Act 3 — ACT III

The piano store: Empty, bare, three or four upright pianos with bright plush spreads and plush-covered stools. Back, a dark green sateen curtain. It is the following morning.

[Discover Cornish at a little table, on which is opened a large black book.]

[Enter Monona, carrying basket of parcels.]

Monona

Oh, Mr. Cornish….

Cornish

Hello, there, Monona! How’s everything?

Monona

Everything’s perfectly awful up to our house.

Cornish

Miss Lulu’s all right, I hope?

Monona

Aunt Lulu is⸺

Cornish

There! I knew it. I know this thing was going to wind up in a fit of sickness⸺

166

Monona

Sick…. No. She’s gone.

Cornish

Gone! Miss Lulu gone?

Monona

Run away.

Cornish

Oh, with who?

Monona

Nobody, I guess. She skipped out of the house early this morning. It was me saw her going down the walk with her bag. It was me told everybody. It was me found her trunk packed and locked in her room. That’s all.

Cornish

This is terrible, terrible—and your people not home yet?

Monona

I should say they are. Came last night.

Cornish

But what are they doing to find her?

Monona

Papa said he wouldn’t do a thing. Mamma’s been getting breakfast and she’s burned all over, and she’s so cross—m-m!

167

Cornish

Yes, but aren’t they trying to find Lulu—your Aunt Lulu⸺

Monona

Grandma says she knows she’s dead. Probably she’s drowned in the river and they’ll get her out with her hair all stringy⸺

Cornish

See here. I think I’ll come up to your house. I’ll put a little notice on my door⸺

Monona

I better go now. I’ll catch it anyhow. I’ve been catching it all the morning and I didn’t do a thing. Mr. Cornish, honestly, do you see why, because Aunt Lulu ran away, the whole family should pick on me?

Cornish

Well, we must all help as much as we can, Monona⸺

Monona

Up to our house, honestly, you’d think I was the one that had done it. And I may!

[Exit, running.]

Cornish

I’ll be right there, as soon as I can lock up.

[He disappears behind the green curtain. Pause.]

[Enter Lulu.]

168

Lulu

Mr. Cornish. Mr. Cornish.

[Cornish appears.]

Cornish

Well!

Lulu

Well!

Cornish

You’re out early.

Lulu

Oh, no!

Cornish

My, but I’m glad to see you. Won’t you sit down?

Lulu

I can only stay a minute. Wasn’t that Monona just went out of here?

Cornish

Yes, that was Monona.

Lulu

Did she say anything about me?

Cornish

She—she said you’d run away. She—she must have been mistaken.

Lulu

No, she wasn’t. I have.

169

Cornish

Why, Miss Lulu!

Lulu

Or I’m going on the 10:10. My bag’s in the bakery. I had my breakfast in the bakery…. I’ve left them for good.

Cornish

Then I suppose he cut up like a hyena over that letter being opened.

Lulu

Oh, he forgave me that.

Cornish

Forgave you!

Lulu

Overlooked it, rather.

Cornish

Anyway he’s convinced now about that other Mrs. Ninian Deacon?

Lulu

Yes, but you mustn’t say anything about that, please, ever.

Cornish

Even now? Well, I’ll be jumped up. Even now? Then—I guess I see why you’re going.

Lulu

It isn’t only that. I’m going … I’m going!

170

Cornish

I see. Would—would you tell me where?

Lulu

Maybe. After a while.

Cornish

I do want you to. Because I—I think you’re a brick.

Lulu

Oh, no!

Cornish

Yes, you are. By George! you don’t find very many married women with as good sense as you’ve got. That is, I mean⸺

Lulu

All right. I know. Thank you.

Cornish

You’ve been a jewel in their home—I know that. They’re going to miss you no end.

Lulu

They’ll miss my cooking.

Cornish

They’ll miss more than that. I’ve watched you there….

Lulu

You have?

171

Cornish

You made the whole place go.

Lulu

You don’t mean just the cooking?

Cornish

No.

Lulu

I never had but one compliment before that wasn’t for my cooking. He told me I done up my hair nice…. That was after I took notice how the ladies in Savannah, Georgia, done up theirs.

Cornish

Well, well, well!…

Lulu

I must go now. I wanted to say good-by to you….

Cornish

I hate to have you go. I—I hate to have you go.

Lulu

Oh, well!

Cornish

Look here, I wish—I wish you weren’t going.

Lulu

Do you? Good-by.

Cornish

Can’t I come to the depot with you?

172

Lulu

You can’t leave the store alone.

Cornish

Yes. I’ll put a little notice on the door….

Lulu

No. That would be bad for the business. Good-by.

Cornish

Good-by, Miss Lulu! Good-by, good-by, good-by!…

Lulu

There’s something else. I’m going to tell you—I don’t care what Dwight says.

[Takes letter from her handbag.]

As long as I told you the other part, I’m going to tell you this.

Cornish

I want to know everything you’ll let me know.

Lulu

See—at the office this morning was this. It’s from Ninian.

Cornish

Well, I should think he’d better write.

Lulu

Nobody must know. It was bad enough for the family before, but now … here it is:

173“… just want you to know you’re actually rid of me. I’ve heard from her, in Brazil. She ran out of money and thought of me, and her lawyer wrote to me….” … he incloses the lawyer’s letter.

“I’ve never been any good—Dwight would tell you that if his pride would let him tell the truth once in a while. But there isn’t anything in my life makes me feel as bad as this….”

… well, that part doesn’t matter. But you see. He didn’t lie to get rid of me—and she was alive just as he thought she might be!

Cornish

And you’re free now.

Lulu

That’s so—I am. I hadn’t thought of that…. It’s late. Now I’m really going. Good-by.

Cornish

Don’t say good-by.

Lulu

It’s nearly train time.

Cornish

Don’t you go…. Do you think you could possibly stay here with me?

174

Lulu

Oh!…

Cornish

I haven’t got anything. I guess maybe you’ve heard something about a little something I’m supposed to inherit. Well, it’s only five hundred dollars…. That little Warden house—it don’t cost much—you’d be surprised. Rent, I mean. I can get it now. I went and looked at it the other day but then I didn’t think … well, I mean, it don’t cost near as much as this store. We could furnish up the parlor with pianos … that is, if you could ever think of such a thing as marrying me.

Lulu

But—you know! Why, don’t the disgrace⸺

Cornish

What disgrace?

Lulu

Oh, you—you⸺

Cornish

There’s only this about that. Of course, if you loved him very much then I ought not to be talking this way to you. But I didn’t think⸺

Lulu

You didn’t think what?

Cornish

That you did care so very much about him. I don’t know why.

175

Lulu

I wanted somebody of my own. That’s the reason I done what I done. I know that now.

Cornish

I figured that way…. Look here, I ought to tell you. I’m—I’m awful lonesome myself. This is no place to live. Look—look here.

[He draws the green curtain, revealing the mean little cot and washstand.]

I guess living so is one reason why I want to get married. I want some kind of a home.

Lulu

Of course.

Cornish

I ain’t never lived what you might say private.

Lulu

I’ve lived too private.

[Pause.]

Cornish

Then there’s another thing. I—I don’t believe I’m ever going to be able to do anything with the law.

Lulu

I don’t see how anybody does.

Cornish

And I’m not much good in a business way. Sometimes I think that I may never be able to make any money.

176

Lulu

Lots of men don’t.

Cornish

Well, there it is. I’m no good at business. I’ll never be a lawyer. And—and everything I say sounds wrong to me. And yet I do believe that I’d know enough not to bully a woman. Not to make her unhappy. Maybe—even, I could make her a little happy.

Lulu

Lots of men do.

[Voices.]

[Enter Ina, Dwight and Mrs. Bett.]

Ina

Oh, Dwight! she’s still here.

Dwight

So this is where we find our Lulu!

Lulu

Did you want me, Dwight?

Ina

Want you? Why, Lulu! are you crazy? Of course we want you. Why aren’t you home?

[Nursing her wrist, which is bandaged, with the other hand, which is bandaged, too.]

Mrs. Bett

Lulie, Lulie, we thought you’d gone off again.

177

Lulu

Mother, darling….

Dwight

Here am I kept home from the office, trying my best to take your place. You’re a most important personage, Miss Lulu Bett.

Lulu

What did you want of me?

Ina

Want of you? Why, my goodness….

Dwight

If you had tasted bacon fried as the bacon was fried which I have tasted this day⸺

Ina

Oh, Dwight, that’s not funny!

Dwight

No. And the muffins were not funny either. Yes they were!

Lulu

How good of you to miss me!

Ina

Lulu, you don’t act like yourself.

Lulu

That was the way I heard the women talk in Savannah, Georgia. “So good of you to miss me.”

178

Dwight

Lulu, what does this mean? No more of this nonsense.

Lulu

Whose nonsense, Dwight?

Dwight

We know that your trunk is locked and strapped in your room and you were seen going down the street with a bag. You have flown here, presumably to discuss your situation with an outsider. Is this fair to us?

Lulu

What do you want me to do, Dwight?

Ina

Do? Why, we want you to come home.

Lulu

Home!

Dwight

Also to explain your amazing behavior.

Cornish

May I do that, Miss Lulu?

Lulu

No—no thank you. I think I’d like to speak for myself. Dwight, I’ve left your home for good and all.

179

Ina

Sister….

Mrs. Bett

Lulie … Lulie!…

Dwight

Ah-ha! You have thought better of the promise you made to Ina and me last evening not to tell our affairs broadcast.

Lulu

I’ve thought no better of it—and no worse. I couldn’t. But I’ve been thinking of something else. Of you, Dwight.

Dwight

Ah—I’m flattered.

Lulu

… Let it go at that…. In any case, I’ve left your home.

Ina

But where are you going?

Lulu

I meant to go somewhere else and work.

Ina

Go somewhere else and work. Cook? Lulu, have you no consideration for Dwight and me at all? What would people think if we let you do that….

180

Dwight

Patience, patience, pettie. Let’s have no more of this, Lulu. I imagine you’re not quite well. Come home with us, now, there’s a good girl.

Lulu

No, Dwight.

Ina

Lulu, I simply can’t keep house without you. When I think of going through with what I went through this summer while you were away…. Everything b-boils over and what I don’t expect to b-boil b-burns….

[Sobs.]

Dwightie, you’ve got to make her stay.

Dwight

Pettie—control yourself…. Lulu, I ask you, I implore you, to come back home with us.

Cornish

Miss Lulu….

Lulu

Yes?

Cornish

May I tell them?

Lulu

What is there to tell them?

181

Cornish

I think Miss Lulu and I are going to—arrange.

Lulu

O but not yet—not yet.

Dwight

What—you? You and Cornish? I should think not. How can you?

Lulu

Cora Waters is alive. Ninian’s heard from her. There’s her lawyer’s letter.

Ina

Forevermore!

Mrs. Bett

What you talking—what you talking. I want to know but I ain’t got something in my head…. Lulie, you ain’t going to get married again, are you—after waiting so long?

Dwight

Don’t be disturbed, Mother Bett. She wasn’t married that first time. No marriage about it.

Ina

Dwight! If Lulu marries Mr. Cornish, then everybody’ll have to know about Ninian and his other wife.

182

Lulu

That’s so. You would have to tell, wouldn’t you? I never thought of that. Well—you can get used to the idea while I’m gone.

Dwight

Gone?

Ina

Gone where?

Mrs. Bett

Where you goin’ now, for pity sakes?

Lulu

Away. I thought I wanted somebody of my own. Well, maybe it was just myself.

Dwight

What ridiculous talk is this?

Cornish

Lulu—couldn’t you stay with me⸺

Lulu

Sometime, maybe. I don’t know. But first I want to see out of my own eyes. For the first time in my life. Good-by, mother.

Mrs. Bett

Lulie, Lulie….

Lulu

[At the door.]

Good-by. Good-by, all of you. I’m going I don’t 183know where—to work at I don’t know what. But I’m going from choice!

[Exit.]

[Cornish follows her.]

Mrs. Bett

Who’s going to do your work now, I’d like to know?

CURTAIN

Transcriber’s Notes

New original cover art included with this ebook is granted to the public domain.

The printed text is somewhat inconsistent in how it indents lines of stage directions other than the first line; in this text, all stage directions (other than initial scene descriptions) are indented after the first line.

The following changes and corrections have been made:

p. xvii: Replaced “Louis” with “Louise” in name “Louise Closser Hale.”

p. 45: Replaced “wont” with “won’t” in phrase “Oh, maybe Ina won’t go.”

p. 51: Added closing bracket to stage direction “Exit Ninian.”

p. 63: Added closing bracket to stage direction after phrase “one note of laughter, thin and high.”

p. 85: Replaced “hadn’” with “hadn’t” in phrase “I hadn’t been a good wife to Ninian.”

p. 158: Added period after phrase “Lulu, you don’t act like yourself.”

p. 159: Replaced “your” with “you’re” in phrase “What’s that you’re saying, Dwight?”