Contemporary One-Act Plays Part 47

FRITZI. [_Sits down beside the table._] Blacky was a nice cat; she purred just like a steam-engine.

KARL. Mama told you not to bring her in.

FRITZI. Papa said I could.

[_There is the sound of footfalls._ BAUER _and his wife come in and close the door behind them_.

MRS. BAUER. [_Putting the dinner on the table._] Come, children. [_To_ BAUER.] Sit down, Fritz.

[_She serves the dinner._ KARL _pulls_ FRITZI _out of his father's chair and pushes him into his own; then he takes his place next to his mother_.

MRS. BAUER. [_To_ BAUER, _who sits looking at his food_.] Eat somethin', Friedrich. [_She sits down._

BAUER. I can't eat nothin'. I'm full up to here.

[_He touches his throat._

MRS. BAUER. If you haven't done nothin' wrong, why do you let it worry you so?

[_Children are absorbed in eating._

FRITZI. [_Suddenly._] Gee, didn't Blacky like liver!

[MRS. BAUER _and_ KARL _look at him warningly_.

MRS. BAUER. [_Fiercely._] You eat your dinner.

BAUER. [_Affectionately, laying his hand on_ FRITZI'S _arm_.] Fritzi.

FRITZI. [_Points toward the inner room._] I'm going to have a gun, too, when I'm a man.

[BAUER _follows_ FRITZI'S _gesture and falls to musing. There is a look of brooding misery on his face._ KARL _nudges_ FRITZI _warningly and watches his father furtively_. BAUER _sits motionless, staring straight ahead of him_.

MRS. BAUER. [_To_ BAUER.] Now drink your coffee.

BAUER. Don't you see, Miene, don't you see?... Nothing makes it right now; no one believes me--no one believes--no one.

MRS. BAUER. What do you care, if you didn't do it?

BAUER. I care like h.e.l.l.

MRS. BAUER. [_With a searching took at her husband._] Fritzi, when you go on like this, people won't believe you didn't do it. You ought to act like you don't care.... [_She fixes him with a beseeching glance._] If you _didn't_ do it.

[BAUER _looks at his wife as though a hidden meaning to her words had suddenly bitten into his mind_.

BAUER. [_As though to himself._] A man can't stand that. I've gone hungry ... I've been in the hospital ... I've worked when I couldn't stand up hardly....

MRS. BAUER. [_Coaxingly._] Drink your coffee, drink it now, Fritz, while it's hot.

[_He tries to swallow a little coffee and then puts down the cup._

BAUER. I've never asked favors of no man.

MRS. BAUER. Well, an' if you did ...

BAUER. I've always kept my good name ...

MRS. BAUER. If a man hasn't done nothin' wrong it don't matter. Just go ahead like always--if----

BAUER. [_Muttering._] If--if----

MRS. BAUER. [_To the boys._] Get your caps now, it's time to go to school.

[KARL _gets up, pa.s.ses behind his father and beckons to_ FRITZI _to follow him_.

FRITZI. [_Keeping his seat._] Do we have to go to school?

BAUER. [_Suddenly alert._] Why, what's the matter?

FRITZI. The boys----

MRS. BAUER. [_Breaking in._] Fritzi!

[_The boys go into the inner room._ BAUER _collapses again_.

MRS. BAUER. [_Looking at him strangely._] Fritzi--if you didn't----

BAUER. I can't prove nothing--and no one believes me. [_A pause. She is silent under his gaze._] No one! [_He waits for her to speak. She sits with averted face. He sinks into a dull misery. The expression in his eyes changes from beseeching to despair as her silence continues, and he cries out hoa.r.s.ely._] No one! Even if you kill a cat--what's a cat against a man's life!

MRS. BAUER. [_Tensely, her eyes fastened on his._] But you _didn't_ kill it?

[_A pause._

MRS. BAUER. [_In a low, appealing voice._] Did you? Fritz? Did you?

[BAUER _gets up slowly. He stands very still and stares at his wife._

KARL'S VOICE. Mama, Fritzi's fooling with papa's gun.

[_Both children rush into the room._

KARL. You oughta lock it up.

MRS. BAUER. [_To_ FRITZI.] Bad boy! [_To_ KARL.] Fritzi wants to kill himself--that's what. Go on to school.

[_Boys run past area._

VOICES. Who killed the cat! Who killed the cat!