AmyLowell:TheGrocery

Hullo, Alice!

Hullo, Leon!

Say, Alice, gi me a couple

O them two for five cigars,

Will yer?

Wheres your nickel?

My! Aint you close!

Cant trust a feller, can yer.

Trust you! Why

What you owe this store

Would set you up in business.

I cant think why Father lows it.

Yer Fathers a sight more neighbourly

Than you be. Thats a fact.

Besides, he knows I got a vote.

A vote! Oh, yes, you got a vote!

A lot o good the Senatell be to Father

When all his bank account

Has run away in credits.

Theres your cigars,

If you can relish smokin

With all you owe us standin

I dunno as that makes em taste any diffrent.

You aint fair to me, Alice, deed you aint.

I work when anythins doin.

Ill get a carpenterin job next Summer sure.

Cleve was tellin me to-day hed take me on come Spring.

Come Spring, and this December!

Ive no patience with you, Leon,

Shilly-shallyin the way you do.

Here, lift over them crates o oranges

I wanter fix em in the winder.

It riles yer, dont it, me not havin work.

You pepper up about it somethin good.

You pick an pick, and that dont help a mite.

Say, Alice, do come in out o that winder.

Th oranges cn wait,

An I dont like talkin to yer back.

Dont you! Well, youd better make the best o what

you can git.

Maybe you wont have my back to talk to soon.

They look good in pyramids with the lectric light on em,

Dont they?

Now hand me them bananas

Anll string em right acrost.

What do yer mean

Bout me not havin you to talk to?

Are yer springin somethin on me?

I dont know bout springin

When Im tellin you right out.

Im goin away, thats all.

Where? Why?

What yer mean -- goin away?

ve took a place

Down to Boston, in a candy store

For the holidays.

Good Land, Alice,

What in the Heavens fer!

To earn some money,

And to git away from here, I guess.

Aint yer Father got enough?

Dont he give yer proper pocket-money?

Hed have a plenty, if you folks paid him.

Hes rich I tell yer.

I never figured hed be close with you.

Oh, he aint. Not close.

That aint why.

But I must git away from here.

I must! I must!

You got a lot o reason in yer

To-night.

How long d you callate

Youll be gone?

Maybe for always.

What ails yer, Alice?

Talkin wild like that.

Aint you an me goin to be married

Some day.

Some day! Some day!

I guess the sunll never rise on some day.

So thats the trouble.

Same old story.

Cause I aint got the cash to settle right now.

You know I love yer,

Anll marry yer as soon

As I cn raise the money.

Youve said that any time these five year,

But you dont do nothin

Wot could I do?

Ther aint no work here Winters.

Not fer a carpenter, ther aint.

I guess you warnt born a carpenter.

Thers ice-cuttin a plenty.

I got a dretful tender throat;

Dr. Smiles he told me

I mustnt resk ice-cuttin

Why havent you gone to Boston,

And hunted up a job?

Have yer forgot the time I went expressin

In the American office, down ther?

And come back two weeks later!

No, I aint.

You didnt want I should git hurted,

Did yer?

Im a sight too light fer all that liftin work.

My back was commencin to strain, as twas.

Ef I was like yer brother now,

Id ha ben down to the city long ago.

But Im too clumsy fer a dancer.

I aint got Arthurs luck.

Do you call it luck to be a disgrace to your folks,

And git locked up in jail!

Oh, come now, Alice,

`Disgrace is a mite strong.

Why, the jail was a joke.

Arts all right.

All right!

All right to dance, and smirk, and lie

For a livin,

And then in the end

Lead a silly girl to give you

What warnt hers to give

By pretendin youd marry her --

And she a pupil.

Hed ha married her right enough,

Her folks was millionaires.

Yes, hed ha married her!

Thank God, they saved her that.

Arts a fine feller.

I wish I had his luck.

Swellin round in Hart, Schaffner Marx fancy suits,

And eatin in restrants.

But somebodys got to stick to the old place,

Else Foxfieldd have to shut up shop,

Hey, Alice?

You admire him!

You admire Arthur!

Youd be like him only you cant dance.

Oh, Shame! Shame!

And Ive been like that silly girl.

Fooled with your promises,

And I give you all I had.

I knew it, oh, I knew it,

But I wanted to git away fore I proved it.

Youve shamed me through and through.

Why couldnt you hold your tongue,

And spared me seein you

As you really are.

What the Devils the row?

I only said Art was lucky.

What you spitfirin at me fer?

Ferget it, Alice.

Weve had good times, aint we?

Ill see Cleve bout that job agin to-morrer,

And well be married fore hayin time.

Its like you to remind me o hayin time.

Ive good cause to love it, aint I?

Manys the night Ive hid my face in the dark

To shut out thinkin

Why, that aint nothin.

You aint ben half so kind to me

As lots o fellers girls.

Gi me a kiss, Dear,

And lets make up.

Make up!

You poor fool.

Do you suppose I care a ten cent piece

For you now.

Youve killed yourself for me.

Done it out o your own mouth.

Youve took away my home,

I hate the sight o the place.

Youre all over it,

Every stick an stone means you,

An I hate em all.

Alice, I say,

Dont go on like that.

I cant marry yer

Boardin in one room,

But Ill see Cleve to-morrer,

Ill make him ----

Oh, you fool!

You terrible fool!

Alice, dont go yit,

Wait a minit,

Ill see Cleve ----

You terrible fool!

Alice, dont go.

Alice ---- (Door slams)