Chapter V: Part TWO: The Lake

SCENE 1

(_A cleared place on the bank of the lake. At the back, beyond a
slight mound, the lake begins. Willow trees droop into the water.
Gold sunshine touches the lake, plays over an old boat tied under
a tree. Voices—excited, boisterous, rough—shatter the quiet. From
the left the picnic party enters, singly, in groups of three,
in pairs—a dozen or more people. Tall farm boys, red-handed,
red-faced, dressed in battered overalls, clumping shoes, ragged
shirts; short, round farm girls, in unbecoming calicos and
ginghams, with bows in their hair. Some of the boys carry boxes of
food._)

BOYS AND GIRLS

I cain’t carry this no fu’ther.

Whur’s the f’ar go?

Fu’ther down, I reckon.

Over thar’s a good place.

She’s a-gettin’ her sewin’ done now, the crazy fool, an’ the Fair six months off!

Aw, she cain’t sew a-tall.

Guess she aims t’ git married.

Married? Huh! Wouldn’t no one have _her_!

Would too have me! Lem Sickles ud have me.

He’d _have_ you, all right, ’f you’d give him a chanst!

BUD BICKEL (_loudly_)

Le’s play, le’s stop a minute!

BOYS AND GIRLS

Hey, Miss Meredith!

Shet up yer yellin’! Miss Meredith’ll take yer head off.

Whut if I call her Jessie?

You better hadn’t! Arclo went ’n’ called her Jessie, ’n’ you orter _seen_ her! She slapped him—!

BOYS AND GIRLS (_protesting_)

I’m hungry!

Aw, c’m’on ’n’ do whut Bud says!

Miss Meredith won’t let us, I bet.

Fraidy cat! Shootin’ on it, Clem, quit steppin’ on my feet, you crazy!

Le’s play! Keep yer feet in yer pocket!

BUD

Le’s play “Little Brown Jug.”

BOYS AND GIRLS

I’m hungry!

Well, who keers if you air? _Be_ hungry! So’re we.

Who’s gonna cook the meat? Who’s got the meat? Whur is the meat anyhow? It’s bacon, ain’t it?

Shore, it’s bacon. (_Singing._) “Sow belly bacon ’n’ bean soup!”

Le’s play “Happy is the Miller Boy.” I’ll be it.

BUD

Aw, le’s play “Ole Joe Clark.” C’m’on! Irey! Git _her_! Git Hildie fer a pardner. Well, you’re it, then. Irey’s it! Everbody got a pardner?

BOYS AND GIRLS

Wait a minute!

Go ahead. You start it, Bud. “Ole Joe Clark”—

(_They begin to play, singing the song as they “do si do,”
promenade, etc._)

“Ole Joe Clark’s dead an’ gone,
I hope he’s doin’ well.
He made me wear the ball and chain
Till my ankles swelled.

“Rock, rock, ole Joe Clark,
Rock, rock, I’m gone,
Rock, rock, ole Joe Clark,
Good-by, Lucy Lawn.

“I wouldn’t marry a yellow gal,
Tell you the reason why—
Cross-eyed tears run down her back
When she starts to cry.

“Rock, rock, ole Joe Clark” (_etc._)

BUD (_alone—loudly_)

“I wouldn’t marry a yellow gal,
Tell you the reason why—
Her neck’s so long an’ stringy,
I’m ’fraid she’d never die.”

BOYS AND GIRLS (_joining in the chorus_)

“Rock, rock, ole Joe Clark” (_etc._)

(MISS MEREDITH _enters at left. She is sharp and prim. Some of the boys shout to her, while the chorus goes on_:) C’m’on, Miss Meredith, ’n’ play.

MISS MEREDITH

No, I won’t play.

A BOY

It’s fun.

MISS MEREDITH

It’s time to eat. Hurry and finish.

BUD (_alone—loudly_)

“I wouldn’t marry a yellow gal,
Tell you the reason why—
She’d blow her nose in yellow corn-bread
An’ call it punkin’ pie!”

BOYS AND GIRLS

“Rock, rock, ole Joe Clark—”

MISS MEREDITH (_sharply_)

Quit it! Quit it! (_The chorus stops._) That’s no way to act! Those verses are not very nice, Bud Bickel.

BUD

Aw, whut’s the matter with ’em?

MISS MEREDITH

Never mind, you’re not to sing them. They’re bad taste.

BUD

Ha! Bad taste? Verses don’t _taste_, Miss Meredith. They ain’t no taste to ’em, ma’am. ’N’ if they is, they all taste alike!

MISS MEREDITH

Not another word out of you, Bud Bickel! It’s time to be cooking the breakfast, anyway. You can play afterwards.

BUD

Aw, let us play one more!

BOYS AND GIRLS

One more ’fore we go—

He didn’t mean nuthin’.

It’s still early. Betty and Lloyd ain’t here yit.

Betty and Lloyd ain’t come.

It’s time t’ eat, anytime.

Gosh, she tole him—

Please, Miss Meredith—?

MISS MEREDITH

Oh, very well. You may play “Drop the Handkerchief.”

A BOY

Aw, that ain’t a play-party game.

MISS MEREDITH

This is not a play-party.

BUD

Le’s play “Straight Across the Hall.” That’s a _game_. It ain’t got no verses. C’m’on. Miss Meredith, you be my pardner. C’m’on!

MISS MEREDITH

I don’t play.

BUD

I’ll teach you how. ’S easy’s fallin’ off a log.

MISS MEREDITH

No.

BUD

Please, jist onct! Then we’ll go, ’n’ make a f’ar, and git breakfast!

MISS MEREDITH

Just once, then.

BUD (_leading her over_)

Miss Meredith’s gonna play.

BOYS AND GIRLS

Gee!

Hey, it’s a good game!

You won’t mind it s’ much, ma’am.

’F anybody steps on you jist kick ’em, Miss Meredith! That’s the way a lady do. (_They form a circle, and begin to sing and play._)

“Straight across the hall to the opposite lady,
Swing her by the right hand,
Swing yer pardner by the left,
An’ promenade the girl behind you.

“Oh, that girl, that purty little girl,
The girl I left behind me,
I weeped an’ cried t’ the day I died
Fer the girl I left behind me.”

MISS MEREDITH (_suddenly_)

Stop it!

BUD

Whut’s the matter?

MISS MEREDITH

Stop it, Bud Bickel! (_She crosses over right, angrily._) We won’t play any more.

BUD (_following her over_)

Whut is it, whut’ve I done?

MISS MEREDITH

You’re swinging the Waist Swing, Bud Bickel!

BUD

Well, o’ course!

MISS MEREDITH

It’s wrong. It’s wicked. I’m ashamed of you. I’m surprised at you.

BUD

Why, ma’am, I do that all the time. I swing all the girls the Waist Swing.

MISS MEREDITH

The idea! Don’t you know it’s wrong?

BUD

No’m.

MISS MEREDITH

It is. Don’t you ever do it again, you hear me? And don’t you girls ever let me catch you letting a boy swing you by the waist instead of by the arms. Come on, now! We won’t wait any longer.

A BOY

But Lloyd and Betty ain’t here yit—

MISS MEREDITH

We’ll not wait, I say! Hurry up now! (_She goes out._)

BOYS AND GIRLS

She’s on her high horse!

Aw, it’s too early yit to eat. Sun’s jist riz—

Hey, she tole it to you, Bud!

Ain’t you a nice sight—a-swingin’ the girls—

BUD

Shet up!

A BOY

You he-devil you, Bud Bickel! You waist-swingin’ son of a gun! Come on ’n’ swing some meat over the f’ar ’n’ see how you like that! (_They all go out, laughing._)

(_After a moment_, LLOYD _and_ BETTY _enter from the left_. BETTY
_goes hurriedly toward the boat and is about to get in_. LLOYD
_stops_.)

LLOYD

Betty— (_She turns._) Betty, they jist went. I guess they’re ready t’ eat, now—

BETTY (_shaken_)

I don’t keer—

LLOYD

Aw, you mustn’t be excited about nuthin’—

BETTY

I ain’t excited.

LLOYD

Yes, you air, too. I c’n tell the way you act. You see—they wuzn’t nuthin’—

BETTY

No—

LLOYD

Nuthin’ a-tall. They uz nice folks. (_Trying to reassure her._) Funny place t’ be a-livin’ in though—buried under the ground, like. Looks like it ud be damp s’ close to the lake. But they uz nice folks. Nice womern. The man uz all right. Kind of a lumberin’ kinda man—’thout no talk—but kindhearted. Didden he loan us the boat?

BETTY

Yes—

LLOYD

Didden he give us the oars? Shore he did! Well?—

BETTY

Le’s go on the lake now, Lloyd—

LLOYD

Shore! We’ll go, all right. I said we’d go. (_He goes toward her. She gets in the boat. A burst of song and laughter comes from the picnickers some distance away. He raises his head._) Betty, listen! They’re gettin’ breakfast ready, I guess.

BETTY

I don’t want none.

LLOYD

All right, I ain’t s’ hungry. But I’m jist wonderin’—wh’er we hadn’t oughter let ’em know we’ve come. I told Bud Bickel we uz comin’ early by ourselves. They might wonder about us—or wait fer us.

BETTY

They won’t wait. They’re startin’ a f’ar.

LLOYD

Smoke’s a-rizin’ good. It’s a-comin’ off the ground an’ rizin’ up like a cloud. We oughter be thar. Miss Meredith might worry about us.

BETTY

She wouldn’t worry about us. She wouldn’t worry about no one. Please, Lloyd, le’s go out on the lake—a little while, jist fer a little—

LLOYD (_anxiously_)

Whut is it?

BETTY

Nuthin’—

LLOYD

Tell me—

BETTY (_with sudden passion_)

Oh, _them_! That cabin! Them people! That man! I’m afeard of him, he’s a part of these woods here! He’s part of this. I don’t like it. It’s busy, busy a-doin’ sump’n I can’t understand! They ain’t nuthin’ clear t’ me. Why’d he look at me that a-way? Why’d he want me t’ borry a coat t’ keep warm? Why’d he stir up the f’ar—fer _me_? Why did he?

LLOYD

Why, Betty, he uz only bein’ nice t’ you. He liked you. People like you—you’re sweet, you’re purty—

BETTY

No. It ain’t that! It’s sump’n else. I don’t understand it. I’m afeard. I’m too young. It’s wrong t’ be young—

LLOYD

Betty! Why, here—

BETTY

His eyes a-burnin’— His teeth—like a animal’s—

LLOYD

Betty!

BETTY

He’s a _part_ o’ these woods here! He b’longs here. I don’t. I don’t b’long here. You don’t. We’re too young. They’s sump’n goin’ on—sump’n mean—sump’n awful—It ain’t fer us t’ be part of. We got to git away—

LLOYD

We’ll go on the lake.

BETTY

Oh, yes, we’ll go on the lake! (_Thoughtfully._) Nen whur’ll we go to?

LLOYD

_Acrost_ the lake—or down to the other end. We c’n git a snack t’ eat at Binghams. We’ll do that ’n’ then row home. We won’t come back here t’ the woods if you don’t want to—

BETTY

We couldn’t jist stay—in the middle of the lake—awhile?

LLOYD

Course we could—fer a while. But you’d be hungry. You’d be cold out thar too after a while. The wind blows—

BETTY (_fearfully_)

All around the lake, everwhur, they’s woods. The lake goes out—’n’ it’s clear thar and bright—but it teches the woods everwhur at the edges. Oh! They ain’t no place t’ go to! The lake—it teches the woods—it’s a _part_ of the woods! (_She sinks down._)

LLOYD (_kneeling_)

No! No, it ain’t, Betty. You’re jist upset. It’ll be nice out thar. It’ll be clear an’ bright. Mebbe it’ll be warm. We’ll stay as long’s you want to. You mustn’t be this a-way, don’t you see, Betty? Oh, I know—you’re jist upset, you’ve saw things you don’t understand. You’ve been skeered. It’s all right now. You mustn’t think everything’s mixed up like this—like these woods. Out there—look at it—look at the lake! (_Breathlessly._) Sun techin’ it. Little waves startin’ in the wind, breakin’ here on the bank in ripples. Trees—willers leanin’ down like they uz prayin’ at the edges. I wish I could be a lake. I wish I could be that big, that deep! I wish I could be ketchin’ the sun like it—an’ sparklin’ an’ singin’—an’ never afeard o’ nuthin’—jist a-settin’ thar quiet in the sunshine—a-lookin’ up at the sky, a-lookin’ up at the sun—

BETTY (_looking up at him_)

You make it nice—

LLOYD

No, ’tain’t me—

BETTY

You make it nicer’n it is—

LLOYD

No. It looks that a-way t’ me.

BETTY

It’s that a-way t’ me, too—

LLOYD (_relieved_)

Betty—

BETTY

When you say it. You make things nicer’n they air—

LLOYD

No, I make ’em the _way_ they air.

BETTY

An’ the lake?—

LLOYD

It’s a deep pool—

BETTY

It’s quiet.

LLOYD

It moves when the wind moves. It holds the sun. It’s a cup with gold in it—

BETTY

And dawn—

LLOYD

An’ sunset, and shadders, and starlight, an’ the moon burnin’ red. Come on, why’d we stay on the bank? We’ll go out— (_He climbs into the boat._)

BETTY

Yes.

LLOYD

On the lake!

BETTY

I hear sump’n—

LLOYD

’S footsteps. Somebody runnin’—

BETTY

They’re comin’ this way!

LLOYD

Through the woods—

BETTY

Lloyd!

LLOYD

Sh!

BETTY

Le’s go, quick.

LLOYD

Be still! They won’t see us!

(_A boy rushes in headlong from the woods at the left. He is almost
out of sight, right, when he catches sight of the two in the boat.
He stops. His face is coarse; a grin, like an idiot’s, spreads over
his face. It is the_ DAVIS _boy_.)

DAVIS

Hi!

LLOYD

Hi.

DAVIS

Didden see ya. Betty an’ Lloyd, ain’t it? Whut you doin’?

LLOYD

Nuthin’.

DAVIS

Well. Whur’s Miss Meredith at?

LLOYD

Down the lake. Thought you wuzn’t comin’. Thought you had t’ work.

DAVIS

I did—but I sneaked off. Played hookey frum work—like frum school. Joke’s on my ole man. He’s keepin’ the shop, he’s shoein’ ole Jake Wilkerson’s mare— Whut you doin’ here—you two?

LLOYD

Nuthin’.

DAVIS

Settin’ in a boat—by yerselves, ain’t ya? Ha! Havin’ a good time all by yerselves, ain’t ya? Sweet on each other, ain’t ya? Oh, by Joe! Wait’ll I tell Miss Meredith!

LLOYD

Shet up yer mouth, Oscar Davis!

DAVIS

Miss Meredith knows yer here, don’t she?

LLOYD

We ain’t saw her this mornin’.

DAVIS

You ain’t? Oh, wait’ll I tell her! Settin’ in a boat—_hidin’_ in a boat! I wouldn’t a-saw you if you’d a-kep’ yer head down. O gorry!

LLOYD (_gets out of the boat, angrily_)

Whut’re you a-sayin’, you?

DAVIS

Oh, the sweet little babies—a-settin’ in the boat—jist a-settin’ an’ a-settin’ till the night do come. Oh, by Joe!

(_He runs out, right, laughing._ LLOYD _looks at_ BETTY,
_disturbed, then walks over left_. BETTY _gets out of the boat
slowly and goes toward him_.)

BETTY

Lloyd— We better go—

LLOYD

Mebbe—

BETTY

He makes me feel— Oh!—

LLOYD

Don’t mind him.

BETTY

I do mind him. We better go. (_Painfully._) Lloyd, whut is it? Whut’d he mean?

LLOYD

Oh, don’t mind him—

BETTY

Tell me—

LLOYD

Things. He’s dirty, he’s low—

BETTY

Oh!—

LLOYD

We’ll go whur the others are at. It’s all right. Don’t you mind. Miss Meredith’ll know it’s all right. She’ll know. Come on. We better go.

(_They start, right._ MISS MEREDITH _enters hastily, out of breath,
venomous. She stops in their path._)

MISS MEREDITH

Oh—so you’re here?

LLOYD (_slowly_)

Yes’m.

MISS MEREDITH

A pretty sight! A pretty couple, I must say!

LLOYD

Whut’d you mean?

MISS MEREDITH

The nerve—asking me what I mean! Where have you been all morning—you two?

LLOYD

No whur. We come here—that’s all.

MISS MEREDITH

_Come_ here! What time did you leave the Switch?

LLOYD

I don’t know. It uz early.

MISS MEREDITH

What time?

LLOYD

I don’t know.

MISS MEREDITH

You don’t know? Before sun-up?

LLOYD

Yes, ma’am.

MISS MEREDITH

Before daylight, wasn’t it?

LLOYD

Yes.

MISS MEREDITH

You left in the dark?

LLOYD

Yes, it uz still dark.

MISS MEREDITH

I thought so!

LLOYD

Whut difference’d it make? I tole Bud Bickel to tell you—

MISS MEREDITH

Oh, he told me! He told me you were coming early—by yourselves—you and Betty. Why’d you do it?

LLOYD

Why, we wanted to.

MISS MEREDITH

Wanted to! That’s no reason. Why’d you want to?

LLOYD

Why, we wanted t’ be here ’fore it got light t’ see the lake. T’ see it git lighter ’n’ lighter till the gray mist uz all gone—an’ the sun had rose—

MISS MEREDITH

Oh, you did? So you had to get up early in the morning—before daylight—and drive here through the dark woods—by yourselves—alone—you two? You had to sneak off where there was no one to spy on you, and no light to make you ashamed of yourselves, didn’t you? Oh, don’t interrupt me! I know why you did it! I’m surprised at you, Betty. I wouldn’t have thought it of you! I shall report you both to the School Board. I’m ashamed! I’m ashamed _for_ you! I can hardly look any one in the face. I don’t know how you can. Oh, it’s this that makes teaching so hard! After all my labor, and all my rules to keep you from going wrong like this—you sneak off to the woods—the first chance you get—like a couple of animals. I’m ashamed of you! Come on, now! The fire’s started. Come on and eat your breakfast! (_She goes out._)

BETTY (_turns away, stricken_)

Oh! Her, too!

LLOYD

Her—an’ everbody! Damn her! Damn everbody! O Christ!

BETTY

It’s all mean—it’s all wicked, wicked! Whut’ll we do now?

LLOYD (_in agony_)

Nuthin’—

BETTY

We _got_ to do _sump’n_!

LLOYD

We’ll go on the lake, then.

BETTY

They’s no place else t’ go—

LLOYD

It’s the _only_ place t’ go. We’d oughta went thar before. Come on, Betty, git in. (_They get in the boat._ LLOYD _shoves it away from the bank_.) We c’n go acrost ’n’ git grub—we c’n go home—

BETTY

Home! I don’t want t’ _see_ home again! I hate it! I hate these woods! They’s no place fer us—nowhur—

LLOYD

They’s room on the lake—

BETTY

Oh, yes! They’s room thar! They’s room on the Lake!

LLOYD

It’s big! It’s deep!

(_They row out of sight, left. A burst of song and laughter comes
from the picnickers down the lake. Then there is the sharp crackle
of twigs, and the noise of running._ PLANK _and the_ SHERIFF _run
in from the right_.)

PLANK (_pointing off left, excitedly_)

Thar he is, Shuruff!

SHERIFF

(_Draws his pistol as they run off left._)

_Curtain_

THE LAKE

SCENE 2

(_A cleared place sloping down to the left, where the lake comes in
in a little bay. The branches of old trees meet overhead. The lake
glitters in the bright sunlight._

PLANK _and the_ SHERIFF, _with the pistol still in his hand, stand and shout off left_.)

SHERIFF

Come in, you! Put that boat in to shore!

LLOYD’S VOICE

I won’t— I won’t—

SHERIFF

I’m givin’ you one more chance!

LLOYD’S VOICE

I won’t never do it! You cain’t make me, you cain’t—

SHERIFF

I’ll give you till I count three!

LLOYD’S VOICE

Count ten! Count a hunderd! I won’t come!

SHERIFF (_deliberately_)

One! Two! Three! Comin’?

LLOYD’S VOICE

Never!

SHERIFF (_raises his gun slowly and fires_)

Take that, then! (BETTY _screams_.)

PLANK

You got him, Shuruff! He’s sunk down in the boat like he’s dead! Hey! Look at it! Look! The girl! She’s standin’ up in the boat! Good God, she’s jumpin’ in the lake! She’ll drownd!

(BUTCH _and_ ELLY, _followed by_ JOE, _run in from the right_.)

ELLY (_in horror_)

Shuruff! Shuruff! You’ve killed him! You’ve killed him! (_She looks off, left._) Oh, the girl—she’s drownin’! Quick, save her—you got to—go an’ save her, she’s drownin’! (BUTCH _throws off his coat_.)

BUTCH (_muttering_)

Christ! (_He dashes off, left._)

ELLY (_with a moan_)

Oh, w’at’ve you done, w’at’ve you done! (_With bitter scorn._) You don’t know! You think you’ve upheld the law, you think you’ve done yer duty! Well, you ain’t! You’ve killed an innocent boy that wouldn’t hurt a fly—that’s w’at you’ve done! (_She looks left._) Oh, hurry! hurry! She’s goin’ down! Hurry an’ git her!

SHERIFF

Go help him, Plank. Go help him. Joe, go drag in the boat. Hurry up! (PLANK _and_ JOE _hurry out_.)

ELLY

Mebbe she ain’t drownded. Mebbe she ain’t—the pore thing— (_She sinks down wearily. To the_ SHERIFF.) Why’d you stand thar? Why don’t you do sump’n? (_With infinite scorn, infinite weariness._) Look at him. He’s the law. He’s done his duty. He’s got his man. He’ll git a reward.

SHERIFF

Shet up!

ELLY

You cain’t shet me up. I’m a fool not to a-told you before. I’m a fool too—like yerself—like Butch—like the whole damn world! I _been_ a fool. But I won’t be now. I’ll tell you now—now it’s too late—I’ll tell you sump’n ’at’ll make yer ears burn, ’at’ll make you sick inside like sump’n eatin’ on yer heart! Listen t’ me—you! You’re bright, you’re smart, you’re a keen-smellin’ dog of the law, you’re the _law_! You pertect the weak, you hang the criminals. _You shoot down, you murder innocent people—that’s w’at you do!_ (_With a sob._) It uz Butch, it uz Butch killed Jim Dory....

SHERIFF

Whut’s this!

ELLY

_Butch_, I tell you! This boy ain’t his brother. He never saw him before. He’s jist a boy, jist a young boy—picknickin’—in the woods—

SHERIFF

Good God! Is this the truth you’re tellin’ me?

ELLY

It’s the truth—

SHERIFF

Godamighty!

(BUTCH _comes in dripping, carrying_ BETTY. _He puts her down
gently._)

BUTCH

Drownded—

(PLANK _and_ JOE _come in carrying_ LLOYD. _They put him down._)

PLANK

You got him, Shuruff—

JOE

He’s dead.

(_The_ SHERIFF _staggers a little, his hand before his eyes_. ELLY
_comes down, bends tearfully over the bodies. Then she stands
erect, wheels and faces the_ SHERIFF.)

ELLY

Ask him!

SHERIFF

Oh—

ELLY

Ask him, Shuruff! Ask him who killed Jim Dory! ’N’ if he lies!—

SHERIFF (_to_ BUTCH)

She says you done it.

BUTCH

She told on me?

SHERIFF

She says you done it.

BUTCH

(_He looks at_ ELLY. _She does not flinch. He looks back at the_ SHERIFF. _Speaks slowly._) I killed him.

SHERIFF

Christamighty! You killed Jim Dory? You killed this boy too, then! _You_ done it! ’Twuzn’t _me_!

BUTCH (_as if dazed_)

I killed her, too. She drownded herself. I tried t’ save her.

SHERIFF (_horrified_)

How could you do it! Two men—an’ this pore innocent little girl! God! Why’d you do it? Whut made you?

BUTCH

I don’t know. You’re the law. _You_ tell me! Tell me why I done it!

(_The picnic party rushes in from the right. They stop. They are
silent, awed._)

MISS MEREDITH

What’s the matter? I heard shots! (_She catches sight of the bodies._) Oh! What is it? Lloyd and Betty! Good heavens!

SHERIFF

Dead, Miss.

MISS MEREDITH

Oh, my poor little children! My poor little ones! (_To_ BUTCH, _gratefully, noticing his wet clothes_.) Oh, you tried to save them! God will reward you! (BUTCH _turns away_.) Poor little Betty— Lloyd was good to her. Oh, why’d they go on the lake! Why’d they do it? I told them not to. (_She turns away, sobbing._)

ELLY (_slowly_)

It’s alwys the way. People _will_ go on the lake. Young people. Cain’t keep ’em off. ’N’ they’s alwys accidents. Sometimes it’s the lake, sometimes it’s the woods—boats leak, guns go off, people air keerless, they’s wild animals—sump’n happens, sump’n alwys happens. It cain’t be helped.—

_Curtain_