The Easiest Way Part 28

LAURA. Yes, I am going to move, and a long ways, too. How well you're looking,--as fit as a fiddle.

JIM. Yes; I am feelin' fine. Where yer goin'? Troupin'?

LAURA. No, indeed.

JIM. [_Surveying the baggage._] Thought not. What's comin' off now?

[_Takes off coat, puts coat and hat on trunk._

LAURA. [_Very simply._] I'm going to be married this afternoon.

JIM. Married?

LAURA. And then I'm going West.

JIM. [_Leaving the trunk, walking toward her and holding out his hands._] Now I'm just glad to hear that. Ye know when I heard how--how things was breakin' for ye--well, I ain't knockin' or anythin' like that, but me and the missis have talked ye over a lot. I never did think this feller was goin' to do the right thing by yer. Brockton never looked to me like a fellow would marry anybody, but now that he's goin' through just to make you a nice, respectable wife, I guess everything must have happened for the best. [LAURA _averts her eyes.

Both sit on trunk,_ JIM _left of_ LAURA.] Y' see I wanted to thank you for what you did a couple of weeks ago. Burgess wrote me a letter and told me I could go ahead of one of his big shows if I wanted to come back, and offering me considerable money. He mentioned your name, Miss Laura, and I talked it over with the missis, and--well, I can tell ye now when I couldn't if ye weren't to be hooked up--we decided that I wouldn't take that job, comin' as it did from you [_Slowly._] and the way I knew it was framed up.

LAURA. Why not?

JIM. [_Embarra.s.sed._] Well, ye see, there are three kids and they're all growing up, all of them in school, and the missis, she's just about forgot show business and she's playing a star part in the kitchen, juggling dishes and doing flip-flaps with pancakes; and we figgered that as we'd always gone along kinder clean-like, it wouldn't be good for the kids to take a job comin' from Brockton because you--you--well--you--

LAURA. I know. [_Rises; sits on left arm of chair._] You thought it wasn't decent. Is that it?

JIM. Oh, not exactly, only--well, you see I'm gettin' along pretty [_Rises; crosses to_ LAURA.] good now. I got a little one-night-stand theatre out in Ohio--manager of it, too. The town is called Gallipolis. [_With a smile._

LAURA. Gallipolis?

JIM. Oh, that ain't a disease. It is the name of a town. Maybe you don't know much about Gallipolis, or where it is.

LAURA. No.

JIM. Well, it looks just like it sounds. We got a little house, and the old lady is happy, and I feel so good that I can even stand her cookin'. Of course we ain't makin' much money, but I guess I'm gettin'

a little old-fas.h.i.+oned around theatres anyway. The fellows from newspapers and colleges have got it on me. Last time I asked a man for a job he asked me what I knew about the Greek drama, and when I told him I didn't know the Greeks had a theatre in New York he slipped me a laugh and told me to come in again on some rainy Tuesday. Then Gallipolis showed on the map, and I beat it for the West. [JIM _notices by this time the pain he has caused_ LAURA, _and is embarra.s.sed._] Sorry if I hurt ye--didn't mean to; and now that yer goin' to be Mrs. Brockton, well, I take back all I said, and, while I don't think I want to change my position, I wouldn't turn it down for--for that other reason, that's all.

LAURA. [_With a tone of defiance in her voice._] But, Mr. Weston, I'm not going to be Mrs. Brockton.

JIM. No? [_Crosses left a little._

LAURA. No.

JIM. Oh--oh--

LAURA. I'm going to marry another man, and a good man.

JIM. The h.e.l.l you are!

[LAURA _rises and puts hand on_ JIM'S _shoulder._

LAURA. And it's going to be altogether different. I know what you meant when you said about the missis and the kids, and that's what I want--just a little home, just a little peace, just a little comfort, and--and the man has come who's going to give it to me. You don't want me to say any more, do you?

[_Crosses to door, opens it, and looks out; closes it and crosses to_ JIM.

JIM. [_Emphatically, and with a tone of hearty approval._] No, I don't, and now I'm just going to put my mit out and shake yours and be real glad. I want to tell ye it's the only way to go along. I ain't never been a rival to Rockefeller, nor I ain't never made Morgan jealous, but since the day my old woman took her make-up off for the last time, and walked out of that stage-door to give me a little help and bring my kids into the world, I knew that was the way to go along; and if you're goin' to take that road, by Jiminy, I'm glad of it, for you sure do deserve it. I wish yer luck.

LAURA. Thank you.

JIM. I'm mighty glad you side-stepped Brockton. You're young [LAURA _sits on trunk._], and you're pretty, and you're sweet, and if you've got the right kind of a feller there ain't no reason on earth why you shouldn't jest forgit the whole business and see nothin' but laughs and a good time comin' to you, and the sun sort o' s.h.i.+nin' every twenty-four hours in the day. You know the missis feels just as if she knew you, after I told her about them hard times we had at Farley's boarding-house, so I feel that it's paid me to come to New York [_Picks up pin; puts it in lapel of coat._] even if I didn't book anything but "East Lynne" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin." [_Goes over to her._] Now I'm goin'. Don't forget Gallipolis's [LAURA _helps him on with his coat._] the name, and sometimes the mail does get there. I'd be awful glad if you wrote the missis a little note tellin' us how you're gettin' along, and if you ever have to ride on the Kanawha and Michigan, just look out of the window when the train pa.s.ses our town, because that is about the best you'll get.

LAURA. Why?

JIM. They only stop there on signal. And make up your mind that the Weston family is with you forty ways from the Jack day and night.

Good-bye, and G.o.d bless you.

LAURA. Good-bye, Jim. I'm so glad to know you're happy, for it is good to be happy. [_Kisses him._

JIM. You bet. [_Moves toward the door. She follows him after they have shaken hands._] Never mind, I can get out all right. [_Opens the door, and at the door:_] Good-bye again.

LAURA. [_Very softly._] Good-bye. [_Exit_ JIM _and closes the door.

She stands motionless until she hears the outer door slam._] I wonder why he doesn't come. [_She goes up and looks out of the window and turns down stage, crosses right, counting trunks; as she counts suitcase on table, bell rings; she crosses hurriedly to trunk centre._] Hurry, Annie, and see who that is.

ANNIE _enters, crosses, opens door, exits, and opens the outer door._

ANNIE'S VOICE. She's waitin' for yer, Mr. Madison.

LAURA _hurries down to the centre of stage._ JOHN _enters, hat in hand and his overcoat on arm, followed by_ ANNIE. _He stops just as he enters and looks at_ LAURA _long and searchingly._ LAURA _instinctively feels that something has happened. She shudders and remains firm._ ANNIE _crosses and exits. Closes doors._

LAURA. [_With a little effort._ JOHN _places hat and coat on trunk._]

Aren't you a little late, dear?

JOHN. I--I was detained down town a few minutes. I think that we can carry out our plan all right.

LAURA. [_After a pause._] Has anything happened?

JOHN. I've made all the arrangements. The men will be here in a few minutes for your trunks. [_Crosses to coat; feels in pocket._] I've got the railroad tickets and everything else, but--

LAURA. But what, John?

_He goes over to her. She intuitively understands that she is about to go through an ordeal. She seems to feel that_ JOHN _has become acquainted with something which might interfere with their plan. He looks at her long and searchingly. Evidently he too is much wrought up, but when he speaks to her it is with a calm dignity and force which show the character of the man._

JOHN. Laura.

LAURA. Yes?

JOHN. You know when I went down town I said I was going to call on two or three of my friends in Park Row.

LAURA. I know.

JOHN. I told them who I was going to marry.