Part 14 (1/2)

_Peggy_. If my husband can't sell his work, I'm going back on the stage. I was an actress before I married.

_Schmidt_. All right, lady, I trust you. Good-bye, liddle boy.

_Bill, Will, and Peggy_. Good-bye, Mr. Schmidt! (_Schmidt exit._)

_Peggy_ (_turning to Will_). There now--off in your local color!

_Will_. How?

_Peggy_. Have you forgotten what you made Jack say about Mr.

Schmidt: a great hulking brute of a Dutchman, who has no thought of anything in the world but his cash-drawer!

_Will_. Well--I have to have a story!

_Peggy._ But you don't have to have such a melancholy story!

_Will._ Yes I do!

_Peggy._ But why?

_Will._ Because that's the sort of story I'm writing! Come along now. (_turns to papers. Bell rings again._) Oh, Lord!

_Peggy (opens door Left)._ What's this?

_The Policeman._ Good-day, mum.

_Peggy and Will._ Why--good-day.

_Policeman._ I come to see yez, mum. Yez have a mattress on yer fire-escape, mum.

_Peggy._ Why--yes.

_Policeman._ It's agin the law mum, and yez could be got into trooble. I got strict orders, mum--yez must have it in.

_Peggy._ Oh, very well. I didn't know.

_Policeman_ Yez kin see how 'tis, mum. If there'd be a fire--

_Peggy._ Oh, certainly, certainly. But you see, it's the only place we have to put the little boy while we're writing.

_Policeman._ Oh, is that so? Well, now, that's too bad! Sure, mum----well, 'tis on the back fire-escape the mattress is, an' I'd no business to be seein' it, had I? I'll fergit that I seen it.

_Peggy._ Oh! Thank you.

_Policeman._ And how is the little b'y, mum?

_Peggy._ He's pretty well, thank you.

_Policeman._ He's a bit pale in the cheeks, I'm thinkin'. Yez should have him over to the park a bit more. Well, good-day to yez, mum.