960 C898 IRLF FIRST YEAR SAMUEL FRENCH, 25 We*t 45th SU New York MRS. PARTRIDGE PRESENTS Comody in 3 aets. By Mary Kennedy and Buth Haw thorne. 6 males, 6 females. Modern costumes. S interiors, Plays 2% hours. The oharaeters, scenes and situations are thoroughly up-tu- tjtafte in this altogether delightful American comedy. The heroins fo a woman of tremendous energy, who manages a business f Jhtf .managers ^jeryjiimgj with great success, and at home pro jiSeff over *4iTc dj-Stjre of a growing son and daughter. Hex struggle to give "the cnilc^ren the opportunities she herself had 3ni|t!id.J a,ndftlseehMdren *8 Ultimate revolt against her well-meant *5^,aV ?pr i t- ! -ikl|at s*U6,b^i8 of the plot. The son who is cast for t!ie*pa*rt of artist* and the daughter who is to go on the stege offer numerous opportunities for the development of the comic possibilities in the theme. The play is one of the most delightful, yet thought-provoh^ug American comedies of recent years, and is warmly recommended to all amateur groups. (Royalty on application.) Price, 75 Cense. IN THE NEXT ROOM Melodrama in 3 r-.cte. By Eleanor Robson and Harriet Ford. 8 males, 3 femaleg. 2 interiors. Modern costumes Playa 2^4 hours. "Philip Yantine has bought a rare copy of an original Boulc cabinet and ordered it shipped to his New York home from Paris. When it arrives it is found to be the original itself, the pos session of which is desired by many strange people. Before tb& mystery concerned with the cabinet s shipment can be cleared up, two persons meet mysterious death fooling with it ani the-, happiness of many otherwise happy actors is threatened" (Burn* Mantle). A first-rate mystery play, comprising all the element* 0f suspense, curiosity, comedy and drama. "In the Next Boom" ia quite easy to stage. It can be unreservedly recommended It* high schools and colleges. (Royalty, twenty-five dohars.) Priee, 76 Cents FBENOH, 25 West 45th Street, New York ity Our New Catalogue Will Be gent on Beceipt of Five Cent*. THE FIRST YEAR A COMIC TRAGEDY OF MARRIED LIFE BY FRANK CRAVEN All Rights Reserved :AUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that "THE FIRST YEAR," being fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States, the British Em pire, and other countries of the Copyright Union, is sub ject to royalty, and anyone presenting the play without the consent of the owner or his authorized agents will be liable to the penalties by law provided. The amateur act ing rights are reserved for the present in all cities and towns where there are stock companies. Royalty will be quoted on application for those cities and towns where it may be presented by amateurs. Applications for the amateur acting rights must be made to Samuel French, 25 West 45th Street, New York. For professional pro duction write to John Golden, 139 West 44th Street, New- York City. All unauthorized performances will be prose cuted. New York: SAMUEL FRENCH Publisher 25 West 45th Street London : SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. 26 Southampton Street Strand <?(. f v COPYRIGHT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1920, BY FRANK CRAVEN COPYRIGHT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1921, BY FRANK CRAVEN COPYRIGHT, DOMINION OF CANADA, 1921, BY FRANK CRAVEN COPYRIGHT, GREAT BRITAIN, 1921, BY FRANK CRAVEN All Rights Reserved tjoUce should be taken that the possession of this^ V)ofr :WJW3mit a valid contract for production first having been obtained from the publisher, confers no right ; tca--fieep^Q U> professionals or amateurs to produce the play . /publicly. F *KI private for gain or charity. In its present form this play is dedicated to the reading public only, and no performance, representation, produc tion recitation, public reading or radio broadcasting may be given except by special arrangement with Samuel French, 25 West 45th Street, New York. This play may be presented by amateurs upon payment of a royalty of Twenty-Five Dollars for each performance, payable to Samuel French, 25 West 45th Street, New York, one week before the date when the play is given. Whenever the play is produced by amateurs the follow ing notice must appear on all programs, printing and ad vertising for the play: "Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French of New York." Attention is called to the penalty provided by law for any infringement of the author s rights, as follows. "SECTION 4966 : Any person publicly performing or rep resenting any dramatic or musical composition for which copyright has been obtained, without the consent of the proprietor of said dramatic or musical composition, or his heirs and assigns, shall be liable for damages thereof, such damages, in all cases to be assessed at such sum, not less than one hundred dollars for the first and fifty dol lars for every subsequent performance, as to the court shall appear to be just If the unlawful performance and representation be wilful and for profit, such person or persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon con viction shall be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year." U. S. Revised Statutes: Title 60, Chap. 3. "The First Year" The following is a copy of the playbill of the first per formance of "The First Year," at the Little Theatre, New York City, N. Y. : JOHN GOLDEN presents "T H E F I R S T YEAR" A Comic Tragedy of Married Life By FRANK CRAVEN Staged under the direction of WINCHELL SMITH Produced at the Little Theatre, New York City, on October 20th, 1920. THE CAST Roberta Arnold GRACE LIVINGSTON William Sampson MR. LIVINGSTON Maude Granger MRS. LIVINGSTON Tim Murphy DR. ANDERSON Lyster Chambers DICK LORING Frank Craven THOMAS TUCKER Leila Bennett HATTIE Hale Norcross MR. BARSTOW Merceita Esmonde MRS. BARSTOW ACT I. Training Quarters at the Livingston Home, Reading, 111. (Towards the end of Act I the lights will be lowered to indicate a lapse of a few hours.) ACT II. The Ringside at Tommy s Apartment, Joplin, Mo. ACT III. The Knockout at the Livingston Home. EXECUTIVE STAFF FOR MR. GOLDEN: William M. Goddard Manager J. C. Drum Press Representative P. E. McCoy General Stage Director George Wright, Jr Stage Manager Everett Annett Chief Electrician Joseph Hughes Master of Properties 3 CHARACTERS In the order of their appearance. FRED LIVINGSTON MRS. FRED LIVINGSTON GRACE LIVINGSTON DR. MYRON ANDERSON DICK LORING, JR. THOMAS TUCKER "HATTIE" PETER BARSTOW MRS. PETER BARSTOW ACT I. Training Quarters at the Livingston Home, Reading, III. (Darkness in Act I to denote lapse of time.) ACT II. The Ringside at Tommy s apartment, Joplin, Mo. ACT III. The Knockout at the Livingston Home. 631334 THE FIRST YEAR Home of the Livingstons. \ . * - A comfortable sitting-room, such as may be found in any Middle-Western suburban home. En trance into the room from the hall, is a small archway R. of c. Back of this archway, which is curtained in any quiet chintz, is the hall. Stairs run from c. off to L., and back of the stairway is a hat-rack and umbrella stand. There is a smalt opening. Down R. there is a window, looking out on to a porch, with a small settee under it. R.U. there is a French window which also leads out on to the porch, and be^ tween the window and door is an old desk, a hideaway for papers, books, etc. On top of the desk is a hand hall light. Between the arch c. and the porch door is a writing desk of more modern manufacture. L. of c. is an old-fashioned wall telephone, with a local telephone book suspended from the hook. A fireplace c., with andirons and fender and a mantel. Over the mantel is a large oil painting of a probable ancestor. Just R. of the fireplace is a small ash-stand and cigar cutter. Large easy chair in front of fire-place, and on the mantel a couple of medical journals or pamphlets. L. of mantel is a book-case of about three or four shelves high, curtained, with mag- azines strewn ^ on top. Against the wall L. stands an upright piano, upon which is a long 8 THE FIRST YEAR panel looking-glass. Against the piano and be low it is a stand for bric-a-brac. A door down L. leads to the dining-room. L.C. is a small oval marble-topped table with a vase of flowers and couple of books, and be low it J: settee. A rocking chair with side pockets is almost c. R. of it another easy chair and a hassock. R. a Davenport, flanked by a long monk s table, with a lamp and a flat marble match safe, an ash tray and a humidor and tobacco jar. Through the doors of the porch R. there is a glimpse of the balustrade, and the drop beyond shows the street of the town, lined with elm or maple trees. The walls are hung with one or two- good pictures and a couple of oil paintings of ances tors. The room is lighted with electric lights set in old-fashioned brackets; these are con trolled by a push-button just R. of the c. opening. It is about 8.15 on a June night and the lights are on in the house. The lighting outside is bright moonlight. AT RISE: MR. and MRS. LIVINGSTON and GRACE discovered. LIVINGSTON is stretched comfortably in an arm chair standing at L. of long table R., read ing the local paper and smoking his pipe. MRS. LIVINGSTON is seated near him on his L., knitting. GRACE is at the piano up L., playing some sentimental bit of music very quietly. As she finishes, her hands come down on the keys as though she was glad the tune was ended. She rises and glances through the music on the top of the piano. THE FIRST YEAR 9 Telephone rings, three short, sharp rings, then repeated. LIVINGSTON. (Looks inquiringly at MRS. LIV INGSTON,) Eh? MRS. LIVINGSTON. No, that s ring three Mrs. Park s number. LIVINGSTON. Oh! (He resumes his reading. Pause. Then without looking up.) What are we paying for eggs now? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Fifty-eight. LIVINSTON. (Turns his head half way) Huh? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Fifty-eight. LIVINGSTON. Gosh! I can remember when you could get them for eighteen. MRS. LIVINGSTON. It s terrible! (Goes on with her knitting. LIVINGSTON resumes his reading. In the distance comes a call of a girl s voice, a signal to GRACE. It sounds like ooo-oo, oo-oooo-oo. GRACE turns and starts slowly to the door leading to porch. As she is half way there the call is repeated, and as it finishes she opens the doors. She stands just out side the room and calls off.) GRACE. Oh, hello, Lou! Lou. (Off stage) Hello, Grace. Helen and I won t be over tonight. GRACE. You won t why not? Lou. The Camerons are calling and mama wants us to stay home. GRACE. Oh, I m awfully sorry. Lou. So am I! GRACE. Well, make it tomorrow night. Lou. All right! GRACE. Good night, Lou. Lou. , Good night. GRACE. Good night, Helen. (She enters from balcony, sees her mother s inquiring look.) It was io THE FIRST YEAR Helen and Lou Ford. The Camerons are calling on them tonight, so they can t come over here. MRS. LIVINGSTON. That s too bad, dear. GRACE. I m just as well pleased. ( GRACE crosses L. to bookcase, tlun turns to table and looks for a- book she wants.) LIVINGSTON. (Realizes there has been conversa tion he has missed, and looks over his paper to MRS. LIVINGSTON^ Eh what is it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. The Ford girls, dear. LIVINGSTON. What about them? MRS. LIVINGSTON. The Camerons are calling on them, so they won t be able to come over tonight. LIVINGSTON. Oh! (Resuming his paper.) GRACE. Did you see my library book, mother? MRS. LIVINGSTON. In your case, dear, in the drawer I put it. ^GRACE crosses to music cabinet R., finds the book and crosses down R. to window seat to read.) (DR. MYRON ANDERSON enters down stairway. He stops in the doorway blinking a moment ~ until his eyes become accustomed to the lights.) DOCTOR. (In door up c.) Any message for me, sister ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Not a thing, Myron. (DOCTOR comes down to back of table.) Get any rest? DOCTOR. (Gets cigar from "box back of table R V lights it) I think I must have dozed off. (Crosses down R. to front of table.) What time is it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Consulting small watch which she has pinned on her breast) Quarter past eight. DOCTOR. Well, then, I must have had about an hour s sleep. (Sits on stool front of table, and writes in a pocket notebook. GRACE, finding the THE FIRST YEAR n light bad at the window, throws herself on sofa R. of table R.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. You need it, Myron you ve been trying to do too much lately. DOCTOR. Well, there s a lot of sickness around just now. LIVINGSTON. (Reading without looking up) Jim Powell is sick. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Is he Jim Powell? What is it, Myron? DOCTOR. Stomach ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Serious? DOCTOR. (Puts book in pocket, turns) No! LIVINGSTON. (Looking up) Eh, what is it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Stomach, Myron says. LIVINGSTON. Serious ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. No, dear. LIVINGSTON. Oh ! DOCTOR. (Turns to GRACE, and as though he was now fully awake, asks in a livelier key) Where are all the boys tonight, Grace? GRACE. I don t know, Uncle. MRS. LIVINGSTON. They ll be here, I guess. GRACE. I don t expect anyone. DOCTOR. You won t be surprised, though, if three or four show up, I suppose? (GRACE gives a little laugh.) LIVINGSTON. Young Dick Loring is leaving town, Grace. GRACE. Yes, I know. LIVINGSTON. Huh? (Turning to MRS. LIV INGSTON. ) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace knows about it, dear, but it s the first I ve heard. What does it say ? LIVINGSTON. Huh? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Read it. LIVINGSTON. (Reading from paper. As he gets into it GRACE puts down her book and listens) 12 THE FIRST YEAR "Friends of Richard A. Loring will be pleased to hear of his association with the Central Pacific Railroad as a construction engineer. While they will regret his departure from town, they will be anxious to see him succeed in his chosen profession. We understand from Richard that he is to receive a fine remuneration." MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, thank goodness, I have a daughter and not a son ! DOCTOR. Wouldn t you like to have a son, too, sister ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. No. Boys grow up and leave home. DOCTOR. Well, girls do, too. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Laughing confidently) My girl won t, will you, Grace ? GRACE. I haven t decided yet, mother. DOCTOR. You won t have much chance to leave home, though, if you don t hurry up and grab one of these boys. (Puts his hand on GRACE S shoulder.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Don t get that notion in her head, Myron. There s no need for her to hurry she s young yet. GRACE. I m twenty. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I wasn t married until I was more than that. DOCTOR. Well, there was a reason in your case, sister. The town we lived in was so small it was hard for any young fellow to find it. LIVINGSTON. (To DOCTOR) Eh what s that what s hard to find? DOCTOR. (With good natured firmness) I am not going all over that again. LIVINGSTON. (To MRS. LIVINGSTON,) What is it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. We were talking about sons and daughters, Fred, and saying how much more likely a boy is to leave home than a girl. THE FIRST YEAR 13 LIVINGSTON. Oh! (Goes back to paper.) DOCTOR. (Takes arm away) You wouldn t be able to get Jim Powell to agree with you, sister ! He has three sons who are patermaniacs. GRACE. What are patermaniacs? DOCTOR. . They love their father so much they won t leave him even to go to work. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, of course, if I had a son he probably wouldn t be like Jim Powell s. He d be -going off to be a soldier or sailor or something to shorten my days. No, I m satisfied I have a girl, and I m more satisfied to have her stay where she is. DOCTOR. (Rises, goes up c. to mantel, gets strip of paper from medical journal, patches his cigar) You mothers are all alike. You don t want to lose them, and yet your great ambition is to see them married and in a home of their own. LIVINGSTON. (Watching the DOCTOR go up) Eh, what s it all about ? Who s going to get married ? GRACE. (Shutting her book with plenty of de cision) I am ! (They all turn and look at GRACED LIVI N GSTO N . Huh ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace! GRACE. (Embarrassed for a moment, then recov ering herself) Well, I hope I am ! ^DOCTOR sits in arm-chair up c. at fireplace, reads Medical Journal.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Relieved) Oh! GRACE. And when I do I mean, if I do, I ve got it all planned. (Gets up and kneels on sofa.) I d just have a very quiet wedding, and then I d have a honeymoon some place (dreamily) it doesn t matter much where you go on your honeymoon. And then I d want a home of my own, but the last place I d want it is here in Reading! MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Reproachfully) You mean you d want to go away where you wouldn t be near me? 14 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. Why not? You did. (Puts book on table, goes R. to door.) DOCTOR. That s what she did, Grace. MRS. LIVINGSTON. It was different in my case. GRACE. Why was it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. We didn t have much money in our family. And I know very well my father was glad to get rid of me. LIVINGSTON. I was always popular with your father. I never quite realized why until you told me. (Resumes reading. MRS. LIVINGSTON puts knitting in L. side pocket of chair.) DOCTOR. (Coming down L. side of MRS. LIVING STON,) Sister, what would you do if Grace told you without any warning that s the way you told mother that she and Dick Loring were to be mar ried and were leaving for the West ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Looks at DOCTOR; rises and crosses to GRACE ) Grace, you don t mean to tell me you have any such plan? DOCTOR. (Crosses back of table between them at R.J Grace isn t telling you at all, sister I was ask ing you what you d do in case she told you; would it upset you? MRS. LIVINGSTON. You know it would. DOCTOR. You see what a commotion it is going to cause sometime, Grace. I d hate to be the one to ask your mother s consent. I haven t the slightest idea what Grace s plans are, sister, I was just wondering what you d say. (As he crosses back to his seat at the fireside. Sits.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, then, you shouldn t say those things to me, Myron. I thought Grace had really something to confess. GRACE. Confess! Why, marrying isn t a crime, is it? MRS. LIVINGSTON. There isn t any truth in it, is there, Grace? THE FIRST YEAR 15 GRACE. I tell you what you do, mother, you answer uncle s question first. I d like to know what you d say! MRS. LIVINGSTON. I ll not answer any such thing I don t even want to think of it! (Crosses up back of table and back to her chair.) GRACE. Well, you don t want me to be an old maid, do you? (Sits on sofa R.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. I wouldn t care if you were. (Sits c v gets out knitting.) Your father is able to support you. And anyway, Dick Loring is the last boy I d want to see you married to! He s always been a wild, straying sort he wouldn t be my choice. GRACE. Well, I don t know that father would have been mine. LIVINGSTON. Huh ? GRACE. Well, not from the tintypes I ve seen of you, Dad. LIVINGSTON. Why, what s the matter with them? GRACE. Well, you dress better now than you did then, I ll say that for you. (Crosses back of table between MR. and MRS. LIVINGSTON. ) Being an old maid might suit you, mother, but it s never been my idea. I don t want father to go on supporting me all my life. LIVINGSTON. Me either. MRS. LIVINGSTON. You want to work for your living ? GRACE. Not one little bit. I want to be sup ported, and I want to be a help to the man who sup ports me, and I want to have children, and plan futures and arrange marriages for them (Crosses back of MRS. LIVINGSTON to L. of her) brave, handsome men for my girls, and beautiful, good women for my boys ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace, do be modest! DOCTOR. (Rises, puts magazine on mantel, cross- es down to GRACED You go right ahead, Grace, and i6 THE FIRST YEAR have children have plenty of them. (Embraces her.) There is less danger of spoiling them then. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I don t know what you are trying to get at, Myron, but if it s to upset me, you are doing very well. ( GRACE goes up to piano stool and sits.) DOCTOR. I am not trying to upset you, sister. You are not a bit different from any other mother. You worry about Grace all you want, but when the time comes for her to make a choice, let her follow her own dictates, and then go on worrying ahout Her just the same. (^DOCTOR sits on settee L.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Looks at DOCTOR, then at GRACED Well, if Grace met some nice boy I wouldn t object to her marrying, if she d settle down here. It would be much better for Grace anyway. She d be where I could keep her company and watch over her and advise her. GRACE. But where would be the adventure the romance ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Oh, you want romance, now? GRACE. I always have ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, you won t pr?t much with eight or ten children. ( GRACE puts book on table i..) Why, Myron, Grace isn t even old enough to make up her mind what she wants. DOCTOR. Of course not. GRACE. (Comes down L., sits L. of DOCTOR) You think I am not? DOCTOR. Gracie, I know you are not. Even after you re married, you will not have your mind made up fully. GRACE. Oh, you are joking now ! DOCTOR. Am I? Ask your mother when she finally made up her mind about your father. MRS. LIVINGSTON. What about him? DOCTOR. Well that you had made a good selec tion. THE FIRST YEAR 17 MRS. LIVINGSTON. I always thought so. DOCTOR. No, you didn t! (Rises.) I know (Counts on his fingers) three times when you were positive you had made a big mistake (rises, goes to her) and one time you were on the point of separating. MRS. LIVINGSTON. No! ( GRACE looks back of MRS. LIVINGSTON to MR. LIVINGSTON.^) DOCTOR. Don t tell me that, I know ! Am I right or wrong, Fred? (Going back of MRS. LIVINGSTON to LIVINGSTON.; LIVINGSTON. (Turns to them, asks MRS. LIVING STON; Eh; what s that? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Myron says that when we were first married we were on the point of sepa rating. LIVINGSTON. Oh well, why recall it? DOCTOR. I am trying to prove something. LIVINGSTON. Well, there was a time when it did look as though we d never get through the summer. DOCTOR. (Crosses to c.) I should say it did ! GRACE. (Incredulously) Not those two? DOCTOR. (Crosses to GRACE J Even those two. GRACE. I can t believe it! DOCTOR. And I ll bet your mother can t tell you the reason now doesn t remember! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Yes, I do, perfectly. GRACE. (Rising and crossing to her mother) What was it? (^DOCTOR crosses down L.cJ MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Trying to evade an answer) Just a foolish thing if I d have had a little more sense it never would have happened ! GRACE. (Still insistent) But what was it? (Pause.) DOCTOR. Grace GRACE. Yes? (Crosses to DOCTOR.,) DOCTOR. Does your father ever get on your nerves ? 18 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. No ! DOCTOR. Never ? GRACE. You mean annoy me? DOCTOR. Yes. LIVINGSTON. Eh what is it? GRACE. (Almost annoyed at the interruption) Nothing, dad. I wish he wouldn t do that, when a thing has been settled, to ask mother to go all over it again. (Sits on settee, L.j DOCTOR. (Crosses c. to MRS. LIVINGSTON, with a chuckle) Isn t that strange, sister? GRACE. What is, uncle? DOCTOR. That s the very thing that did it. GRACE. Not really? DOCTOR. ("MRS. LIVINGSTON is knitting furiously) Yes. That habit of his "Huh, eh, what s that?" led to an argument that almost caused a separation. GRACE. And now half the time mother repeats things for dad before he has a chance to ask. MRS. LIVINGSTON. What are you trying to prove by all this, Myron? DOCTOR. That you were right when you said Grace is not old enough to make up her mind, and she won t be until she is an old married woman at least a year old. GRACE. Well, how is a girl going to know if her choice is right when she says "yes" to a man? DOCTOR. She can t ! All she can do is hope. And, oh Lord, how she has got to hope. She MRS. LIVINGSTON. Is there one thing in the world, Myron, that you haven t used as a subject for an evening lecture here? DOCTOR. No, I think I have exhausted about everything ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. I know you have exhausted me many nights. It wouldn t be so bad if you d keep to topics that you know something about, but when you, a confirmed bachelor, get on the subject THE FIRST YEAR 19 of marriage, I should say you were about the poor est authority in the world. DOCTOR. Not at all ! I ve never had yellow fever, and yet I can diagnose it. It s the same with mar riage. I ve studied it I know the symptoms the suffering the treatment and the cure! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Why don t you write a book on it? (Disgustedly puts away knitting.) DOCTOR. It doesn t need a book only two words love and forgive. GRACE. Must the girl forgive the man she mar ries a lot? DOCTOR. Oh, indeed, she must. If you feel you can t forgive a man at least three times a week, Grace never marry! And I want to see you married whether you live here or in Siberia. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Rises) That s fine advice to give a young girl, I must say, Myron. (Crossing L.) Goodness knows, if you weren t my brother I d never recommend you as a doctor ! (Exits L. ) GRACE. (Takes DOCTOR S hand, seats him beside her) Uncle ! DOCTOR. Yes ? GRACE. (Stops abruptly) Wait a moment. (Rises, crosses R. to MR. LIVINGSTON. ) Father oh, father ! ("LIVINGSTON has fallen asleep. GRACE watches him carefully.) It s all right. ( Crosses and sits^R. of settee with DOCTOR, who has moved to L. of it.) Uncle, did you really mean that a girl can t know about a man until long after she s married? DOCTOR. I certainly did ! GRACE. Oh, dear! DOCTOR. (Thinks for a moment) Why, who is it? GRACE. Who s who? DOCTOR. The boy you have in mind ! GRACE. (Looks at him for a second, pauses) Well, there are two of them. 20 THE FIRST YEAR DOCTOR. Two! You are not as slow as your mother thinks you are. Which are they? GRACE. One is Dick Loring. DOCTOR. Ah, ha! And the other? GRACE. Tommy Tucker. DOCTOR. (Surprised) Tommy ! Is that so ? GRACE. Are you surprised ? DOCTOR. No. I rather thought after seeing them here night after night, it would narrow down to those two. GRACE. Uncle, which would you pick ? DOCTOR. They have both asked you ? GRACE. Dick has, heaps of times. Tommy hasn t. I don t believe Tommy ever would ask me first. He is the kind who would go to mother and dad and ask them if he could ask me. DOCTOR. You know I rather favor that method. GRACE. Well, I don t, and if Tommy ever did that, I wouldn t have him under any circumstances. DOCTOR. And would that make you prefer Dick ? GRACE. Well, Dick is a dear. He s more roman tic than any boy in town. He s terribly good look ing too, don t you think? DOCTOR. Yes, to the feminine eye, I guess he must be. GRACE. And it s nice to have a sfood-looking hus band. (Rises, gets R. of settee.) But I like Tommy, too. He s so dependable and obliging. Of course, Tommy isn t good looking. DOCTOR. No, you d never be jealous over Tommy. But that ought to be a comfortable feeling for a woman. GRACE. I don t know about that. If I liked Tom my, why shouldn t some other girl? Of course, I don t think Tommy would flirt, and Dick is a terri ble flirt. That s what makes him so romantic. Tom my isn t romantic at all. Somehow I can t make up THE FIRST YEAR 21 my mind about them. (Sits on settee again.) Uncle, what s your opinion? DOCTOR. (Puts arm around her) Well, I ll tell you. I set Dick s leg- once when he had it broken at football, and I could have wished he was my own son the way he took it. I hurt him, too! Tommy? I brought Tommy into the world his folks were two of my dearest friends, and well, I wish he had been my son, too. And there you are! GRACE. You re not much help ! DOCTOR. (Rises) No one could be, Grace. There s only one way for you to find out. GRACE. (Rises) What? DOCTOR. (Indicating her heart) That the lov ers bureau of information. (The doorbell rings, and LIVINGSTON wakes with a start and looks around in a bewildered way.) LIVINGSTON. Eh what? GRACE. (Crosses up R., looking off c.) The door bell! LIVINGSTON. Oh, who is it? GRACE. We don t know yet. (Turns and looks at Doctor.) LIVINGSTON. Oh! (As GRACE starts up, MRS. LIVINGSTON enters and crosses to door up c.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. I ll go, Grace. (Exits.) GRACE. (Crosses L. to DOCTOR) It must be Dick. Mother is going. LIVINGSTON. (Stretching) Aha ! GRACE. (Crosses down L., gets back from table Lj Father ll start to wake up now. DOCTOR. Yes, but only long enough to go to bed. (Goes up to mantel. MRS. LIVINGSTON enters.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (To GRACE) It s Dick! (Crosses down to LIVINGSTON and sits c.) It s Dick Loring. (DICK LORING enters, crosses down c. to MR. and MRS. LIVINGSTON, then the DOCTOR. He 22 THE FIRST YEAR is a good-looking, dark boy about twenty-three or twenty-four, strong and athletic looking.) DICK. Good evening! LIVINGSTON. How are you, Dick? DICK. Good evening, Doctor. DOCTOR. Hello, Dick ! (Goes up L.J DICK. (Goes to GRACE) Hello, Grace. GRACE. Hello, Dick. (Sits on L. of settee.) LIVINGSTON. We have been reading about you tonight, Dick. (MRS. LIVINGSTON keeps her eye on DICK all the time, as though she didn t trust him even in her sight.) DICK. Yes? LIVINGSTON. That s right, is it, that you are go ing away ? DICK. Yes, sir, it s all settled. DOCTOR. (Up L.cJ How soon are you leaving, Dick? DICK. In another week. DOCTOR. Where are they sending you? DICK. I m not sure, yet. LIVINGSTON. Eh what s that? MRS. LIVINGSTON. He doesn t know where he s going. (Seated c.) LIVINGSTON. Is that so? DICK. I don t care much so long as I get away. DOCTOR. (Up L.C., sitting at fireplace) Tired of us here? DICK. (Sits with GRACE) Oh, no. There are some I ll hate to leave, but there are some I won t miss so much. I think, though, it s a good thing to get away. There isn t anything for me here in this town. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, you mustn t get too rest less, Richard. You know what they say about roll ing stones. DICK. A fellow has to do a little rolling, Mrs. Livingston, to find a good place to stop. There s a THE FIRST YEAR 23 whole lot of fellows who d have done better if they had rolled away from this village. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Why, I think most of the boys we know are doing very nicely. Now, you take Na than Allen, helping his father in the store. Mr. Allen told me he didn t know what he would do without Nathan. GRACE. That s all right for his father, but I don t see where it is helping Nate much. I think Nate is terribly stupid, anyway. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace! GRACE. Well, I do. If we didn t have weather I don t know what he d do for something to talk about. DOCTOR. What about Tommy Tucker? DICK. Oh, well, er Tommy MRS. LIVINGSTON. I won t have you say anything about Tommy ! I wouldn t care if he d never been off Main Street all his life Tommy is a nice boy ! DICK. Oh, I don t mean to say that any of them are not, Mrs. Livingston. But Tommy is in the class with the rest. How is a fellow to do anything in the real estate business in this town? There isn t anybody moving into the place, and the people here wouldn t sell anything they had, anyway. Tommy is wasting his time here, and I ve told him so. DOCTOR. Tommy seems to be satisfied. DICK. That s just it, Doctor they re all satisfied. GRACE. And they are all dull deadly dull. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I won t let you call Tommy dull! GRACE. No, Tommy isn t, but real estate isn t a very romantic business. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Neither is any other. GRACE. Dick s is. DICK. Yes, it is romantic, Grace it s a battle all the time. To fight against the elements that s the biggest opposition in the world. When you dam a river 24 THE FIRST YEAR LIVINGSTON. Er! What did he say? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Dam a river. LIVINGSTON. Why? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Dick was saying GRACE. Oh, tell him later, mother. Yes, Dick? DICK. Or tunnel a mountain, or throw a bridge across a chasm, you feel as though you had done something. GRACE. It must be magnificent and you are go ing to do all these things, Dick? DICK. I ll have to do all these things, Grace. You see, I expect to be put in charge of a surveying and construction camp. I am not certain about the location yet, but it s out in the wilds somewhere. GRACE. Oh, won t that be thrilling ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Fiddlesticks ! (Not liking the trend of the conversation.) GRACE. (Dreamily) Oh, mother! To sleep out under the trees, to look up at the stars, and in the distance DICK. fLattfjhs) Oh, no, Grace, there won t be anything like that ! I exnect my quarters to be quite comfortable. Whv, some of the engineers even brin? their wives p!or. (MRS. LIVINGSTON notes this.) GRACE. I d love it ! DICK. You would? MRS. LIVINGSTON. It s no place for a woman ! GRACE. How do you know, mother you have never been in one ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Neither has Dick. My broth ers used to have a camp, and they thought it was the greatest place in the world just because they could be dirty and sleep in blankets. And I guess one camp is pretty much like another. (Door-bell rings. DOCTOR rises, comes down L. DICK rises, noes to DOCTOR. DOCTOR gets front of DICK so TOMMY can t see DICK when he comes down c.) THE FIRST YEAR 25 GRACE. I guess that is Tommy. Mother I ll go. (Goes front of DICK and up c., exits.) MRS . LIVINGSTON. Grace is getting almost impos sible. LIVINGSTON. Almost what? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Impossible. LIVINGSTON. Who? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace ! LIVINGSTON. What s she been doing? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Why, she haven t you been listening ? LIVINGSTON. To what ? (Door slams off.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, she LIVINGSTON. You tell me later. Who s calling? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Tommy, I think. (GRACE en ters with box of candy.) Was it Tommy, Grace? GRACE. Yes, mother. (Goes to fireplace, throws paper in it.) (TOMMY TUCKER follows GRACE on closely. He is quiet, shy and adoring; follows GRACE with his eyes all the time. He comes between MR. and MRS. LIVINGSTON. GRACE crosses L.J MRS. LIVINGSTON. Good evening, Tommy. TOMMY. Good evening, Mrs. Livingston Mr. Livingston. Hello, Doctor. DOCTOR. Hello, Tommy ! (Crosses up c.) (There is a marked difference in TOMMY S greet ing for the parents and for the DOCTOR. To the former he is respectfully cordial, but to the lat ter he is almost filial. The DOCTOR has almost the same worship for him that TOMMY has for GRACED TOMMY. (Sees LORING, and shows at once the rivalry he feels) Hello, Dick ! 26 THE FIRST YEAR DICK. Hello, Tommy ! (He has a mild contempt for TOMMY.J GRACE. (Has opened the box of candy and has offered her mother some, and now extends the box to DICK) Have some candy? (TOMMY steps for- ward.) DICK. (Crosses to GRACE) Ah Oh, local goods ! TOMMY. Yes. Brewer has the best in town, I guess. DICK. (Crosses up c.) In town yes ! TOMMY. (Crosses down L. to GRACE) I d have run up to Chi and gotten better, Grace, but I didn t think I could get a train to get me back tonight. GRACE. I like this, Tommy. TOMMY. You do, eh? GRACE. Yes, indeed! TOMMY. Well, you are the one I got it for. (He turns and grins at DICK, who is down c. DOCTOR smiles and turns up stage.) LIVINGSTON. (Rising) How about a rubber of bridge? I d just like something to wake me up. What do you say, Dick ? DICK. (Crosses R. to LIVINGSTON) I d like to TOMMY. (To GRACE) There ll be just four with out us. DICK. But I can t tonight. I can only stay a little while. (MRS. LIVINGSTON disposes of her knitting, goes out, gets card table and brings it in. DICK goes R. to couch.) LIVINGSTON. How about you, Myron? DOCTOR. I m expecting a telephone call I ll play until I get it. (Rises, takes MRS. LIVINGSTON S chair and moves it up c. MRS. LIVINGSTON gives THE FIRST YEAR 27 him card table. Crosses R. and gets cards from drawer in table R.) LIVINGSTON. Somebody can take your hand then. Will you play, Tommy ? TOMMY. Why, I MRS. LIVINGSTON. Tommy and I want revenge for the last beating you gave us. DICK. Grace. GRACE. Yes, Dick. (She crosses around up c. and to couch. DOCTOR gets chair from table L.c v puts it front of card table. He is on to TOMMY S reluc tance all the time and is quietly amused.) TOMMY. (Crosses to DICK R.) Why don t you take my hand, Dick? You play better than I do anyway. DICK. No, you go right ahead, Tommy, I d rather sit here and talk to Grace. (GRACE is seated on couch down stage, DICK above her and TOMMY stands L. of table. By this time everything has been pretty well arranged.) LIVINGSTON. Shall we play the same partners as last time? (DOCTOR gets chair from down L. puts it L. of card table.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Certainly! Tommy and I wouldn t have it any other way. LIVINGSTON. Cut for the deal and choice of seats, then (Looks around) Tommy ! TOMMY. Yes, sir! Oh! (Realising they are waiting for him They all cut the cards.) LIVINGSTON. You re low, mother. Where do you want to sit? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Who wants to keep her eye on the couple on the sofa) I ll sit here. Face me, Tommy. (She is about to sit L. of table.) TOMMY. (Crosses to MRS. LIVINGSTON. He also wishes to keep his eye on DICK and GRACEJ Wouldn t you rather sit here Mrs. Livingston? (Takes her chair around to R. of card table.) The light is better 28 THE FIRST YEAR over here, I think. (LIVINGSTON brings chair from desk up R., puts it back of card table.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. I can see better here, I think. TOMMY. (Takes chair back around back of LIV INGSTON to L. of card table, places it for MRS. LIV INGSTON. Gets stool from front of table R. GRACE laughs at something DICK has said. TOMMY pauses a second, then goes to card table, is about to sit, then has another idea.) Don t you think we ought to take these seats? (Indicating chairs that LIVINGSTON and DOCTOR are sitting on.) These were the lucky ones last time. They held all the cards. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, it s time for the luck to turn to ours. (Sits. MRS. LIVINGSTON sits on the L. of table, DOCTOR with his back to the audience, and LIVINGSTON facing audience. MRS. LIVING STON lets the DOCTOR cut the cards and then she deals.) Don t you want to come and watch us, Grace ? GRACE. No, mother. TOMMY. (Rising, going to R. of c.) Wouldn t you like to play, Grace ? I d much rather look on. GRACE. (Turns to face TOMMY) No, thank you, Tommy. I ll be company for Dick. I want to hear all about his plans, because he won t be here very much longer. (Turns back to DICK.J TOMMY. (At table R., his face brightens) That s so you won t be here very much longer, will you, Dick? DICK. No, Tommy, I won t, so you see I have to make the most of my time. TOMMY. Yes. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Cards, Tommy ! (GRACE and DICK have resumed their conversation and TOMMY watches them doesn t hear MRS. LIVINGSTON the first time.) Tommy the cards are all dealt. TOMMY. I beg your pardon. (Picks up his hand and sorts it, trying hard to hear what is being said THE FIRST YEAR 29 behind him. He now spies a looking-glass on the opposite wall which reflects the room behind him. It is on a bit of an angle, so he has to lean up stage to get a good view of the couple behind him. LIVING STON thinks he is trying to see his hand and pulls it away. TOMMY is embarrassed. He sits, then rises again, looks in the mirror, then sits.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (After a little deliberation) I pass! DOCTOR. A heart! TOMMY. (Looking at DICK and GRACE, and just conscious it is his turn to bid) Pass ! LIVINGSTON. Pass. MRS. LIVINGSTON. No trump ! LIVINGSTON. (Exasperated) Why didn t you say that in the first place? MRS. LIVINGSTON. I wanted to see what my part ner had. LIVINGSTON. How do you expect him to have any thing if vou have no trump? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Defiantly) What do you do, Myron ? DOCTOR. Pass ! TOMMY. (Looking at DICK and GRACE) Pass! LIVINGSTON. Two hearts ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Two no trumps. LIVINGSTON. (Entirely out of patience) What kind of bidding- do you call that? You pass first h?nd and now you are up to two no trumps. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I can bid my hand any way I like. LIVINGSTON. And you are doing it. DOCTOR. Pass. TOMMY. (Still watching DICK and GRACE) Pass. LIVINGSTON. Pass ! DOCTOR. Well, there you are! (Plays card, looks at TOMMY, attracts his attention by nudging him.) Your hand goes down, Tommy. 30 THE FIRST YEAR TOMMY. Oh, beg your pardon. (Lays down his hand and again turns to GRACE and DICK, who are deep in conversation. After a pause, as though he were trying to think of something to say) How soon are you leaving, Dick? (DICK and GRACE pay no attention to him) Dick ! DICK. (Turns to TOMMY he is annoyed) What? TOMMY. How soon are you leaving? DICK. I don t know I have got to be home early, though. TOMMY. I mean for good. DICK. Oh, in about a week, I guess. TOMMY. Oh, not for a week, eh? (Pause.) Going to be gone long? (GRACE laughs. There is no answer from DICK. After a pause changes tac tics) The old town is good enough for us, isn t it, Grace? DICK. (Turning to TOMMY, rather sarcastically) I thought you were playing bridge ? TOMMY. (With a smile of triumph) I m dummy ! DICK. Why can t you be a good one? (Turns back to GRACE.) GRACE. (Turning to TOMMY, sympathetically) What was it you asked me, Tommy ? TOMMY. I said the old town was good enough for us. GRACE. Why, it may be for you, Tommy, but I m like Dick I ll be glad to get away. TOMMY. (As thought struck) You don t mean to say you re going away? (MRS. LIVINGSTON puts cards down, having completed the hand.) GRACE. I don t know, Tommy I may. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Referring to having won the hand) What do you think of that? (DOCTOR deals cards.) TOMMY. (Thinking only of what GRACE has said) I think it is terrible ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. To make a small slam? THE FIRST YEAR 31 TOMMY. Oh eh? t DOCTOR^ (Realizing TOMMY has been caught, picks up line for him) I expected you to make a grand one. LIVINGSTON. That s the way Emily plays, Myron. Passes a hand first time good enough to go game on. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, if I had known Tommy had all those spades I d have called no trumps first time. (Door-bell rings.) LIVINGSTON. Who s that ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. I don t know, dear. See who it is, Grace. (GRACE crosses up c. and exits.) DOCTOR. It may be for me ! LIVINGSTON. Let s get on with this hand. (DICK walks around table, looking at cards each player holds he first goes back of LIVINGSTON.^ DOCTOR. I pass. TOMMY. Pass. LIVINGSTON. I bid three spades. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Three spades? LIVINGSTON. That s what I said and I ll make them, too. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, I haven t given it to you yet! (DICK crosses down back of MRS. LiVING- STON.J LIVINGSTON. All right, go ahead bid ! I can go higher if I am pushed. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I pass. DOCTOR. Pass. (Dicx goes back of DOCTOR.) TOMMY. Pass. (MRS. LIVINGSTON plays.) LIVINGSTON. Any help, Myron? DOCTOR. Here and there a card. (Spreading his hand on table.) 32 THE FIRST YEAR (GRACE enters and comes down to table R. of LIV INGSTON, speaking to him.) GRACE. Oh, dad, it s Mr. Plimmer. LIVINGSTON. Wants to see me? GRACE. Of course. LIVINGSTON. What s he want? GRACE. I didn t ask him. (Goes below TOMMY and talks to him a moment. DICK takes her by the arm and they start out up R.J MRS. LIVINGSTON. You d better go out and see. But talk to him out there. If you ever ask him in here he ll never leave. Grace will play your hand. LIVINGSTON. (Rises, crosses up c., taking cards with him) No, wait until I come back. I want to play this hand myself. (Exits.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Where are you going, Grace ? GRACE. Out on the porch. (DOCTOR swings chair, faces R.) I m simply burning up in here. (She and DICK exit, TOMMY following them with his eyes.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Rises, crosses up to window R.J I wish she wouldn t do that. DOCTOR. What a glorious night. (TOMMY heaves a deep sigh.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. W 7 hy don t you stay in here and play something for us, Grace ? Tommy will sing. TOMMY. (Rises) God, no! Please, please, Mrs. Livingston ! I don t feel like singing tonight. (He comes down, -front to R.J MRS. LIVINGSTON. What s the matter, Tommy, don t you feel well ? TOMMY. No, ma am I ve a headache had it all day. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I m sorry, Tommy. Can t you give him something, Myron? (Crossing to DOCTOR.) DOCTOR. (TOMMY turns to watch GRACE and DICK) I think so. Get me a glass of water, sister. You should have some aspirin in the house. THE FIRST YEAR 33 MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses to L J They ll be in Fred s little table if they re any place. (Exits L.J TOMMY. I ll be all right, Doctor. DOCTOR. Well, aspirin won t hurt you, Tommy, whether you have a headache or not. (TOMMY, stealing, looks out window. DOCTOR rises, goes to TOMMY.) What sort of a pain is it, Tommy, dull heavy? TOMMY. Yes, sir. DOCTOR. Ah, yes, stomach, probably. (GRACE and DICK, arm in arm, pass window R. and then out of sight ) TOMMY. I guess so, sir. (Looking off R., then turning to DOCTOR.) Doctor, has Grace said any thing to you about going away ? DOCTOR. No. Is she? TOMMY. She just told me just now she might. DOCTOR. (Goes up R.c.J Humph ! TOMMY. (Watching DOCTOR, and getting L. of c.) What is it, Doctor ? DOCTOR. (Coming down R. of c.) She may mean that, Tommy. I think Dick is trying to induce her to go away with him now. TOMMY. Yes? DOCTOR. Yes. TOMMY. (Crossing R., looking out window) Yes, I thought of sort sort of thought so, myself. DOCTOR. Grace likes Dick. TOMMY. Yes, I think she does. DOCTOR. He s the style that appeals to the girls, Tommy, not fellows like us. TOMMY. (Turning to DOCTOR, and mentally com paring himself with him) Us? DOCTOR. Yes, us. We re alike, I think. (Enter MRS. LIVINGSTON.) We re quiet, matter-of-fact sort of men no romance about us, is there? TOMMY. No, sir. MRS. LIVINGSTON. There you are, Myron now 34 THE FIRST YEAR I ll find the tablets. (Puts glass of -water on card table, then crosses up c.) TOMMY. Please don t bother, Mrs. Livingston. (Going up R.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Bother? Don t be silly, Tom my. (Exits up c.) TOMMY. (Coming down R. to front of table R.j You know, Doctor, I think you re all wrong about me. DOCTOR. How so, Tommy ? TOMMY. I am romantic! DOCTOR. You are ? TOMMY. Yes, sir more than you d suspect. DOCTOR. Is that so ? Why, I d about made up my mind you were going to be an old bachelor like me, Tommy. TOMMY. I hope not. DOCTOR. Huh ? TOMMY. What I mean is I d like to get married sometime. DOCTOR. Did you have a girl in mind that you wanted to marry ? TOMMY. (Looking out window) Yes, sir I have. DOCTOR. Oh, you did, eh? TOMMY. (Turning to DOCTOR) No not did, have ! I ve got her in mind now. That s as near as I ll ever get her, I guess. DOCTOR. Why, who is she ? TOMMY. Are you making fun of me, Doctor? DOCTOR. You don t mean Grace ! TOMMY. I haven t been coming here night after night to see Mrs. Livingston. DOCTOR. Well, has Grace refused you ? TOMMY. (Doubtfully) I ve never asked her. DOCTOR. Well, what are you waiting for? She can t say yes if you don t ask her. THE FIRST YEAR 35 TOMMY. (Indicating DICK and GRACE, out win dow R.) I m afraid it s too late now. DOCTOR. That s no way to talk try it and find out! TOMMY. (Turning to DOCTOR) All right, Doc tor, I will! I ll speak to Mr. and Mrs. Livingston tonight. DOCTOR. Good Lord, no speak to Grace! TOMMY. To Grace? DOCTOR. Yes. TOMMY. (Looking off to balcony) How ll I get a chance? DOCTOR. Make one! If you re romantic be ro mantic put your whole heart into it don t be afraid ! Walk right up and grab her and make her listen to you. TOMMY. Well, Doctor, when you say grab her you don t mean (Makes movement of grabbing) - grab her ? DOCTOR. Yes, I do grab her and hang on. (MRS. LIVINGSTON enters with tablets, comes down between TOMMY and DOCTOR.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Here you are, Tommy. (She gives TOMMY a pill.) How many do you think he ought to take, Myron? DOCTOR, (Looks at TOMMY) Well, not many. You can take one now and one in half an hour, Tom my. TOMMY. Yes, sir. (Takes the pill and glass of water, which he gets from card table, places glass of water on table R.J MRS. LIVINGSTON. (After placing aspirin bottle on table R., goes L. of card table, sits) Fred still talking? DOCTOR. I guess so ! (Door slam.) 36 THE FIRST YEAR (LIVINGSTON enters, com-es to his seat back of card table. DOCTOR and TOMMY resume their seats.) LIVINGSTON. All right I bid three spades ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Did you? I wish your mem ory was as good as that about other things. LIVINGSTON. And you all passed. (Telephone bell rings twice.) DOCTOR. I guess that s for me. LIVINGSTON. Oh, Lord ! DOCTOR. (Goes to phone u,p c.) Hello this is Dr. Anderson yes, Miss Kennedy she has? All right I ll be right over. (Hangs up receiver, rings off, comes down c.) I ll have to leave. LIVINGSTON. This has been a fine rubber. DOCTOR. I m sorry, Fred. LIVINGSTON. Well, you re dummy anyway, My ron. We can finish this hand. (DOCTOR goes up c. As he passes TOMMY he nudges him to attract his attention.) (TOMMY turns to DOCTOR, who stops up c., then turns to TOMMY and motions for TOMMY to grab GRACE. LIVINGSTON turns, catches the DOCTOR, who goes into hall up c. TOMMY and the LIV INGSTONS start playing the hand. GRACE enters from porch; she is very serious, and "goes to win dow-seat R. As GRACE enters, TOMMY turns to see her and plays out of turn. DICK follows GRACE in and goes down R. a little, watching GRACE, then back to c.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. That was my king, Tommy. (GRACE goes to window seat R V sits.) TOMMY. I beg your pardon! DICK. (Coming to back of card table) Good night, Mrs. Livingston, Mr. Livingston ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Going, Dick? THE FIRST YEAR 37 DICK. Yes I have some blue prints I have to look over. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I see. Well, good-night DICK. (Almost walks into the DOCTOR out in hall up c.) Good-night, Doctor. DOCTOR. You re leaving early, aren t you? DICK. I didn t expect to stay late tonight. I have a lot of work to do. (Exits.) DOCTOR. Wait a minute. I ll go along with you. (Out in hall) LIVINGSTON. Oh, Myron (DOCTOR comes to door c.) I made my three. DOCTOR. Good ! (Exits c. to L.J MRS. LIVINGSTON. You wouldn t if Tommy hadn t put his ace on my king of diamonds. (Door slam.) TOMMY. I m terribly sorry about that. LIVINGSTON. You want to play, Grace? GRACE. I d rather not, dad. (Crosses and sits on arm of sofa R. ) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Tommy s head is aching, too. LIVINGSTON. (Resigned) Oh, all right. (Takes table with cards and scores and exits into hall with them. MRS. LIVINGSTON moves the chairs, one down L., the other up L.C V then tidies music on piano.) TOMMY. (Crosses to GRACE, replacing stool be low table R.) I haven t had a chance to talk to you all evening. GRACE. Well, you d rather play cards. TOMMY. Not rather. GRACE. You did. I supposed you preferred to. TOMMY. I ll never do it again. The next time I m asked to play cards I am going to say, No, I have a headache. Of course I ll do it nicely, but I won t play cards. GRACE. Tommy, you are getting bold. (LIVING STON enters c.) 38 THE FIRST YEAR LIVINGSTON. It s half-past nine, mother. I m go ing to bed. MRS. LIVINGSTON. All right, dear. LIVINGSTON. Good-night, Tommy. TOMMY. Oh, good-night, Mr. Livingston. (MRS. LIVINGSTON arranges music on top of piano and closes it.) LIVINGSTON. (Coming down R.cJ Where is Dick? GRACE. Gone ! LIVINGSTON. Is that so? GRACE. He said good-night to you. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses between GRACE and TOM MY) Did he ? I didn t hear him. GRACE. He had some work to do. LIVINGSTON. Did he? Oh, I see. (Sits between TOMMY and GRACE.) How is business with you, Tommy? TOMMY. Why, all right, Mr. Livingston in fact, I am doing very well, much better than I expected to be doing. You see, I have a business that is certain it isn t big, but it is certain. I am very glad that you and Mrs. Livingston are here because it gives me a chance to speak to you on a subject (The LIVINGSTONS are all attention. GRACE looks as though she could guess what was coming and dreads it.) I have wanted to speak to you about. (Tele phone bell rings.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Just one moment, Tommy! (Goes to phone. TOMMY is perspiring with nerves.) Hello! Yes who is it Oh! Tommy, Myron wants to speak to you. TOMMY. The Doctor? (Crosses to phone. MRS. LIVINGSTON comes down c. and sits.) Hello ! Yes, sir yes I know he did they have ? Yes I ll try and remember yes thanks for reminding me! (He hangs up receiver, rings off, and comes down R. of c. in a bewildered manner.) THE FIRST YEAR 39 MRS. LIVINGSTON. (To TOMMY, as fie gets down R.c.j Was it important? TOMMY. Yes! Yes! I should say it was ! Some thing the Doctor wanted me to be sure and remem ber. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I think I know what it is ! TOMMY. (Afraid she does) You do? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Your other tablet. TOMMY. Yes, that s it! He thought I d forget it. (Gets tablet from table, and water, takes tablet fever ishly, with relief.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Now, Tommy, we are all in terested What was it you were going to tell us ? TOMMY. (After a second s pause) Nothing! MRS. LIVINGSTON. What? TOMMY. I guess I d rather not say anything about it. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, if it s important and something you think Fred and I ought to know TOMMY. ( Quickly) No, no, it s nothing like that. LIVINGSTON. Like what? TOMMY. Like something you ought to know. It d take rather a long time to tell you, and I didn t real ize it was so late. LIVINGSTON. Well, then, don t start it tonight. TOMMY. No, I won t. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, just as you please about it. (Rises, moves chair up R. of table L.J Good night, Tommy. TOMMY. Good-night. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Don t sit up too late, Grace. (Goes off c., for count of ten, then comes back to doorway, calling down stage) Fred ! (Exits up stairs.) LIVINGSTON. Eh? (Looks from GRACE to TOM MY, then realizes that MRS. LIVINGSTON means to leave them alone.) Oh! (Rises and goes up c.) Oh good-night, Tommy ! (Exits upstairs.) 40 THE FIRST YEAR TOMMY. Good-night ! (TOMMY goes up to see if they are gone, then after a pause looks at telephone, remembering what the DOCTOR told him. Then mak ing up his mind, he comes down stage back of GRACE and grabs her.) GRACE. Tommy, behave yourself ! (She pushes him off; he falls away in front of her, then rises and slowly crosses stage to L.) What do you mean by that? TOMMY. I beg your pardon. GRACE. What s the matter with you ? TOMMY. Will you forgive me, please ! GRACE. Why, Tommy, that isn t a bit like you. TOMMY. I know it isn t. GRACE. Tommy, what did Uncle call you up about ? TOMMY. He wanted to give me some advice about something. GRACE. (Rising) Oh ! TOMMY. But it wasn t any good. GRACE. I thought your telephone message had something to do with me. (Sits on stool front of table R.J Oh, Tommy, what were you going to speak to mother and dad about? TOMMY. It wasn t anything important it was something about business. GRACE. Oh, is your business improving, Tommy ? TOMMY. Yes that is, I m satisfied ! GRACE. Yes, that s what Dick said about you to night "you re satisfied." TOMMY. (Crossing to her) Dick s all wrong about that I m a long way from being satisfied. GRACE. He meant with your business and your surroundings ! TOMMY. Oh! GRACE. Don t you feel, though, Tommy, that you d like to get away branch out and try your luck with new people in new scenes ? THE FIRST YEAR 41 TOMMY. Why, would you like to go away, Grace? GRACE. Indeed I would, Tommy! I am so tired of the same parties with the same people same talk same everything. You don t know how I almost hate it. TOMMY. Well, I suppose it s because you re a girl you haven t business to take up your time. Maybe if you had a home of your own I mean a home of your own that would help to keep you busy and happy! GRACE. Here ? TOMMY. Yes! GRACE. Oh, no! (TOMMY turns away.) It s nerves with me, Tommy ! I can t listen to the surf some people it puts to sleep. I never could practice scales ; it drives me mad to sit and go da, da, da, da, da, da ! I wish I had been a boy ! I d go and see places and people get out and do something like Dick! TOMMY. You and Dick are a good deal alike. I suppose that s the sort of chap you d like to marry, Grace. GRACE. Maybe we wouldn t want to travel to the same places at the same time, though. TOMMY. I should think a fellow would do any thing you would want him to do. GRACE. (Looks at him) All men are not like you, Tommy ! TOMMY. No, that s right if they were there d be no Columbuses, or Drakes, or Pearys. GRACE. (Rising) I wonder what sort of a girl you ll marry, Tommy. TOMMY. (Without looking at her) I don t know now! GRACE. Why "now"? Did someone refuse you, Tommy ? TOMMY. Practically. 42 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. Then she hasn t one grain of sense ! (He turns to her quickly.) Who is she, Tommy? (TOM MY, with his heart in his eyes, thinking she knows but is laughing at him, turns away.) Can you tell me? Honest, who is it ? (Pause.) TOMMY. You! GRACE. Me ? (Pretending surprise.) TOMMY. Ugh-hugh! GRACE. But how can you say I refused you, Tom my ? You ve you ve never asked me ! TOMMY. (Looks at her) I thought you knew just now I spoke about a home of your own. GRACE. Oh, Tommy! (Meaning she never con sidered that a proposal.) TOMMY. (Turns away) I know that whatever I d offer you wouldn t be inducement enough. For the first time, I wish I was like Dick. But I m not I couldn t be ! GRACE. (Coming down to him) Couldn t you, Tommy ? TOMMY. No, I just couldn t. I ll tell you the truth while you were out there with Dick tonight, the Doctor told me I was all wrong. He told me I ought to be romantic. He told me a lot of things to do. I can t remember them, and I couldn t do them if I did. I was going to speak to your father and mother tonight, and then the telephone rang, and the Doctor told me again I wasn t to do that he told me before, but I had forgotten that, too. GRACE. I thought that was it. Did he tell you Dick and I had had a quarrel? TOMMY. Yes. GRACE. And the reason ? TOMMY. No he didn t have time. He just said "Be romantic and grab her !" GRACE. (Laughs; goes up R. a little and comes back to TOMMY) You do love me a lot, don t you, Tommy ? THE FIRST YEAR 43 TOMMY. Grace, I can t tell you how much. GRACE. You don t have to. I wonder if you would marry me if I said yes? TOMMY. Grace! GRACE. Wait! If I said "yes"! TOMMY. Yes. GRACE. Provided we go away some place to live. TOMMY. All right ! (Pause.) But wouldn t it be the same if we took a couple of trips every year? Then ; when we came back, everything would be practically new ! GRACE. I couldn t marry anyone and live here. TOMMY. (Quickly) All right. (Then another pause for thought.) But there is my business, Grace ? GRACE. Haven t you faith enough in yourself to build up another some other place ? I have. TOMMY. Have you? Yes, I guess I could do that ! Is that all, Grace ? GRACE. That s all, Tommy ! TOMMY. Gee ! What a lucky fellow I am. GRACE. ^ Do you really think so, Tommy ? Caring for the things you do, you d give them all up for me, and think you were lucky ? TOMMY. Why, that s nothing to what I d do for you. I wish I could tell you ! GRACE. (Sits L. of table R.J There is something I must tell you, too, Tommy. I want always to be honest with you. Sit down. (TOMMY looks around for a seat at L.J No, here ! (TOMMY crosses R., sits front of table R. on stool. GRACE moves her chair down close to him.) I told you Dick and I had a quarrel. Do you want to know what it was about? TOMMY. If you want to tell me. GRACE. Yes, I do. Dick asked me to marry him. Go away with him. And when I wouldn t elope, we quarrelled. It wasn t that so much, though, as it 44 THE FIRST YEAR was what he said that it would be the last chance I d have. TOMMY. Oh! I see. You are agreeing to marry me just to show Dick? GRACE. No I m marrying you (Rising and meaning it) because I love you, Tommy! (ToM- MY rises.) And I will try and make you happy. TOMMY. All I ask is to be as happy as I am at this moment. (GRACE stands waiting for him to kiss her. They are both embarrassed.) Are we en gaged ? GRACE. Well, not really yet ! (There is a pause. They both stand looking at each other; then he kisses her, gets foot caught in stool, takes it out, laughing. GRACE laughs, then sits in chair L. of table R.) TOMMY. We are now ! GRACE. Yes ! (TOMMY sits on table, then on arm of her chair. He tries to get his arm around her, but j-ust as he gets it back of her, she looks up, and he brushes his hair back. Then as she looks away he gets arm back of her.) TOMMY. Did you really mean what you said about wanting to gro away? GRACE. Oh, yes, Tommy. I want to travel and see strange places. TOMMY. Well, how about Joplin, Missouri? GRACE. Joplin ? TOMMY. Would you like to go there? GRACE. Oh, yes. TOMMY. Well, that s fine, because I know a fel low in Joplin who has a business for sale, and he told me (As he speaks the lights go down until the house is in utter darkness. Then a clock strikes twelve, and as lights go up they are sitting in the same position., Two blue spots come on at R. with stage lights, one h ts tab^e R.. the other hits door up c.) More than anybody in the world ? GRACE. More than anybody in the world. THE FIRST YEAR 45 MRS. LIVINGSTON. (From head of stairs, off stage) Grace, do you know it is twelve o clock? GRACE. Yes, mother! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Has Tommy gone? GRACE. He s just going 1 . (Goes front of table and up to door R. TOMMY rises. His foot is asleep; he kicks it with the other to wake it up. Gets hat he has left on table in hall, then kisses GRACE and exits ; he is heard whistling doum the street. GRACE, humming to herself, turns off linht in lamp on table R., then switch R. of door c.. at the foot of the stairs she calls ) Mother, what do you think ? CURTAIN ACT II The home of the Tuckers in Joplin, Mo. An unpretentious panelled room in a plain wash color. It is furnished with cheap Mission furni ture. A large recessed window c. (curtained). There is a door L.U V leading from the hallway, in which there is a thumb bell. This door is set in a sort of alcove, about a foot and a half deep, just allowing room for a hat-rack and an um brella stand. Swinging door R. leads to the kitchen. Below this door there is a built-in china closet. The lower half is taken up with three drawers in which is kept the table linen; the upper half, filled with shelves and books, holds the plates and saucers and knives and forks and cups. There is a chair placed below this cupboard. Below the door is a small table. On it are four nap kins and rolls, all ready for the dinner table. Against the wall L.C. is a combination desk and bookcase. In the upper part with the book shelves are two blue prints of the Amusement Park property. The desk has the usual assort ment of writing paper, pen and ink, etc. On top of the bookcase is a small oval frame with GRACE S picture in it, and above the desk is a still larger one hanging on the wall; between the bookcase and the c. window there is a vie- frola, with records in the cabinet below. THE FIRST YEAR 47 A dining table stands R.C. A buzzer, with the wire running to the kitchen, id under the table within easy reach of GRACE S foot when she seats her self. A small triangular-shaped table is L.C. with a large easy chair R. of it and a smaller chair L. Everything is neat but inexpensive. There are four green glass brackets on the wall. It is about seven-thirty in the evening. (After curtain is well up, GRACE enters from kitchen with tray on which are three vases of flowers; puts tray on table, places one vase on table up R., the next on bookcase up L.C., and third on table down L.C. Crosses to closet R. and gets four dinner plates and four salad plates and puts them on tray. Doorbell rings; she hesitates, then crosses to door and opens it. HATTIE discovered standing there.) GRACE, Well? HATTIE. I want to see Mrs. Tucker. GRACE. Just come in a minute, please. (HATTIE enters. She is poorly dressed; carries a small net shopping bag. Comes down c. GRACE closes door, comes down L. of table L.j I am Mrs. Tucker. HATTIE. My Mammie sent me to tell you she cain t come to work for you this evenin ! GRACE. Oh, good heavens ! (Sits L. of table L. HATTIE comes down c. and waits to be questioned. She has the habit of not looking at the person she is speaking to.) Why can t your mother come to night ? HATTIE. She s ?ot misery. GRACE. I never heard of it. What s misery? ^HATTIE. I don t know exactly, but it makes Mam mie feel like she don t want to do nothin but lie down. 48 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. (Crosses to HATTIE) You go home and tell your mother I ve simply got to have her. I ve two people coming to dinner tonight I ve never seen before. HATTIE. It won t do no good, cause when she gets her misery attacks, she has to break all her dates. GRACE. (Crosses R.C., stops suddenly) Oh, dear ! (HATTIE turns, comes down c.) What s your name ? HATTIE. Hattie. GRACE. Well er Hattie, do you work out? HATTIE. Casionally. GRACE. What do you do? HATTIE. Washes. GRACE. Did you ever wait on table? HATTIE. Yes m but I washes best, tho*. GRACE. I don t need anybody to wash tonight; but I do want someone to serve dinner. Will you do that for me? HATTIE. There s something here I got to take home to Mammie (Holding up the net bag.) GRACE. But, Hattie, I only want you about an hour. Won t that be time enough ? HATTIE. (Thinks for a moment) Yes m, I guess so. GRACE. You see, I can tell you exactly what I want you to do. You will just remember what I tell you. (Goes to right R.J And I ll give you an apron to wear. HATTIE. (Sitting in armchair L. of table R.) That s all right these are my old clothes. GRACE. Just the same, I d rather you d wear one. (Goes to closet R., gets two bouillon cups and four saucers and puts them on tray on table R.C .) We are not going to have anything elaborate, but I have cooked a nice dinner, and I d like it well served. Come here, Hattie. (HATTIE goes up R. to GRACE.) Do you know where to stand when you are waiting on a person? THE FIRST YEAR 49 HATTIE. Alongside of them. GRACE. (Trying to be patient) Yes, of course, but which side? HATTIE. Nome. GRACE. On the left ! HATTIE. On the lef ? GRACE. (Crosses c. and sits in chair L. of table R.J Yes. For instance, if I was sitting here, where would you stand ? HATTIE. On the lef! GRACE. Show me! HATTIE. (Hesitates, then crosses to L. of GRACE) Here! GRACE. (Rises, gose down R., gets two bouillon cups from sideboard) Now, Hattie, do you know what these are for? HATTIE. Coffee ! GRACE. (Crossing to HATTIE) No not with two handles. These are for the bouillon. HATTIE. (That meaning nothing to her) What? GRACE. Boo soup ! (Puts cups on tray.) First, though, we ll have melon. HATTIE. Yes m. GRACE. Then the soup, roast chicken and two vegetables, salad and coffee. The coffee you will serve after everything. (Crosses to closet, gets two demi-tasse cups and four saucers.) HATTIE. After everything after the melon and after the soup GRACE. (Gets two more cups from closet) No, no, Hattie, you will serve the coffee when the din ner is over in these little cups. (Showing one to HATTIE.J HATTIE. Yes m. GRACE. Hattie, are you sure you have waited on table before? HATTIE. Yes m, but I washes best, tho . GRACE. You come with me and I ll show you 50 THE FIRST YEAR where to hang your things and what I want done first. (Takes tray and exits to kitchen, followed by HATTIE.) (TOMMY enters by street door up L V carrying bag of oranges and peanuts. As he enters, he gives a whistle as a signal he has arrived. He hangs hat on rack L. of door. As he conies down stage he sees the table still unset and takes out his watch, surprised arrangements are not more advanced. Gives another whistle. He puts fruit in silver dish on table and takes dish and bag of peanuts up to table up R. he stuffs empty bag into his pocket. As he stands with back to au dience the swinging door opens with a bang and hits him on the back.) GRACE. (Enters with pad for table) Darling, I didn t know you were here. Did I hurt you? TOMMY. No. Do you know what time it is? GRACE. (Takes center piece from large table, puts it on table up R.) Seven? TOMMY. It s after. GRACE. I can t help it. (Starts to put pad on table.) Margaret never showed up, and I had every thing to do mvself. TOMMY. ( Empties bag of peanuts into two glass dishes on table up R.j What is the matter with Margaret ? GRACE. She has misery. TOMMY. What s misery? GRACE. I haven t any idea, except that it is some thing that is supposed to love company, so I know I haven t got it. (Spreads tablecloth, which she gets from drawer of cupboard down R.) TOMMY. What are we going to do for somebody to wait on table ? THE FIRST YEAR 51 GRACE. Margaret s daughter just showed up, so there will be somebody TOMMY. You poor dear ! (Starts to embrace her, but she holds him off.) GRACE. Please don t, darling ! There is plenty to do yet. TOMMY. I ll help you, dear ! (Goes down R., gets basket containing knives, forks and spoons; he puts basket on tablecloth that GRACE is trying to spread, she moves it over L v then he places knives where forks should be. GRACE follows him, fixing them in their proper places.) GRACE. Please don t, Tommy! I d rather do it myself. TOMMY. I thought you wanted some help? GRACE. You re getting it all wrong. TOMMY. All right, go ahead and do it yourself, then. (He takes chair from L. of table R., moves it upR.) GRACE. Will you please put that chair back where it belongs? (TOMMY puts chair back in its place.) TOMMY. What s the matter with you tonight, aren t you feeling well? GRACE. How would you feel if you were left with out help and had people coming for dinner you had never seen ? TOMMY. Oh, I know, dear, but they ll understand, and make allowances. GRACE. Will they? Don t forget one of them is a woman. (Crosses to closet, gets two salt and two pepper-shakers and puts them on table, spilling the salt. TOMMY throws it over shoulders.) TOMMY. I m sure Mrs. Barstow will. If she is anything like her husband she will, and I haven t told you yet just why I wanted him to have dinner with us tonight GRACE. Having dinner with us is all right, but why not take them out some place to dinner? It 52 THE FIRST YEAR would have been much simpler and no more expen sive. (Crosses to closet, gets glasses and places them on table.) TOMMY. I know, but I wanted Mr. Barstow to come here. It s a business reason, and a very im portant one. GRACE. (Crosses to small table R.,, puts a roll in each napkin; crosses to table and puts one at each place) I don t suppose it ever occurred to you that I might like to go to a restaurant that I might like a change from this eternal cooking and eating at home. I am honestly so tired of eating food I have watched cook, I d be willing to make a meal of boiled cabbage if I could go out for it and I hate cab bage ! (Exits R., with a bang on the door.) TOMMY. (Goes to door, calls off to her) I didn t know you felt that way. (GRACE enters, bumping TOMMY with door, carrying water- pitcher and speak ing back into kitchen to HATTIE.) GRACE. Take the potatoes off next, Hattie. (She fills glasses on table.) TOMMY. (Crosses down to GRACE) I ll tell you what we ll do, then tomorrow night you go out to dinner, and we won t eat boiled cabbage, either. Go any place you say, and have anything you want. How s that? GRACE. Well, I ll see how I feel. (Filling last glass. TOMMY crosses around to up L. of table and drinks from a glass GRACE has just filled.) Tommy, I just filled that ! Now you hurry and get dressed. (TOMMY crosses up L. to door, takes bag from pock et, throws it in umbrella stand.) TOMMY. What do you mean by get dressed? GRACE. Just what I say. You are not going to sit down to dinner looking like that, are you? TOMMY. (Crosses to c.) But you don t mean my full-dress clothes? GRACE. Certainly I do. THE FIRST YEAR 53 TOMMY. (Almost crying) Oh, I don t have to do that, Grace! Nobody dresses for dinner in Joplin! GRACE. (Crosses to TOMMY up c.) Now listen, Tommy ! It s bad enough to have to invite people to little cramped quarters like these, and we can t help it if they think we can t afford better, but at least we are not going to act in a way to make them think we don t know better. So hurry up! (Puts ivater- pitcher on table up R.j TOMMY. (Unties necktie, unbuttons collar) All right, but I never feel comfortable in them. GRACE. (Gets carving set from closet, places it on R. of table) That s because you don t wear them enough. You ought to be glad you have something to wear it s more than I have ! (She gets chair from up R., places it R. of table R. Chair down R. she places front of table. TOMMY exits L., leaving door open. HATTIE enters from the kitchen, crosses to back of table.) HATTIE. I got that salad all done like you told me! GRACE. (Closes door of closet R V crosses up to R. of HATTIE) All right, Hattie. Now you can fix the melons and put them back on the ice. Cut them across. HATTIE. (Starts to go, stops) Yes m, Which way is across ? GRACE. What? HATTIE. Is across this way or that way ? (Ges tures up and down and from side to side.) GRACE. Just cut them in half this way. HATTIE. Oh. Cut them in half is the same as cut them across, is it ? GRACE. Just the same, Hattie. (HATTIE exits into kitchen. GRACE starts for kitchen.) TOMMY. (Off stage) Grace! Oh, Grace! GRACE. What? TOMMY. Is this the only shirt I have? 54 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. I am sure I don t know. (Takes chair from front of screen, places it back of table.) TOMMY. (Enters with shirt in his hand) I can t wear this one I couldn t last time. GRACE. (Comes to him c.) What s the matter with it? TOMMY. It s got three buttonholes, and I only have two studs. Is this the only thing I have? GRACE. (Going R. to closet) I don t know, Tom my. I don t wear your shirts. TOMMY. I know you don t wear my shirts, but did you send them out to the laundry ? GRACE. I did if you put them in the laundry bag. I am not going to touch your things after the last lecture you read me. TOMMY. When did I do that? GRACE. (Comes c. to TOMMY HATTIE enters) Last week I looked through your wardrobe to see if you had forgotten TOMMY. (HATTIE comes down R.J I did nothing of the kind. I only said it was strange to have any one arrange things for me. (He sees HATTIE, stops, fascinated, and he and HATTIE stand taking one an other in. To GRACE) Is that GRACE. That is and glad to get it. (Crossing to HATTIE.) Hattie, did you seed the melons? HATTIE. Yes m, I seed them. (TOMMY goes up c.) GRACE. No I mean did you take the seeds out? HATTIE. Oh, does you do that? GRACE. Of course. HATTIE. (Starts up R. to kitchen) But there s one of them no good ! GRACE. No good? (HATTIE stops at door.) TOMMY. (Crosses down, c. to L. of GRACE) How many did you get ? GRACE. Two. THE FIRST YEAR 55 TOMMY. I know, dearest, but there are four peo ple. GRACE. Cut two melons in halves, and there should be enough, if they re all right. TOMMY. I know. But I should have thought you d have bought another to be sure. GRACE. The man told me they were good. TOMMY. Certainly he would. But didn t you feel them? GRACE. I felt fifty of them, until I had no sense of touch left. Hattie, is there a good one? HATTIE. Yes m, one s all right. GRACE. Then give the best half of the one that is no good to Mr. Tucker, and I won t eat any. (She crosses up R. to table, gets the two dishes of peanuts and puts them on the table.) HATTIE. Yes m. (Exits.) TOMMY. Grace, you are not going to let her wait on table looking like that, are you? Can t you fix her up some way ? GRACE. (Crossing to him, almost in tears) Tom my, whom do you wish me to dress first, you, or Hattie, or myself? If you ll only give me half a chance I ll see to things. But first you come with a shirt, then Hattie with a melon, and me with a whole dinner on my hands ! TOMMY. What do you want me to do? GRACE. I want you to get in the room and finish dressing, and get out of the way so I can get dressed. TOMMY. All right that s all you have to tell me. (Exits, closes door after him. HATTIE enters, comes behind table R.c.J HATTIE. There s only one vegetable dish out there, Misses Tucker. GRACE. (Goes down K., gets dish, gives it to HAT- TIE in a very tired voice) Here s the other one, Hattie. HATTIE. That s pretty, ain t it? 56 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. (Closes closet) Yes, it is part of my wed ding present. (HATTIE starts out L. GRACE goes up to screen.) Oh, Hattie, will you turn out the gas in the oven ? I won t have to go in the kitchen again. Oh, Hattie ! (HATTIE stops. GRACE crosses up to L. of HATTIE.) Now are you sure you have everything in your mind in case I don t have a chance to go over it with you again ? HATTIE. Yes in, I guess so. GRACE. Now, Hattie, where are you going to stand when you hand folks their plates? HATTIE. (Crosses down to R., swing s dish to indi cate place GRACE goes up) Here ! GRACE. I know but which side is it? Wait! This will make it easier for you. You are to stand in these places (They go around table to back of it) here, here, here, and here. HATTIE. Yes m. GRACE. What are you going to serve first ? HATTIE. Soup. GRACE. No, no, first the melon. (Moves chair out from front of table R. so she won t have to when she sits in it a moment later.) HATTIE. That s right, I forget the melon. GRACE. Then the soup. HATTIE. Yes m. GRACE. Roast chicken and two vegetables. HATTIE. Yes m. GRACE. Then the salad, and after HATTIE. (Swings dish and cover up almost over her shoulder) After everything comes the coffee. GRACE. Oh, Hattie, I really believe you can do it, if you will just remember. HATTIE. (Doivn R.) Yessem, mammy says I can do things right if I wants to. GRACE. Well, then, please, Hattie, this time, want to a lot. HATTIE. Yes m. THE FIRST YEAR 57 GRACE. Now I ll get dressed and find an apron for you by the time I m ready. (HATTIE exits with dish GRACE has given her. GRACE pulls screen around the table, and as she does so there is a crash of china. GRACE stands for a moment undecided whether to cry or not, and finally ) Damn it! (Sits front of table R. TOMMY enters in evening dress; his tie is still untied.) TOMMY. (Crossing to GRACE) What s the mat ter? GRACE. The vegetable dish of the set mother gave me that s all. TOMMY. Broken? GRACE. No smashed. TOMMY. I m sorry, dear. GRACE. (Rises) What s the use of being sorry, Tommy ? I m sorry, too, but it doesn t help matters. (Crosses up L.c.j TOMMY. (Ties his tie) Well, it s always darkest before dawn. ^ GRACE. So they say. But we ve had a long arctic night. (Crosses to door L.) TOMMY. I know, but we are going to have a whole life of sunshine now. (With a lot of smile.) GRACE. (Comes to TOMMY at c.) What do you mean? TOMMY. Well, I don t want to tell you yet. I want to surprise you. GRACE. Good news? TOMMY. Huh, huh. GRACE. You ll surprise me all right. What is it ? TOMMY. (Crosses up c.) I ll tell you later. (He crosses down to her.) GRACE. Now. TOMMY. No, no! GRACE. (Pushes TOMMY in chair R. of table L.J Tommy Tucker, I don t budge from this spot until you tell me what it is ! (Holds TOMMY down.) 58 THE FIRST YEAR TOMMY. Well, Grace, we re going to be rich. GRACE. Tommy ! (Drops on his lap.) TOMMY. Yes, we are, Grace! GRACE. Who died? TOMMY. Nobody. I m going to make it myself. GRACE. Oh, tell me ! TOMMY. Do you remember my telling you about a piece of property they call the Amusement Park? GRACE. Yes ! TOMMY. Well, for the last six months I have been buying options on all those lots around there until I have gotten control of the whole thing, pretty nearly. I did that because I heard on good authority You remember me telling you of a fellow named Doane, who used to be secretary to the president of the road? GRACE. Wait a minute president of what road ? TOMMY. Of the railroad Joplin and Missouri railroad A. J. Frisbee is president of the Joplin and Missouri Railroad. GRACE. All right! Who is Doane? TOMMY. Doane was his secretary and Doane told me that the railroad was going to build a spur line, and that the route they d take would be right over the property I am telling you about. GRACE. I don t see it yet. TOMMY. Well, a railroad can t just go out and be a railroad, can it? They have to have land before they can lay its tracks. GRACE. I suppose so. TOMMY. And if they buy the land, they have to buy from the man who owns the land, don t they? GRACE. I see, I see you don t have to tell me. Oh, Tommy, you wonderful thing! (Then doubt fully) But are you sure they ll buy it? TOMMY. (With a smile of great assurance) Well, here is what I didn t want to tell you the man who THE FIRST YEAR 59 is coming here tonight is the purchasing agent for the road. GRACE. Oh ! (Rises, goes R., takes look at table. The dinner now assumes a greater importance. Fixes a few dishes.) TOMMY. (Rises, crosses to her) You see, we have had half a dozen talks, and the day before yes terday I gave him a two-day option at a certain price. GRACE. (Without looking at him) Yes? TOMMY. (After a pause, during which he has looked at her questioningly, puts her in chair front of table R. and squats in front of her) You are not paying attention to what I said I said, the day be fore yesterday I gave him a two-day option. Don t you see, he s got to say something tonight ! GRACE. How much are you going to charge him, Tommy ? TOMMY. How much do you think? GRACE. I don t know. TOMMY. Guess ! GRACE. I couldn t! TOMMY. A hundred thousand dollars! GRACE. No I mean really, Tommy. TOMMY. That s the price. GRACE. Oh, Tommy, they ll never pay that ! TOMMY. (Rises) Yes, they will, Grace. They want it. If I only had the nerve to hold out, I might get even more for it. (Finishes tying his necktie.) GRACE. (Rising in ecstacy) A hundred thousand dollars ! (Crosses -L.) Oh, Tommy, if you get it, it means New York, London, Paris and clothes! (Turns to TOMMY.) TOMMY. (Crossing to her) You bet! We re through with all this economizing. You know now why I haven t said let s buy this, or let s spend that it was because I needed every cent I could rake and scrape together to buy those options. Do you 60 THE FIRST YEAR know, we haven t one cent to our names at the pres ent moment ? GRACE. No ? TOMMY. Not a cent! I broke the last ten-dollar bill I had this morning. I even took your Liberty Bond, Grace ! GRACE. Tommy you didn t do that? TOMMY. Yes, I did, Grace. You said it was there in case of need, and I needed it. You don t mind, do you, dear? GRACE. No not if you are going to make a lot of money. TOMMY. And we are barrels of it! Barstow (Suddenly remembering she is still in her apron) say, you hurry and get dressed they ll be here any moment now. (Pushing her off.) GRACE. Goodness, I forgot all about them. (She starts for door leading to bedroom, then turns and embraces him.) Oh, Tommy, I m so proud of you! (Exits L.J (HATTIE enters from kitchen, coat and hat on, car ries bag starts L. TOMMY crosses up in front of her.) TOMMY. Where are you going? HATTIE. Home ! TOMMY. (Swings HATTIE down) Oh, no, you re not not yet, anyway ! HATTIE. (Crying) I couldn t help it it jes* slipped out of my hand. TOMMY. That s all right but you re not going to leave us and I know you will be more careful in the future. HATTIE. I ain t goin ter be careful no more no time. (Goes up to door L.) TOMMY. (Catches her) You re not? THE FIRST YEAR 61 HATTIE. No, sir ! Every time I m careful, I don* drap somethin . TOMMY. Now, see here you hang up your hat and coat, and here (Taking money from pocket) here s a little something extra for you if you ll stay! HATTIE. Is you sure Mrs. Tucker is going to say it s all right? TOMMY. Sure of it! HATTIE. (Takes money) All right, I ll stay. TOMMY. That s the girl! (HATTIE crosses up R., putting money down neck of dress. TOMMY stands looking after her, suddenly snaps his fingers, then crosses to door of bedroom and calls off. HAT- TIE stops and listens.) Grace, oh, Grace ! GRACE. (Off stage) Yes ? TOMMY. Where are the cocktail glasses? GRACE. (Off stage) In the sideboard, dear! (TOMMY goes and gets glasses. GRACE appears in doorway L., in negligee, fixing her hair.) What do you want them for? TOMMY. I m going to make a cocktail. GRACE. What with? TOMMY. Haven t we any gin in the house? GRACE. We have not ! TOMMY. Where is that bottle Nate Allen gave us for a wedding present ? GRACE. Margaret drank it. (HATTIE at R. of screen, hidden from them, takes package from bag and unwraps it.) TOM MY. Margaret ? GRACE. Yes. TOMMY. Why give it to her? GRACE. Well, it always put her in a better humor, so I gave it to her drink by drink. TOMMY. You mean to say that we haven t any thing to drink at all? GRACE. There is some of that root beer I made. TOMMY. They wouldn t care for that. 62 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. It s very good, Tommy. TOMMY. I know it, but that s nothing to drink with dinner. (He stands disappointed. GRACE exits into room L.J HATTIE. (Crosses to c., to TOMMY) Mr. Tuck er, did you-all want some gin ? (Showing him bottle she takes from net bag.) TOMMY. Why, Hattie, where did you get that? HATTIE. I gets it for Mammie she likes it for her misery. There s a colored gentleman she know what makes it. TOMMY. I suppose it s all right? HATTIE. Mammie says it is. She s been drinking gin all her life. TOMMY. Of course, I m willing to pay you for this. HATTIE. You-all were so nice to me about break ing that dish I d like to help you out. TOMMY. That s all right. HATTIE. You-all give me a dollar anyway, and that only stands me sixty-five cents. TOMMY. Do you know how to make a cocktail, Hattie? HATTIE. Yessah. I ve seen them make them places I have worked they just squeeze t half a orange in a good-sized shot of gin and calls it a orange blossom. TOMMY. Yes, I have heard that, and I ve got some oranges there. As neither Mrs. Tucker nor I drink, you can make two a little weaker better put mostly orange in two of them. HATTIE. Yes, sir, I ll fix them like the melons two good and two a little worse. (Crosses up and exits to kitchen. Bell rings.) TOMMY. There they are! (Goes to door of bed room, opening it) Grace, are you almost ready? (GRACE enters, still in negligee.) GRACE. Yes, hurry up. Tommy, get Hattie ! (He THE FIRST YEAR 63 runs to kitchen, exits, returns immediately with HAT- TIE, brings her down R. and to c. GRACE exits L. and returns immediately with cap and apron, GRACE pins the cap on, while TOMMY ties the apron.) Now, you show them in, Hattie, and take their things and say we ll be right in. (HATTIE goes up L.J TOMMY. (To GRACE, as they cross L.J She looks terrible ! GRACE. I know, but it s too late now. (Exits with TOMMY. He closes door. HATTIE opens door tip L. and MR. BARSTOW stands outside.) BARSTOW. Mr. Tucker live here ? HATTIE. Come right in. BARSTOW. (Standing in doorway, turns to wife in hall) This is the place, Kitty. (MRS. BARSTOW en ters, crosses c. BARSTOW comes into room, hangs hat on rack L. of door. HATTIE helps MRS. B. off with her coat, then hands it back to her.) HATTIE. Here it is. (MRS. B. takes wrap and puts it on chair L. of desk.) You just rest your selves, the boss will be right here. (She exits R., taking pitcher and oranges with her.) (BARSTOW crosses down L V sits R. of table L. MRS . BARSTOW starts a survey of the place; brings chair down from desk, peeps behind the screen, and takes in the place generally. Crosses c., sits.) BARSTOW. I told you not to expect too much. Pretty little flat, though. MRS. BARSTOW. (Looks at the table) Looks like one of Goldberg s ! BARSTOW. Don t try to use any of that comedy here tonight, because they won t understand it. MRS. BARSTOW. Don t have to tell me. I know they won t. I ve played this town. BARSTOW. Don t pull any, then. 64 THE FIRST YEAR MRS. BARSTQW. (Indicating a picture on wall up L.c.) Is that her? BARSTOW. (In low voice) I don t know. I never saw her. (MRS. BARSTOW takes out a cigarette. He rises, crosses to her and snatches it out of her mouth puts it in his pocket as TOMMY enters from bed room. MRS. BARSTOW rises.) TOMMY. Good evening, Mr. Barstow. MRS. BARSTOW. (Aside) Oh! my God! BARSTOW. (Crosses to TOMMY) Good evening, Mr. Tucker. Are we early ? TOMMY. Not a bit not a bit. BARSTOW. My wife, Mr. Tucker Kitty. MRS. BARSTOW. How do you do ? TOMMY. Pleased to meet you, I m sure. (He crosses to her.) BARSTOW. I hope you ll pardon us for not being able to dress we got home so late. TOMMY. That s all right! (Crosses to lack of chair R. of table, placing it for her.) Won t you sit here, Mrs. Barstow? I think you will find it more comfortable. MRS. BARSTOW. This is all right, thank you. (She swings chair to face TOMMY, and sits.) We have just been admiring that pretty girl. TOMMY. Mrs. Tucker. (All look up L. of c. at GRACE S picture.) MRS. BARSTOW. I thought so. She s stunning. TOMMY. (Back of table L.J Yes, Mrs. Tucker was considered one of the prettiest, if not the pret tiest, girl in our home town. BARSTOW. Have you been married long? TOMMY. About a year. BARSTOW. (To MRS. BARSTOW, in tone of patron age and meaning TOMMY and GRACE) Children. TOMMY. (Coming down L., not getting his drift) No, not yet. MRS. BARSTOW. Ha! ha! (GRACE enters.) THE FIRST YEAR 65 GRACE. (Crossing to MRS. BARSTOW, who rises) I am sorry for keeping you waiting. How do you do, Mrs. Barstow? TOMMY. This is Mrs. Tucker, Mrs. Barstow. GRACE. (Turns to MRS. BARSTOW) How do you do, Mrs. Barstow? TOMMY. And Mr. Barstow. (There is a general greeting all around.) GRACE. I know you must be starved, but I think dinner is all ready. Will you see, Tommy? TOMMY. One moment I er MRS. BARSTOW. Sounds to me like liquor was ap proaching. GRACE. Oh, no I m so sorry, Mrs. Barstow. TOMMY. Why, would you care for a cocktail? MRS. BARSTOW. Would I care for it? Outside of a string of pearls, there s nothing I d rather have ! (HATTIE enters with four cocktails on a tray, comes down R., front of table R.) GRACE. But, Tommy, we haven t any gin. TOMMY. (Crosses to HATTIE R. of c. BARSTOW moves L., front of small table) Which are the mild ones, Hattie? (GRACE sits on arm of chair R. of table L.; HATTIE. (Pointing to two glasses on tray) Them two, Mr. Tucker! TOMMY. (Takes the stronger two and passes them to MR. and MRS. BARSTOW, then the mild one to GRACE.) You see, as neither my wife nor I drink, I had ours made a little weaker. (MRS. BARSTOW sits. HATTIE exits.) GRACE. You sly old thing. TOMMY. At times, dear at times. (Crosses up c., passing in front of GRACE.) You ll pardon me? (Gets the other cocktails gives one to GRACE. The 66 THE FIRST YEAR others stand around as though they were about to drink a toast.) . MRS. BARSTOW. (Rising) Well, here s death and destruction to care and worry. (She drinks.) My God ! I m poisoned ! (Sits in chair down c.) TOMMY. Is it strong? MRS. BARSTOW. ( Gives glass to TOMMY) Strong! Boy, where did you get that vitrol? GRACE. (Puts glass on table L.J It is strong, Tommy. MRS. BARSTOW. It would make a Missouri mule fall over in a faint ! (TOMMY takes glasses and puts them on table ~L.) GRACE. I m so sorry. MRS. BARSTOW. (Looks at BARSTOW rises) And will you look at father? (GRACE takes her chair upc.) BARSTOW. (Smiles, finishing drink) That s the best drink I have had since I left Texas. GRACE. (Coming down R. of MRS. BARSTOW) I hope the dinner will be better. Tommy, will you take that screen away? (TOMMY takes screen from table and puts it up c.) Would you like to remove your hat, Mrs. Barstow? MRS. BARSTOW. No, thanks, I look funnier with it on! GRACE. Now, Mrs. Barstow, will you sit here (Indicating chair front of table) and Mr. Barstow here (Indicating chair back of table.) You see, we re all in one room here. MRS. BARSTOW. Well, I think that s fine it s so much more convenient. TOMMY. Yes, we find it quite comfortable. (He holds chair for MRS. BARSTOW. MR. BARSTOW, see ing this, does the same for GRACE. They seat them selves, GRACE L V TOMMY R., MRS. BARSTOW down stage and BARSTOW up stage back of table.) GRACE. (Reaches with -foot, trying to find bus- THE FIRST YEAR 67 ser) Is the buzzer on your side, dear? (TOMMY reaches, trying to find it with his feet steps on MRS. BARSTOW S foot. She screams.) TOMMY. I beg your pardon ! (They all look for the buzzer, first TOMMY; then BARSTOW, then GRACE, and last MRS. BARSTOW. Then GRACE finds it and rings. There is a pause; then the door is kicked open and HATTIE enters with a tray with bouillon cups on it. She gets about c., between MRS. BAR- STOW and TOMMY,, when she catches GRACE S eye, zvho shakes her head no she realises she has for gotten the melon. She stops, turns about and exits.) MRS. BARSTOW. Well, that course is all over. GRACE. Please excuse her. She realizes she had made a mistake. MRS. BARSTOW. Ah, that s all right, so long as she hasn t left for good. (HATTIE enters with melon, goes between TOMMY and MRS. BARSTOW, in front of whom she puts melon, starts away, realizes her mistake, picks it up and puts it on tray, puts another piece of melon before her, then gives TOMMY the melon she took away from, MRS. BARSTOW then she serves MR. BARSTOW. After serving melon, HATTIE exits. TOMMY eats one spoonful, then takes glass of water to wash taste out. TOMMY S shirt bulges where there isn t any button; he tries to put it down, but it won t stay. He reaches under vest and pulls it down, then folds arms over it.) Aren t you eating any melon, Mrs. Tucker ? GRACE. No, I m dieting just stewed fruits. MRS. BARSTOW. Dieting? Not for your figure, surely. Gracious, if I had your waist line I d laugh right out in a diet s face. (Looks over at BARSTOW, who is gobbling up his melon.) Take it easy, Pete you ll choke yourself. ^ BARSTOW. (Finishing melon) Ah, that was de licious! I m very fond of melon. (Looking round to see if there is any more.) 68 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. (Rather embarrassed) Yes, so many peo ple are. BARSTOW. (To change the subject when he finds he isn t going to get any more) Yes, and corn ! TOMMY. (Picking this up to cover not offering him more inelon) They raise a good deal of corn around this section, don t they? (GRACE pushes buzzer.) BARSTOW. I don t know. I don t know much about this part of the country. (HATTIE enters with four soups, puts tray on small table R., collects melon plates MRS. BARSTOW S first, then MR. BARSTOW S, then TOMMY S; then serves soup GRACE, then MRS. BARSTOW, then MR. BARSTOW, and TOMMY, and then exits with tray.) GRACE. I thought this was your home? MRS. BARSTOW. No, thank goodness, and I m not leading any cheering section for the town we live in, either. But this is where they should have had the Federal prison, and just let the prisoners wander about loose. GRACE. Where is your home? MRS. BARSTOW. Well, we park our furniture in Toledo. But Pete s business keeps us travelling most of the time. GRACE. That s what I have always wanted to do. TOMMY. I ve told Grace she should have married a conductor. (They all laugh.) BARSTOW. I stopped at your office today about three. TOMMY. I was back shortly after. BARSTOW. I knew I d see you tonight. MRS. BARSTOW. For goodness sake, don t start talking business, Pete. GRACE. Oh, do let them, Mrs. Barstow. I think it would be interesting. MRS. BARSTOW. Well, it isn t. You don t know THE FIRST YEAR 69 what you are doing when you give Pete a chance like that. GRACE. Just what do you do, Mr. Barstow? BARSTOW. I buy all the equipment and proper ties the railroad has to have. (Makes a good deal of noise taking soup.) GRACE. Oh, I see. And that s what you are do ing here buying property ? BARSTOW. (To GRACE) Yes. (To MRS. BAR- STOW) This soup is delicious, isn t it, dear? MRS. BARSTOW. Sounds all right to me. GRACE. You must have Tommy take you out sometime and show you the land he owns, Mr. Bar- stow. It s really very pretty. (HATTIE enters with water pitcher she has refilled, places it on small table R., collects soup plates from GRACE, MRS. BARSTOW, then BARSTOW and TOMMY, and exits.) It would be a lovely place for a station if there wasi a railroad there. BARSTOW. Ha, ha ! Well, we don t buy property because it s pretty, Mrs. Tucker. A desert might be worth a million dollars, and a garden spot wouldn t be worth a nickel. We buy where we have to. I know your husband s property. I ve been over every foot of it. GRACE. Is that so? Were you thinking of buy ing it ? BARSTOW. No. I m past thinking about it. I wasn t going to say anything until after dinner, Tucker, but I might as well tell you now, I m going to take up that option TOMMY. Ah! Ah! BARSTOW. And at your price ! (Raises his half- empty glass to drink.) GRACE. Let me give you a little more water, Mr. Barstow. (Rises, crosses, gets pitcher from small table R., fills BARSTOW S glass; oj she passes TOMMY she takes his hand. Pats water pitcher on table up 70 THE FIRST YEAR R. Doorbell rings. GRACE and TOMMY exchange looks. HATTIE enters with plates and chicken on tray, puts chicken and plates in front of TOMMY and exits.) TOMMY. Who do you suppose that is? GRACE. It s no one we expect because there is no one in town we know. (TOMMY about to rise.) I ll go, Tommy ! (Gets to* door, opens it, and DICK LORING is discovered standing outside.) DICK. Hello, Grace ! GRACE. Dick! Dick! (DiCK enters. GRACE puts her arms around his neck. TOMMY rises, crosses up c. GRACE greets DICK almost affectionately. She is in a delirium of joy over the last speech of BARSTOW S, and this is a vent for her enthusiasm. TOMMY doesn t realize this.) Dick, I am glad to see you ! (Drops his hat on desk up L. Brings DICK down by the hand.) Oh, Dick, this is Mrs. Barstow, and Mr. Barstow Mr. Loring and Tommy ! DICK. (Acknowledges the introduction, then turns to TOMMY) Hello, Tommy! Well, well, I ve never seen you look so funny! (TOMMY goes back of table, starts carving.) Don t let me interrupt you sit down do, Mr. Barstow, and go right on with your dinner. GRACE. Have you had dinner, Dick? DICK. Yes, thank you. (GRACE crosses to table R., sits.) I had something to eat on the train. I got in about an hour and a half ago. TOMMY. You didn t waste much time in getting up here. DICK. No, Tommy, I didn t. TOMMY. Say, how did you know where we lived? DICK. Grace s mother gave me the address. I have been home for a week. (HATTIE enters with vegetable dish, places it in front of GRACE and exits.) Now, please don t let me disturb you. (Gets chair from R. of table L., moves it c., sits.) I ll just sit THE FIRST YEAR 71 here and chat awhile. (TOMMY gives GRACE plate to serve vegetable.) GRACE. You saw mother, Dick? DICK. Yes. GRACE. How was she looking? DICK. Never better. (TOMMY gives GRACE an other plate.) GRACE. And father? DICK. Yes. Your uncle was away at some con vention of doctors, but they tell me he s very well. (DiCK takes cigarette out of case and lights it.) GRACE. You ll pardon me, Mrs. Barstow, but it s wonderful to have news from home. MRS. BARSTOW. I know just how you feel. GRACE. You see, Dick was almost one of the fam ily. DICK. (With plenty of meaning) Yes, that s right, Grace almost. (TOMMY sharpens the knife, giving GRACE a look of warning to keep off that sub ject.) GRACE. I should have said you were like one of the family. (Eating.) What have you been doing, Dick? DICK. Well, since I last saw you I have been on the jump. I was down through Arizona for a while, then up in Washington State British Columbia, and now the railroad has sent me down here. GRACE. What a thrilling experience ! TOMMY. You don t hold onto your jobs very long, do you ? DICK. No, Tommy, I keep jumping ahead, though. Every new job has been a boost. BARSTOW. You are in the railroad business, Mr. Loring? DICK. Yes, sir, construction department. GRACE. Mr. Barstow is with a railroad, too. DICK. Really ! What road ? BARSTOW. Joplin and Missouri. 72 THE FIRST YEAR DICK. Oh, that s my road now. I ve come on here to be assistant to Becket. BARSTOW. Oh, of course. I ve heard some very fine things about you, Mr. Loring. GRACE. I m sure you have. We all knew Dick would give a good account of himself, didn t we, Tommy ? TOMMY. Oh, yes. Nobody would give a better account of himself than Dick. (Passes GRACE last plate for vegetables. GRACE stops eating, looks at TOMMY.; DICK. Well, of course, I will admit luck has broken for me. The answer to it is I m holding down a very good position, and I ve had even better offers. BARSTOW. Yes, you come to us with a reputation of being a pretty good judge where judgment is needed. DICK. How have you been doing, Tommy ? TOMMY. Oh, I m making out all right. GRACE. Making out all right! Why, he s doing splendidly, Dick. Tommy is going to be a very rich man! DICK. Tommy rich ? GRACE. Hm ! Hm ! DICK. Is that so? GRACE. Yes, Tommy s sold : (Turns to tell him.) TOMMY. Never mind. Sit around and eat your dinner. GRACE. Oh, do let me tell him. Tommy has a big piece of property the railroad is going to buy to build a new road. DICK. For that new spur line? TOMMY. Yes. DICK. Good boy, Tommy! GRACE. Tommy has been awfully clever about it. * THE FIRST YEAR 73 It was an old Amusement Park, and Tommy found out that DICK. Amusement Park ? Out by Hillsboro ? TOMMY. No, not Hillsboro Knoll wood. Great Scott, Hillsboro is thirty-five miles south of there. DICK. (Laughing sarcastically) Ha! So you are going to sell the railroad property in Knollwood, are you ? TOMMY. Yes. And now that you re with jthe road, I may charge them more for it. (GRACE gives TOMMY a look of reproach.) DICK. Is that what you are counting on to make you rich? TOMMY. Oh, I have other interests. DICK. I m glad of that. GRACE. Why, Dick? DICK. Because Knollwood s not where the road s to be built at all. GRACE. (To DICK) Oh! (To TOMMY) Oh, Tommy ! TOMMY. Oh, what? GRACE. Did you hear what he said? TOMMY. Certainly I heard what he said. What does he know about it ? DICK. (Laughs) Well, I ought to know some thing I m going to construct it ! BARSTOW. Are you sure of what you re saying, Loring? DICK. Absolutely ! BARSTOW. If the route s been changed, they have not advised me. DICK. I don t know anything about that. BARSTOW. Tucker, have you got the maps ? May be Loring has the names mixed. TOMMY. I ll get them for you. (Rises and goes up to desk c. Opens top and takes out map.) DICK. I ll draw you a map of the whole thing. (Rises, crosses to BARSTOW and sits in TOMMY S 74 THE FIRST YEAR place.) Here let me show you (Takes an envelope from his pocket and a pencil; draws on en velope.) Here is Hillsboro the road comes down this way from Joplin. Now here is the way he thinks it s to be built. BARSTOW. That s right. TOMMY. (Comes down to R. of table) Now I ll show you DICK. (Rises) You don t have to show me. I ll bet you a year s salary to the rent of this flat that I m right. TOMMY. I wouldn t go betting all my salary if I were you ; you may need it. DICK. Is that so? Well, I ll bet you ten dollars, then. TOMMY. (Starts for pocket realises he is ivith- out funds) I wouldn t take your money. (DiCK laughs, and goes up to windozv. TOMMY sits he and BARSTOW consult maps.) GRACE. Don t mind them, Mrs. Barstow. At home they were always like this. MRS. BARSTOW. What delightful evenings you must have had. BARSTOW. This knocks me a twister, Loring. Tucker and I had practically concluded negotiations for his property. DICK. Oh, are you the right-of-way agent? BARSTOW. Yes. DICK. Well, I didn t mean to queer your sale, Tommy. TOMMY. Oh, don t worry. BARSTOW. (DiCK crosses to c.) Of course, your gang ought to know where they are going, and what you say makes me hesitate. TOMMY. I don t mind you hesitating only re member, your option for this property is up tonight. DICK. Don t be silly! Tommy, your property THE FIRST YEAR 75 isn t worth a nickel as far as the railroad is con cerned. TOMMY. Say, what is this a frame-up? BARSTOW. What do you mean ? TOMMY. Just what I said. What is Loring to dp tell me this property is no good so you can get it for nothing? BARSTOW. (Rising) That s not the way I work, Mr. Tucker. I try to get all things as reasonable as I can for the interests I represent, but I don t accept the hospitality of any man and try to do him at the same time. DICK. (Goes L.J That s a nice thing to say to a guest. GRACE. I should say so ! Tommy, I m surprised. TOMMY. (A bit ashamed) I didn t mean to say it. I really shouldn t even have thought it of a guest. DICK. Oh. that s better. (Starts to sit.) TOMMY. (To DICK) But you re not a guest! DICK. No ? TOMMY. No. A guest is somebody who s been invited. GRACE. Tommy Tucker ! BARSTOW. (To GRACE) I think under the circum stances, the best thing for Mrs. Barstow and me to do is retire ! (Crosses to hatrack gets hat. ) GRACE. Please don t! (MRS. BARSTOW rises.) BARSTOW. I really think it s best ! MRS. BARSTOW. (Crosses up L.) He who must be obeyed. (Meaning she has no voice in the mat ter.) DICK. As I seem to be a disturbing element, I ll get back to the hotel. (Crosses up to get hat, helps MRS. BARSTOW with her wrap.) TOMMY. (Crosses down R. to front of table) I m sorry, Mr. Barstow ! BARSTOW. Never mind that this is business. 76 THE FIRST YEAR (Crossing to TOMMY) I d like to have another day on that option. TOMMY. No, sir, that option is up tonight. BARSTOW. Well, I m not ready to give you an an swer now. TOMMY. I can t help that. I know you want it, and tomorrow it will cost you more. BARSTOW. Oh, I guess not. (Crosses up to GRACE.) MRS. BARSTOW. Good night, dear girl. I m sorry. I hope it will come out all right. (Speech continues) Good night, Mr. Tucker. BARSTOW. I m sorry, Mrs. Tucker, but I think this will make it more comfortable for all of us. Good night ! LORING. Wait a minute, Barstow. I ll go along with you. (Crosses to GRACE) I m sorry, Grace. GRACE. Tommy has been working very hard late ly, and his nerves DICK. Oh, I don t mind Tommy. I ll call some time when he s feeling better. (Turns to go, then turns to TOMMY) Good night, Tommy! All right, Barstow! (Exits with MR. and MRS. BARSTOW. GRACE stands at door for a second, then comes down L., sits L. of table L., starts to cry.) TOMMY. (Crossing to her) Please don t cry, Grace. What are you crying for ? GRACE. Didn t you say that we hadn t a cent in the world? TOMMY. Then you don t think this deal is going through ? GRACE. You are just obstinate. Dick says you re wrong. TOMMY. You mean to say you d believe him in stead of your husband? GRACE. Yes (TOMMY goes R., then up, then down to her) when he s talking about his own busi ness. THE FIRST YEAR 77 TOMMY. I don t think that he knows so much about his own business. , GRACE. Oh, yes, he does otherwise he wouldn t be in the position he is in. TOMMY. (Crosses R.) I don t think he s got such a good position, either. GRACE. Oh, yes, he has Mr. Barstow said so, too. It just means we have lost all our little money (TOMMY crosses up L.J and my Liberty Bond! (TOMMY stops short.) You ve gone and lost my Liberty Bond! (TOMMY goes down c.) You had no right to do that you know you hadn t. TOMMY. You said it would be all right. GRACE. I said it would be all right because you said you were going to make a lot of money. (Cries.) TOMMY. Don t you worry about our not having a lot of money. (Crosses up c. and then down L.j GRACE. But I do. I guess we ll always be just nothing, Tommy always live in flats. I ll do my own cooking, and make my own dresses, and you ll always wear clothes that don t fit and shirts that bulge in front ! TOMMY. Oh, no, I won t ! GRACE. Yes, you will. And we ll have to put on a brave front to our friends and say, "We re doing very nicely," just as we had to say it to Dick to night. TOMMY. How do you know he was telling the truth? GRACE. Oh, you just sort of know it when a man is really successful. Dick always called you a good insurance agent, but he doesn t think you ought to go in for real estate deals. TOMMY. (Crosses to c., bursting with resent ment) Is that so? Well, I am just a little bit tired of hearing what Mr. Loring has to say, and for two pins I d go over to his hotel and tell him what I think of him! (Crosses R.J 78 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. Well, you won t. TOMMY. (Goes up c.) No? GRACE. (Rises) No! You ve behaved badly enough for one night. TOMMY. (Comes down c.) Well, I don t think you ve behaved so very well for a respectable mar ried woman. GRACE. (Comes to him) What did I do? TOMMY. Vvhat did you do? I thought you were going to kiss him when he came in. GRACE. I don t see what harm there d have been if I had. TOMMY. I ll tell you what harm there d have been that other vegetable dish would have been busted ! GRACE. (Goes up L. and sobs in curtain) Ah ! TOMMY. You d think if he was such a great friend of ours that he would have kept quiet when he knew I had a business deal on but he can t do that ! No ! He has to tell all he thinks he knows ! I wish now I d punched him ! GRACE. (Comes down L.J Well, you d better not you d get the worst of it. TOMMY. (Goes and sits R. of table "L.) You don t think I m any good at all, do you, Grace ? Do you, Grace ? GRACE. (Goes back of him, then front to L.J You re tired, Tommy. What you need is sleep. You d better come to bed. TOMMY. I m all right. GRACE. Come on ! (Goes to door ~L.) TOMMY. No. I m not going to bed ! GRACE. What are you going to do ? TOMMY. I don t know. I may go out. (Pause.) GRACE. Out where? TOMMY. What difference does it make to you? Maybe it would be better if I went out and never come back ! At least you would have an insurance ! THE FIRST YEAR 79 GRACE. Tommy ! (Puts chair up back of her.) Don t you talk that way I won t have it! TOMMY. Well, that s better than living with a man who can t support you. That s one way a fel low can make money for his wife even a boob ! GRACE. Stop it, I say ! TOMMY. (Realizing that he is on a topic that hurts) Maybe you d rather have me wait until I take out another policy enough to take you to Lon don or Paris (GRACE rushes off L. TOMMY rises, goes to door L., speaks off) You know some day I ll surprise you with the money I ll have. (He crosses to table, drinks cocktail, returns to door.) I ll show you I can be just as successful as Dick Loring! (Goes to c., front of table, then back to door.) I ll bet he ll be around some day trying to borrow money from me and I d like to see him get it that s all! (Goes c., back to table, then back to door.) That s what always makes a hit with you women all a fellow s got to do is to put on a suit of clothes that s pressed and talk big, and he can make you think he is president of the road. (GRACE slams the door on him. He goes c., thinking, then goes to table R V sits, looks at map.) I know darn well that railroad is coming my way! (Tears up DICK S envelope and examines map in disgust. GRACE enters with bag and umbrella, her hat and coat on. TOMMY looks at her in astonishment. GRACE puts bag and umbrella on chair, starts putting on her gloves.) Where are you going? GRACE. I m going home ! TOMMY. (Crossing to her) You why Don t be silly ! GRACE. I m not silly! I can t stand it, Tommy. If I stay here any longer, my nerves will just go like that (Snaps finger.) That s all. I m go ing to get that nine-twenty train and go home. 8o THE FIRST YEAR TOMMY. You take those things off, because you are not going to do any such thing. GRACE. I m not, eh ? TOMMY. No, you re not. You re not going to leave this house. GRACE. What did you say? TOMMY. I said you ll not leave this flat. GRACE. Who s going to prevent me? TOMMY. I am! GRACE. Oh, no, you re not. TOMMY. I m not, eh? Well, you try and see! (GRACE picks up bag and umbrella, starts for door. TOMMY gets in front of her.) Now, Grace, don t be silly ! GRACE. Get out of my way, please! (TOMMY still blocks her way. She pushes him and again tries to make the door. He gets her by the wrist and holds her, and they struggle.) Don t! Don t you hold me that way, Tommy Tucker ! You re hurting me! TOMMY. (Releases her) I didn t mean to hurt you, but you shouldn t have tried to go out of that door when I told you not to ! GRACE. You are not to give orders to me! TOMMY. It s that fellow Loring that s gotten you upset, and I m not going to give him the chance to break up our home! GRACE. Dick Loring has nothing to do with it at all, and don t you even dare suggest it ! I have tried to be everything a wife should be to you, but you re just impossible, that s all, and I want to go home to my mother ! (Crosses down, sits in chair L.) TOMMY. The trouble with you is that you re train crazy. There isn t one good reason in the world for your acting like this, except that you want to go some place. (Crosses R.) GRACE. That s just about as sensible as most things you say. THE FIRST YEAR 81 TOMMY. Well, it s so. You wouldn t marry me unless we left town. The moment I tell you I m going to make a little bit of money, your first thought is getting on board a boat or a train, and travelling some place. You can t stay still for five minutes ! GRACE. (Drops bag and umbrella) I can t stay still ? I ve stayed still in this stuffy little flat, in this dirty little city, with no one to talk to and nothing to do but cook and sew for you, for eleven months ! TOMMY. Well, I never wanted to come to Jop- lin! GRACE. Yes, you did! You said you could do business here. Well, you have done it and a fine business you have done ! A master-stroke ! TOMMY. If you d keep quiet for one minute, I d like to have one last word with you. Of course, I don t expect to get it. (GRACE picks up bag and umbrella, rises, goes to door.) You understand this if you go out of that door, you and I are through ! GRACE. Of course we are ! TOMMY. I mean it. GRACE. I hope you do so do I! (Opens door.) jr~+ 111 * * Good-bye ! TOMMY. Good-bye! (GRACE exits. TOMMY stands for a moment, listening.) My God, she did it! (He sees cocktail on table, and drinks it at a gulp. Takes off coat, throws it on chair L. of desk.) All right. Let s see how far she ll go with it 1 I ll bet I can be just as obstinate as she is. (He is now showing a little effect and begins talking to an im aginary GRACE.) If you had said to me Tommy, you are wrong Tommy, you are all wrong, very likely I d have said, I know it, Grace, I know it! But not when you speak to me the way you did. Let me ask you something haven t I been a good hus band? I ve tried to be thoughtful and considerate. I haven t even looked at another woman ! I couldn t have thrown my arms around a man who wasn t my 82 THE FIRST YEAR husband, if I d been a wife, the way you did! I wouldn t do that ! But you did, you did, and that s what hurts it hurts me here. You don t know how it hurts me, Grace ! (He takes cocktail and drinks a little of it. Goes down L. HATTIE enters from kitchen.) HATTIE. I ve been waiting for the longest time for the bell to ring ! TOMMY. The bell s rung and they ve counted ten and everybody s out! (Starts to drink cocktail.) HATTIE. Lordy, Mr. Tucker, don t drink that cocktail ! TOMMY. Why not? HATTIE. That s warm standin all this time. Let me stir you up another one. (Starts R.) TOMMY. All right, Hattie, stir me up another. (HATTIE exits into kitchen. Calls after her) Hat- tie, Hattie ! Stir me up a lot of them. (Goes up c. to phonograph, puts on a record, and winds it.) You stir up the cocktails, Hattie, and we ll put on a record and show them that we don t care (Doorbell rings. TOMMY gives one triumphant look.) Now, Tommy, just remember she s only a woman and forgive her. (Goes to door, throws it open, and BAR- STOW stands outside.) Oh! BARSTOW. What s the matter has Mrs. Tucker retired ? TOMMY. Yes, Mrs. Tucker s retired! (Crosses to back of chair, L. of table R.J BARSTOW. Would I disturb her? I really would like to see you. TOMMY. All right. Come in! (BARSTOW comes down c., sits R. of table L. HATTIE enters with pitcher, stirring contents with a spoon.) Hattie, get a glass for Mr. Barstow. (HATTIE gives pitcher to him, gets glass from closet down R., puts it on table and exits R.) I m just having a little drink ! (He crosses to back of table ~L.) THE FIRST YEAR 83 BARSTOW. So I notice! TOMMY. What s your little trouble? BARSTOW. It s about that transaction of ours. Now, I want to put my cards on the table with you, Mr. Tucker be fair and aboveboard. TOMMY. Certainly. BARSTOW. A week ago I was commissioned to get that piece of land you own. I have been dickering with you all the time because I wanted to get it as cheap as possible. TOMMY. Nacherly. (Drinks.) BARSTOW. When Loring made the statement he did tonight, I had a feeling he was wrong, and yet it seemed to me, as he was in the construction end of the game, he ought to know what he was talking about. TOMMY. (Stops drinking, and silencing BAR- STOW with a gesture) Listen, Pete, I ve known that fellow longer than you have, and he s never known what he s talking about. BARSTOW. Well, he didn t tonight! I thought possibly the plans had been switched, and that some how they had muffed advising me. But I got Fris- bee, the president, on the phone the moment I left here, and what he said about your friend Loring TOMMY. He s no friend of mine ! Whateesay ? BARSTOW. Said what the hell would Loring know about his plans ! That when he was trying to build railroads he wasn t in the habit of telling every un derling what he intended doing! TOMMY. Did he call him an underling? BARSTOW. That s the mildest thing he called him ! TOMMY. (Pours out drink, chuckling to himself, goes dotwi L., sits) Underling ! I gotter remember that it s a good un BARSTOW. So that arrangement of ours is all right. TOMMY. Is that so? Who told you all that? 84 THE FIRST YEAR BARSTOW. Well, isn t it? You agreed to sell! TOMMY. And you agreed to buy, but you re- nigged ! BARSTOW. Oh, no, I didn t! I went out*to tele phone and see if you weren t right. TOMMY. Not if I weren t if Loring was. BARSTOW. Well, put it that way. TOMMY. Yes, if he had been, you d have said the deal s all off, and as long as he wasn t, I say the deal s all off! BARSTOW. You gave me your word you d sell at a price, and I think you ought to stand on your word. Now, here is a certified check (Rises, goes above table, takes check out of pocketbook, which he gets from inside pocket.) I brought with me tonight for twenty-five thousand dollars. (He hands check to TOMMY.) That ought to be proof enough of my intentions when I came here TOMMY. When you came here yes. BARSTOW. Well, I ll give you the other seventy- five thousand when the deeds are made over. TOMMY. That s only a hundred thousand. BARSTOW. Well, that was your price. TOMMY. That was my price, but when you left so suddenly, the price jumped fifty thousand dollars. (Puts check on BARSTOW S hat, that is on- table, takes a drink.) BARSTOW. I won t pay it. TOMMY. You won t, eh? BARSTOW. No ! (Picks up check, puts on hat, puts check in inside pocket.) That s the best you ll do ? TOMMY. (Rises) What time is it? BARSTOW. (Takes out watch) Not quite nine o clock ! TOMMY. (Looks at watch) That s right. It s nearer tomorrow than when I made you the propo sition, so I ll compromise with you it s a hundred and twenty-five thousand. THE FIRST YEAR 85 BARSTOW. But I say TOMMY. Want it? Because if you don t, I ll take it out and sell it to someone who will sting you good. BARSTOW. All right, a hundred and twenty-five thousand. TOMMY. All right! BARSTOW. All right. TOMMY. (Goes front of table L. and up c. to desk BARSTOW takes out check, puts it on table) And so we won t have any more complications, I ll tell you what to do you put your proposition on paper, and to-morrow (Coining back to BARSTOW with pen and paper) when I feel better, and something tells me I won t, I ll write you an acceptance. BARSTOW. Well, that s not exactly the way TOMMY. You want it? BARSTOW. (Sitting and writing) You re a tough customer to do business with. TOMMY. I m a smart business man. The trou ble with me is I don t drink enough. (Takes an other drink.) You think I m smart? BARSTOW. I think you are! TOMMY. You bet your life I am! I m going to be rich ! I m going to have a great big house with lots of servants, and a railroad track running all round it and an engine and pullman car, so my wife can go out and travel any time she wants to. All my clothes are going to fit me the only thing I ll wear that won t be made to order will be an um brella. BARSTOW. (Extends a note) There look that over. TOMMY. (Examines note critically) Seems per fectly all right. BARSTOW. (Pointing) And there s your check. (Crosses up to door.) I ll see you in the morning. TOMMY. Not too early! (Picks up check.) 86 THE FIRST YEAR BARSTOW. Good night! TOMMY. Say, tell the president to take the extra twenty-five thousand dollars out of the underling s salary. BARSTOW. I ll bet he ll feel like taking it out of his hide I do! (Exits up L., closing door.) TOMMY. Twenty-five thousand ! Loring will have to work fourteen years for that. (Chuckles.) Grace thinks I m not as smart as he is, but when I tell her about this (Realizes and stops.) Now, you see, that goes and spoils everything (Remembers phonograph, goes up and starts it Tosti s "Good- Bye." HATTIE enters from kitchen, comes to where TOMMY is standing.) HATTIE. I m going home now. TOMMY. All right. (Comes down c. and pushes armchair into place.) HATTIE. (Comes down c.) Does you all want to pay me now? TOMMY. How much is it? HATTIE. Dollar and a half ! TOMMY. (Offering her money) There s a five! HATTIE. I ain t got no change for that. TOMMY. I don t want any change that s for you I m a rich man, Hattie. HATTIE. (Takes m-oney, crosses back of him up c.) You don t act like one. Still, I thanks you kindly. You better not let Mrs. Tucker know that, though. TOMMY. Mrs. Tucker wouldn t care, Hattie Mrs. Tucker has left me ! HATTIE. What are you saying to me? TOMMY. It s true. (HATTIE is c.) See that? That s a check for twenty-five thousand dollars. HATTIE. What? TOMMY. Twenty-five thousand dollars certified. HATTIE. Um m-m-m-m-m ! TOMMY. And I d give that to Mrs. Tucker to do THE FIRST YEAR 87 what she pleased with it if she were here but she s gone she left me. HATTIE. That s too bad, Mr. Tucker. (Starts for door.) TOMMY. Wait a minute, Hattie. (HATTIE stops.) When we were married, everybody said the first year of married life was the toughest time two peo ple could go through, and I didn t think they knew what they were talking about, but they were right, Hattie it is it is ! HATTIE. Yes, Mr. Tucker. (Starts for door again.) TOMMY. Wait a minute, Hattie. (HATTIE stops.) Are you married ? HATTIE. Not yet. TOMMY. Are you gonner be? HATTIE. I got an offer! TOMMY. Well, then, you take a tip from an old married man, Hattie don t you get married until the second year. HATTIE. Yes, Mr. Tucker. (Exits.) TOMMY. (Gets GRACE S picture from desk, goes down, sits in chair down c., mumbling) Silly girl ! Silly girl! (He holds check before the photo to show GRACE what she has lost. As he sits, the pho nograph gets to the words, "Good-bye forever." TOMMY looks up stage at it, kisses GRACE S picture and puts it up to his face as the curtain falls.) CURTAIN ACT III SCENE: Same as Act I. Five days later than Act II. It is ten-thirty Sunday morning. Sunlight streams in from porch window R. GRACE is discovered in armchair L. of table R., writing a letter. As curtain rises she is writing furiously. She sobs at something she has written, looks about table for her handkerchief, finds it on the floor at her feet, wipes her eyes, calms herself and begins writing again. Finishes letter, collects six sheets from table and arranges them in order, begins reading what she has written. She reads first sentence, thinks, gets pen, scratches something out, reads again. The next sentence seems even worse. She suddenly springs up and tears letter up, goes up stage and throws pieces in fireplace, comes back to table, gets another sheet, picks up pen, dips it in ink, then pauses, thinking how to make another be ginning, then throws down pen, sinks her head in her arm on the table and sobs. Church bell rings. After a moment slie hears someone coming, rises quickly, grabs book from table R V goes front of table to couch R.C., sits, pretends to read. MRS. LIVINGSTON enters from upstairs. She is dressed for church, and carries hat, gloves and cloak. She puts them on chair L. of c., sees table is untidy with GRACE S writing things, goes THE FIRST YEAR 89 down to straighten it up. Sees GRACE, stops and looks at her. The church bell rings every fifteen seconds until after GRACE S exit. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I thought you were upstairs, getting ready. GRACE. I m not going to church, mother. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Surprised) Why not? GRACE. Oh, I don t feel like it. MRS. LIVINGSTON. You ought to come, Grace what ll folks think? (Looks at GRACE, takes up writing pad, goes up to desk R. of door c., puts it away.) GRACE. I can t help what they think and I ve I ve got a letter to write. MRS. LIVINGSTON. To Tommy? GRACE. Yes. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, I don t like your staying away from church on your first Sunday home. (She pauses, looks at GRACE, who is pretending to read, then goes up c. and calls upstairs) Fred Fred ! LIVINGSTON. (Off stage) Eh? What do you want? MRS. LIVINGSTON. The first hell, dear. LIVINGSTON. (Off stage) What? MRS. LIVINGSTON. The church bell. LIVINGSTON. All right. We ve got half an hour yet. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Comes back into room and again regards GRACE, coming down R. of c.) You don t expect Tommy today, then? GRACE. I don t know. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Sits L. of table R.) You wouldn t stay home from church to write to him if you thought he was coming today, would you? GRACE. Yes if I wasn t sure! 90 THE FIRST YEAR MRS. LIVINGSTON. But you said you were sure he d be here before this. GRACE. (Rises, crosses to window R v stands look ing out) Yes, I thought so. I expected him to to to follow me. MRS. LIVINGSTON. That was five days ago. If I were you I would be worried to death. GRACE. (Trying to restrain her irritation, crosses itp and looks out French windows) It s probably the business about all that land he bought that s keep ing him ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. You don t think he s lost money on that land, do }^ou, Grace? GRACE. (Breaking out) I don t know, Mother. (Throws book on sofa R., crosses L.) You can ask him when he comes. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Also angry) I mean to. I can t seem to get anything out of you. GRACE. (Crosses to R. of c. to MRS. LIVINGSTON, fighting down her feelings and speaking quietly) What is it you want to know ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Still angry) I d like to know why you reached home at three o clock in the morn ing, and why you ve kept in the house the whole week, and why you re so dumb about all that s hap pened since you ve lived in Joplin. GRACE. Haven t I told you and told you and told you (With grooving emphasis) that I missed my connection at St. Louis ! I didn t let you know I was coming because I thought it would be fun to surprise you, and I ve stayed in the house because I m not feeling well. And I think it s just horrid of you to keep on asking me questions all the time, and if I m not welcome in my own parents home I can leave! (She runs crying out of the room, upstairs c. Stop chimes. MRS. LIVINGSTON looks after her in great perplexity, goes to up c., looks after her, starts down c. and L. LIVINGSTON enters, dressed THE FIRST YEAR 91 for church, comes down to his chair by table looks around for papers.) LIVINGSTON. Ain t the Sunday papers come yet ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. I haven t seen them. Are you ready ? LIVINGSTON. For what? MRS. LIVINGSTON. I say, are you ready for church? LIVINGSTON. Don t you see I am ? (Shows her handkerchief in coat pocket.) I wonder why they haven t left the papers. I m going to call them up. (Goes up L. of c v gets phone book, brings it down to stool front of table R., and sits.) What s the fel low s name that keeps the news-stand? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Who has her mind on GRACE) Fred - LIVINGSTON. (Turns pages of phone book) Fred F, F, F Fr that ain t his name it s Henry- Henry Washburn W, W, W - MRS. LIVINGSTON. Fred! (LIVINGSTON is look ing through book.) I m terribly worried about Grace and I need your help ! LIVINGSTON. Ah! Washburn Main, three, two, three, ring three. (Crosses up to phone, rings bell, takes off receiver.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses up to R. of him) Grace didn t tell us the truth when she came home, Fred I m sure she didn t ! LIVINGSTON. (Into phone) Hello! I want three, three two three ring what the hell did I say that number was ? (Comes down, gets book and sits front of table.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses to L. of him, puts book down with her hand) Now you sit still and listen to me ! LIVINGSTON. What have I done now? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Nothing, dear - LIVINGSTON. Oh ! 92 THE FIRST YEAR MRS. LIVINGSTON. But I need your help I m worried (LIVINGSTON starts looking through book again) about Tommy and Grace. (She takes book away and places it on table back of him.) I say I m worried about LIVINGSTON. I heard you. When that Italian de livered the papers we used to get them right after breakfast. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Sits L. of table R.) They ve lost all their money, Fred I m sure of it. LIVINGSTON. Who? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Tommy and Grace ! LIVINGSTON. What! What makes you think they re broke ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Because Grace hasn t one new thing to her back. LIVINGSTON. Well, why should she? When she got married you had me buy her enough clothes to last a lifetime. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace would never come home without wearing something new if she had any money. LIVINGSTON. Well, what did you expect? What chance would Tommy have in a strange place? I knew just what would happen. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, it s your duty to help them, dear. LIVINGSTON. Do you mean, give them money ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. What we must do, Fred, is to get them back here. LIVINGSTON. What to live on me? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Yes, at first, then you can buy Tommy s old business. LIVINGSTON. What ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. He did well at it before Grace married him, and he could again. LIVINGSTON. That s so maybe he might. Any- THE FIRST YEAR 93 way, he d make a fourth at bridge without sending out for the neighbors. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Yes, and you like to play bridge with Tommy. LIVINGSTON. All right. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Now, I want you to talk to Grace. LIVINGSTON. Good Lord, can t you talk to her? You know her better than I do. MRS. LIVINGSTON. But everything I say seems to irritate her. LIVINGSTON. Does it? Oh, all right. ^ (Rises, crosses up to back of table R., gets cigar, lights it.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Rises, crosses up to c. arch, calls upstairs) Grace! Grace! GRACE. (Off stage, upstairs) Yes, Mother? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Grace, your father wants to talk to you. (Comes down c.) Now, you must be careful of Grace s feelings, Fred. LIVINGSTON. I know what to say. MRS. LIVINGSTON. You let her know we want to be a help, and LIVINGSTON. Are you going to do this or am I ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. I ll be in the kitchen if you want me. (Starts L.J LIVINGSTON. What do I want you for ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. All right, dear. (Exits L. LIVINGSTON crosses down R., sits in chair L. of table R., takes phone book and reads it. GRACE enters c. and stands inside doorway watching him. He does not notice her.) GRACE. (Watching him for some time) Well, father? LIVINGSTON. What is it? GRACE. Here I am. LIVINGSTON. What of it? GRACE. ( Crosses down c.) I thought you wanted to see me? 94 THE FIRST YEAR LIVINGSTON. Well, I do. (Smokes thought fully.) GRACE. (After giving him a chance to continue) What did you want to see me about? LIVINGSTON. What s the trouble with you and Tommy? GRACE. Trouble? What makes you think there is any trouble? LIVINGSTON. Oh, you don t fool me. Tommy s broke, isn t he? GRACE. Where did you hear that ? LIVINGSTON. Hear what? GRACE. That Tommy had lost his money. LIVINGSTON. I didn t have to be told. It s all your fault for making him go away. If you had had a grain of sense you might have known the chances were all against Tommy making a success in a place where he didn t know anybody. GRACE. (Turns away to the L.) I suppose I should. LIVINGSTON. Of course you should. If you hadn t been so darned anxious to leave town, Tommy would have been all right. GRACE. I dare say he would. LIVINGSTON. I know he would. Now, I ll tell you what I ll do. You send for Tommy to come home, and I ll buy back his old business for him. GRACE. I can t do that, father. LIVINGSTON. Do what ? GRACE. Ask Tommy to come back. LIVINGSTON. (Rises, crosses to GRACE) Now, look here I didn t see you married with any idea of your leaving your husband and coming back for me to support. GRACE. Stop, father. Don t you say another word (DR. ANDERSON enters c. He has an overcoat on, hangs hat in hall, and carries a good- sized travelling-bag, and has a roll of papers under THE FIRST YEAR 95 his arm; he drops the bag, and drops papers on chair L. of table n.) I ll never ask you to support me and I won t stay in this house another day do you understand ? Not another day ! DR. ANDERSON. (Crosses to GRACE) Here, here, here what s all this? GRACE. Oh ! Oh, Uncle Myron ! DR. ANDERSON. Why, Gracie, what on earth is the matter? (GRACE throws her arms around his neck and bursts into violent sobbing. The Doctor holds her, patting her gently on the shoulder, and trying to soothe her.) LIVINGSTON. (With a good deal of concern, which he tries to conceal) Get her to stop that, will you, Myron? (GRACE cries.) I didn t think I was going to upset her like that. (GRACE cries.) Tell her I didn t mean it. (Sits in chair, then feels to see what he is sitting on; rises, finds papers, a broad smile* comes over his face, takes papers, sits and reads.) DR. ANDERSON. There, there, Gracie, take it easy. (He takes her to settee.) Goodness, I ve never heard you cry like this before in my life. GRACE. (Speaking between sobs with great dif ficulty) Oh, Uncle, I m so glad you re back so glad! DR. ANDERSON. So am I! Now, what is it, Gracie ? Tell me all about it. GRACE. There was something I wanted to tell you ! I wanted to tell you when I came home, but you weren t here. DR. ANDERSON. What is it, Gracie? (GRACE whispers in his ear.) God bless you, Gracie ! (MRS. LIVINGSTON enters from L.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Why, Myron, when did you get here? DR. ANDERSON. Just this moment. (GRACE cries.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. What s the matter? 96 THE FIRST YEAR DR. ANDERSON. Oh, nothing. Grade s a little up set, that s all. GRACE. I m all right now. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses up c., looking from one to the other and deciding not to refer to GRACE S crying; goes c., giving LIVINGSTON a cutting look, blaming him for upsetting GRACE ; turns to Doctor.) Did you have a good time, Myron ? DR. ANDERSON. (Talking easily to MRS. LIVING STON, but keeping his arm around GRACE and strok ing her hair) Oh, the usual sort. These Doctors Conventions are all alike, everything crowded, poor accommodations, and a lot of sitting around listen ing to old fogies talk. MRS. LIVINGSTON. I imagine you did your share. DR. ANDERSON. (Smiling) No the Convention only lasted a week. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Well, we d begun to get wor ried about you. DR. ANDERSON. Why was that ? MRS. LIVINGSTON. The Convention was over Thursday. We expected you home two days ago. DR. ANDERSON. Oh ! Well, I should have been, but I stopped off to make a visit. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Where? DR. ANDERSON. Joplin. (GRACE rouses up sud denly and looks at him.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Joplin ! Did you see Tommy? DR. ANDERSON. (Casually) Oh, yes. (To GRACE) I went there to call on you both I didn t know you d come home, Grace. GRACE. (Wondering how much the Doctor knows, and trying to speak easily) Did you did you find Tommy all right? DR. ANDERSON. Well, no I didn t. MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Looking at him suddenly) What? DR. ANDERSON. I had a good deal of trouble be- THE FIRST YEAR 97 fore I could find him at all. (GRACE sits back and stares at him.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. What do you mean? DR. ANDERSON. Well, the apartment was closed when T arrived. I asked the people across the hall if they knew where the Tuckers were, and all they could tell me was that on Tuesday they d seen a doctor going in there. GRACE. A doctor? DR. ANDERSON. Yes. I got the doctor s name, called him up, and learned that he had taken Tommy to a hospital! (GRACE springs up suddenly itnth a little stifled scream.) DR. ANDERSON. (Rises quickly] There, there, Gracie, it s all right nothing to worry about at all. He isn t in any danger. MRS. LIVINGSTON. But what was it. Myron? DR. ANDERSON. (Easily) Poisoning the doctor thought. GRACE. Not not suicide? DR. ANDERSON. Oh, no, no just something he d eaten or drunk! GRACE. (Goes up L. to bookcase) Where s a time table? DR. ANDERSON. (Secretly pleased) Now, don t let it upset you, Grace. He isn t in any danger at all GRACE. (Finds timetable, comes down between Doctor and MRS. LIVINGSTON, sits on settee L., try ing to find the page) But I ve got to get to him I ve got to! You know all about it. don t you. Uncle? MRS. LIVINGSTON. Know about what? GRACE. My leaving him ! MRS. LIVINGSTON. What? GRACE. Yes, that s the truth, mother. MRS. LIVINGSTON. You quarrelled with Tom my? GRACE. Not quarrelled fought! And then we 98 THE FIRST YEAR separated forever. And 1 was a miserable wretch to do it. (Turns over leaves of timetable.) Because Tommy d just had a great disappointment, and lost everything! And I d no right to leave him at a time like that. And I m ashamed of myself, and I m going back and tell him sothat s what I m go ing to do five-fifty-seven. (Goes over pages.) LIVINGSTON. ( Looking up from paper, very loud) Well, I ll be damned! MRS. LIVINGSTON. Fred ! LIVINGSTON. Well I will. Did you see this? MRS. LIVINGSTON. We can t be bothered about the paper now. LIVINGSTON. It s about Tommy! (GRACE rises, goes tip c.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. In the paper? LIVINGSTON. Yes. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Read it. LIVINGSTON. Local boy makes a coup ! (He pro nounces it "kowp.") MRS. LIVINGSTON. Makes a what? LIVINGSTON. Well, then coop, or whatever you call it it s French for clean-up. MRS. LIVINGSTON. Read itl LIVINGSTON. (Reading) "The Joplin and Mis souri Railroad has purchased Amusement Park and will at once start laying tracks for its new line. The largest price paid to any one holder was one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, to Thomas Tucker of Reading. Thomas Tucker is the son-in-law of our distinguished fellow citizen, Mr. Frederick Liv ingston/ (Gives paper to MRS. LIVINGSTON, leans back in chair, puffing cigar with great pomp. GRACE goes R. and back of table R. Doctor gets up c.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Looking at article in the pa per) Ain t that wonderful ? I always said that Tom my was a smart boy ! LIVINGSTON. So did I. THE FIRST YEAR 99 MRS. LIVINGSTON. I hope it s all true. DR. ANDERSON. Oh, it s true, sister no doubt about that. LIVINGSTON. This paper generally gets things right. (Doctor starts up to door.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Where are you going, Myron? DR. ANDERSON. I ll be back in a few minutes. (Exits c.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. Tommy rich! I suppose they ll never live in Reading now. (Church chimes start and ring every fifteen seconds until MR. and MRS. LIVINGSTON exit.) That s the last bell. (Crosses up c., gets hat, throws paper in the chair up c./ LIVINGSTON. (Rises, goes up back of table. To GRACE) A hundred and twenty-five thousand dol lars. Well, you picked a fine time for a fight with him. (Goes out in hall for hat.) MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Crosses to GRACE) Did you find a train, dear? GRACE. No ! LIVINGSTON. (Coming in c.) I ll look em up for you when we get back from church. GRACE. You needn t I m not going. (Going down R.j LIVINGSTON. What? MRS. LIVINGSTON. (Simultaneously with MR. LIVINGSTON) Not going? (Alone) Why not? GRACE. Because I can t. T left him when I thought he d failed do you think I can go back now? LIVINGSTON. (Who has got his hat, holds cloak for MRS. LIVINGSTON, which he gets from back of chair up c.) Oh, don t be so damned silly! Here, Emily ! (Holds out the cloak.) GRACE. Sillv! To always have him feel that I came back because he d made money! (MRS. LIV INGSTON crosses to MR. LIVINGSTON up c., puts cloak on.) ioo THE FIRST YEAR LIVINGSTON. If you re so shy about going back I ll go myself. I d like to see Joplin anyhow. (Tak ing MRS. LIVINGSTON by the arm and going out door c.) Come on, Emily. Don t forget hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars Amusement Park they ll be asking all about it at church. ( Exits with MRS. LIVINGSTON. Door bell. GRACE stands for a while in thought, then sits on sofa. When she hears voices in the hall she rises, thinking her father /.< speaking t,o TOMMY. Offstage.) Well, well, when did you get back to town? You ll find Grace right in the parlor try and get her to come to church. (DiCK enters, looks at GRACE a moment, comes doum c.) DICK. Hello, Grace! GRACE. (Her expression changes to disappoint ment at it not being TOMMY) Oh, hello, Dick. I didn t know you were home. (Comes to stool in front of table, sits. ) DICK. (Sits L. of table R.J I got in last night. T suppose you know why I m back? GRACE. No. DICK. I lost my job with the railroad. GRACE. (Sympathetically ) Dick you didn t. DICK. Yes, on account of what T said about that spur line. GRACE. I m sorry, Dick. DICK, It wasn t my fault. (Rises, goes L.) They told me at the office that spur was goin^ just where I said it was. (Comes back to her.) I d rather not have it known around town you know the way they talk, and came over to ask if you d tell Tommy not to speak of it will you? GRACE. Dick. Tommy and I have separated ! DICK. Not really ! GRACE. (Almost breaking doum) Yes. DICK. (Sits L. of table R.J You don t say. GRACE. You haven t seen Tommy again, then? THE FIRST YEAR 101 DICK. Not since that night. Why? GRACE. He said something that made me think he might see you again. Dick, do you think that on the night you called T received you with more enthu siasm than I should? DICK. Well, you couldn t have heen too cordial to suit me. GRACE. But you didn t misunderstand my wel come you knew it was just friendly? DICK. Of course. What are you trying to find out? GRACE. I was wondering if I had given Tommy cause to be annoyed. He was jealous of the way I met you. DICK. Oh. I see. GRACE. Tommy accused me of lots of things that night (Rises) of just everything. W T hy, I have never been spoken to in my life the way he talked to me. DICK. (Rises) Well, I don t know as I blame Tommy much for being jealous of you. Grace. Of course, there are ways to handle a woman, and Tomr my hasn t had enough experience to know.v tf: tod bad, because if ever a girl deserved an ace you do, , (He puts his hands on GRACE S arms , and stands looking at her as TOMMY appears in doorway. He is dressed in a cutaway coat, grey trousers, patent- leather shoes, carries a cane and bo.r of flowers. He puts hat on table just outside door c. before he sees GRACE.) (GRACE, lookina up. sees TOMMY first. DICK, see ing GRACE S gase turned up stage, follows with a turn of the head, and as TOMMY comes down stage, turns slowly around facing TOMMY all the time. (TOMMY comes down to a level with DICK and GRACE, looks at them for a moment, then throws 102 THE FIRST YEAR cane and flowers up stage and slaps DICK S face. GRACE screams. TOMMY starts over to speak to GRACE as DICK lands his right fist on TOMMY S jaw. (TOMMY turns, grabs DICK. DICK grabs TOMMY, takes his coat tails and rips the coat all the way up the back. TOMMY breaks and pulls off the coat. DICK turns to quiet GRACE, who is calling for them not to fight. TOMMY comes back and kicks him on his seat. DICK turns they struggle.) GRACE. (Runs up to door c., calling) Mother! Father ! Somebody come quick ! (She comes down c., calling) Don t fight you re killing- each other! DICK. (Has turned TOMMY around so that his arms are pinned behind him) It s all right. Grace. I ve got him! (At this TOMMY stamps on his foot. They break. TOMMY goes L. a few steps, then back to DICK they clinch. DICK throws TOMMY up Stage to floor, jumps on top of him. GRACE pounds an, DICK S back, trying to separate them. They still kcep-ai.il; she looks around, sees vase, goes and gets it), GRACE. . J ll stop you! (She throws vase to hit DICK; it goes over his head and hits TOMMY, who goes limp. GRACE screams.) DICK. (Rises) Now see what you ve done ! GRACE. Oh, Tommy, darling! (Kneels by him.) DICK. He deserved what he got ! (Goes out call ing) I ll get the Doctor. Doctor ! Doctor ! Come quick Tommy s hurt! (Doctor enters, meeting DICK, who exits past him,. Doctor goes to TOMMY and examines him. GRACE is kneeling beside him.) GRACE. Oh. Uncle Myron, I think I ve killed him ! Don t let him dieplease ! DR. ANDERSON. He won t die, Grace. How did it happen ? THE FIRST YEAR 103 GRACE. I hit him with a vase DR. ANDERSON. What ! GRACE. I aimed it at Dick ! I thought Dick was killing him. DR. ANDERSON. I see. If you ll get my bag, Grace it s in my office. (GRACE rushes off c. TOM MY comes to and takes in his surroundings. Doctor helps him up and seats him on settee L. TOMMY car ries a fine black eye.) TOMMY. Where s Loring? DR. ANDERSON. Gone. TOMMY. He coming back? DR. ANDERSON. No. TOMMY. Thank God for that! (GRACE enters with bag.) DR. ANDERSON. You ll be all right in a minute. TOMMY. (Trying to stand, as he sees GRACE com ing down c.) I am all right now. (Stvays GRACE and the Doctor get him seated again.) DR. ANDERSON. You sit still till I fix you up. (He reaches in bag for cotton and antiseptic.) GRACE. (Very timidly) Does it hurt? TOMMY. (Gives her one look) It does, but I ve been hurt so much lately that I don t mind it as much as I might. DR. ANDERSON. Grace, will you get some water and a cloth a napkin will do. (GRACE goes out L.) Don t talk that way to her, Tommy. Grace feels pretty bad about this. TOMMY. I hope she does. (Doctor is now put ting some antiseptic on TOMMY S head.) That fdlow Loring hits an awful blow, Doctor. DR. ANDERSON. Loring didn t hit you there. TOMMY. Well, it s all swollen DR. ANDERSON. Yes, and cut! TOMMY. And bleeding. I didn t just break out that way, did I? io 4 THE FIRST YEAR DR. ANDERSON. Oh, no, you were hit! (Goes to bay, fixes gauze pad for TOMMY S eye.) TOMMY. I thought so. DR. ANDERSON. With a vase. TOMMY. Is that all ? It felt like a safe. DR. ANDERSON. Grace threw it ! TOMMY. (Looks at Doctor) She still loves me, then. DR. ANDERSON. She thought Loring was getting the better of you. TOMMY. I see she wanted to make sure. I knew I was wrong to come back here with yon, :)oc- tor but you said it was the time for me to see her that there d be nobody home, and she d fall on my neck. You said that, didn t you? DR. ANDERSON. Yes, Tommy. I said that. TOMMY. You had the situation diagnosed Ml wrong, Doctor. (GRACE enters with basin of water and cloth.) GRACE. Here, Uncle. DR. ANDERSON. Thank you, dear. (Puts panwi table, wets end of the napkin and washes TOMMY S eye, then goes through bag for scissors and a/lhcsive plaster.) Now, Grace, if you ll help me here hold Tommy s head that way so I can see. (GRACE makes a movement to help.) TOMMY. I can hold my own head, thank you. (Takes his head in his hands.) DR. ANDERSON. That s all right, but I want Grace to hold this adhesive plaster so I can cut it. (Cuts plaster GRACE holds it. Puts pad on TOMMY S eye.) There, this will be fine. After the head stops aching, Tommy, you ll be all right. GRACE. Then that s all you want of me? (She crosses up R.c.j TOMMY. (Crosses up to her c.) Just one mo ment, please. (GRACE stops by chair R.C.J There s THE FIRST YEAR 105 something I d like to say to you, if I may it won t take up much of your time. GRACE. Well? TOMMY. Contrary to the opinions of master minds, I happened to guess certain facts about a rail road. I have a check here which I think you are entitled to. (Offers check.) GRACE. That s very generous of you, but I don t want your money. TOMMY. I shall give it to the Doctor if you don t take it. GRACE. I won t touch it. TOMMY. Will you see that Mr. Livingston gets that, Doctor? (Doctor takes check. TOMMY crosses c., gets coat from floor, puts it on, crosses to GRACE.) Good-bye ! (He starts up for box and cane.) GRACE. Good-bye ! DR. ANDERSON. Aren t you going to say good-bye to me? TOMMY. Good-bye, Doctor. (Crossing down to Doctor and shaking hands.) DR. ANDERSON. Before you go. Tommy, there s one question I d like you to answer. TOMMY. What is it. Doctor? DR. ANDERSON. What would you rather be than anything in the world? TOMMY. (After a moment s thought) Single! DR. ANDERSON. I don t believe you mean that. Tommy. I know you love Grace, and you ve passed the worst time. GRACE. (Going to stool, sits) T have passed the worst time I have ever had. DR. ANDERSON. (Crossing to GRACE) Will you please tell me. Grace, what it was all about? GRACE. Yes. I will ! He was downright brutal to me! TOMMY. Brutal? Why do you say that to the Doctor? io6 THE FIRST YEAR GRACE. Because you were ! I have marks on my arms yet where you held me. DR. ANDERSON. What did you do that for, Tom my ? TOMMY. She tried to leave the house at nine o clock at night. ^ DR. ANDERSON. (To GRACE) Is that true, Grace ? GRACE. Yes after he talked to me so I couldn t stand it any longer. (TOMMY crosses to settee and sits.) DR. ANDERSON. And you were leaving for good? GRACE. Yes. DR. ANDERSON. And he grabbed you and held you? GRACE. Yes, he did. DR. ANDERSON. Well, some women would think that flattering. GRACE. Well, I don t ! DR. ANDERSON. Why, Gracie ! Tommy talked of you the whole time at the hospital, and didn t want to live unless you came back to him. TOMMY. That s when I was delirious. DR. ANDERSON. No, you weren t (Crosses to c.) and Tommy, when Grace heard you d been sick, she nearly tore the timetable looking up the first train that would take her back to you. GRACE. Uncle DR. ANDERSON. Yes, you did, and you called yourself names and said you were ashamed of your self. GRACE. But I -won t - DR. ANDERSON. Stop it. Grace ! TOMMY. There isn t one chance in the world DR. ANDERSON. Shut up. Tommy! (TOMMY subsides.) You two are just suffering from matri monial measles, troubles that look terrible but don t amount to anything. Everybody has them, and, like THE FIRST YEAR lof measles, it s better to have them young and get over them. Years from now you re either going to laugh at this or cry over it. If you let it take you apart, you re going to cry so let s laugh at it. What do you say, Gracie? (GRACE turns away.) How about you, Tommy? (TOMMY puts up his hand "never again.") And, Tommy, you ll want to be around to see your baby ! TOMMY. (Looks at Doctor) No! DR. ANDERSON. Don t look so scared it s hap pened before. TOMMY. I know but not to me. (Rises, crosses to GRACE.) Is it true? (GRACE bo^vs her head.) Forgive me? (GRACE looks at him, puts her arms around him.) I hope he s going to like us ! THE END ON THE HIRING LINE Comedy in 3 acts, by Harvey O Higgins and Harriet JTord. 5 males, 4 females. Interior throughout. Costumea, modern. Plays 2^ hours. Sherman Fossenden, unable to induce servants to remain for any reasonable length of time at his home, hits upon the nre! expedient of engaging detectives to serve as domestics. His second, wife, an actress, weary of the country and longing ior Broadway, has succeeded in discouraging every oth*r cook and butler against remaining long at the house, believing that by w doing she will win her husband to her theory that country Ufa is dead. So she is deeply disappointed when she finds she cannot discourage the new servants. The sleuths, believing thoy had been called to report on tha actions of those living with the Fessendens, proceeded to warn .Mr. Fessenden that his wife has been receiving love-notes from Steve Mark, an actor friend, and that his daughter has been planning to elope with a thief. One sleuth causes an uproar in the house, making a mess of the situations he has witnessed. Mr. Fessenden, however, ha*, learned a lesson and is quite willing to leave the servant problem to his wife thereafter. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Cwt. A FULL HOUSE A farcical comedy in 3 acts. By Fred Jackson. 7 males, 7 females. One interior scene. Modern, costumes. Time, 2* hours. Imagine a reckless and wealthy youth who -writes ardent love letters to a designing chorus girl, an attorney brother- in-law who steals the letters and then gets his hand-bag mixed tip with the grip of a burglar who has just stolen a valuable necklace from the mother of the indiscreet youth, and the efforts of the crook to recover his plunder, as incidents in the story of a play in which the swiftness of the action never halts for an instant. Not only are the situations scream ingly funny but the lines themselves hold a fund of humor at all times. This newest and cleverest of all farces was written "by Fred Jackson, the well-known short-story writer, and ia backed up by the prestige of an impressive New York snceese and the promise of unlimited fun presented in the most attrac tive form. A cleaner, cleverer farce has not boen seen for many a long day. "A Full House" is a house full of laughs. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars. ) Price, 75 Cents SAMUEL FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York City Our N- KICK IN in 4 acts. By Willard Mack. 7 males, 5 fematefl, Interiors. Modern costumes. Plays 2^ hours. "Kick In" is the latest of the very few available mystery plays. Like "Within the Law," "Seven Key* to Baldpate," "The Thirteenth Chair," and "In the Next Room," it is one of those thrillers which are accurately described as "not having dull moment in it from beginning to end." It is a play with all the ingredients of popularity, not at all difficult to set or to act; the plot carries it along:, and the situations are built with that skill and knowledge of the theatre for which Willarcl Mack is known. An ideal mystery melodrama, for high schools and colleges. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Onts. TILLY OF BLOOMSBURY (" Happy -Go-Lucky. ") A comedy in 3 acts. By Tan Hay. 9 males, 7 females. 2 interior scenes. Modem dress. Plays a full evening. Into an aristocratic family comes Tilly, lovable and youthful, with ideas and manners which greatly upset the circle. Tilly is so frankly honest that she makes no secret of her tre mendous affection for the young son of the family; fhis brings her into many difficulties. But her troubles have a joyous end in charmingly blended scenes of sentiment and humor. This comedy presents an opportunity for fine acting, handsome stage settings, and beautiful costuming. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Cntf, BILLY Fare-eomedy in 3 acts. By George Cameron. 10 males, 5 females. (A few minor male parts can be doubled, mak ing the cast 7 males, 5 females.) 1 exterior. Costumes, modern. Plays 2*4 hours. Tke action of the play takes place on the S. 8. "Florida," bound for Havana. The ntovy hae to do with the disappearance of a set of false teeth, which creates endless complications among passengers and crew, and furnishes two and a quarter hours of the heartiest laughter. One of the funniest comedies produced iu the last doten years on the American stage is "Billy" (some times called "Billy s Tombstone*"), in which the late Sidney Drew achieved a hit in New York and later toured the country several times. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price 75 Cents. nanuMBMrnuMaaw^tmnaMonaMBa^^ SAKUEIt FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York City O *r Nrur O^ah^a* Will Js<- S*-nt >< i;.r<-< >it of H > - Oui-.. NOT SO LONG AGO Comedy in a Prologue, 8 acts, and Epilogue. By Arthai Bichman. 5 males, 7 females. 2 interiors, 1 exterior Costumes, 1876. Plays a full evening. Arthur Richman has constructed his play areuad. the Cindaralla legend. The playwright has shown great -wisdom in his choice of material, for he has cleverly crossed the Cinderella theme with a strain of Romeo and Jnliet. Mr. Richman places his young lovers in the picturesque New York of forty years ago. This time Cinderella is a seamstress in the home of a social climber, who may have been the first of her kind, though we doubt it. She is interested sentimentally in the son of this house. Her father, learning of her infatuation for the young man without learning also that it is imaginary on the young girl s part, starts out to discover his intentions. H is a poor inventor. The mother of the youth, ambitious chiefly for her children, shud ders at the thought of marriage for her son with a sewing-girl. But the Prince contrives to put the slipper on the right foot, and the end is happiness. The play is quaint and agreeable and the three acts are rich in the charm of love and youth. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Certs. THE LOTTERY MAN Comedy in 3 aets, by Rida Johnson Young. 4 males, females. Z easy interiors. Costumes, modern. Plays 2%. hours. In "The Lottery Han" Rida Johnson Young has seized upoa a custom of some newspapers to increase their circulation by clever schemes. Mrs. Young has made the central figure in her famous comedy a newspaper reporter, Jack Wright. Wright owes his employer money, and he agrees to turn in one of the most sensational scoops the paper has ever known. Hi idea is to conduct a lottery, with himtelf as the prize. The lottery is an nounced. Thousands of old maids buy coupons. Meantime Wright falls in love with a charming girl. Naturally he fears that ke may be won by someone elae and starts to get as many tickets as his limited means will permit. Finally th last day is an nounced. The winning number is 1323, and is held by Lizzie, an old vaaid, in the household of the newspaper owner. Lizzie refuses to give up. It is discoversd, however, that she has stolen the ticket. With this clue, the reporter threatens her with arrest. Of course the coupon is surrendered and Wright gets the girl of his choice. Produced at the Bijou Theater, New York, with groat success. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Gents. SAMUEL FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York City Onr New CJutuinxuc Will Be Sent on Receipt f Fivr Ont*. NOTHING~BtTT THE TRUTH Comedy in 3 acts. By James Montgomery. 5 males, 6 females. Modern costumes. 2 interiors. Plays 2^ hours. Is it possible to tell the absolute truth even for twenty-four hours? It is at least Bob Bennett, the hero of "Nothing but the Truth," accomplished the feat. The bet he made with his partners, his friends, and his fiancee these are the incidents in William Collier s tremendous comedy hit. "Nothing but the Truth" can be whole-heartedly recommended as one of the most sprightly, amusing and popular comedies of wliich this country aa boast. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Cent-, SEVENTEEN A eotnedy of youth, in 4 acts. By Booth Tarkington. 8 males, 6 females. 1 exterior, 2 interior scenes. Costumes, modern. Plays 2^ hours. It is the tragedy of William Sylvanus Baxter that he has ceased to be sixteen and is not yet eighteen. Baby, child, boy, youth and grown-up are definite phenomena. Ths world knows them and has learned to put up with them. Seventeen is not an age, it is a disease. In its turbulent bosom the leavings of a boy are at war with the beginnings of a man. In his heart, William Sylvanus Baxter knows all the tortures and delights of love; he is capable of any of the heroisms of his heroic sex. But he is still sent on the most humiliating errands by his mother, and depends upon his father for the last nickel of spending money. Silly Bill fell in love with Lolo, th* Baby-Talk Lady, a vapid if amiable little flirt. To woo her in a manner worthy of himself (and incidentally of her) he stole his father s evening clothes. When his wooings became a nuisance to the neighborhood, his mother stole the clothes back, and had them altered to fit the iddle-aged form of her husband, thereby keeping William at home in the evening. But when it came to the Baby-Talk Lady s good-bye dance, not to be present was unendurable. How William Sylvanus again jot the dress suit, and how as he was wearing it at the party the negro servant, Genesis, disclosed the fact that the proud garment was in reality his father s, arc some of the elements in this charming comedy of youth. "Seventeen" is a story of youth, love and summer time. It is a work of exquisite human sympathy and delicious humor. Pro- duoed by Stuart Walker at the Booth Theatre, New York, it en joyed a run of four years in New York aad on the road. Strongly recommended for High School production. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Cents. 8AMT7EI, FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York City Ovr New Cmtaloru* Will B Sent on Receipt of Five Cento. COME OUT OP THE KITCHEN A charming comedy in. 3 acts. Adapted by A. E. Thomas from the story of the same name by Alice Doer Millet: 6 males, 5 females. 3 interior scenes. Costumes, modern. Plays 2V> hours. The story of "Come Out of the Kiteken" is written around Virginia family of the old aristocracy, by the name of Damper- field, v.-ho, finding themselves temporarily embarrassed, decide to rent tbeir ma-gnilicent home to a rich Yankee. One cf the con ditions of the lease by the well-to-do New Engrlauder stipulate! that a competent staff of white servant* should be engaged for \ie sojourn at the stately home. This servant question presents practically insurmountable difficulties, and one of the daughters of the family conceives the mad-cap idea that she, her sister and their two brothers shall act as the domestic staff for the wealthy Yankee. Olivia Daingerfield, who is the ringleader in the merry scheme, adopts the cognomen of Jane Allen, and elects to preside over the destinies of the kitchen. Her slater, Elisabeth, ia ap pointed housemaid. Her elder brother, Paul, is the butler, and Charley, the youngest of the group, is appointed to the position ot fcootboy. When Burton Crane arrives from the North, accom panied by Mrs. Faulkner, ker daughter, and Crane s attorney. Tucker, they find the staff of servants to possess MO many methods of behavior out of the ordinary that amusing complications begin to arise immediately. Olivia s charm and beauty impress Crana above everything else, and the merry Rtory continues through a maze of delightful incidents until the real identity of the heroine) IB finally disclosed. But not until Crane ha professed hia lora ior his charming cook, and the play ends with ihe brightest prospects of happiness for these two young people. "Come Out of the Kitchen," with Ruth Chattorton in the lending rdle. made notable success on its production by Henry Miller at the Cohan* Theatre, New York. It was also a great success at the Stratd Theatre, London. A most ingenious and entertaining cemedy, and we strongly recommend it for amateur production. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 Cent*. GOING SOME 1 lay ia 4 acts. By Paul Armstrong and Rex Beach. 12 males, 4 females. 2 exteriors, 1 interior. Costumes, modern and cowboy. Plays a full evening. Described by the authors as the "chronicle of a certain lot ot college men and ?irls, with a tragic strain of phonograph and cowboys." A rollicking good story, full of action, atmosphere, comedy and drama, redolent of the adventurous spirit of yoith. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, 75 CeaU, SAMTJEL FRENCH, 25 West 45th Btrt, Hew York Oltjr ARE YOU A MASON? jforee in 3 acts. By Leo Ditridutein. 7 males, 7 ia* Modern costumes. Plays *H hours. 1 interior. "Are You a Mason!" is one of those delightful farces lite "Owl-ley s Aunt" that are always fresh. "A mother and *> daughter," cays the eritie of the New York Herald, "had hua- t>and6 who account for absences from the joint household on. frequent evenings, falsely pretending to be Masons. The men io net know b^eh other s duplicity, and each tells hig wife of having advanced to leadership in his lodge. The older woman was so well pleased with her husband s supposed distinction in the order that she made him promise to put up the name of a v&itiag friend for membership. Further perplexity over the principal liar arose when a suitor "tor his second daughter s hand, proved to be a real Mason. ... To tell the story of the play would require volumes, its complications are so numerous. It ie a house of eards. One eard wrongly placed and the whole thing would collapse. But it stands, an example of remarkable is*> gtmuity. You wonder at the end of the first act how the in can be kept up on mh a slender foundation. But it continues acd grows to the last urtin." One of the most hilariously aj staff farees ever written, especially suited to sehools and ttasonio Lodfet. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, T* KEMPY A. delightful comedy in 2 aeta. By <*. 0. Nugent *nd5 Elliott Nugent. 4 males, 4 females. 1 interior throughout. Costumes, modern. Plays 2% hours. Wo wonder "Kempy" has been such a tremendous hit in New tfork, Chicago wherever it has played. It snaps with wit and Buraor of the most delightful kind. It s electric. It s small town folk perfectly pictured. Full of types of varied sorts, each one done to a turn and served with zestful sauce. An ideal entertainment for amusement purposes. The story is about a high- falutin* daughter who in a fit of pique marries the young plumber* architect, who come* to fix the water pipes, just because ho "understands" he Aaving read her book and having sworn to marry the authoress. But in that story lies all the humor that *tept the ,audienee laughing every second of every act. Of coarse there are lots of ramifications, each of which bears its own brand. of laughter-making potentials. But the plot and the story are not the main things. There is, for instance, the work* of the company. The fun growing out of this 1 family mixup is lively and clean. (Royalty, twenty-five dollars.) Price, T5 Cents. 3 1MITEL FRENCH, 25 West 45th Street, New York City Our New Catalogue Will Be Sent on Receipt of Five Cento. THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW SEX. A. A. I Harriet Paul Oi J* Arttar George Martin Victer KeteD Wte J Rol Ce Freder Fred I Percy ft. C. WUUa tar Ar 1 J Frem AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON THE FOURTH DAY AND TO $1.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. n DEC 19 * 14 1933 FEB 7 1934 DEC II 1934 NOV "7 ^ 5 FEB 7 1938 /\UG - 2 ,SG2 ,5 Wet 45* 3*"**. 30 BTD FEB 4 1982 L19 LD 21-50m-8, _ f CITT 3 / 3 3