You cain’t shet me up. I’m a fool not to a-told you before. I’m a fool too—like yerself—like Butch—like the whole damn world! I _been_ a fool. But I won’t be now. I’ll tell you now—now it’s too late—I’ll tell you sump’n ’at’ll make yer ears burn, ’at’ll make you sick inside like sump’n eatin’ on yer heart! Listen t’ me—you! You’re bright, you’re smart, you’re a keen-smellin’ dog of the law, you’re the _law_! You pertect the weak, you hang the criminals. _You shoot down, you murder innocent people—that’s w’at you do!_ (_With a sob._) It uz Butch, it uz Butch killed Jim Dory.... SHERIFF Whut’s this! ELLY _Butch_, I tell you! This boy ain’t his brother. He never saw him before. He’s jist a boy, jist a young boy—picknickin’—in the woods— SHERIFF Good God! Is this the truth you’re tellin’ me? ELLY It’s the truth— SHERIFF Godamighty! (BUTCH _comes in dripping, carrying_ BETTY. _He puts her down gently._) BUTCH Drownded— (PLANK _and_ JOE _come in carrying_ LLOYD. _They put him down._) PLANK You got him, Shuruff— JOE He’s dead. (_The_ SHERIFF _staggers a little, his hand before his eyes_. ELLY _comes down, bends tearfully over the bodies. Then she stands erect, wheels and faces the_ SHERIFF.) ELLY Ask him! SHERIFF Oh— ELLY Ask him, Shuruff! Ask him who killed Jim Dory! ’N’ if he lies!— SHERIFF (_to_ BUTCH) She says you done it. BUTCH She told on me? SHERIFF She says you done it. BUTCH (_He looks at_ ELLY. _She does not flinch. He looks back at the_ SHERIFF. _Speaks slowly._) I killed him. SHERIFF Christamighty! You killed Jim Dory? You killed this boy too, then! _You_ done it! ’Twuzn’t _me_! BUTCH (_as if dazed_) I killed her, too. She drownded herself. I tried t’ save her. SHERIFF (_horrified_) How could you do it! Two men—an’ this pore innocent little girl! God! Why’d you do it? Whut made you? BUTCH I don’t know. You’re the law. _You_ tell me! Tell me why I done it! (_The picnic party rushes in from the right. They stop. They are silent, awed._) MISS MEREDITH What’s the matter? I heard shots! (_She catches sight of the bodies._) Oh! What is it? Lloyd and Betty! Good heavens! SHERIFF Dead, Miss. MISS MEREDITH Oh, my poor little children! My poor little ones! (_To_ BUTCH, _gratefully, noticing his wet clothes_.) Oh, you tried to save them! God will reward you! (BUTCH _turns away_.) Poor little Betty— Lloyd was good to her. Oh, why’d they go on the lake! Why’d they do it? I told them not to. (_She turns away, sobbing._) ELLY (_slowly_) It’s alwys the way. People _will_ go on the lake. Young people. Cain’t keep ’em off. ’N’ they’s alwys accidents. Sometimes it’s the lake, sometimes it’s the woods—boats leak, guns go off, people air keerless, they’s wild animals—sump’n happens, sump’n alwys happens. It cain’t be helped.— _Curtain_