Thirty Pieces of Silver: A Play in Three Acts by Howard Fast Read Free Book Online Page A

Carmichael.
    Curtain — End of Scene One — Act II

Scene Two
    The same as Scene One, Act I, the living-room of the GRAHAM home; and the time is late afternoon, the same day as Scene One, Act II. As the curtain rises , HILDA comes down the stairs , LORRY trailing her. HILDA puts on two of the lamps, and then stands for a moment, irresolute, as if undecided as to her next step .
    LORRY ( holding out a book she is carrying ) Read me this, Hilda.
    HILDA What?
    LORRY You promised before to read this later. You said you would.
    HILDA ( impatiently ) Well, I can’t. I don’t have time. I got other things to do.
    LORRY Well, you promised me. You promised me.
    HILDA ( angrily ) Stop that—just stop that whining!
    ( LORRY stares at her; the child’s face wrinkles and then she starts to cry. )
    Stop crying!
    LORRY I don’t like that face.
    HILDA What face?
    LORRY That face you got. Why can’t you have a happy face? Why can’t you?
    HILDA I just got damn little to be happy about.
    LORRY There—you said it. You said damn, and you’re mad at me, too. Why can’t you be happy at me?
    HILDA I’m not mad at you.
    ( She gets down and takes LORRY in her arms. )
    Don’t you understand? I’m not mad at you—I’m mad at myself. I’m sick with myself. Anyway, I got to work. I got two years of stuff I been accumulating down in the cellar, and I got to sort it out and see what I want to keep and what I want to throw away.
    LORRY Let me help you, Hilda.
    HILDA ( rising and looking at LORRY speculatively ) All right. Come along.
    ( They go out though the dining-room. A moment after they have left, the doorbell rings. A pause, and then it rings again. )
    JANE ( from upstairs ) Hilda!
    ( The bell rings again. )
    HILDA —will you please answer.
    ( Again the bell. JANE comes running down the stairs, tying a bathrobe around her. She opens the door. )
    Mildred—this is a surprise. A good one. I’m glad to see you.
    ( MILDRED ANDREWS enters. She wears a print dress and high heels, and too much make-up for the afternoon. She carries three pastry boxes, tied together with thin string. )
    I’m this way.
    ( JANE points to herself. )
    I had one of those days.
    MILDRED You’re not ill?
    JANE No—just going insane. And now Hilda’s disappeared.
    MILDRED They’re all the same, aren’t they? Where shall I put these?
    JANE What are they?
    MILDRED Our winnings last night—just turned into pastry. I was at Lucille’s and everything looked so good and smelled so good——
    JANE ( actually troubled ) You shouldn’t have done that. Why did you, Mildred?
    MILDRED Because I despise winning at bridge—and playing it, too, especially the way Jim Andrews plays it.
    ( She drops into a chair. )
    JANE I think he plays very well.
    MILDRED He does everything well, darling. That’s one of the attributes of his special type of louse. Will you make me a drink, honey? It’s half-past four. I’ve been watching—I don’t drink before five now. I’ll just play with it.
    ( studying JANE curiously )
    What’s wrong?
    JANE Nothing. ( She goes to the butler’s tray. ) Mildred—why don’t you divorce him if you hate him that much?
    MILDRED It’s a living, isn’t it?—and anyway, I don’t hate him that much. Where’s your beautiful daughter?
    JANE With Hilda, I suppose. What’ ll you have?
    MILDRED Just put some rye or bourbon or whatever you have on a piece of ice.
    ( While she speaks, she wanders around the room. )
    Anyway, he wouldn’t give it to me, that is, if I wanted it, and I don’t, I don’t think. It’s no asset to have a divorce in this town if you’re after a big type of career, and Andrews is going to be a Cabinet something or other some day, or an ambassador or something——
    ( She takes the glass JANE holds out to her. )
    Won’t you have any?
    JANE I will.
    (