The Easiest Way Part 9

_The backing shows a street snow-covered. In arranging the properties it must be remembered that in the wardrobe is a box of Uneeda biscuits, with one end torn open. There is a door down right, opening inward, leading into the hallway. The window is at back, running from floor nearly to the ceiling. This window does not rise, but opens in the manner of the French or door window._

_On the outside of the window covering the same is an iron guard such as is used in New York on the lower back windows. The rods running up and down are about four inches apart. There is a projection outside the window such as would be formed by a storm door in the bas.e.m.e.nt; running the full length of the window and about thirty inches wide, raised about a foot from the floor in front and about nine inches in the back, there is opening inward a door at left back, leading into a small alcove, as has been mentioned before. The door is half gla.s.s, the gla.s.s part being the upper half, and is ajar when the curtain rises. A projection at fireplace such as would be made for a chimney is in the wall which runs from left centre diagonally to left first entrance._

AT RISE _the stage is empty. After a pause_ LAURA _enters, pa.s.ses the dresser, places umbrella at the right, end of it against wall, crosses to back of armchair, removes gloves, lays them over back of chair, takes off coat and hat, hangs hat on end of wardrobe, and puts coat inside; notices old slipper in front of dresser and one on the extreme right, and with impatience picks them up and puts them in the wardrobe drawer. Then crosses to dresser, gets needle and thread off pincushion, and mends small rip in glove, after which she puts gloves in top drawer of dresser, crosses to extreme end of dresser, and gets handkerchief out of box, takes up bottle containing purple perfume, holds it up so she can see there is only a small quant.i.ty left, sprinkles a drop on handkerchief carefully, so as not to use too much, looks at bottle again to see how much is left, places it on dresser; goes to up-stage side of bed, kneels on head of the bed and looks lovingly at photo of_ JOHN MADISON, _and finally pulls up the mattress, takes out box of letters, and opens it. She then sits down in Oriental fashion, with her feet under her, selects a bundle of letters, unties the ribbon, and takes out a letter such as has been hereinbefore described, glances it over, puts it down in her lap, and again takes a long look at the picture of_ JOHN MADISON. ANNIE _is heard coming upstairs_. LAURA _looks quickly towards the door, puts the letters back in box, and hurriedly places box under mattress, and replaces pillow_. ANNIE _knocks on door_. LAURA _rises and crosses to door._

LAURA. Come in.

ANNIE, _a chocolate-colored negress, enters. She is slovenly in appearance, but must not in any way denote the "mammy." She is the type one encounters in cheap theatrical lodging-houses. She has a letter in her hand,--also a clean towel folded,--and approaches_ LAURA.

LAURA. h.e.l.lo, Annie.

ANNIE. Heah's yo' mail, Miss Laura.

LAURA. [_Taking letter._] Thank you!

[_She looks at the address and does not open it._

ANNIE. One like dat comes every mornin', don't it? Used to all be postmahked Denver. Must 'a' moved. [_Trying to look over_ LAURA'S _shoulder_; LAURA _turns and sees her_; ANNIE _looks away._] Where is dat place called Goldfield, Miss Laura?

LAURA. In Nevada.

ANNIE. In _Nevada_?

LAURA. Yes, Nevada.

ANNIE. [_Draws her jacket closer around her as if chilly._] Must be mighty smaht to write yuh every day. De pos'man brings it 'leven o'clock mos' always, sometimes twelve, and again sometimes tehn; but it comes every day, don't it?

LAURA. I know.

ANNIE. [_Crosses to right of armchair, brushes it off and makes an effort to read letter, leaning across chair._] Guess must be from yo'

husban', ain't it?

LAURA. No, I haven't any.

ANNIE. [_Crossing to centre triumphantly._] Dat's what Ah tole Mis'

Farley when she was down talkin' about you dis morning. She said if he all was yo' husband he might do somethin' to help you out. Ah told her Ah didn't think you had any husban'. Den she says you ought to have one, you're so pretty.

LAURA. Oh, Annie!

ANNIE. [_Sees door open; goes and bangs it shut._] Der ain't a decent door in dis old house. Mis' Farley said yo' might have mos' any man you [_Hangs clean towel on washstand._] wanted just for de askin', but Ah said yuh [_Takes newspaper and books off bed, and places them on table._] was too particular about the man yo' 'd want. Den she did a heap o' talking.

LAURA. About what? [_Places letter open on table, looks at hem of skirt, discovers a rip, rises, crosses up to dresser, gets needle, crosses down to trunk; opens and takes thimble out; closes lid of tray, sits on it, and sews skirt during scene._

ANNIE. [_At bed, fussing around, folds nightgown and places it under pillow._] Well, you know, Mis' Farley she's been havin' so much trouble wid her roomers. Yestuhday dat young lady on de second flo'

front, she lef'. She's goin' wiv some troupe on the road. She owed her room for three weeks and jus' had to leave her trunk. [_Crosses and fusses over table._] My! how Mis' Farley did scold her. Mis' Farley let on she could have paid dat money if she wanted to, but somehow Ah guess she couldn't--

[_Reads letter on table._

LAURA. [_Sees her, angrily exclaims._] Annie!

ANNIE. [_In confusion, brushing off table._]--for if she could she wouldn't have left her trunk, would she, Miss Laura?

[_Crosses to armchair, and picks up kimono off back._

LAURA. No, I suppose not. What did Mrs. Farley say about me?

ANNIE. Oh! nothin' much. [_Crosses left and stands._

LAURA. Well, what?

ANNIE. She kinder say somethin' 'bout yo' being three weeks behind in yo' room rent, and she said she t'ought it was 'bout time yuh handed her somethin', seein' as how yuh must o' had some stylish friends when yuh come here.

LAURA. Who, for instance?

ANNIE. Ah don't know. Mis' Farley said some of 'em might slip yo'

enough jest to help yuh out. [_Pause._] Ain't yo' got n.o.body to take care of you at all, Miss Laura?

[_Hangs kimono over back of armchair._

LAURA. No! No one.

ANNIE. Dat's too bad.

LAURA. Why?

ANNIE. [_Crossing again._] Mis' Farley says yuh wouldn't have no trouble at all gettin' any man to take care of yuh if yuh wanted to.

LAURA. [_With sorrowful shudder._] Please [_Doors of wardrobe open very slowly._] don't, Annie.

ANNIE. Dere's a gemman [_Playing with corner of tablecloth._] dat calls on one of de ladies from the Hippodrome, in de big front room downstairs. He's mighty nice, and he's been askin' 'bout you.

LAURA. [_Exasperated._] Oh, shut up!

ANNIE. [_Sees doors of wardrobe have swung open; she crosses, slams them shut, turns to_ LAURA.] Mis' Farley says--[_Doors have swung open again; they hit her in the back. She turns and bangs them to with all her strength_.] d.a.m.n dat door! [_Crosses to washstand, grabs basin which is half full of water, empties same into waste-jar, puts basin on washstand, and wipes it out with soiled towel_.] Mis' Farley says if she don't get someone in the house dat has reg'lar money soon, she'll have to shut up and go to the po'house.

LAURA. I'm sorry; I'll try again to-day. [_Rises, crosses up to mantel, gets desk-pad, &c., crosses to right of table, sits_.

ANNIE. [_Crosses to back of bed, wiping basin with towel_.] Ain't yo'

got any job at all?

LAURA. No.

ANNIE. When yuh come here yuh had lots of money and yo' was mighty good to me. You know Mr. Weston?

LAURA. Jim Weston?

ANNIE. Ya.s.sum, Mr. Weston what goes ahead o' shows and lives on the top floor back; he says n.o.body's got jobs now. Dey're so many actors and actoresses out o' work. Mis' Farley says she don't know how she's goin' to live. She said you'd been mighty nice up until three weeks ago, but yuh ain't got much left, have you, Miss Laura?