I-2-4

DELLA: (LOOKING AROUND PROUDLY) They don't seem to be nobody here yet.
Society'll

MISSISSIPPI: All de ladies and gentlemen you know, will be here directly now that dey show's out.

BIGLOW: You lookin' around like you lookin' for somebody particular.

DELLA: Nobody in particular, Biglow.

BIGLOW: Well, you better not be! I'm tellin' you that in front.

(BIGLOW ROCKS AS HE TAKES HIS SEAT. IT IS CLEAR THAT HE IS NOT SOBER.)

MISSISSIPPI: Make you-all's selves at home. De entertainment's due to start directly.

DELLA: (UNFURLING A VIVID FLAME OF OSTRICH FEATHERS) Can you open a window, Mississippi?

MISSISSIPPI: Yes, indeedy, Miss Della! Yes, indeedy! Maybe you need a glass of cold champagne to cool you off!

DELLA: Mr. Biglow might buy me some--tonight. But we'll order later, not now.

(AS THE MUSIC SWELLS IN VOLUME, AND MISSISSIPPI LEAVES THEM, LILA ENTERS AND LOOKS ABOUT FROM THE TOP OF THE STEPS. THEN SHE GOES APPEAR ALONE, IN BLACK, IN THE MEZZANINE BOX JUST ABOVE BIGLOW'S TABLE WHERE SHE STANDS A MOMENT BEFORE SITTING, TO STARE DOWN HATEFULLY AT DELLA AND BIGLOW.)

(RISING UNSTEADILY)

BIGLOW: / Della, you set right there until I come back.

DELLA: Where you goin', Biglow?

BIGLOW: In de alcove to have a smoke.

DELLA: (AS HE WALKS SLIGHTLY RESTING AWAY) Be careful, that your cigar don't make you sick.

(DELLA FANS LANGUIDLY, LOOKING AROUND AT THE CROWD. SUDDENLY HER GLANCE CROSSES LILA'S, AND FOR A SECOND THEY STAR AT EACH OTHER. DELLA, WITH A FAINT SMILE, TURNS HER HEAD AWAY AND RESUMES HER FANNING. LILA'S MOUTH TWISTS WITH HATRED. BIGLOW EXTITS INTO THE COLLATION ROOM AND OUT OF SIGHT. AS THE DANCE ENDS, MISSISSIPPI TAKES THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR)

MISSISSIPPI: Now, Ladies and gentlemen, whilst they is a pause in de music, I takes this accession to announce to you-all that names is now being taken for de cakewalk. Young mens, and old mens, too, all what wishes to walk for de richest, most finest, choicest spiked and weighted ten-layer cake ever baked in de city o' St. Louis. All what wishes to walk for

["I-2-5", "de Annual Coachmen's Cake, gentlemens, register yo' names\nand that o' you mm charming partners right ov'er yonder in de\nbook which my capable lemmatists is handling, done by\nde door. Step tight up, folks, and enroll yourselves.", "(WHILE THE MEN ARE REGISTERING, THERE IS\nA BUSTLE AND COMMOTION OUTSIDE THE DOOR.\nLIL AUGIE ENTERS WITH SEVERAL CHORUS GIRLS,\nAND BESIDE HIM, THE FAMOUS COMMEDIAN,\nBILLY KERSANDS. THE CROWD APPLAUDS. AUGIE\nAT THE CENTER OF THE FLOOR, BOWS.)", "AUGIE: Folkes, quiet, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I-2-6

DELLA: Is you lookin' for somebody, Lil Augie?

AUGIE: I WAS. I ain't no more.

DELLA: You's a sight to kill and cripple, Lil Augie!

AUGIE: What I want to know is, is you a dancer, Miss Della ?

DELLA: I can step when I has a partner, Lil Augie.

AUGIE: Then partner you has, Miss Della. I been lookin' for a
woman wid pompurdowndred hair, what wears clothes like de
Queen o' Cleopatra.

DELLA: (RISING AND DROPPING HER CAPE, REVEALING A GORGEOUS
PLUM-COLORED SILK DRESS FLOUNCED WITH FLAMING PETTICOATS)
Does you like these cheap dresses, Lil Augie?

AUGIE: (GASPING) You looks like de morning star, Della-Green!

DELLA: Do I, Lil Augie?

AUGIE: (WILD WITH PLEASURE) Don't look at me like that, gal!
Cause I feels my love comin' down. I'm liable to haul off
and bite my name in yo' jaws.
really

DELLA: Would you/bite a gal on de jaw?

AUGIE: I'm bad. You don't know me yet.

DELLA: Maybe I don't care if you is bad, Lil Augie. Maybe I
don't care if you do bite my jaw.

AUGIE: When my love starts coming down, I'm bad, Della Green.
(AS MISSISS IPPI HOVERS APPREHENSIVELY AROUNHD) Mississippi,
put us down for de cake walk! (TAKING A SEAT) But I wants
yo' company regular, not just for tonight, Della. I means
steady, all de time.

DELLA: But you ain't ask me does I love you, Augie.

AUGIE: I askin' no heap.

DELLA: You's got enough money to ask for de moon.

AUGIE: I jest wants you.

DELLA: They tell me yo' pockets is spiked wid gold?

AUGIE: And I's fixin' to spend it ever bit on you!

DELLA: We could be sweet, Lil Augie.

(THE HALL IS CROWDED NOW. MISSISSIPPI IS KKKK
CLEARING THE FLOOR TO START THE ENTERTAINMENT.
ADELAIDE SITS ALONE. BARNEY COMES OUT OF THE
ALCOVE.)

ADELAIDE: WHERE YOU BEEN SO LONG, HONEY?

MOTHERCALLING CHILL MOTHERCALLING CHILL MOTHERCALLING CHILL MOTHERCALLING CHILL

[I-2]

FOOD: HAM, chicken, roast turkey, barbecue, pig's feet, shrimp gumbo, fried oysters, cove oysters, pickled beets, and brandied peaches, wine, licker, and beer. De cove oysters is served by Columbus Jenkins Lee, cook for Mrs. T. Witherspoon Gale, wife of Pres. Gale of the Southern Railroad. The turkey will be carved by Madame Ethel Bell Macklin, chief housekeeper for Mr. Trumbull Leigh Malone who's settin' on de Stock Exchange all over de world. De sauce for de Shrimp is by Mattie Rose King of de Purcell household. Now, when you-all feels de need, repair to de Collation Room and refresh yourselves.....De prize cake for which we is walk-in' dis evenin' was baked by the High Grand Matron of the Order of Sheba, Madam Kingsley, and drenched in Rhum ny of the Indies by Mr. M. T. Parnell's coachman, Claude Curtendale. De twenty dollar gold piece inside de cake was contributed by Mr. C. Howard Bradshaw, de oldest valet in St. Louis, now working for Banker H.H. Holinshead. Who ev er wins dat cake sho got somethin'! On wid de dance. Let joy be unrefined!....De Coachmen's Cakewalk now commences. First couple,

II-2-26

(LILA comes to stand over BIGLOW as he dies.)

LILA

You cussin' de wrong one, Biglow. It warn't Lil Augie. I did
it---cause I loves you too much to lose you. You was ma man,
Biglow! Ma man! Ma man.....

(BIGLOW stiffens in death. SLIM rises.. BADFOOT drags the
frightened LIL AUGIE away. LILA falls to her knees,
sobbing over his body.)

You was ma man---and I loved you! I loved you!

CURTAIN

FUNERAL;

WOMAN: Did you ever see this here Biglow?

LADY: More times than I got fingers and toes.

WOMAN: What he look like?

LADY: He were stout, brown-skin, and bad.

WOMAN: But a little ole woman done laid him low.

LADY: They say 'twere wid a pearl-handled pistol.

WOMAN: I wonder can you see de bullet-holes?

&&&&&&&&&&&&

CHILD: Ooooo, mama, looky at all dem flowers!

LEAH: You-all chillun, set down, and act like yo' raisin'.

CHILD: It smell just like Louisiann!

$$$$$$$$$

WOMAN: Dat's BIGLOW'S mother!

VIRGIE: Po' thing! She done lost her only son.

MAN: I takew off my hat to anybody's mother. They's the
only womens I respects.

WOMAN: They ain't nothin' like a mother!

VIRGIE: Never has been and never will be!

GUSSIE MAE: And she done lost her only son.

WOMAN: a Little ole wumman weak woman done laid him low.

VIRGIE: Where they got Lila?

LADY: In de county jail.

VIRGIE: How much time you reckon Judge Macabee gonna give her?

LADY: 'Bout twenty years---cause he were aim'n at Augie, not her.

VIRGIE: So it 'twern't self-defense.

WOMAN: Naw, 'twere down-right love.

VIRGIE: That's all it were, love! And de law makes you pay
for love!

GUSSIE MAE: (As sobs are heard) Listen at his po' mother.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

III-3-4-b

(AUGIE and DELLA are very close together as LEAH rushes in followed by her numerous children, now augmented by more little ones.)

LEAH

Augie, you know I's got them hot bisquits and fried chicken ready for your sup' er. Why don't you come on home?

AUGIE

Can you set another plate, Leah? I done found Della.

MEMORABILE (E) NUNXIMABILE (M) HUMBAM (P) DEDICABILE (T) PERABILE (S) MEA

LEAH

Course I can set another plate.

AUGIE

And can you bake a wedding cake?

LEAH

Blessed lamb! Yes! And Rev. King'll marry you right now in de parsonage. I's de leadin' sister in his church now.

DELLA

And will you buy me a white veil, Augie?

AUGIE

I'll buy you anything you wants, baby. And we'll have a little house o' our own, and chickens---but ever summer we'll take de boat and run up to St. Louis just for a visit.

DELLA

St. Louis! Big ole dirty pretty wonderful town on de river! I'll always love it, Lil Augie, cause it gived me you. Listen, you hear that song? It's a St. Louis song.

(AT THE PIANO THE PLAYER IS PLAYING THE ST. LOUIS BLUES VERY SOFTLY.)

SYNOPSIS
of
ST. LOUIS WOMAN

PROLOGUE: Characters introduced and mood set.

ACT I-1: AUGIE cuts in on BIGLOW'S gal, DELLA
LILA seeks return of BIGLOW for herself

SUB-PLOT: BARNEY MEETS ADELAIDE

I-2: AUGIE takes DELLA from BIGLOW
LILA is further rebuffed by BIGLOW

SUB-PLOT: BARNEY WOOS ADELAIDE

ACT II-1: AUGIE'S and DELLA'S happiness brutally marred
by BIGLOW who beats DELLA. AUGIE seeks
revenge.

II-2: LILA kills BIGLOW.
BIGLOW'S dying curse falls on AUGIE

II-3: AUGIE & DELLA attend BIGLOW'S funeral and weep.
AUGIE is fearful of the dead man's curse.

ACT III-1 AUGIE, due to BIGLOW'S curse, loses his biggest race
DELLA quits him for RAGSDALE
LILA is in jail for long term

SUB-PLOT: ADELAIDE deserted by BARNEY

III-2 AUGIE has lost race after race, but now has good
fortune to become a trainer, and is successful
in developing a sensational horse and a new jockey
just as BADFOOT developed him.

III-3 SETTING OF FIRST ACT AGAIN, now SLIM'S cafe.
DELLA is down on her luck.

ADELAIDE a street girl.

AUGIE'S horse wins big purse. He comes back in the money. He and DELLA are reunited and decide to lead the simple life at the training farm far away from ST. LOUIS. Before they leave, they sing a new song that is sweeping Targee Street: THE ST. LOUIS BLUES.

END

## INSERT

(REV. KING, A TALL KIND-LOOKING
MINISTER ENTERS. SEVERAL SPEAK
TO HIM AS HE PASSES.) A LARGE
TROUBLED-LOOKING WOMAN IN A DOOR-
WAY RISES TO STOP HIM.)

### WOMAN

Come an' see my sick daughter, Rev. King.

### MINISTER

I'll come in right away.

### WOMAN

yo!

I reckon you knows I don't belong to me church, but I knows
you.

### MINISTER

Don't make no difference whut church, sister. I'm with you.

### WOMAN

That's why we loves you, Rev. King. Come in, Bless Gawd!
Come in.

(THEY EXIT INTO THE HOUSE.)

## ALTERNATIVE or EXTRA INSERT SCENE
to play within bar, if desired.

(THE KINISTER MOVES THROUGH THE
CROWD IN THE BAR ROOM. SOME OF
THE MEN GIVE HIM A BILL. ALMOST
ALL SPEAK TO HIM.)

### Gussie Mae

Rev. King, I wants you to pray for me.

### KING

I'll pray for you daughter.

### Gussie Mae

My mother were a Christian, Rev. King.

### KING

An' we is all lambs of one might fold, daughter. Some of
us just strayed away, that's all. I'm gonna ask Gawd to bring
you back.

### Gussie Mae

Thank you, Rev. King.