American drama -- 20th century; College graduates -- Drama; Depressions -- 1929 -- United States -- Drama
MARTIN. Something in Kate's eyes, while you were posing for her,
suggested it. She seemed to think your outfit lacked something.
Well, what it lacked I have seen on parade grounds at West Point.
There it is. [_Holds up drawing._]
TED. [_Backs away._] Why do you torment me?
MARTIN. I'm sorry. [_He rips cardboard across and throws the halves
into wastebasket._] It had no significance to you personally,
Ted.--It's all of us. All of us who are in the army.
TED. In the army? What are you talking about? We aren't in any
army. We wouldn't go in. Why, half the men you meet say that in a
war they'd be conscientious objectors. The jails wouldn't hold
them.
MARTIN. But the ditches will.
TED. But I tell you ...
MARTIN. They jailed conscientious objectors in the last war. This
time they will shoot them.
TED. Why are you Communists so afraid of war?
MARTIN. We know what starts it.--It's the army, Ted, that makes
war.
TED. But this country hasn't a big standing army.
MARTIN. There are ten millions in it.
TED. You mean the unemployed?
MARTIN. That's the army that makes war these days.
TED. You radicals always say that. I don't agree with you--except
about war. I think you are right about that.
MARTIN. Which is why the American Legion wants to exterminate us.
TED. They want war. But you want revolution. You are against war
and for revolution. That's silly. Just a different kind of war.
You're both wrong. There's no sense in any of you.
MARTIN. That's right. The business men have all the sense. They
know that an army in rags is more dangerous to them than an army in
uniform. So we will wear uniforms. I just tried yours on to see how
it would fit you.
TED. [_Picks up the two halves out of basket and puts them together
and stares at it._] No.--No. I'll never wear one. Never! [_He
crumples drawing and throws it back into basket_, LAURA _comes in
from the kitchen._ TED, _looking for escape, goes into bedroom._]
LAURA. Tippy hasn't telephoned. That means he hasn't found Ken.
MARTIN. Maybe he wants to march the grand monarch in on us.
LAURA. Oh, I hope so.--He ought to be back.... Martin, do you think
Ken will ever forgive me?
MARTIN. Well, you know what Solomon said about the way of a man
with a maid.
LAURA. Don't wise-crack.
MARTIN. I'm only hiding my ignorance behind Solomon's.
LAURA. Do you think Ken _should_ forgive me?
MARTIN. I think he ought to spank you till you'd have to eat off
the mantel for a week, and then take you back to his bed and board
and forget it.
LAURA. If he only would.
TIPPY. [_Enters, looking gloomy._] He hasn't been at the apartment,
Laura.--He hasn't been there and he hasn't 'phoned there.
MARTIN. So that's that.
TIPPY. There were some messages for him. The girl at the
switchboard said a man's voice asked for Ken and then asked for
you. Called a couple of times. Left no name.
LAURA. Maybe I ought to go home?
TIPPY. Would you be any more miserable alone?
LAURA. I couldn't be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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