsen comes up the steps. Several Men and Women appear, at the right, and run off, at the left.]

Rose

[Agitatedly]: Is that him?

The Policeman

Must be!

[Voices are heard shouting, in the distance, and then another shot. The Policeman leaves the window.]

 

Rose

Oh, God! They wouldn’t shoot him, would they?

[She leaves the window.]

Shirley

[Following her]: Rose!

[Two or three more persons appear at the right and run off at the left. The Policeman runs out of the house, as Buchanan appears at the left.]

Buchanan

[Excitedly]: They got him!

[The Policeman runs off, at the left. Shirley reappears at the Maurrant window.]

Mrs. Jones

[Calling]: Have they got him?

Buchanan

Yes! He was hiding in the furnace, down at 322. [As Rose comes out of the house]: They found him, Miss Maurrant!

Rose

[Her hand to her heart]: Oh! Is he hurt?

Buchanan

I don’t know. He fired at the cops and they fired back at him. I was just passing the house, when it happened.

Mrs. Jones

[Leaning far out]: Here they come!

[She leaves the window.]

[The low murmur of the approaching crowd can be heard, off-stage left.]

Rose

Where? [She comes down the stoop and looks off, at the left.] Oh! [She covers her eyes and turns away.]

Mrs. Fiorentino

You better come inside.

Shirley

Come up, Rose.

Buchanan

Yes, you better.

[He takes her by the arm.]

Rose

[Resisting]: No. No. Please let me alone. I want to see him.

[She leans against the railing. Meanwhile, the murmur and tramp of the approaching crowd has grown nearer and nearer.]

Mrs. Fiorentino

Look at him, vill you!

[Miss Cushing comes out of the house, and stands on the stoop, followed a moment later, by Mrs. Jones. Maurrant appears at the left, between two policemen. Behind him a third Policeman holds back a swarming crowd, which includes Sam and Lippo. Maurrant’s clothes are torn, and his right arm is in a crude sling. Sweat, blood and grime have made him almost unrecognizable. The Policemen, too, show evidences of a struggle.]

Rose

[Running forward]: Pop! Are you hurt?

Maurrant

[Seeing her for the first time]: Rose!

One of the Policemen

[To whom Maurrant is manacled]: Keep back, miss!

Maurrant

It’s me daughter! Fer Chris’ sake, boys, lemme talk to me daughter! Maybe I’ll never be seein’ her again!

 

First Policeman

Give ’im a woid wit’ her.

[He is the Officer who was on duty in the Maurrant apartment.]

Second Policeman

[After a moment’s hesitation]: Well, all right. [Savagely to Maurrant]: But don’t try to pull nothin’, hear?

[There is a forward movement in the crowd.]

First Policeman

[To the crowd]: Keep back, youse!

Maurrant

Rose! You’re wearin’ a black dress, Rose!

Rose

Oh, pop, why did you do it? Why did you?

Maurrant

I must o’ been out o’ me head, Rose. Did she say anythin’?

Rose

She never opened her eyes again.

Maurrant

I’d been drinkin’, Rose—see what I mean?—an’ all the talk that was goin’ around, I just went clean off me nut, that’s all.

Rose

What’ll they do to you, pop?

Maurrant

It’s the chair for me, I guess. But I don’t care—let ’em give me the chair. I deserve it all right. But it’s her, I’m thinkin’ of, Rose—the way she looked at me. I oughtn’t to done it, Rose.

Rose

She was always so good and sweet.

Maurrant

Don’t I know it? I ain’t no murderer—you ought to be the one to know that, Rose. I just went out o’ me head, that’s all it was.

Second Policeman

All right, that’s all now. Come on!

Maurrant

Gimme a minute, can’t you? She’s me daughter. Gimme a chance, can’t you? What’s gonna happen to you, Rose?

 

Rose

I’ll be all right, pop. You don’t need to worry about me.

Maurrant

I ain’t been a very good father, have I?

Rose

Don’t worry about that, pop.

Maurrant

It ain’t that I ain’t meant to be. It’s just the way things happened to turn out, that’s all. Keep your eye on Willie, Rose. Don’t let Willie grow up to be a murderer, like his pop.

Rose

I’m going to do all I can for him, pop.

Maurrant

You’re a good girl, Rose. You was always a good girl.

Rose

[Breaking down]: Oh, pop!

[She throws her arms about his neck and buries her head against him. Maurrant sobs hoarsely.]

 

First Policeman

[Gently]: Come on, now, miss.

[He and Sam take Rose away from Maurrant.]

Second Policeman

All right. Come on, Charlie.

[They go towards the right, the crowd swarming behind them. Straggling along at the very end of the crowd, is an unkempt Woman, wheeling a ramshackle baby-carriage. Mrs. Jones and Miss Cushing fall in with the crowd. Rose gradually recovers her self-control, and stands at the stoop, with Sam beside her. The Others watch the receding crowd for a moment. Then Kaplan and Mrs. Fiorentino leave their windows. The First Policeman enters the house, followed by Lippo. Mrs. Olsen goes to the cellar. Shirley looks down at Rose and Sam, for a moment, then abruptly leaves the window.]

Sam

[Taking Rose by the arm]: Rose, you better come inside.

Rose

No, I’m all right again, Sam—honestly I am. [Trying to regain her self-composure]: What about Willie, Sam?

Sam

I told him an accident had happened.

 

Rose

It’s better to break it to him, that way. But I’ll have to tell him, I guess. He’d only find it out himself, tomorrow, with the papers all full of it. I saw Mrs. Sankey, down at Police Headquarters. It’s terrible for her, with two little children.

Shirley

[Appearing at the Maurrant window, a covered pot in her hand]: Rose!

Rose

[Looking up]: Yes, Miss Kaplan?

Shirley

There’s a chicken here, that I found on the gas-stove.

Rose

A chicken?

Shirley

Yes. The policeman says he smelt it cooking, this morning, so he turned out the gas.

Rose

Oh, I remember, now. My mother said she was going to make some soup for poor Mrs. Buchanan, upstairs.

Shirley

It won’t keep long, in this weather.

 

Rose

No. I really think Mrs. Buchanan ought to have the good of it.

Shirley

All right. I’ll take it up to her.

Rose

Thanks ever so much, Miss Kaplan. [Shirley leaves the window.] It’s only a few hours ago that she was standing right here, telling me about the chicken. And then, she went upstairs, and the next I saw of her, they were carrying her out. [Abruptly, as she starts to go up the steps]: Well, I’ve got to go up and get my things.

Sam

I must talk to you! What are you going to do, Rose?

Rose

Well, I haven’t really had any time to do much thinking. But I really think the best thing I could do, would be to get out of New York. You know, like we were saying, this morning—how things might be different, if you only had a chance to breathe and spread out a little. Only when I said it, I never dreamt it would be this way.

 

Sam

If you go, I’ll go with you.

Rose

But, Sam dear—

Sam

I don’t care anything about my career. It’s you—you—I care about. Do you think I can stay here, stifling to death, in this slum, and never seeing you? Do you think my life means anything to me, without you?

Rose

But, Sam, we’ve got to be practical about it. How would we manage?

Sam

I don’t care what I do. I’ll be a day-laborer; I’ll dig sewers—anything. [Taking her passionately in his arms]: Rose, don’t leave me!

Rose

I like you so much, Sam. I like you better than anybody I know.

Sam

I love you, Rose. Let me go with you!

Rose

It would be so nice to be with you. You’re different from anybody I know. But I’m just wondering how it would work out.

Sam

If we have each other, that’s the vital thing, isn’t it? What else matters but that?

Rose

Lots of things, Sam. There’s lots of things to be considered. Suppose something was to happen—well, suppose I was to have a baby, say. That sometimes happens, even when you don’t want it to. What would we do, then? We’d be tied down then, for life, just like all the other people around here. They all start out loving each other and thinking that everything is going to be fine—and before you know it, they find out they haven’t got anything and they wish they could do it all over again—only it’s too late.

Sam

It’s to escape all that, that we must be together. It’s only because we love each other and belong to each other, that we can find the strength to escape.

Rose

[Shaking her head]: No, Sam.

Sam

Why do you say no?

 

Rose

It’s what you said just now—about people belonging to each other. I don’t think people ought to belong to anybody but themselves. I was thinking, that if my mother had really belonged to herself, and that if my father had really belonged to himself, it never would have happened. It was only because they were always depending on somebody else, for what they ought to have had inside themselves. Do you see what I mean, Sam? That’s why I don’t want to belong to anybody, and why I don’t want anybody to belong to me.

Sam

You want to go through life alone?—never loving anyone, never having anyone love you?

Rose

Why, of course not, Sam! I want love more than anything else in the world. But loving and belonging aren’t the same thing. [Putting her arms about him]: Sam dear, listen. If we say good-bye, now, it doesn’t mean that it has to be forever. Maybe some day, when we’re older and wiser, things will be different. Don’t look as if it was the end of the world, Sam!

Sam

It is the end of my world.

 

Rose

It isn’t, Sam! If you’d only believe in yourself, a little more, things wouldn’t look nearly so bad. Because once you’re sure of yourself, the things that happen to you, aren’t so important. The way I look at it, it’s not what you do that matters so much; it’s what you are. [Warmly]: I’m so fond of you, Sam. And I’ve got such a lot of confidence in you. [Impulsively]: Give me a nice kiss!

[Sam takes her in his arms and kisses her, passionately. A gawky Girl of seventeen—one of Lippo’s pupils, appears at the left, and looks at them, scandalized. Then she goes into the vestibule and rings the bell. The door clicks and she enters the house, as Shirley comes out, carrying a wicker suit-case. Shirley looks at Sam and Rose.]

Rose

[To Shirley]: I was just telling Sam, that I think I’ll soon be going away from New York.

[Sam looks at her, for a moment, in agony, then goes abruptly into the house.]

Shirley

I put your things in this suit-case.

[She comes down to the pavement. The Girl, in the Fiorentino apartment, begins tuning her violin.]

 

Rose

[Taking the suit-case]: You’ve been awfully nice to me. Don’t worry about Sam, Miss Kaplan. Everything will be all right with him.

Shirley

I hope so.

[From the Fiorentino apartment, come the strains of Dvořák’s Humoresque, jerkily played on a violin.]

Rose

Oh, I just know it will! [Extending her hand.] Good-bye, Miss Kaplan.

Shirley

Good bye, Rose. [Impulsively.]: You’re a sweet girl!

[She hugs and kisses her.]

Rose

I hope I’ll see you, again.

Shirley

[Crying]: I hope so, Rose.

[Rose takes up the suitcase and goes off at the left. Shirley stands watching her.]

Kaplan

[Re-appearing at his window]: Shoiley, vot’s de metter again vit Sem? He’s crying on de bed.

 

Shirley

Let him alone, papa, can’t you?

[She turns and enters the house. Kaplan sighs and, seating himself at the window, opens a newspaper.]

[A shabby, middle-aged Couple appear at the right, and approach the stoop.]

The Man

[Reading the To-Let sign]: Here’s a place. Six rooms. Want to take a look at it?

[A Group of Children off-stage left, begin singing The Farmer in the Dell. This continues until after the curtain is down.]

The Woman

All right. No harm lookin’. Ring for the janitor. [The Man goes up the stoop and rings the janitor’s bell.] Somebody must o’ just died.

The Man

Yeah, maybe that’s why they’re movin’ out. [Wiping his face with a handkerchief]: Phoo! Seems to be gettin’ hotter every minute.

[Mrs. Fiorentino seats herself, at her window, a sewing-basket in her lap. Mrs. Jones and Miss Cushing appear at the right, busily engaged in conversation.]

 

Miss Cushing

The poor little thing!

Mrs. Jones

[As they go up the steps]: Well, you never can tell with them quiet ones. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit, if she turned out the same way as her mother. She’s got a gentleman friend, that I guess ain’t hangin’ around for nothin’. I seen him, late last night, and this afternoon, when I come home from the police—

[She is still talking, as they enter the house.]

[Mrs. Olsen comes up the cellar steps. A Sailor appears at the left, with two girls, an arm about the waist of each. They stroll slowly across.]

The curtain falls

 

THE END