Fathers and daughters -- Drama; New York (N.Y.) -- Drama; Young women -- Drama
MARTHY--Take a slant in the mirror and yuh'll see. Ho-ho! [Recovering
from her mirth--chuckling, scornfully.] A square-head tryin' to kid
Marthy Owen at this late day!--after me campin' with barge men the last
twenty years. I'm wise to the game, up, down, and sideways. I ain't
been born and dragged up on the water front for nothin'. Think I'd make
trouble, huh? Not me! I'll pack up me duds an' beat it. I'm quittin'
yuh, get me? I'm tellin' yuh I'm sick of stickin' with yuh, and I'm
leavin' yuh flat, see? There's plenty of other guys on other barges
waitin' for me. Always was, I always found. [She claps the astonished
CHRIS on the back.] So cheer up, Dutchy! I'll be offen the barge before
she comes. You'll be rid o' me for good--and me o' you--good riddance
for both of us. Ho-ho!
CHRIS--[Seriously.] Ay don' tank dat. You vas good gel, Marthy.
MARTHY--[Grinning.] Good girl? Aw, can the bull! Well, yuh treated me
square, yuhself. So it's fifty-fifty. Nobody's sore at nobody. We're
still good frien's, huh? [LARRY returns to bar.]
CHRIS--[Beaming now that he sees his troubles disappearing.] Yes, py
golly.
MARTHY--That's the talkin'! In all my time I tried never to split with
a guy with no hard feelin's. But what was yuh so scared about--that I'd
kick up a row? That ain't Marthy's way. [Scornfully.] Think I'd break
my heart to lose yuh? Commit suicide, huh? Ho-ho! Gawd! The world's
full o' men if that's all I'd worry about! [Then with a grin, after
emptying her glass.] Blow me to another scoop, huh? I'll drink your
kid's health for yuh.
CHRIS--[Eagerly.] Sure tang. Ay go gat him. [He takes the two glasses
into the bar.] Oder drink. Same for both.
LARRY--[Getting the drinks and putting them on the bar.] She's not such
a bad lot, that one.
CHRIS--[Jovially.] She's good gel, Ay tal you! Py golly, Ay calabrate
now! Give me vhiskey here at bar, too. [He puts down money. LARRY
serves him.] You have drink, Larry.
LARRY--[Virtuously.] You know I never touch it.
CHRIS--You don't know what you miss. Skoal! [He drinks--then begins to
sing loudly.]
"My Yosephine, come board de ship--"
[He picks up the drinks for MARTHY and himself and walks unsteadily
into the back room, singing.]
"De moon, she shi-i-i-ine. She looks yust like you.
Tche-tchee, tchee-tchee, tchee-tchee, tchee-tchee."
MARTHY--[Grinning, hands to ears.] Gawd!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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