1 - 18

(Mr. and Mrs. Sawter have come in from the dining room. Mrs. Sawters has Clabe's letter in her hand, as if she had just finished reading it, and had come out ex-pressly to find Julie.)

Mrs. Sawters

What's the matter?

Julie

(coldly)

Nothing that would interest anyone.

Mrs. Sawters

(Who sees more than one would guess)

I see. Your father got a letter from Clabe.

Julie

(Holding out her hand at once)

Clabe? What does he say?

Mrs. Sawters

(With determined malice and a sardonic pleasure coloring her anger)

I'll read it to you.

Julie

I can read it.

Mrs. Sawters

Bina hasn't heard it, either. I doubt if either of you could make it out. More of a scrawl than hand-writing.

(She begins to read)

"Dear Dad and Maw - " It's from San Diego, California.

"I don't like to say this, knowing the way you feel - but I won't be able to get home this summer. And furthermore, I won't in the fall, either - nor next winter or the following spring - or, for that matter, ever. In two months I'll likely be half the world away again - South Seas, Singapore, God knows where - but far. If you want to know why, ask Julie. Your son, Clabe."

Julie

(Involuntarily)

Not ever.

(They look at her for explanation. She is silent)

Mr. Sawters

(Impatiently)

Well? God damn it, Julie, what's behind it?

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Julie

I got him to go away - but I didn't mean forever.

Mr. Sawters

You got him to?

Julie

Yes, yes - I asked him to. I _made_ him do it.

Mr. Sawters

But why?

Julie

His own good, of course.

Mr. Sawters

How do you know what's his own good? He liked farmin'. He
was cut out for it. You musta turned him against it.

Julie

(Arrogantly)

Yes! I turned him against it. Who wouldn't if I hadn't?

Mr. Sawters

So we've got you to thank for the hole we're in.

Julie

What hole?

Mr. Sawters

Do you think I can run a big farm like this single-handed?

Julie

I don't know anything about that.

Mr. Sawters

They's a lot of things that never come in to that head of
your'n. Here I been blamin' Clabe for bein' the damn fool.

MXXX Sawters, Jr. Julie

I'll take whatever blame there is.

Mr. Sawters

Blame! I ain't interested in blame. I'm interested in run-
nin' this farm and payin' my honest debts like any man ort
to. I'm interested in gettin' ahead - and seein' my kinds get
ahead. I don't know why you have to work against me!

Julie

I've done nothing against you, that I can see.

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Mr. Sawters

You've done harm against Clabe, and harm against me. For
that matter, against us all. I'd thank you to explain yourself.

Julie

(Calmly)

I'll try to make you understand.

Mr. Sawter's

(Infuriated)

And none of that God damned hoity-toityness either! By God,
we're all jist about as good as you air!

Julie

(Coolly)

You're all perfect. You're the salt of the earth.

Mr. Sawters

Listen to her!

Mrs. Sawters

Yes, listen. I'm sure she can explain it all. Can't you, Julie?

(It's hard to recognize the malice and
scorn in Mrs. Sawters' words, so art-
fully does she manage them. But Julie
knows her mother as no one else does.)

Julie

(Evenly)

Yes - and I fully intend to.

Mrs. Sawters

There, Dave. Now listen.

Listen to Julie.

Julie

A few spring, a year ago - just about this time, there was that
big box-supper over at the Verdigris School House. We all went.

Bina

Yes, in two buggies. You went in one with Clabe, I went with
Paw and Maw. You remember, Maw.

Mrs. Sawters

I'm not apt to forget it.

Julie

Clabe was drinking. He was drinking a lot.

Mrs. Sawters

And doing other things, too, it seems to me. He got engaged to
Opal that night, out in a buggy somewhere.

1 - 21

Julie

Yes. He did. And afterwards he took her home. And I had to
come home with Gard Dunham.

Mr. Sawters

I don't see what all this has to do with -- !

Mrs. Sawters

Dave. Just be patient. Julie'll tell you. Go on, Julie.

Julie

The next day was Sunday. In the afternoon, I went out for a
walk, out through the orchard. There were wild flowers every-
where. You could smell the blooms of the fruit trees.

Mrs. Sawters

Yes, they do smell.

(Julie just looks at her, till even Mrs.
Sawters, who is afraid of nothing, cannot
stand it, and turns her eyes away. Julie
resumes. A new note is in her recital. A deep
and troubling emotion grips her. She creates
the scene so vividly that her family is spell-bound.)

Julie

Where the orchard drops down to the lake-side, there's a
mossy bank.

The sun was on it.

The lake sparkled.

The water was lapping against the stones.

It was a day anyone ought to care about.

It was a day a young man ought to feel like singing -

Just for the day itself,

And for being alive -

And especially a man engaged to a girl he was mad to marry.

But lying on the bank by the lake was Clabe -

And he wasn't singing.

He was crying.

I felt so sorry for him.

I tried to comfort him - but for a long time he wouldn't be
comforted.

It's not pleasant to see someone you care abbut, a grown man,

Your own brother,

As sick in his soul as he was.

(Softly)

Mrs. Sawters

And what did he say?

1 - 22

Julie

He said that he hated Opal, he was drunk, he didn't know what
he was doing, he didn't know what in God's name he was to do
now/ that - !

(More quietly)

More like that. Almost out of his head. So I told him to away.

Mrs. Sawters

Without even saying Good-bye to us?

Julie

Without seeing anyone, just to hop a freight train out of
Verdigris and stay away till everybody had forgotten. It
was the only thing to do. I drove him over.

Bina

(Softly)

Poor Opal cried her eyes out for weeks.

Mr. Sawters

(Heavily)

So that's it.

Julie

(After a moment)

That's part of it.

(Quickly, as if afraid to stop)

Here was his chance - forced on him, it's true - but he was
smart enough to take it! All his life he'd wanted to see
the world, to see what went on in towns and foreign lands, the
way the world was made.

Mr. Sawters

He never wanted any such thing!

Julie

(Sharply, on the defensive)

He did! You don't know him the way I do. He didn't have
any secrets from me. He was sick to death of the smallness
and lonesomeness, the killing work that never let up, year
in, year out, the hum-drum grind, slaving away in the back-
woods while he was young and adventurous and all life
beckoned to him and -

Mr. Sawters

Julie!

(Quiet and sure)

He liked it here, his home. He was meant for such a life,
jist like I was. I know my boy. He's worked beside me in
the fields. I know him very well.

Julie

1 - 25

Bina

Well, it's awful to say things like that!

Mr. Sawters

(Deeply troubled)

It don't sound to me like Clabe.

Bina

Now Julie'll get one of her spells. Won't be able to live in
the same house with her for weeks.

Mrs. Sawters

(With grim amusement)

I wouldn't like to be the Dunhams tonight - especially Opal.

Julie can be mean as a copperhead.

Mr. Sawters

I don't see much chance of gettin' Gard to - It wouldn't
work.

Mrs. Sawters

You want to give up asking Gard to come help you?

Mr. Sawters

I don't know what to do. Everything gets in a worse fix over
minute. God damn it, Clabe didn't sound like hisself to me.
Never comin' back.

Mrs. Sawters

People change their minds.

Mr. Sawters

Usually it's too late then to do any good.

Gard's Voice (Outside)

Howdy, howdy - Anybody home?

Bina

(Scurrying to the door to
the boat landing)

Lord, they're here!

(Throwing open the door, calling
out as she disappears)

Come in, come in! Jist tie 'er up, Gard. You don't have
to take the oars in. We never do. How are you, Opal?

(The confused mumble of their greetings
comes in, above the sound of the lap-
ping waves)

(Mr. and Mrs. Sawters light the lamps.)

Vain

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(The room becomes more cheerful.)

(Opal and Gard Dunham come into the room with Bina. Opal is a backwoods girl, and she is not very scrupulous, though she tries to conceal it by being feminine and irresponsible and frivolous. But she has been thwarted rather seriously, and her bitterness is close to hysteria. Gard is muscular and slow-moving, slow-speaking, full of a heavy and tenacious cruelty, as if he felt himself cheated -- but had no intention of letting it be so forever.)

### Opal

Howdy do, Mrs. Sawters? Evenin', Mr. Sawters. 'D you see me rowin' the boat?

Mr. Sawters

We wasn't noticin', Opal.

### Opal

I did, though - quite a piece. You'd think - to hear folks talk - they was some trick to it. Why, it's easy.

### Gard

If you could call what you done, rowin'. Splashin' a round, gettin' nowhere fast. Evenin' to you, ma'am. Hi, Dave. And she near turned the boat over, changin' places, to boot. Whatever you tell her not to do - that's what Opal does.

Mr. Sawter's

Lots of women like that.

Mrs. Sawters

I wouldn't give a whoop for a woman that didn't have some gumption.

### Gard

It's more'n gumption in Opal's case. Pure orneriness. Like a chicken its head cut off. You don't know where she's goin' but she's on 'er way.

### Opal

I don't know why you have to belittle me all the time.

Mrs. Sawters

He doesn't mean it, Opal.

### Opal

Oh, he means it, all right. Just because I made him row

1 - 28

me - takes me a long time to get over it! I just go to pieces!

Gard

I wouldn't a-brung you over if I knowed you was gonna act up.

Bina

Let her alone, Gard. She's nervous.

Opal

I'm high-strung, that's what I am! You don't appreciate me!

Gard

(With cold brutality)

Oh, I know what's come over you, you cain't fool me. It's
comin' to this house - where Clabe used to live.

Opal

It ain't so! Jist listen to him!

Gard

You never got over him turnin' you down. Your pride jist
couldn't stand it. I know all about you! Personal - I
think it served you right.

(There is an embarrassed silence. Bina comes to the rescue.)

Bina

I better dish up the dinner. Wanta come out in the kitchen
with me, Opal?

Mrs. Sawters

Yes, you run along with Bina.

Opal

(Her mouth drawn into a stubborn hard line)

No, I'll stay here. Less'n you need me to help, Bina.

Bina

Laws, no -- not jist this minute, anyhow.

Gard

Where's Julie at?

Opal

(Who has paused on her way to the organ)

Yes. Where is Julie?

Bina

Upstairs.

She's not very well.

(She goes out)

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Opal

Oh, that's too bad... about Julie being sick.

Mrs. Sawters

I don't think she'll be down.

Opal

(Deliberately)

Gard'll be sorry. We both will.

Ga rd

(Dangerously)

Now jist what do you mean by that, Miss Opal?

(Pleased at her successful thrust, Opal turns her back on him, goes to the organ and begins to thump out a tune and to sing it impudently.)

(Julie appears on the steps and comes into the room. She has changed to her best dress - and she is stunning. She is gracious, too -- biding her time, dominant, calculating and driven.)

Julie

Music. How nice! God evening, Opal.

Opal

Oh, good evenin', Julie.

Julie

You look so pretty, Opal. Doesn't she, Maw? Hello, Gard.

Gard

(Taking her offered hand)

Howdy, Julie.

Julie

We hardly ever see you anymore - either one of you. It's a shame, too - such close neighbors.

(She releases her hand)

Opal

(Spitefully)

There ain't much time for farm people to go callin'.

Julie

Then we'll just have to make time. This may be the backwoods, but we're not animals exactly - we might make as decent a social life as we can, don't you think so? I have

1 - 30

it! You and Gard spend the night here.

Opal
(Unable to believe she's heard correctly)

What!

Julie
Yes! Why not? And - well, see for yourself. It's begun to rain, and the wind's whipping the lake pretty bad. It wouldn't be pleasant and it might not even be safe to row back. Besides - I insist.

Opal
Oh, we couldn't think of doin' that. Thanks so much. Could we, Gard?

Gard
Why couldn't we?

Julie, Opal
Put people out? Oh, no it wouldn't do at all! We'll have to get on home, Mr. Sawters'll lend us a buggy and we need it. Won't you, Mr. Sawters?

Gard
Good God, that would put 'em out, Opal. Come to your senses!

Mr. Sawters
(Smiling)
You'd better stay. You'd be welcome, and no bother.

Mrs. Sawters
Opal, you seem to be over-ruled.

Gard
We'll be right proud to stay, won't we, Opal? Tell 'em so.

Opal
We'll be glad to. Thank you.

(But a deep premonition has struck her.)
(Deliberately) Julie
There, it's all settled. I've decided to put you in Clabe's room.

Opal
(Strangely stirred)
Clabe's room?

Julie
It's the nicest room in the house. And it's right next door to mine. Maybe we could have a little talk. I've been promising