Butch, bring a cheer up. (_He picks up a chair and sets it in front of the fireplace._ LLOYD _and_ BETTY _watch him anxiously. He goes across to the bunks and sits down._ ELLY _crosses over with another chair._) Here’s another cheer. Set down. (_They go over slowly and sit._) The fa’r’s goin’ strong. Mebbe you’d like a cup of hot coffee? LLOYD Would you, Betty? (_She shakes her head._) No, ma’am. Thank you. ELLY I guess you’ve had yer breakfast. LLOYD No’m, we ain’t yit. We’re gonna have it ’s soon’s Miss Meredith comes. ELLY Who’s Miss Meredith? LLOYD Our teacher. ELLY Oh! Over t’ the Switch. LLOYD Yes’m. It’s a picnic breakfast here in the woods—fer the whole class. ELLY Oh! (_After a moment._) You’ve come awful early. LLOYD Nobody’s come yit—but us. We come early. ELLY How’d you happen to do that? LLOYD (_hesitating_) Why, we—we jist thought we’d come early. We drove over from the Switch. Horse and buggy’s up here a ways—not fur. ELLY Oh! (_She looks from one to the other. Then to_ BETTY.) Air you gittin’ warm, Miss? BETTY (_gratefully_) Yes’m. I wuz cold. LLOYD She wuz tremblin’. ELLY You’d oughta wear more clothes when you go out s’ early. BETTY Yes’m. ELLY Yer Maw ud oughta told you. BETTY Maw’s dead. ELLY Yer Paw ud oughta told you, then. BETTY He’s asleep. (_The three smile at this._ LLOYD _and_ BETTY _begin to feel more at ease_.) This is the first time I been out s’ early. I didn’t know it wuz cold. Now I know. ’Fore it gits sun-up it’s li’ble to be. Even after sun-up it’s apt to be cold here in the woods, ain’t it? BUTCH (_suddenly_) Elly! Ain’t you got a coat you could let her borry? ELLY (_surprised_) Why, yes, I got a coat. (_To_ BETTY.) I’ll lend you one. BETTY No’m, you mustn’t. I’m obliged to you, but I doan need it. ELLY You shore? BETTY Yes’m. (BUTCH’S _interruption causes a constrained silence_. ELLY _goes away toward the bunks thoughtfully_. BETTY, _uneasy, looks at_ LLOYD. _Then_ BUTCH _rises, crosses the room, takes the poker and stirs the fire. He goes back to the little table and sits down._ LLOYD _rises, makes a step toward_ ELLY.) Mebbe we better go now— BUTCH (_loudly_) Set down! (_He begins eating his breakfast._) ELLY (_quickly_) He ain’t had his breakfast. Don’t mind him. LLOYD We better go. ELLY He don’t mean nuthin’. LLOYD (_uneasy_) Well, we’ll stay a minute or two. (_He goes back and sits down._) ELLY (_as if nothing had happened_) Must be fun to come a-picnickin’ in the woods. LLOYD I doan know. I ain’t never been. ELLY I ain’t been since I uz yore age. _Why_ ain’t you been? LLOYD I’ve always worked, helped my Dad drive cattle—till now. I’m in school. ELLY And ain’t never been to school before? LLOYD No, ma’am. ELLY And ain’t never went on picnics? LLOYD Not till now. ELLY